Climate change

Guardian  - A 63-year-old climate activist and professional cellist faces up to seven years in prison after being arrested on Thursday while performing a Bach solo outside the headquarters of one of the world’s largest fossil fuel financier Citibank in downtown New York.John Mark Rozendaal, a former Princeton professor, and Alec Connon, director of the climate nonprofit group Stop the Money Pipeline, were arrested for criminal contempt in the public park at the bank’s global headquarters as the crackdown against nonviolent climate protesters escalates.

Rozendaal was handcuffed and led away to the police vehicle singing “we are not afraid, we are not afraid, we will sing for liberation because we know why we were made”. The crowd of protesters chanted “let him play” and “ shame on you Citibank”. Thirteen other climate activists, who had linked arms in a circle around Rozendaal to protect him as he played Bach’s suites for cello, were detained for alleged obstruction of governmental administration, a misdemeanor criminal charge. “People are dying … today is my birthday,” said Mike Bucci, 77, teary eyed as the police in riot gear broke up the protest.

Since 10 June, climate activists have been peacefully protesting against Citibank’s record financial support for new fossil fuel projects as part of the Summer of Heat on Wall Street campaign. At least 3,700 people have participated in the nonviolent civil disobedience, repeatedly blockading the entrance to its global headquarters. More than 475 people including faith leaders, scientists and elders have been arrested while calling on Citi to stop bankrolling new coal, oil and gas. 

Ecowatch -  Far above Earth’s poles, swirling in the frigid stratosphere, are the polar vortexes: massive, freezing whirlwinds that strengthen in the winter and weaken in the summer. Right now, despite being in the dead of winter, Antarctica’s vortex is undergoing an unprecedented weakening, causing a massive heat wave across the continent. “This heat wave is a near-record (or record) event for the region of Antarctica it’s having the biggest impact on,” Edward Blanchard, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Washington, told The Washington Post in an email. Antarctica’s vortex has weakened significantly in July, causing temperatures on massive swathes of the continent to soar to more than 50 degrees (10°C) above normal levels while pushing massive amounts of freezing air toward the equator.

NY Times - More than 100 homes in Juneau, Alaska, were damaged by flooding this week after a glacial lake overflowed, sending surging water to nearby neighborhoods in what has become a recurring problem for people in the state’s capital.Summer flooding is an annual concern for people who live near the Mendenhall Glacier, which last year unleashed flooding that swept away trees and homes, including two buildings that collapsed into the Mendenhall River, which flows through parts of Juneau.This year, the river crested even higher than in 2023, when the water reached a record-setting 14.97 feet. On Tuesday, the water reached a peak of 15.99 feet at 3:15 a.m. before quickly receding hours later.