Three years after this documentary debuted, and still we wait for definitive action to face the moral test of our generation. Is it that we truly on the whole don't get it, or that we simply don't want to?Three years after this documentary debuted, and still we wait for definitive action to... more
The last meeting before Copenhagen next month, and as with Bush we see the same obstructionism with the Obama administration? WTF? Is this really why Obama is so fervent about shoving healthcare bills down our throat now? Shouldn't we have tackled the most crucial crisis leading to our health ills first?The last meeting before Copenhagen next month, and as with Bush we see the same... more
The iceberg, estimated to be 500m long and 50m high, was spotted about eight kilometres north-west of the island by Australian Antarctic Division expeditioners this week.
Fur seal biologist Dean Miller was the first to see the iceberg while on his way to visit a seal colony at the island's North Head.
"I've never seen anything like it -- we looked out to the horizon and just saw this huge floating island of ice," Dr Miller said on the AAD website.
"It was a monumental moment for me as it was the first iceberg I have seen."
Glaciologist Neal Young said icebergs were a rare sight at Macquarie Island.
"This is the first I can recall being sighted from Macquarie Island for many, many years," Dr Young said.
He said it was likely to be part of a massive berg that broke off the Ross Ice Shelf eight or nine years ago.
"It's come up from the area generally south of us. I would expect it's part of one of the large ones which came off the ice shelf because of its shape and size," he said.
"It's very much a tabular iceberg with vertical sides -- it's not long out of the Antarctic.
"It could well go up quite close to New Zealand or it might circle round in an eddy or gyre."
The berg was not yet a danger to shipping, although it could pose a hazard as it broke up over the next six months to two years.
"When it starts to break up, which it will do eventually, it will break into many pieces and those are the real danger," Dr Young said.
And it was possible such bergs could become more frequently sighted in coming years.
"It would become more common if climate change continues the way it's been going," he said. "We could anticipate the ice shelves to break up over a long period of time."
A Tasmanian state reserve, Macquarie Island lies 1500km south-south-east of Hobart.The iceberg, estimated to be 500m long and 50m high, was spotted about eight... more
And in Copenhagen it will be essential to the progress we must see in order to avoid a global catastrophe.This is a well written article about Mr Gore and in reading it I was struck by something I too failed to acknowledge in the past: That what happened in 2000 as tragic as it was for democracy and indeed the world may actually have been part of a greater plan to bring Mr. Gore to his true destiny. And now we must bring ourselves to our own as a species.
I thank him for the inspiration and hope he continues to bring to all of us despite the slings and arrows. And I also agree with the author, his pictures do not do him justice. ;-).And in Copenhagen it will be essential to the progress we must see in order to avoid a... more
SHOCKING NEW NASA DATA / NEW PREDICTION = "3 TO 5 YEARS NO ICE IN ARCTIC"
THE PERMAFROST = IS NOW THAWING....
3-5 years All Arctic Ice will be gone. Five years after that... no ice on either pole!
Watch Video as prehistoric methane gas is released under the ice from the thawing permafrost below is ignited.
NEW DATA: The original time to reach the permafrost thawing tipping point wasn't predicted to happen until 2050.
We need to understand what is happening and how the effects of what is now taking place... will change all our lives in the "months and few years ahead".SHOCKING NEW NASA DATA / NEW PREDICTION = "3 TO 5 YEARS NO ICE IN ARCTIC"
THE... more
Dan Miller's presentation focuses on why the UN IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) reports are actually best case scenarios. For example, IPCC climate models do not include the effect of melting permafrost releasing greenhouse gases, even though the permafrost is melting now and it holds more greenhouse gases than all that mankind has ever released.
Another example is that IPCC predictions of sea level rise only take into account thermal expansion of the oceans and melting of glaciers; the largest factor, disintegration of glaciers, was not included because it is hard to model. The result is that sea level rise will likely be substantially higher this century than the IPCC predicts.
Miller discusses several other potential catastrophes that are not included in IPCC predictions and also discusses tipping points that could put climate change solutions out of our reach in years or decades, the psychology of climate change, and why it is difficult for people to respond to the threat posed by a warming earth.
His talk concludes with a discussion of ways to address climate change and the risks and opportunities that companies face due to the climate crisis.
The prospects of saving the world's coral reefs now appear so bleak that plans are being made to freeze samples to preserve them for the future.
A meeting in Denmark took evidence from researchers that most coral reefs will not survive even if tough regulations on greenhouse gases are put in place.
Scientists proposed storing samples of coral species in liquid nitrogen.
That will allow them to be reintroduced to the seas in the future if global temperatures can be stabilized.
'Well it's the last ditch effort to save biodiversity from the reefs which are extremely diverse systems," said Simon Harding from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL).
According to recent research, one of the world's most important concentrations of coral - the so-called Coral Triangle in South East Asia - could be destroyed by climate change before the end of this century with significant impacts on food security and livelihoods.
-more at link-The prospects of saving the world's coral reefs now appear so bleak that plans are... more
The natural park of spain "LAS TABLAS DE DAIMIEL" is death.
This problem is very importan of the world
the complete notice in every languages in the web.The natural park of spain "LAS TABLAS DE DAIMIEL" is death.
This problem is very... more
"Tech Transfer" is a phrase everyone who's serious about climate change should have at the top of their "to advocate for" list. what KINDS of technologies to develop is a conversation to have. Another one is whether or not to share them with developing countries who would otherwise burn coal and oil. Sounds like a no-brainer. So why the hesitation?
Because of today's climate( no pun intended) with environmental, health, food shortages, and philanthropy, The Bill and Melinda Foundation is never in short supply of issues to address and solve. Agriculture is a perfect place to start...Because of today's climate( no pun intended) with environmental, health, food... more
Suppose you're on a luxury cruise ship (with no lifeboats) a thousand miles from anywhere.
While you're sipping your martini and sunbathing, an announcement blares over the loudspeaker. "This is your captain speaking. We've got a leak in the ship. We're all going to drown unless we get to the bottom deck and start hauling out the water as fast as it comes in. We need everyone's help!"
Being a sane, smart, non-suicidal person, you race to help, screaming for everyone else to do the same. On the way, you pass a batch of people still sunbathing. "Didn't you hear the captain?" you ask, liberally sprinkling your question with profanities too vile for this family-friendly blog.
They laugh at you. "That captain is full of crap. This ship isn't sinking."
What would you do? You could call them more vile profanities, but they are essential to your survival, so you'd want to use every manner of persuasion to get their help. You could kick them overboard so the ship had less to hold up, but that would waste time, which, according to the captain, is running out.
That's the challenge of Climate Change as allegory. Let's extract the meaning.
The captain represents the expert scientists who tell everyone there is a problem. You (starring as yourself) being sane, smart and non-suicidal, conclude the captain is an expert and knows what he's talking about. After all, you trust him to pilot the ship while you sleep, get drunk, watch bad dinner theater and marinate your privates in a hot tub alongside complete strangers and their privates. You're living every day with a trust that the skipper knows his stuff. It would be absurd to suddenly doubt his ability to judge the vessel's seaworthiness.
The arrogant deniers in the story represent, well, arrogant deniers.
I know, I know. We should respect others' opinions, but science isn't a question of preference or taste. Acknowledging Climate Change is a matter of everyone believing the experts that they rely on for everything else in their lives (scientists) from car safety to medicine to food production to whether or not a container labeled "microwave-safe" really is, on and on and on.
Can we please give scientists priority on matters of science?
Back in the day, I read science magazines a lot. I still do, though not as much. Back then (and now) all the science magazines spoke about global warming as a fact. The popular news didn't speak of it a peep. That changed when Al Gore hit the scene with An Inconvenient Truth and raised the alarm on Climate Change. Suddenly all the political (non-scientist) opponents of Mr. Gore, who have never ever discussed science in any depth, are speaking like Doctorates of Meteorology, claiming with absolute certainty that Climate Change is a hoax. I believe their dislike (or jealousy) of Al Gore has clouded their judgment.
This is what is so terrifying about Climate Change. We need everyone's participation to reverse, slow or mitigate its effects, but some people just can't stand the fact that Al Gore was the messenger. That's one psychological breakdown of Climate Change denial, but there are alternate explanations.
For example, the denial might be rooted in a disconnection with the earth and a lack of understanding of its connectedness. It's hard for short-sighted people who have never poked their heads beyond the confines of their own asses to worry about Climate Change. So what if an iceberg melts? They say. It doesn't affect my water supply. Who cares if honeybees die? I can always just go the store and get food.
[...more at link...]Suppose you're on a luxury cruise ship (with no lifeboats) a thousand miles from... more
Sign up to host your own 1Sky Climate Action Party, where you'll bring together people from your community to call your senators and plan your October 24th event pushing for Senate and international action on climate. You've stepped up to be a climate leader in the past, so we're counting on you. Create your own Climate Action Party today!Sign up to host your own 1Sky Climate Action Party, where you'll bring together people... more
You know, at this point I say, SO WHAT? It isn't as if this Congress is even going to give us a bill that the Earth NEEDS. 17% reductions of GHGs by 2020 is PITIFUL. Dragging your feet on giving us REAL fuel emissions standards is PITIFUL when scientists have already stated we could be getting 80 miles to the gallon in our cars. And where are the subsidies for the AFFORDABLE hybrid plug- ins for the middle class? Ignoring Arctic melt because you want to secure sea routes for the resources there is PITIFUL. Ignoring the effects your cronyism in the agricultural sector are having on the environment is PITIFUL. Continuing to allow the practice of mountaintop removal is CRIMINAL.
So by all means, U.S. Congress, show the world your true colors and just how bought and sold to the coal and oil industries you really are even at a time of planetary crisis. Then go to Copenhagen hanging your heads in shame. Approving the Alberta Clipper pipeline to pipe in dirty bitumen tarsands while trying to tell the world the U.S Is ready to tackle climate change is also an insult to our intelligence. But go ahead, continue to think you can rickroll the American people with your doubletalk and ignorance. The day will come when your decades of inaction will have the full effect and your petty, selfish, politically partisan drivel will be seen for the irrelevance it is.
This also proves their level of consciousness about this is nil. It is not now a question of them having the luxury of a CHOICE as to whether they can pass this in time or not. This is a moral imperative that scientists state must be done and done right to stave off the worst effects of a crisis that will change our way of life. This in essence IS our healthcare bill, because without a sustainable planet we have nothing else, including health.
__________
Excerpt:
The fate of U.S. legislation capping carbon emissions weighed heavily on delegates at U.N. climate talks starting Monday in Bangkok, with the Americans saying delays in passing the bill could deter commitments from other nations.
Negotiations on a new U.N. climate pact have been bogged down by a broad unwillingness to commit to firm emissions targets, and a refusal by developing countries to sign a deal until the West guarantees tens of billions of dollars in financial assistance — something rich countries have so far refused to do.
"The more specific we can be, the easier it is to press others to be equally specific," Jonathan Pershing, the chief U.S. negotiator at the talks, told The Associated Press. "We have a lot of things we want from countries. ... The less we can put on the table, the harder it is to achieve that outcome."
The two weeks of U.N. climate talks in the Thai capital are drawing some 1,500 delegates from 180 countries to boil down a 200-page draft agreement to something more manageable, aiming for a new international climate pact this year.
In June, the U.S. House of Representatives passed its first bill to cap carbon emissions. The Senate, currently embroiled in debate on health care, is expected to take up the legislation as early as this week.
But Pershing said he doubted there's enough time to pass a climate bill in Congress before the year's biggest climate change negotiations in Copenhagen in December, which aims to reach a deal to replace the Kyoto Protocol expiring in 2012.
end of excerptYou know, at this point I say, SO WHAT? It isn't as if this Congress is even going to... more
The melting of the polar ice caps has supervillains all in a panic. It's not just that global warming has stolen their thunder (though that doesn't help). The melting ice has also revealed their secret Arctic lairs.The melting of the polar ice caps has supervillains all in a panic. It's not just that... more
One incredable woman who has been fighting for this country and its future for at least 3 decades Meet L. Hunter LovinsOne incredable woman who has been fighting for this country and its future for at... more
The Mobilization for Climate Justice is a North America-based network of organizations and activists who have joined together to build a North American climate justice movement that emphasizes non-violent direct action and public education to mobilize for effective and just solutions to the climate crisis. The Mobilization for Climate Justice invites communities, organizations and activists across North America to join us in organizing mass action on climate change on November 30, 2009 (N30).The Mobilization for Climate Justice is a North America-based network of organizations... more
Natural gas prices are at a 7-year low, it generates less emissions than coal, and we happen to be in the middle of trying to reform our energy policies to make them cheaper and less polluting. Natural gas could be our last shot for getting a better climate bill this year, as John Laumer writes--it could prove a viable source of relatively low emissions energy while we transition to even cleaner sources like wind and solar. So why is natural gas getting boxed out of the climate bill?Natural gas prices are at a 7-year low, it generates less emissions than coal, and we... more
