Some Good News:
 
Germany is the most progressive country, by far, when it comes to climate change.  Germany has a huge installed base of solar panels, and is working hard in many areas, especially in renewable energy sources.  We re avidly following events in Germany; there are many aspects to 'doing the right thing'.  We just saw a story of a completely waste-free supermarket about to launch in Germany, read more here.  Also there is a photo of this supermarket at the bottom of this article.

Fuel cells are gaining steam.  Fuel cells use natural gas to produce heat, and electricity - with far less emissions.  The  
Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems (IKTS) in Dresden is now making a fuel cell the size of domestic heater, that can power a home - producing heat, and up to 1KW of electricity.  This could change everything, if the cost can be reduced.  Fraunhofer is doing testing of the units in 150 homes, and is working to reduce the cost of the unit.  You can read more here.

97% of the world's scientists now support Climate Change.

Billionaire Tom Steyer has put up $2 million to create a fund to help those who are hurt by Climate Change. He hops that others will donate to this fund.  Congressional Republicans, who claim to care about regular people, are not doing anything to help those who are hurt by Climate Change.

The Antarctic ice sheet continues to grow, which no one understands.  There is considerable study underway.

Thursday June 5 was World Environment Day, which was celebrated around the world.  Not as big as Earth Day, but still important and recognized by many.  Maybe everyday should be Evironment Day!

While most people are pessimistic, some optimistic.  While American government policies are a disaster, there are many people making an effort especially in renewables, and startup companies.  People are changing - and that can be powerful.  Here is an interesting article on some of the good trends in fighting global warming.

City planning is accelerating all around the world, to deal with the effects of Climate Change.
  

  
But here is Plenty of Bad News Too:

Ever heard of 'Plastiglomerate'?  This is a new kind of rock in our world, where plastic trash on beaches combines with sediment, basaltic lava fragments and organic debris (such as shells) to form a new object, like a rock, and that lasts for centuries.   Future scientists will be able to use this 'plastic rock' material to study our civilization.  Some plastics will melt when warmed and they combine with the natural materials around it.  Plastiglomerate will last from 100's to even thousands of years.  It is a sad commentary on what we are doing to the environment.  People should care.  When you see climate deniers and skeptics complaining about scientists, ask yourself: why don't they care?  You can read more here.

The Texas GOP has called for Republicans to ignore Climate Change.  Maybe we should all just ignore Republicans in the elections?

Jamestown, the oldest English settlement in the US, is about to be swept away by rising waters; part of it already is.  Its further evidence of the rise in sea level.  You can read more here.

Newsweek has reported that the Canadian government has prohibited Meteorologists from talking about Climate Change.   Another form of backward thinking.  In Canada, Meteorologists are listened to more than most scientists.  But Canada has the world's 3rd largest oil reserves, mostly in the form of Tar Sands.  Clearly, Canada has its priorities wrong.  It is surprising in a way as Canada is often seen as a clean, progressive country.  

And the worst news, which we have every week, is that CO2 emissions not only continue to happen, but continue to rise.  This is the big driving force behind Global Warming.  We could do something about it - but we need the US Congress to take a leadership position, and they refuse too.  China also needs to take a leadership position in this area, instead of just focusing on economic growth.  They re not mutually exclusive; Germany shows how sensible policies can be found.

Climate Change news from around the world:

• Since Congress has refused to work on Climate Change, President Obama is moving to reduce the limits on emissions from Coal plants.  This is a very important move and one that needs to become law.  Over time, the limits need to be lowered even further - both here, and around the world.  China is now worse than the US when it comes to coal emissions.
• A recent military report concludes that Climate Change represents a national security risk, that could lead to global "instability and conflict".  In fact for thousands of years, climate issues have led to clashes, wars, and even demise of entire civilizations.   For example, extreme drought around 1200 BC in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean regions led to widespread death, and the displacement of people. Egyptians, Hittites, Canaanites, Cypriots, Minoans, Mycenaeans, Assyrians and Babylonians and 'sea peoples' from the Mediterranean area had conflicts during this time.  Drought and the famine it brings are very destabilizing.  Drought, earthquakes, and other events led to the collapse of civilization in this part of the world, as the Bronze Age was ending.
• You can become a tree!  There is a neat product from Unabios.com that lets you put your ashes into an urn, from which a tree grows - Maple, Oak, Pine, or othre choices.  Its a beautiful idea, and a way for a person to have an enduring legacy.
• Climate models predict increased storms near the poles.  A recent study found that very large ocean waves are accelerating the break of the ice in Antarctica.  This seems to be happening more, than in the Arctic or Greenland.   While the large waves can fracture ice even further inland, they are also behind the process 

• Climate Change leads to health risks.  We are seeing that in California already.   Drought there means that underground water supplies are being used more and more - supplies which can be contaminated by pesticides and herbicides.   Plus, drought leads to a drop in agriculture, which in turn hurts the economy of the entire area.
• The State of Wyoming has rejected new science standards for education because they include education about Climate Change.  This is backwards and hurts our children, and our future.
• Shell oil now says that Climate Change is a serious issue; they are joining Exxon and Mobile in calling for change.
• Cities cannot wait for the federal government to take action.  Cities all around the US, and around the world, are forming sustainability policies, and developing plans for dealing with Climate Change, and rising seas.  Coastal cities cannot ignore this risk - even if Congress is completely ignoring it.  
• A new study says that Climate Change will reduce Biodiversity
• Companies are starting to offer Climate Change Insurance
• The government of Scotland is preparing national standards for dealing with Climate Change; one of the first countries to do so.  We need more countries to follow suit.  Germany has pledged to be completely run by Renewables by 2050.
• Invasive species will invade the arctic, as melting continues.
• On a positive note, Israel no longer has water shortages; they are building desalinization plants.  If this could be run from renewable energy sources, it would be ideal.  Israel has 4  such plants now, and a fifth one is being produced.  Negotiations are underway for more sharing of water resources with Palestinians.  
• How to best reduce emissions in coal plants and other kinds of energy producing plants is not clear; it needs to be cost-effective to be accepted.  Experts do not agree.  Here is a good article in the New York Times.
• Good article in the Huffington post about the *rate* of species extinction; the rate is increasing.  We are killing off species faster than ever before.  Human activities like strip mining, deforestation, and even pollution are being eclipsed by Climate Change as the mechanism of species extinction.  Some are calling this the next "Great Exinction"; there have been 5 of them before, in all fo Earth's history.  We are causing the sixth.

  

China is now the world's largest product of atmospheric CO2, and the Chinese are not showing any indication that they care about the environment  However, there is some good news.  In the US the Supreme Court just upheld the governments action to reduce Coal Pollution; read more here.

Clearly, the atmosphere is going in the wrong direction.  Our global efforts so far have not made a dent in the rise of CO2.  This will further fuel Global Warming, and gives more risk for catastrophic Climate Change.
  

  
This is the first time in about 800,000 years that global CO2 levels have been this high. This should worry everyone.   We know that the Earth has had many cycles of warming and cooling; this should not 'reassure' anyone but actually should be a concern - it means that the Earth is ready.  It will adapt, and does not care if we are hurt in the process.  In the worst warming periods, much of the lilfe on Earth died.  

And CO2 is not the only problem; there are other gases that humans are releasing into the air, on a regular basis - including Methane, Ozone, and Nitrous Oxide.  Methane is potentially worse than CO2, and this is a concern because as Global Warming continues, we will see more and more of the Permafrost melting - in Siberia, and other areas near the poles.  Permafrost stores carbon; this carbon storage is in the form of Peat, and Methane gas.  Current estimates of this carbon pool in Permafrost are an amount of carbon larger than all living things combined, and twice as much as is currently in the atmosphere.  This helps us understand how climate models show a sea level rise of 250 feet or more, in the worst case of all melting (the Poles, Permafrost, and Greenland).

Scientists believe we will not get back below 400 PPM for at least 100 years - if ever.
 

China has a large and growing economy.  When you combine that with a lack of concern for the environment, it is the perfect storm for damaging the climate.  In China there are many new coal plants being built every year.  Historically, the US was the worst offender when it came to Man Made Climate Change; but now China is doing more damage than anyone, and its getting worse every year.  This is a stark example of what happens when a country focuses only on growth and on their economy, instead of focusing on what is good for the country, its people - and its future.  To read a non-biased summary of just how bad the Chinese climate viewpoint is, read this Wikipedia article.

We would like to hear from people living in China who are about the environment.  I believe that the citizens of every country in the world do car about the environment, do are about the future and want to have a safe and healthy world for their children, and their children's children.  If you live in China, and want to help us here at ManMadeClimateChange.com, then contact us.  We need volunteers, blog articles, and help organizing local/company events.