Climate Letter #480

A “landmark” new study shows how the Earth’s dry zones are expanding.  “About 5.7% of the global total land area has shifted toward warmer and drier climate types from 1950–2010……we find that these changes of climate types since 1950 cannot be explained as natural variations but are driven by anthropogenic factors.”  That trend is likely to accelerate over the next fifty years.  Based on what we have been seeing since 2010 in California alone, and in the overall explosion of wildfires this summer, I believe an update of the above shift figure would indicate that an acceleration is well underway.

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A comprehensive study of our planet’s tree cover.  All sorts of interesting facts and figures here.  At the current rate of destruction they would all be gone in about 300 years, along with their ability to soak up carbon.
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Over the long term, what is the expected relative financial cost to a society due to switching aggressively to renewable energy versus staying on course with fossil fuels?  This is a question everyone should want to know the correct answer to, but it’s largely an uncertainty that, while surely improving, is still in the process of being hammered out.  Here are some inputs that suggest the cost will be hardly noticeable:
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A discovery that could greatly extend the life of lithium-ion batteries.  For purposes such as automotive, replacement of these batteries is a huge expense, and in all cases a nuisance.  Extending their life expectancy by three or four times would be a remarkable benefit.
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Further implications of the cyanobacteria story that I reported here yesterday.  Robert Fanney has dug into it more deeply and comes up with some relevant findings that are even more troubling, especially if conditions are carried to an extreme.  As an aside, I personally don’t expect to see CO2 levels rising to 750 ppm by 2100 because of human emissions.  By or before the time we hit 450—in 25 years or less at the current rate—the consequences should be frightening enough to ensure drastic changes in the way we operate, if that’s any comfort.
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Progress made toward an unconventional and cheaper kind of solar cell, having built-in energy concentration.  It’s a little hard to figure out just how this works, but it sounds good and the people and laboratories that are involved all appear to be first class and highly motivated.
Carl

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