Climate Change / Weather / Disasters

Fire at the Cathedral

The damage to the 800+ year old Notre Dame structure is a cultural tragedy

As an historian, watching the gutting of the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris is wrenching. In my life, and in my studies, I’ve come to realize that nothing material is permanent, but watching entropy take its toll is awful.

It appears that most of the external structure is still intact, and at least some of the rose windows as well. What was there can be rebuilt, though as one scholar noted, the “layers of history” — the things that were tweaked, covered over, redone, repainted, revised over the centuries, that “revision trail” has been lost. One can theoretically replace the appearance of everything that was there (in such a highly photographed and studied structure), but it will always be a replacement.

From a Christian perspective, it’s both tragic as a loss, but also darkly ironic as Lent is wrapping up — Remember, man, that dust thou art, and to dust thou shall return. Again, nothing material is permanent, and relying on such permanence is vanity and delusion.

My thoughts go out to the people of France, and Paris, and my appreciation to the fire fighters who struggled in the face of danger to protect what they could.

Do you want to know more?

Puerto Rico isn’t the only place being neglected post-hurricane

Maybe the Commander-in-Chief can ship the Marines at Camp Lejeune some paper towels.

Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, home of a third of the Marine Corps’ combat power, is still unrepaired after Hurricane Florence hit last year. And the next hurricane season is only months away.

camp lejeune hurricane damage — Hurricane damage at Camp Lejeune

The Marines say they need $3.6 billion to repair the damage to more than 900 buildings at Camp Lejeune, Marine Corps Air Station New River, and Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point caused by the storm and catastrophic flooding in its aftermath. And while they have torn down soggy, moldy walls, put tarps on roofs and moved Marines into trailers, so far they have not received a penny from the federal government to fix the damage.

Now the Marine Corps’ top officer is warning that readiness at Camp Lejeune — home to one third of the Corps’ total combat power — is degraded and “will continue to degrade given current conditions.” In a recent memo to Navy Secretary Richard Spencer, Commandant Gen. Robert Neller cited, among other “negative factors,” the diversion of resources to the border, where the Trump administration has sent active-duty troops to patrol and plans to use military funding to pay for a wall.

Well, as long as the money is going to something important.

Do you want to know more? Camp Lejeune is still a mess 6 months after Hurricane Florence. Where’s the money for repairs?

We can solve climate change (if it exists) with MOAR AMERICAN BABIEZ!

“The solution to so many of our problems, at all times and in all places: fall in love, get married and have some kids.”

Yes, in the “debate” in the GOP-dominated US Senate over the Green New Deal and how to respond to climate change, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) opined that all we need is America birthin’ more babies.

“Climate change . . . is a challenge of creativity, ingenuity and technological invention,” Lee said. “And problems of human imagination are not solved by more laws, but by more humans. More people mean bigger markets for innovation. More babies mean more forward-looking adults — the sort we need to tackle long-term, large-scale problems.”

But — of course — not just any babies.

“American babies, in particular, are likely going to be wealthier, better educated, and more conservation-minded than children raised in still-industrializing regions,” Lee said.

I suppose it’s possible Sen. Lee, rather than promoting overpopulation as a solution to global ills was merely poking fun at the principle of being a responsible shepherd or steward of the planet. In either case, it’s … kind of bizarre.

Do you want to know more? Sen. Mike Lee says we can solve climate change with more babies. Science says otherwise. – The Washington Post

All American citizens are equal, but some are more equal than others

Trump thinks the amount of food-stamp money going to Puerto Rico is “ridiculous”

Remember, these are American citizens.

The Casa Ismael clinic is short on funds in part because of cuts in food stamps that hit about 1.3 million residents of Puerto Rico this month — a new crisis for an island still struggling from the effects of Hurricane Maria in September 2017. “We just don’t have the money right now,” Izquierdo, 56, said in an interview in the clinic’s sparse first-floor office, where a chunk of ceiling tiles remains missing since the hurricane. Izquierdo pulled out a chart with each patient’s name, annotated with the cost of his adult diapers for the month. “It’s very hard. It is so unfair. That cut is going to kill us.”

The result is that “HIV-positive men with severe health complications” in the clinic get to sit in dirty diapers for hours because the clinic can’t afford to change them when soiled.

The federal government provided additional food-stamp aid to Puerto Rico after the hurricane, but Congress missed the deadline for reauthorization in March as it focused on other issues before leaving for a week-long recess. Federal lawmakers have also been stalled by the Trump administration, which has derided the extra aid as unnecessary. Now, about 43 percent of Puerto Rico’s residents are grappling with a sudden cut to a benefit they rely on for groceries and other essentials.

[…] The island would not need Congress to step in to fund its food-stamp and Medicaid programs if it were a state. For states, the federal government has committed to funding those programs’ needs, whatever the cost and without needing to take a vote. But Puerto Rico instead funds its programs through a block grant from the federal government, which needs to be regularly renewed, and also gives food-stamp benefits about 40 percent smaller than those of states.

Puerto Rico faces food-stamp crisis as Trump privately vents about federal aid to Hurricane Maria-battered island – The Washington Post

While Puerto Rico is dealing with people deciding whether they can afford rice and beans for the week, their president is pitching fits over giving them even the money they are getting.

The impasse comes amid a hardening opposition by the president against extending additional aid to Puerto Rico. Trump sees the island as fundamentally broken and has told advisers that no amount of money will ever fix its systemic problems.

He describes in meetings that large swaths of the island never had power to begin with and that it is “ridiculous” how much money is going to Puerto Rico in food-stamp aid, according to the senior official. He has occasionally groused about how ungrateful political officials in Puerto Rico were for the administration’s help, the official said.

[…] Since then, aides have described a president who regularly brings up the island to make sure it is not getting too much money.

Yeah, Donald — I’m pretty sure they’re not getting too much money. Not while their clinic patients have to sit in dirty diapers and citizens are cutting back on buying milk because of cuts to their food stamps.

Is Puerto Rico broken? Well, it’s a US commonwealth. It’s people are US citizens. We took that island after the Spanish-American War. It’s our now. And, by the universal Law of Commercial Responsibility: You break it, you buy it.

I know that’s difficult for a guy who has a long record of stiffing subcontractors and walking away from deals while leaving others holding the bag … but we have a responsibility to Puerto Rico and its populace — American citizens all — if not just from a matter of humanity, then as a matter of the US Constitution.

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Which most definitely includes our fellow People in Puerto Rico.

Tweetizen Trump – 2019-03-17 – Weekend Edition

Apparently the President had a lot of time on his hands this weekend.

On Friday, March 15th, Donald Trump tweeted …

… A message of “warmest sympathy and best wishes” to the people of New Zealand after a white nationalist lunatic, who cited him as an inspiration, killed 49 people at a Christchurch mosque. Tweet

… A three-part tweet about how the Special Council should never have been appointed because of the “Fake Dossier” and “Crooked Hillary”. Tweet Tweet Tweet

… A Fox-inspired suggestion that Jewish people should leave the “Democrat” party. Tweet

… Thanking those GOP Senators who didn’t vote down his “national emergency” wall declaration, and how the voters back home will love them. Tweet

… Another two-part message sympathizing with New Zealand. Tweet Tweet

… A video of his signing a veto of the “extremely dangerous” bipartisan bill that passed the both houses, revoking his “national emergency” declaration. Tweet

… A message about severe weather in the Nebraska. Tweet

On Saturday, March 16th, Donald Trump tweeted …

… Two videos of Lou Dobbs on Fox News, nattering with people (including those foreign and domestic policy experts, “Diamond and Silk”) about the veto. Tweet Tweet

… Taking credit for the 420-0 House vote for the Mueller Report to be issued publicly (but not credit or blame for Lindsey Graham blocking it in the Senate). Tweet

… Some Fox News talking heads talking about Hillary and Her E-Mails. Still. Tweet

… A video of his vetoing the “national emergency override.” Again. Tweet

… A video of some Fox News talking heads talking about the Mueller Probe being biased and “Did the Clintons escape ‘Justice’?” Tweet

… Thanking a former Border Patrol Chief who went on Fox & Friends. Tweet

… The new Attorney General talking on video at the veto signing. Tweet

… Sheriff Andy Louderback of Texas talking on video at the veto signing. Tweet

… Sheriff Thomas Hodgson of Massachusetts talking on video at the veto signing. Tweet

… A slick White House video purporting to show 247 people sneaking over an existing border fence. Tweet

… An attack on John McCain, who died last August, for his role in the Mueller investigation and in voting down the ACA repeal. Tweet

… Encouraging GM to re-open a plant in Lordstown, Ohio. Tweet

… Bashing Google for “helping China and their military” and for having supported Hillary Clinton. Tweet

… Bashing France for the Paris Environmental Accord and the Yellow Vest protests. “In the meantime, the United has gone to the top of all lists on the Environment.” Tweet

… Quoting a Fox and OANN report that the FBI, DOJ, and CIA were conspiring to spy and take him out back in 2015. Tweet

Today, March 17th, Donald Trump tweeted (so far) …

… A double-tweet complaint about SNL and Late Night Shows bash him alone, and how the FEC and FCC maybe should look into that, and probably it’s collusion with the Democrats and Russia and Fake News. Tweet Tweet

… How CNN was working with Christopher Steele on his “Fake Dossier”. Tweet

… An attack on John McCain (who died last August) regarding the “Fake Dossier”. Again. Tweet

… Happy St Patrick’s Day (with pictures). Tweet

… A three-Tweet round of support for Jeanine Pirro and Tucker Carlson against the forces of Fake News and political correctness. “Be strong & prosper, be weak & die!” Tweet Tweet Tweet

… A video of Sheriff Thomas Hodgson being interviews on Fox News about how cool it was to be there when Trump signed his veto. Tweet

… Urging GM and the UAW to get that Lordstown auto plant back open, what with all the other car companies moving to the US “in droves”. Tweet

… Complaining about Fox News’ weekend anchors and suggesting they and Shepard Smith should be at CNN. Tweet

… Thanking those GOP Senators who didn’t vote down his “national emergency” wall declaration, and how the voters back home will love them. Again. Tweet

… Retweeting a supporter who attacked Meghan McCain for her criticism of Trump’s attacks on Joh McCain. Tweet

… Retweeting a supporter who says NPR admitted that border walls are effective. Tweet

… Retweeting a supporter who blogged about Trump defending Jeanine Pirro. Tweet

… Retweeting that same supporter about how Christopher Steele “admitted” he used information from CNN’s website. Tweet

… Retweeting that same supporter about how “Minnesota Democrats” are planning to “REMOVE” Ilhan Omar from Congress. Tweet

… Retweeting that same supporter about how a “Foreign Government Official Offered Hillary Clinton Campaign Dirt On Trump”. Tweet

… Retweeting a different supporter about Trump defending Jeanine Pirro. Tweet

… Retweeting another supporter with some memes about how the American People Support Trump. Tweet

… Retweeting his 2020 Campaign Manager about how Trump’s popularity is growing in Pennsylvania. Tweet

… Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Again. Tweet

… Retweeting a Fox News “contributor” about how “the chief thug on Mueller’s abusive goon squad” is leaving. Tweet

… Retweeting a supporter who agrees with him about those Fox News anchors he doesn’t like. Tweet

… Retweeting an OANN host about an MS-13 murder. Tweet

… Retweeting the same OANN host about CNN cutting off (though they don’t) someone being interviewed who says that the US government isn’t Islamaphobic and that Trump is beloved in the Muslim world. Tweet

… Retweeting a supporter who says “Russiagate” is actually a plot by the UK. Tweet

… Saying he doesn’t care what happens with that Lordstown auto plant, but someone better re-open it, because he’s not happy. Tweet

The Leader of the Free World, everyone! Please be sure to tip your waitstaff!

* * *

And, no this is still not normal. Except, perhaps, for Donald Trump. I mean — messages of sympathy to countries suffering a tragedy, wishes around a holiday, a statement or two about a policy action … those sorts of things one might expect a president to be tweeting.

Repeated attacks on political opponents (past and present, living and dead), attacks on investigations on him, shout-outs of support to media figures who support him and criticisms of those who don’t, firehose retweeting of supporters (from media figures to random joes who use way too many emojis in their handles) with all manner of fawning complements and vicious defenses … that sort of thing’s not normal. Nor should it be.

It’s like sometimes they don’t even bother to pretend they aren’t comic book villains

With gleeful commentary about what a fine distraction the President is

It's like sometimes they don't even bother to pretend they aren't comic book villains. https://t.co/wskAKRvxRe

— Dave Hill (@Three_Star_Dave) March 14, 2019

A top US official told a group of fossil fuel industry leaders that the Trump administration will soon issue a proposal making large portions of the Atlantic available for oil and gas development, and said that it is easier to work on such priorities because Donald Trump is skilled at sowing “absolutely thrilling” distractions, according to records of a meeting obtained by the Guardian.

Joe Balash, the assistant secretary for land and minerals management, was speaking to companies in the oil exploration business at a meeting of the International Association of Geophysical Contractors, or IAGC, last month.

Why, yes, let’s absolutely “drill, baby, drill” all along the Atlantic seaboard (except Florida, through special concession to its politically sensitive barely-tilting-GOP population). What could possibly go wrong?

oil-spill-gulf-of-mexico-from-deepwater-horizon — A reminder of what could go wrong, courtesy of the Deepwater Horizon disaster

Just as interesting was this bit, which I guess was the sort of thing one says behind not-quite-closed doors:

“One of the things that I have found absolutely thrilling in working for this administration,” said Balash,“is the president has a knack for keeping the attention of the media and the public focused somewhere else while we do all the work that needs to be done on behalf of the American people.”

Which raises the question of whether Trump does outrageous stuff and folk who want to operate without the “attention of the public” take advantage of it to scurry out under his cover? Or is Trump intentionally playing the media and public to allow these folk to do their own thing without that “attention.”?

In either case, it’s clear the Trump Administration focus is on cranking up American oil production as much as possible, which should make some large oil firms quite happy indeed.

Do you want to know more? US official reveals Atlantic drilling plan while hailing Trump’s ability to distract public | Environment | The Guardian

Beware the Bomb Cyclone!

It’s not enough to have just plain old blizzards any more

The phrase “bomb cyclone” (also known as ” explosive cyclogenesis” or by the possibly-even-creepier “bombogenesis”) actually means something, it seems — a “24-hour, 24-millibar drop in the pressure of a midlatitude storm.”

Which we’ve apparently had in Denver, so the snow storm blowing in today — a heavy but not insane several inches — is also accompanied by major winds, which have already caused damage around the metro area, and is making it a Major Weather Event.

The combo was already severe enough to warrant schools to close for today proactively (James is gnashing his teeth in California that his old high school got a pre-announced snow day), and a lot of businesses are closing as well.

I chose to work from home, even though my commute is pretty short — there was no official announcement made, but apparently most folk at the office chose likewise.

We have power and heat, and plentiful food and wine, and absolutely no need to go anywhere today* (or possibly tomorrow). As long as our Internet holds out, we’re in good shape. Indeed, the biggest problem we have at the moment is the wind blowing wet snow across the windows so that we can’t see out. Which is not a bad problem to have.

Do you want to know more? Bomb cyclone officially takes place over Colorado

*unlike my boss, who was supposed to be flying back to Denver today from Lithuania. I suspect that trip is not going to go well, given the 1000+ flights canceled at DEN.

Bad Science Climate

If at first you fail to quash the science… create some counter-science. https://t.co/hqKRVTe180

— Dave Hill (@Three_Star_Dave) February 24, 2019

If at first you fail to quash the science… create some counter-science. https://t.co/hqKRVTe180

Welcome to California!

We arrived in SoCal this afternoon, delivering the boy to college. Whilst having dinner with my brother, we got a nice little "someone ran a truck into the building" kind of jolt (probably about 3 miles from the epicenter), with a small follow-up "ha-ha" a minute later.

No panic, no damage — heck the light over our table didn't even get to swinging (though another one in the restaurant did). But it was a good welcome to earthquake country for +James Hill.

Earthquake east of Los Angeles hits magnitude 4.4, USGS says
A 4.4-magnitude earthquake shook Southern California about 25 miles east of downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

Original Post

Judge tells EPA to put up or shut up on climate change “evidence”

Scott Pruitt walked into the EPA and, suddenly, CO2 was playing no substantive role in climate change, and climate change was a deeply controversial, disagreed-upon phenomenon.

Some people thought that Pruitt, in making a radical change of EPA stated scientific conclusions, might have some actual scientific justification for doing so, and submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FoIA) request for what science went into that policy change. Pruitt and the EPA kind of shrugged, saying, “So much science, so much is unknown and unknowable, it’s all subjective anyway, this would be too much work.”

A Federal Judge has now called bullshit, and informed the EPA that they must comply with the FoIA request by 2 July, or explain why a bit more convincingly.

When the head of an agency makes a public statement that appears to contradict ‘the published research and conclusions of’ that agency, the FOIA provides a valuable tool for citizens… Compliance with such a request would help ‘ensure an informed citizenry, vital to the functioning of a democratic society.’

Judge orders EPA to disclose any science backing up Pruitt’s climate claims
EPA will have to comply with an information request by July.

Original Post

As Trump pushes for more coal, GOP Congress is bankrupting the black lung fund

There’s actually a new epidemic of a very serious black lung variant appearing out there, even as the Trump administration is pushing hard for coal consumption to go up again.

But this is the year when a special tax on coal which helps pay for a black lung medical fund dramatically drops. The GAO has estimated that, in fact, to keep the fund solvent, the tax needs to be increased beyond current levels.

The coal industry is outraged … that they might be asked to pay more.

Increasing the tax or even leaving the current rate in place would burden the coal industry, says Bruce Watzman, an executive at the National Mining Association. “The competition among fuels for electric generation is intense and a couple cents a kilowatt hour makes a difference in the fuel source that’s generating the electricity,” Watzman adds.

Mr Watzman, if you can’t actually make money to cover all the costs on your product … maybe your product needs to go out of business.

Or, alternately, don’t worry — Trump is considering plans to force utilities to buy coal power regardless of the price differential. Your Association should be just fine. Unlike your workers.

Coal Miners’ Fund Set For Deep Cuts As Black Lung Epidemic Grows : NPR

Original Post

The Disaster of A.D. 79

I’ve had the privilege of visiting both Pompeii and Herculaneum. They are remarkable sites (and sights). A touring Pompeii exhibit — not, I think, the one mentioned in Chicago — came through Denver a few years back.

If you have the chance to go to such an exhibit (if not the places themselves), I highly recommend it. The lesson of life interrupted, of a glimpse of disaster overcoming people who had no clue it was coming, and just the plain old richness of understanding of Roman life that both these cities provide is well worth the effort.

Resurrecting Pompeii
A new exhibition brings the doomed residents of Pompeii and Herculaneum vividly to life

Original Post

GOP Congressman Has Figured Out Why Ocean Level Are Rising!

Nothing to do with silliness like climate change, of course. The answer is simple! It’s because of erosion.

A Republican lawmaker on the House Science, Space and Technology Committee said Thursday that rocks from the White Cliffs of Dover and the California coastline, as well as silt from rivers tumbling into the ocean, are contributing to high sea levels globally.

Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) made the comment during a hearing on technology and the changing climate, which largely turned into a Q&A on the basics of climate research. […] “Every time you have that soil or rock or whatever it is that is deposited into the seas, that forces the sea levels to rise, because now you have less space in those oceans, because the bottom is moving up,” Brooks said at the hearing.

And, yes, this shining star of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee (egads) was just one of the Republicans floating their own counter-theories to climate change and the effects being seen due to it.

Nero fiddled …

[h/t +James Hill]

GOP lawmaker says rocks falling into ocean to blame for rising sea levels
A Republican lawmaker on the House Science, Space and Technology Committee said Thursday that rocks from the White Cliffs of Dover and the California coastline, as well as silt from rivers tumbling into the ocean, are contribu

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Carbon monitoring? We don’ need no steekin’ carbon monitoring!

Another day, another asinine, short-sighted, we'll-all-regret-this anti-science move by Trump & Co. Dolts. #climate #NASA #CMS https://t.co/yKfcmrXAFh

— Dave Hill (@Three_Star_Dave) May 11, 2018

Another day, another asinine, short-sighted, we’ll-all-regret-this anti-science move by Trump & Co. Dolts. #climate #NASA #CMS https://t.co/yKfcmrXAFh

Trump meeting with automakers about how to consume more gasoline

Because of course he is.

Though to be fair, it seems that Trump’s plans actually go further than even the automobile manufacturers want. They kind of seem to like being able to show increasing fuel efficiency and value for consumers. They just want more time to implement them than the Obama Administration had given them.

Trump, apparently, wants to freeze the standards (not just delay them), and keep states (California and others who follow their lead) from requiring higher standards. The automakers like that last bit in concept (because a single standard is easier to work with), but are concerned that too hard a push will trigger court cases that will keep them uncertain about the future for an excessive period of time.

We’ve always been told that businesses don’t like uncertainty. The Trump administration seems determined to give it to them, in the guise of “helping” them.

Trump to meet with automakers on push to relax efficiency rules
Automaker do not want the administration to freeze the standards, with no future increases.

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Ford is turning into a Truck and SUV manufacturer

It’s dropping pretty much all of its car line-up.

This is clearly a market-driven decision. Americans, famously, like SUVs and trucks. But I have to wonder how much of it is a gamble on gasoline prices remaining fairly low, coupled with being a result of That Man in the White House deciding to roll back fuel economy standards. Which may also turn out to be a gamble for Ford.

Say goodbye to nearly all of Ford’s car lineup: Sales end by 2020
It’s killing the Focus, Fiesta, Fusion, and Taurus, will focus on SUVs and trucks.

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Trump drops climate change as a national security threat

Indeed, in the Administration’s new National Security Strategy, it’s “an anti-growth energy agenda” that’s a threat to the world, and that only American can lead the way out of.

Which sounds like a weaselly way of saying that climate change is too expensive to deal with, particularly in terms of energy company profits, and the oil/coal/gas must flow, so suck it up, future, because Donald won’t be around in a few decades, so what the hell does he care what happens then?

Trump Administration Dropping Climate Change As National Security Threat
Hurricanes, floods, and fires don’t count.

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“Science? We don’ need no steekin’ science!”

Not surprisingly, Scott Pruitt doesn’t consider the EPA climate report that says, yup, humans are definitely causing significant climate change, to actually say that humans are definitely causing significant climate change.

In an interview with USA Today, Pruitt said the climate report will not stop his agency from moving forward with dismantling the Obama-era Clean Power Plan, which was designed to cut global warming pollutants from coal-burning power plants. […] “We’re taking the very necessary step to evaluate our authority under the Clean Air Act and we’ll take steps that are required to issue a subsequent rule. That’s our focus,” Pruitt said. “Does this report have any bearing on that? No it doesn’t. It doesn’t impact the withdrawal and it doesn’t impact the replacement,” he said. […] “Obviously the climate is changing and has always changed, (and) humans contribute to that. Measuring with exact precision is very challenging,” Pruitt said. “So I think the report (is) good to encourage an open dialogue on this.”

This has nothing to do with open dialog. Not when dialog is about evading, denying, and discrediting. Or pretending to science when making decisions about what is scientific fact is just about what’s convenient, profitable, or ideologically proper.

We live in mad times.

Shocking no one, the EPA’s Scott Pruitt denies findings of new climate science report
Oh, you mean THAT climate report? Yeah, still no.

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The US Government admits that climate change is happening

… but only when forced to admit it by law, in the form of the 4th Edition of the National Climate Assessment, which is mandated by an act of Congress. The report’s authors include “experts from leading scientific agencies, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NASA and the Department of Energy, as well as academic scientists.”

The results are what one would expect from actual scientists studying the field (as opposed, say, to the US President and the head of the EPA).

Not that it will make that much difference. Per the law passed by Congress, the report has been officially submitted to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. That head of that office has not yet been appointed by Donald Trump, and, for all we know, never will be. Because why have someone advising the White House on science and technology when the guy sitting in the Oval Office figures he already has all the answers he wants to have?

U.S. Government Report Says Climate Is Warming, Humans Are the Cause
The U.S. government’s most comprehensive climate report to date is at odds with the statements made by President Trump and his Cabinet.

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Bye-bye, Pikas

The Pika population around Lake Tahoe, California, has vanished, following similar die-offs in Utah and Nevada over the past decade.

But, no, of course it’s not climate change, no matter what all those scientists say. I mean, what do they know? They probably just want more grant money. No, it’s almost certainly a conspiracy — maybe those Chinese, sneaking into national parks and stealing all our pikas, then making up stories about “climate change”. Crafty bastards. Maybe Trump will talk to them about that on his Asia tour, and show them who’s boss.

Sigh.

Climate Change Spells Extinction for Pikas of Lake Tahoe
Researchers say the American pika has disappeared from a large area of the Sierra Nevada mountains.

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