“Earth’s climate is now changing faster than at any point in the history of modern civilization, primarily as a result of human activities … The assumption that current and future climate conditions will resemble the recent past is no longer valid.” The report was unexpectedly released on Black Friday when you were distracted by shopping (or avoiding the malls). It indicates that climate change will shrink US economy and kill thousands. And “not a single G20 country is meeting climate targets.” (Although, the leadership of most of those countries acknowledge the threat.)

+ “It’s there by the millions of tons under the ground. Powerful companies, backed by powerful governments, often in the form of subsidies, are in a rush to grow their markets before it is too late. Banks still profit from it. Big national electricity grids were designed for it. Coal plants can be a surefire way for politicians to deliver cheap electricity — and retain their own power. In some countries, it has been a glistening source of graft.” NYT: The World Needs to Quit Coal. Why Is It So Hard?

+ “Western nations, led by the United States, began drafting environmental laws that encouraged the use of vegetable oil in fuels — an ambitious move to reduce carbon dioxide and curb global warming. But these laws were drawn up based on an incomplete accounting of the true environmental costs. Despite warnings that the policies could have the opposite of their intended effect, they were implemented anyway, producing what now appears to be a calamity with global consequences.” ProPublica and the NYT: Palm Oil Was Supposed to Help Save the Planet. Instead It Unleashed a Catastrophe.

+ “The technique would involve spraying large amounts of sulfate particles into the Earth’s lower stratosphere at altitudes as high as 12 miles. The scientists propose delivering the sulfates with specially designed high-altitude aircraft, balloons or large naval-style guns.” A possible answer to climate change: Dimming the Sun. (That rumbling sound you hear in the distance is the Sun laughing…)