Climate Change and Nepalling food insecurity

Nepal's food scarcity is undoubted but attributing it to climate change is tendentious.  Might not the fact that they have been (and still are) run by Communists for the last 11 years have something to do with it? Food shortages are characteristic of Communist regimes.

And note that the effect of global warming is said to be a reduced monsoon, which meant that less rain fell.  But global warming should INCREASE rainfall so that is also a false attribution


Food insecurity and malnutrition is one of the major health issues caused by climate change. It is irrefutably the most important consequences to the poor and least developed countries like Nepal where about quarter of the population are living in poverty. When the underlying population is starving and the fact that food security directly impacts human health is evident, all other problems besides being food secure becomes secondary. To aggravate the situation further, the constantly changing climatic pattern is constantly threatening the major basis of livelihood of the country i.e. agriculture.

According to Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) of Nepal, “over the last decade, around 30,845 hectares of land owned by almost five percent of households became uncultivable due to the climate-related hazards”. Majority of the land under cultivation (76%) is rain-fed which has been affected by the erratic patterns of rainfall, drought, flash floods, landslide et cetera over the years. The reduced winter crop production due to lower post-monsoon precipitation directs a concern of food security amongst those residing in Hill and Mountain areas that are economically and environmentally highly vulnerable to climate changes.

Ranked 4th under Climate Vulnerability Index, it is not easier for Nepal to jump out of the vulnerable condition mainly due to the tough topographic barrier and low infrastructural sufficiency. The most relevant example of how unprepared we are to the climate-related risks is the occurrence of flash flood in 2017 which caused 80% of the southern agricultural belt to submerge in water causing a loss of about 57 million USD of agricultural crops and also claimed hundreds of lives.

Rice, which is a staple crop of the nation is also the crop which is most affected by water hazards. The food security of the country depends more on the production of rice than other crops which contribute 45% to the edible food grain production on a domestic scale. Looking at the extent of damage the current flash flood has done to the Terai “The Breadbasket of the nation” which occupies largest share of rice producing area, it is not too difficult to imagine a food insecure future that our unpreparedness to disasters is certain to follow.

SOURCE




Climate Warming Improves the Breeding Productivity of a European Bird
 
Paper Reviewed: Vengerov, P.D. 2017. "Effect of rise in spring air temperature on the arrival dates and reproductive success of the Song Thrush, Turdus philomelos (C.L. Brehm, 1831) in the forest-steppe of the Russian plain". Russian Journal of Ecology 48: 134-140.

One of the major concerns about model projections of CO2-induced global warming is that temperatures might rise to such a degree that the number of birds and their habitat areas will decline. Some climate alarmists go so far as to contend that global warming will result in the extinction of a number of bird species. However, this contention has been challenged by several studies published in the scientific literature (see, for example, the many reviews we have posted on this topic here, here and here, the latest of which refutations come from the work of Vengerov (2017).

Publishing in the Russian Journal of Ecology, Vengerov set out to "evaluate changes in the phenology of breeding and reproductive output of the Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos) under conditions of increase in spring air temperature in the zone of typical forest-steppe of the Russian Plain." To accomplish this objective, the author examined reproductive data collected on the species at the Voronezh Nature Reserve over an area of approximately four square kilometers every 4 or 5 days over the period 1987-1990 and 2008-2012. Altogether, 459 nests were observed over the nine years of study, during which time there was a statistically significant increase in spring temperatures.

Results of this analysis are depicted in the figure below, where it was determined that higher temperatures lead to (1) an "earlier arrival of the birds from wintering grounds," (2) "earlier and more synchronous breeding of the majority of nesting pairs," (3) "an increase in clutch size," (4) a higher proportion of pairs producing two broods per season, and (5) a reduction in "predation pressure on bird nests … which markedly improves reproductive success."

Such findings, in the words of Vengerov, indicate that "climate warming is conducive to increasing breeding productivity of the Song Thrush population as a whole." We couldn't agree more!

SOURCE



Mark Caserta: Our planet in peril from progressives, not global warming

The myth of "man-made" global warming may be the largest progressive hoax ever perpetrated on mankind. The climate may be changing, but it's not because of your SUV.

John Coleman, a former television weather forecaster who worked in the meteorological field for over six decades and pioneered the use of TV weather forecasting elements such as onscreen satellite technology and computer graphics, agrees.

"Global Warming is a SCAM." Coleman wrote in a 2007, widely-reproduced essay on global warming.

"It is the greatest scam in history. I am amazed, appalled and highly offended by it. Some dastardly scientists with environmental and political motives manipulated long-term scientific data back in the late 1990s to create an illusion of rapid global warming.

Coleman asserts in his essay that like-minded scientists "jumped into the environmental circle" manufacturing a false consensus designed to support and broaden "research" propagating the "totally slanted, bogus global warming claims" to steer huge research grants their way.

Mr. Coleman isn't alone. Reputable scientists, as well as hundreds of meteorologists, openly refute the idea of manmade global warming or "anthropogenic global warming," with some very solid research available online.

One such well-known scientist is founder of the Creation Museum and The Ark Encounter, creationist Ken Ham. A 2014 column in Salon, by Lindsay Abrams, shares Ham's views.

"Yes, the climate is changing, but it's not a result of human activity."

"Starting from the Bible, we know that there was a global flood a few thousand years ago that completely changed Earth's surface and climate, and that the earth is still settling down from this catastrophe," Ham said in a blog post. "So, we should expect there to be some variations in climate change, but this is not alarming and is not the direct result of modern human activity."

Yet, environmentalists seem less concerned with facts than they do perpetuating a myth that lines their pockets with grant money, compliments of your tax dollars.

But recently, in a refreshing show of leadership, President Trump saved Americans millions of dollars by reaffirming his intention with the United Nations to fulfill his campaign pledge to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement.

Given the fraudulent nature of man-made climate change, The Heritage Foundation correctly assesses the top reasons for U.S. withdrawal.

The Paris Agreement is highly costly and would do nil to address climate change. If carried out, the energy regulations agreed upon by the Obama administration would destroy thousands of American jobs.

Withdrawal is good for American energy competitiveness. "We're seeing jobs coming back," according to a spokesman for the National Mining Association. "We're seeing mines open in states from West Virginia, Kentucky, all the way to Pennsylvania. We've seen coal production coming back about 20 percent year over year " since President Trump was elected.

Yes, earth's climate is changing - it always has. But mankind's activities haven't overwhelmed or significantly impacted nature's order.

Our planet isn't in peril from mankind, only from progressives who would seize control of your money under the guise of environmental austerity.

SOURCE




 
Trump Admin Proposes The Biggest Change To Electric Grid In Decades

Energy Secretary Rick Perry is asking the federal agency that oversees the U.S. grid to issue a new rule to restructure electricity markets to fully compensate power plants for the reliability they provide.

Perry sent his policy proposal to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on Friday. The letter asks FERC to create an electricity pricing regime that allows power plants to recover the costs of providing baseload power. It will likely be seen as a lifeline to coal and nuclear power plants.

“A diverse mix of power generation resources, including those with on-site reserves, is essential to the reliable delivery of electricity—particularly in times of supply stress such as recent natural disasters,” Perry said in a statement.

“My proposal will strengthen American energy security by ensuring adequate reserve resource supply and I look forward to the Commission acting swiftly on it,” Perry said.

Hundreds of coal-fired generators have shut down in the past few years, and many more are slated to close in the near future. Energy analysts say cheap natural gas prices, coupled with environmental regulations, have encouraged utilities to move away from coal and nuclear energy.

The rapid pace of coal plant closures have sparked some concerns over grid reliability, especially in light of the growing reliance on wind and solar power — both of which are variable energy sources.

Perry’s rule asks FERC to allow power plants that improve grid reliability to recoup costs for things like, “reliable capacity, resilient generation, frequency and voltage support” and “on-site fuel inventory,” according to the policy proposal.

Wholesale electricity prices vary from day to day and reflect a power plant’s marginal cost of generating energy. That means wind and solar power have a distinct advantage over fossil fuels, since it costs them virtually nothing to produce an extra unit of power.

In this environment, it doesn’t pay to provide baseload power or keep enough fuel on-site in case of emergencies of natural disasters.

Environmentalists have criticized such policy proposals in the past. Eco-groups and green energy supporters argue baseload power is an antiquated idea that ignores the rapidly changing character of the grid.

The Energy Department’s recently-released assessment of the electric grid found green sources, like wind and solar, weren’t harming grid reliability — though the report did urge regulators to look at how they price energy.

FERC Chairman Neil Chatterjee has already promised to look into ways to “properly compensate” power plants for factors they can’t recuperate in electricity markets.

“I believe that generation, including our existing coal and nuclear fleet, need to be properly compensated to recognize the value they provide to the system,” Chatterjee said in an August video interview.

If FERC adopts Perry’s proposal it could be one of the biggest reforms to electricity markets in decades, said Travis Kavulla, vice chairman of the Montana Public Service Commission.

SOURCE




Macron’s 'Make Climate Great Again' campaign hires US scientists

French President Emmanuel Macron's 30-million-euro "Make Climate Great Again" campaign has narrowed a list of candidate scientists from abroad from thousands to 90, nearly half from the US, a French official said Friday.

Macron made the offer to fund and host foreign climate experts in early June after US President Donald Trump announced the United States would pull out of the 196-nation Paris Agreement, which pledges to cap global warming.

Trump also asked Congress to slash climate-research budgets across multiple federal agencies, including the Departments of Energy, NASA, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

If enacted, the cuts would total billions of dollars and thousands of jobs.

"As a climate scientist, I am extremely preoccupied by all the news I'm hearing about the White House budget, which clearly targets environmental and climate science," said Valerie Masson Delmotte, research director at France's Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission.

Tens of thousands of scientists took to the streets of Washington D.C. in April to protest.

"The decision by the president of the United States is disappointing," Macron said at the time.  "You will find in France a second homeland," he added in launching his appeal, clearly directed to US scientists.

Just over 250 applicants -- 45 percent US citizens -- made the first cut, based on academic qualifications and detailed research proposals, according to Anne Peyroche, chief research office at France's National Centre for Scientific Research.

"We have some very high-level candidates," said told AFP.

"It's a real opportunity for France, but at the same time it says something about the situation of climate scientists in the United States."

French institutes and universities have matched Macron's largesse, which means a total of 60 million euros ($70 million) set aside for 50 junior and senior five-year postings.

"It is a kind offer, and it makes a very important statement," Michael Mann, director of the Earth System Science Center at Pennsylvania State University, told AFP.

"The contrast between Macron -- who supports science and listens to its warnings -- and Trump, who expresses disdain for science, could not be more striking."

Macron is scheduled to unveil some of the marquee scientists selected on December 12th, the second anniversary of the signing of the Paris Agreement.

Junior researchers will be allotted up to one million euros over four years, covering salary, two doctoral students and working expenses.

Senior researchers will each have a 1.5-million-euro budget that includes two assistants and two students. Spouses will also be given work permits while they are in France.

SOURCE

***************************************

For more postings from me, see  DISSECTING LEFTISM, TONGUE-TIED, EDUCATION WATCH INTERNATIONAL, POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH, FOOD & HEALTH SKEPTIC and AUSTRALIAN POLITICS. Home Pages are   here or   here.  Email me (John Ray) here.  

Preserving the graphics:  Most graphics on this site are hotlinked from elsewhere.  But hotlinked graphics sometimes have only a short life -- as little as a week in some cases.  After that they no longer come up.  From January 2011 on, therefore, I have posted a monthly copy of everything on this blog to a separate site where I can host text and graphics together -- which should make the graphics available even if they are no longer coming up on this site.  See  here or here

*****************************************