tagged w/ Earth Care Group Blog
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continued from link:
Climate had remained basically stable up to that point with interglacial and glacial periods happening on a time scale of thousands of years. What we are seeing now is a pace and severity of change faster than ever before due to the time lapse feedbacks of the concentration of greenhouse gases put up into the atmosphere by humans from this past century and (amplified by continuing to emit 90 million tons daily) even before that which have pushed those natural cycles. Continuing this same behavior only increases exponentially the chances of our world being an even more unstable place for us and our children.
Which leads to the question: What must we do in order to regain the climate balance of our planet?
The answer to that question is simple and also complex, but if you know the math and have a moral compass the answer is clear. In order to truly understand the urgency of this crisis you need to have a grasp on the math behind it and the moral implications of ignoring that math. This is what scientists from Switzerland, Germany and the UK explained in a scientific paper published in Nature in 2009 entitled, http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v458/n7242/full/nature08017.html “Greenhouse Gas Emission Targets For Limiting Global Warming” which laid out the math regarding our ”carbon budget.” The amount of carbon expended to date from emissions of coal, oil and natural gas minus the amount on reserve leaves humanity with a carbon budget much like a checking account where you only have a limited amount to live on and have to stay within that amount in order to avoid overdrawing your account. The difference however, is that with a checking account if you bounce a check the fee is minimal in relation to overdrawing the carbon budget because the fee for that is our planet.
This carbon budget humans have to live within is in line with a 2 degree Celsius threshold as established by world governments that has been determined to be the point at which dangerous feedbacks in our climate system would take place. Global temperatures however have already increased by 0.4 degrees Celsius this past century and we are already seeing dangerous feedbacks in our climate system such as unprecedented record breaking melting of Arctic ice that broke records last year now being tied to extreme weather in the US and globally. I personally believe that 2 degrees is too generous a number based on current reality, but the scenario as laid out by this study is one which also requires our urgent attention.
Here is the budget per this study using radiative forcing (heat stored) and emissions stored in the deep ocean as well using 1000 different emission scenarios: 50-50 chance of keeping global temperature under 2 degree threshold: only 1,437 gigatons of carbon can be emitted between 2000 and 2050. 80 percent chance of keeping global temperature below 2 degree threshold: only 886 gigatons of carbon.
However, the paper also found that by 2006 one quarter of that budget had already been expended by these nations. The conclusion of that study was then obvious: humans cannot burn every gigaton of carbon on the balance sheets of the fossil fuel companies looking for it to be burned for profit and still maintain a habitable planet. The total gigatons of fossil fuels was determined to be 2, 795 gigatons on the balance sheet which would give us at present consumption rates only 11 more years to expend this budget. By 2040 it would be game over for the climate.
This now brings us to the most important question, the moral question: Do we have the moral courage to see the urgency of what going over this carbon budget means for our very survival and the biodiversity of this planet now and in the future by putting that above profit? Perhaps the best way to answer that is to look at your actions in your own life. Do you begrudge your children or those you love what they need to live in order to please yourself first? Why would you then do that to the planet that gives us life?
Throughout the entire history of mankind the one constant has been our Earth, always sacrificing and always giving us what we need. However, we have abused our place on this planet. We have decided that in our arrogance we are above nature and have no responsibility for putting back what we take. We have closed our eyes to the reality we have now put into motion by our consumptive habits. This is the moral crux of the carbon budget.
For even though you may think the numbers quoted here that reflect market values, balance sheets and CO2 concentrations in dead fossils are just numbers, there are lives attached to those numbers. Biodiversity is attached to those numbers. The web of life is attached to those numbers. The lives and livelihoods of millions for generations to come are attached to those numbers. Those you love are attached to those numbers. I lived through Hurricane Sandy and I understand more than ever what is attached to those numbers. The value we choose to now place on working together for a clean energy future and a future where the moral imperative supersedes the profit of the here and now that is wasting away what we now know is essential for our survival is not only imperative but necessary.
Humans are said to be the most intelligent of all species. If that is so then why would we continue to do what is surely to bring our own demise and the erosion of a beautiful planet that is our only home? Understanding the numbers associated with the carbon budget need to lead you to reflecting on the moral implications of ignoring those numbers and continuing business as usual. If we are to have a present and future that reflects our true moral values then we must leave it in the ground and look to the sky. Our children and generations to come will thank us for it. If we do not, the unthinkable will be our reality and we will have failed to exhibit the moral courage we know we have. We cannot allow complacency, comfort or fear of opposing forces to deter us from understanding this task before us and taking action. The math makes it clear and failure is not an option.
more at the link.continued from link:
Climate had remained basically stable up to that point with... more
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The globe we live on is changing in ways that the human species has not experienced. Global temperatures have risen 1.3 degrees in the past century and the emissions that are driving that increase further are continuing to increase to a point where positive feedback loops leading to that tipping point are now occurring. This is and will have consequences regarding the human species' ability to grow food, maintain biodiversity, preserve water sources and stave off diseases. And though there are interests that would have people believe this is either not happening, not pushed by man or made up to institute some worldwide tax slave state the reality and the facts behind climate science reveal that to be rhetoric contrived by a network of politically and ideologically slanted think tanks that deal in propaganda and misinformation in order to support their profit driven benefactors.
Since the 1930s scientists had begun questioning whether man's behavior and habits on this Earth post Industrial Revolution had amplified the natural carbon cycle and atmospheric composition of our planet. Thousands of studies and peer reviewed papers have been published with over 98% of climate scientists publishing stating and agreeing that humans are indeed changing the face of the Earth and pushing the natural processes that we have come to rely on for centuries to a place beyond their natural ability to sustain us. We do not live in a linear system and are now seeing clearly globally that pushing the natural variables of climate are now causing those systems to push back.
The question we should now be asking ourselves is just what are we prepared to do to deal with the changes taking place. The changes we have precipitated by continuing to remain closed off from reality listening only to those voices telling us everything is OK in order to preserve the status quo that benefits the few at the expense of the many. It surely may be hard to accept that man has such an influence on this planet, but ever since man began changing the face of Earth thousands of years ago through agriculture and deforestation we have been setting the scene for the future.
Climate had remained basically stable up to that point with interglacial and glacial periods happening on a time scale of thousands of years. What we are seeing now is a pace and severity of change faster than ever before due to the time lapse feedbacks of the concentration of greenhouse gases put up into the atmosphere by humans from this past century and even before that which have pushed those natural cycles. Continuing this same behavior only increases exponentially the chances of our world being an even more unstable place for our children.
I say this because I love this planet and I care about its future: This is real and it is affecting places globally now with rapid melting of glaciers particularly in the Arctic where warming has been twice as fast than anywhere on the globe. Places worldwide are now seeing changes in weather patterns that due to this melting and other factors and forces on the atmosphere are jeopardizing their ability to farm, to maintain adequate and healthy water sources and to maintain health due to extreme drought, deluges and storms that are becoming more common and damaging. We can no longer afford to treat this as some distant event we do not have to worry about. It is a present danger to our way of life precipitated by us and the only way to address it is to look in the mirror.
Please, those who read this, look beyond the political walls, ideological barriers and human frailties that in the past have inhibited us as a species from achieving our true potential. The current world situation is of our making and the good news of it all is that we do still have time to change it. Our children and theirs will remember our actions and choices made now. How do you wish to be remembered?
More at the linkThe globe we live on is changing in ways that the human species has not experienced.... more
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Through all of the Earth Days I have seen, I have discovered that the environment is about so much more than planting flowers. It is about a love that goes so deep for all that keeps us alive. It is about respecting and working with nature and seeing the interconnections of all species and the biosphere. It is about us remembering every day the effect our actions have on limiting our Earth's ability to sustain us and working in ways that make amends for those actions so our children will be able to have a thriving planet where that connection is primary to them. It is about who we are and why we are here.
The indigenous peoples of our world are the true holders of the secrets of that connection. Through them we see the personification of that respect and the fruits of the Earth they have shared in without avarice. Their wisdom is now crucial as we see our Earth becoming sicker from our pollution, our war and our hate. For many years they have predicted what is now taking place regarding where the greed and arrogance of humanity woud take us and yet their voices are silenced and their land, water, and cultures sacrificed for a false choice.
So in commemoration of Earth Day, I would hope people would become aware and take action against the global assault by corporations (Monsanto, DOW Chemical, Shell, BP, Rio Tinto as examples) and governments on the Indigenous peoples of our globe, even and particularly in our own country and the Amazon regarding water, agriculture, land and the oil that once sucked out of Earth tilts its balance and ours. Their wisdom of this Earth and how to work in harmony with nature is what we should now be seeking out as it is wisdom that can save our species from self destruction. I remember and salute them on Earth Day and pledge to stand with them in this fight for Earth democracy and climate justice.Through all of the Earth Days I have seen, I have discovered that the environment is... more
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Every year since 1993 the world has observed March 22 as World Water Day. It is a day set aside to raise awareness of the importance of water to our lives and to the ecosystems of our planet that give us life. This year the theme is water and food security. This is an important theme especially now as the effects of climate change are now hitting the developing world where much of our food is grown and where the majority of our world's poor live. For many making the connection between water and food security is something they just do not think about. In the developed world we are so used to going into a store and buying what we want without thinking about where it came from, how it was grown or what went into it. We do not consider that when we waste food we also waste water.
The price we are and will pay regarding water scarcity and food insecurity in the future will only increase as we continue to not take this seriously. For the past decade I have reported on water scarcity in every part of the world and the effects that scarcity is having on this most precious resource and the food and people that depend on it. There are many factors involved in this crisis worldwide such as lack of political will; lack of moral will; privatization; population; pollution (resulting in physical and non physical scarcity); overconsumption (overpumping and waste) and climate change (sea level rise causing salt water intrusion, drought, flood, water evaporation, glacier melt.)
I also want to add war to this list, because as we are seeing currently in Syria and in places in the Middle East drought is already affecting agriculture which is now resulting in people rising up to demand better care of their resources because of livelihoods/lives lost and higher food prices. This is definitely an urgent factor that we need to consider regarding the future of global water resources in line with militarization of such resources which will result in more conflict.
More than 40% of our planet is now in water scarce zones. This is predicted to increase with more people moving to urban areas by 2050. Our world population has doubled since 1950 and we are on track to see 9 billion within the next twenty. Yet, we are not adequately preparing as a species regarding preserving the very resources that will sustain us. More people on this planet have a mobile phone than have a toilet. What does that tell us of our priorities?
In assessing the factors involved in the connection between water and food security all of these factors then come into play and connect with something that to me is the most important factor: Perception. As I mentioned just above more people on this planet have access to mobile phones than to toilets. And more people are becoming unattached to the world around them which I believe is contributing to the lack of caring for what is actually most important. Our zeal for progress is ironically in many ways leading us backwards.
For me progressing means moving forward technologically and evolving while also improving on and preserving those life systems that support us in a sustainable way. Polluting the water we use to grow food or wasting it in order to have it to make tarsands is not sustainable. Overpumping aquifers to put water in fossil fuel plastic bottles to make a profit for a private company while people go thirsty and hungry is not progress. Profit at the expense of life is not progress. And once again, it all comes back to our perceptions as a species: To our understanding the true value of water and finding ways to use it in preserving a progressive and sustainable society.
The good news is that this is achievable. We can feed our people while preserving our ecosystems. It requires us all to look inside ourselves and to ask how important water really is to us and to make the commitment to changing our perceptions of this world and our place in it. There are so many organizations working on doing just that and on this World Water Day and every day they deserve our gratitude and support.
In the end however, we shouldn't need one day to remind people of something that should be part of their lives everyday. And to those living in parts of this world where they know where their food comes from and just how precious the water that births the seed is, they already have this perception. Perhaps we need a World Water Day theme based on that to start.
My hope and faith lie with those who know the land and who work it. Those who are truly committed to preserving this beautiful planet for our children. Sustainable agriculture, water conservation, agroforestry, agroecology, stewardship, equality and most importantly, advocacy. 2012 can be the year when we finally begin to understand that what is important is that which brings progress and life and doing all in our power to see beyond the material, political and societal walls that now impede our evolution. Water can be the catalyst to that awakening. Make it yours today and save a life.
More at the linkEvery year since 1993 the world has observed March 22 as World Water Day. It is a day... more
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In this extract from his book, To Cook A Continent, Nnimmo Bassey argues that climate negotiations, from Durban in late 2011 onwards, will increasingly confront the issue of climate justice.
The atmosphere is a common space, a global commons. Industrialised nations pumped a disproportionate amount of emissions into the atmosphere and they have cornered a disproportionate amount of global resources, largely by exploiting nations that are on the other side of the coin. Climate impacts are already being felt in a severe way in Africa as well as in other regions of the global South. Centuries of exploitation have weakened the resilience of these regions and in tackling climate change these historical facts must be addressed. One way of addressing this is by the payment of climate debt to make the needed financial and technological resources available to these vulnerable regions.
The Conference of Parties at Copenhagen and the following one at Cancun did not generate outcomes consistent with scientific warnings that the world faces a severe climate crisis. Copenhagen ended with an accord spearheaded by President Barack Obama of the United States with the backing of the BASIC countries (Brazil, South Africa, India and China) concocted in a 'Green Room' dreamed up by Denmark's conservative ruling party. In that room, Patrick Bond recalled, were 26 countries 'cherry-picked to represent the world. When even that small group deadlocked, allegedly due to Chinese intransigence and the overall weak parameters set by the US, the five leaders (Obama, Lula da Silva, Jacob Zuma, Manmohan Singh, and Wen Jiabao) attempted a face-saving last gasp at planetary hygiene.'12
The demand of climate justice is that those who created the climate problem must be the ones to mitigate it, and in the process must transform their economies and societies.13 There are two ways to go about making this happen. First, rich nations must reduce rapacious consumption patterns and address the climate crisis with real solutions and not ones that have been seen to be false. Second, the rich nations have to support the poor nations who are being forced to adapt to a situation they did not create. One practical way of making that happen is through support for sustainable, green development paths.
Among governments, the Bolivians have made the clearest call for climate justice while India and China have used related arguments to defend their growth paths. At a time when the world has been calling for a curtailment of polluting industrial establishments, China has been building new coal-fired power plants at a prodigious rate.14 It is interesting to note that while China is massively expanding its coal-powered plants, it is also quickly assuming leadership in the utilisation of wind power. The discourse on how much both China and India must do in tackling global warming must not overlook the fact that vast numbers of people in both India and China still require electricity supply and that meeting that gap requires huge financial outlays.
Following the catastrophic outcome of the United Nations climate negotiations held in Copenhagen in December 2009, President Evo Morales of Bolivia announced that the world would meet in Bolivia for a thorough and inclusive discussion on this vital issue.
The summit, held in Cochabamba in April 2010, attracted 35,000 participants from 140 countries. The summit stood in sharp contrast to the Copenhagen event in many ways. First, this was an assembly of governments and peoples. In Copenhagen no effort was spared in keeping civil society out of the conference: the conference was marked by lockouts of civil society, detentions of climate activists and outright brutality towards non-violent protesters on the streets. In Cochabamba the police were offering assistance and were also participants. Whereas Copenhagen showed a disdain for the voices of the people, Cochabamba was about raising the voices of the people. The only similarity between the events is that they were both held in cities whose names start with letter 'C' followed by nine letters.
The key outcome of the Cochabamba conference was the People's Agreement. This agreement demanded that countries cut their emissions by at least 50 per cent at source in the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol (2013–17), without recourse to offsets and other carbon trading schemes. In terms of finance, the People's Agreement demands that developed countries commit 6 per cent of their GDP to finance adaptation and mitigation needs. The financial suggestions of the Copenhagen Accord are a drop in the ocean compared to what is needed to secure vulnerable peoples and nations. The peoples of the world also affirmed that there is a climate debt that must be recognised and paid. The payment is not all about finance but principally about decolonising the atmospheric space and redistributing the meagre space left. Developed countries already occupy 80 per cent of the space.
The climate debt is also about taking actions needed to restore the natural cycles of Mother Earth and one clear way of achieving this will be through the proclamation of a Universal Declaration on the Rights of Mother Earth, with clear obligations for humans. Bolivia is in the forefront of promoting the adoption of this declaration at the United Nations. The People's Agreement recognises that the causes of climate change are systemic and that systemic changes are needed to tackle them. On this note, the model of civilisation that is hinged on uncontrolled development can only compound the crisis. The world needs to move towards living well and not continue on the path of domination of others and of conspicuous and wasteful consumption.
An area glossed over in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiations is the role of industrial agriculture in climate change. The People's Conference debated this key sector and reached the agreement that the way to a sustainable future is through the enthronement of food sovereignty based on agro-ecological agricultural systems. The issue of access to water being a human right was also affirmed by the people and later on in the year by the United Nations.
In all, the People's Agreement recognises that real strategies to tackle climate change must be based on the principles of equity and justice in dealing with the structural causes. Without climate justice it will also clearly be impossible to achieve the much talked about Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Cochabamba resonated with calls for urgently securing the rights of Mother Earth as a means of reconfiguring our relationship with the earth and with each other – in a way that respects the past, today and the future. All these will be a pipe dream unless peoples' sovereignty is supported, restored or built across the world. Cochabamba was a turning point in the march to transform our world from the path of conflict, competition, exploitation and domination to a path of solidarity and dignity. It held a ray of hope for Africa.
More at the link
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I posted this excerpt from this article because it hits the nail on the head about the mechanisms involved in the schemes being put forth by industrialized nations, the World Bank and corporations (industrial agriculture especially) looking to use this planetary emergency as a way to profit from it without really doing anything to address it. And that includes our seeds and water. Our voices now can make a dfference and they must be heard.In this extract from his book, To Cook A Continent, Nnimmo Bassey argues that climate... more
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In July I attended a public debate in London on the potential for REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) to make international forestry more just. The debate brought together a wide variety of stakeholders in REDD in order to assess its possibilities and its frailties. The panel leading the discussion included John Vidal from the Guardian and representatives from DFID, ODI, and FERN among others. What became increasingly clear during the debate is that although the international community appeared to be pushing on with REDD, it remains a highly contested and confused idea.
For those still unsure of what the initiative is, REDD is an effort to create a financial value for the carbon stored in forests. It offers incentives for developing countries to reduce emissions from forested lands and invest in low-carbon paths to sustainable development. However, the discussion highlighted fears that REDD may perpetuate, or even deepen, forest people’s historical dispossession from their forests.
The discussion focused on the concept of justice within REDD and the focal point of the evening turned out to be “local justice”. The question was - what is happening to the local people on the ground where these initiatives are implemented? It became increasingly clear, by hearing arguments from members of FERN and from those on the ground, that it is forest people that often are the ones who are most negatively affected by these projects. There is an overriding fear that REDD may not be dissimilar to other big money projects affecting the forests. For instance, a member of the audience, who had worked on a REDD project in Peru, stated that it was seen as more dangerous than palm oil plantations. The fear is that these projects can potentially, and almost by nature, take over entire forests, leaving indigenous people to lose the land earmarked for these REDD projects.
During the evening, several other members of the audience stated it was governments, and not large corporations, who were taking control of the forests. The ODI representative feared that REDD projects will reaffirm the ownership of the forests by the state. For example, as the government controls the carbon it trades, the forests fall under their control. This will go on to reinforce highly centralized, top down decision-making, something GBM works to move away from.
The panel was in agreement about what must be done, forest peoples and local communities must be included and able to make decisions for the future of forests in all REDD projects. Increasing evidence from Brazil and elsewhere indicates that tenure reform, that is placing control of forest resources into the hands of indigenous and other forest-dependent communities, contributes to local well-being and forest protection.
More at the linkIn July I attended a public debate in London on the potential for REDD (Reducing... more
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Washington, D.C. (September 19, 2011) The highly anticipated report released today by the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) reveals extensive scientific support for the conclusion that organic farming practices are overwhelmingly beneficial for consumers, farmers, the economy, and the environment. Further, it highlights the urgent need for more research to address an expanding market.
“Our data will provide even more impetus for Congress to advance organic farming initiatives in the upcoming 2012 Farm Bill and beyond,” said Maureen Wilmot, OFRF Executive Director. “To date, only modest public resources have been directed toward funding and support of programs for organic farming. We would like to see that change immediately.”
The Organic Farming for Health and Prosperity report is being presented today at the National Press Club at 9 a.m. The report’s executive summary is available at http://ofrf.org/publications/OrganicFarmingforHealthandProsperity.pdf.
Wilmot, and other top industry authorities on organic farming, point to the Organic Trade Association’s 2011 Industry Survey, which shows significant annual industry growth every year since 1997. Today’s organic food and textile market accounts for $29 billion in sales.
In addition, by 2015, a conservative estimate projects the need for 42,000 organic farmers to meet increasing market demand. Today, the industry is serviced by a mere 14,500 certified organic farmers who struggle with extraordinary production, information, and economic barriers.
With help from lawmakers, Wilmot said she hopes to build momentum for policymaking and programs that will fund further research, ensure fair and appropriate risk management tools, provide coverage for product contamination, and create a robust organic transition assistance program for future organic farmers.
More at the linkWashington, D.C. (September 19, 2011) The highly anticipated report released today by... more
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This thread is just one of many that I will be starting in the next two weeks to virtually protest in solidarity with those risking arrest in Washington DC who are sitting in to stand up for our climate, our water, our land and our energy future. Please help us support these good people. If you are in agreement type NO in the comments section, or add any type of encouragement to share the spirit of the people being heard for climate justice.
The Keystone XL pipeline must go!
Tarsands is the sign that desperation has hit the fossil fuel industry as our addiction has become dangerous for the continued sustainability of our planet. Tarsands is the wake up call regarding a moral imperative we are losing.
Consider the actions involved in extracting the bitumen tar from the sand and the process of separation that involves usage of huge amounts of water and toxic agents in making the finished product suitable for gas tanks. Consider the environmental degradation of pristine ecosystems, rivers, species and cultures. Consider the health effects and cancers related to the toxification of land, water and air that have taken lives. Consider the climate timebomb being released by the burning of this dirty toxic crude all to satisfy the greed of those who care nothing for the damage this is doing to the world you and yours will live in. This is not progress, this is insanity.
However, the fault is not just with those who process this destruction. The fault also lies with us. Those who continue to consume it in order to satiate a need that has led our environment to the breaking point. And now, Transcanada and those who seek to benefit from this destruction here wish to do so by constructing another pipeline through the heartland of this country directly threatening our water supply, our agriculture and our environment.
Starting tomorrow and going to Sept 3, people will be risking arrest in acts of peaceful civil disobedience outside the White House to tell President Obama NO regarding approving the Keystone XL pipeline.
(Caps for emphasis because this is important)
THIS IS NOW THE TIME THAT PRESIDENT OBAMA MUST HEAR YOU. THE WORLD WE ARE MAKING FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS DEPENDS ON OUR ACTIONS TODAY.
So even if all you can do is send an e-mail to the White House, you need to do it. Call, write, tweet, blog. But please, don't allow another ecocide to take place. We do have power in great numbers. We do have other energy choices. We CAN change things for the better (as the end of this video illustrates.)
But that won't happen unless we make noise by whatever means we have.
Kudos to those willing to be arrested for this important cause. I thank you, my child thanks you, I stand with you and I will do all in my power to be heard with you.
NO TO KEYSTONE XL.!This thread is just one of many that I will be starting in the next two weeks to... more
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It is always the children who are the victims of the world adults create and it is the greatest injustice. War ravages this region as it has for years it's affects now exacerbated by a drought the likes of which has been unseen for decades exacerbated as is the war by human behavior which was totally preventable. I know it is a place where terrorism thrives. I know it is a place where corruption and lawlessness thrive. And it is a poor area of the world seen as expendable as noted by the many hateful comments I have read from people on other news sites, some of which absolutely stunned me. However, it is also a place where humanity must thrive in order to spare a worse catastrophe.
As 12 million people most of them children face certain death if they get no help, we on this side of the world will throw out tons of uneaten wasted food without a thought. We will continue to be absorbed in our diversions that give us pleasure with little thought to what may be going on outside of our own worlds. And we will find some reason, any reason at all to dismiss the urgency of this drought war and ensuing famine to not have to do something no matter how small it may be to at least save one life.
These children did nothing to anyone. They are products of a world not of their creation. And they are also human beings like all of us who deserve to live life with hope. We must strip away all of the political, religious and ideological obstacles that prevent us from being human now. This is a humanitarian catastrophe of untold proportions and I simply cannot believe that the world willl sit by and allow these people to die. It is truly outrageous that geopolitics and foreign policy must always become more important than simply saving a human life.
Of course, the problems here go much deeper and will not be solved with just a 10 dollar donation to MSF to give them plumpy nut. This however is part of a greater war we now fight. A war against ignorance, hatred and intolerance. If we could only grasp how opening our hearts could release so many from the fear that grips our world and just look at the human beings in front of us we could solve anything. Right now however, these children need our help. Please do so if you haven't already. Humanity won't stand a chance if we can't be human, at least this once.It is always the children who are the victims of the world adults create and it is the... more
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In 1972 I was 13 years old and becoming much more cognizant of the fact that the Earth I had lived on up to that point was changing and not for the better. And this disturbed and concerned me greatly even at that young age as I felt a special connection to the environment as I still do. It is innate in me and as much a part of my existence as breathing. The trees, the air and especially the water at that time all told a story to me about who I was, where I came from and where I hoped to go as I became an adult. From the time I was a young girl my mother instilled in me respect for the Earth and taught me that what you put into her you get out. Unfortunately, I lost my mother to cancer at the age of 17 not nearly having the amount of time with her that I needed but the lessons she taught me about life, respecting others and respecting this planet in that short time have always stayed with me.
And at that time in history, those lessons were more important than ever to be learned. Just three years prior in July of 1969, the Cuyahoga River in Ohio became so contaminated with industrial waste and pollution that it literally caught on fire. Rivers from the Hudson to the Potomac to the Mississippi were little more than open sewers with untreated waste and industrial byproducts being dumped with little regulation. Public health alerts and fishkills were commonplace. Rivers burning, pictures of raw sewerage flowing in rivers, oil fires and fish floating dead in rivers was more than enough for the public to demand action and accountability for what had been done to our waterways by an out of control corporate assault for profit. Of course, the polluters fought against any type of regulation of their crimes against nature citing as usual that it would be financially cumbersome to act responsibly. But on October 18, 1972, the voices of the people were heard with the passage of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, commonly known as the Clean Water Act. The main goal of this act was to ensure to "restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of our nation's waterways" and to make them cleaner by 1985. Other provisions were subsequently added to assure that once these goals were met that they would be adequately maintained.
Almost forty years after its passage there is much to be proud of regarding this act. It has been a success. Billions have been saved in dollars and in destruction and pollution to our waterways. More than one billion pounds per year of toxic pollutants have been removed from waterways. Point source pollution has been greatly reduced and the Cuyahoga is cleaner and actually making a profit. Of course, there are still great obstacles as we see this same irresponsible corporate mentality seeking to turn back the clock, but on the whole the Clean Water Act has been the one piece of legislation that has withstood the test of time... until now. The lifeblood of our country is now once again under attack by those in our Congress more beholding to the corporate entities that support them than the people they should be supporting.
A bill, H.B. 2018 also known as the "Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act of 2011," would null and void decades of progress that have made our waterways cleaner and safer. The bill supported both by Rep Nick Rahall and Rep. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia(coal country) seeks to undo two key provisions of the Clean Water Act that would undermine the EPA's ability to hold states accountable for water quality standards. In other words, corporate entities (coal companies) holding sway over state governments would be the final arbiter on water standards even if evidence proves that doing so would be a threat to human and aquatic health. Again, even if evidence proves that doing so would be a threat to human and aquatic health. How unconscienable. How irresponsible. How morally bereft.
To see this total apathy towards the source of all life and the disrespect for all who have sacrificed so much to ensure a cleaner planet is reprehensible. And I admit that now forty years after I first learned of the Clean Water Act passing at the age of 13 after being scared for the future I am again and this time moreso as this important issue has not gotten the media coverage now that it did then. This is why the Internet and social media are so crucial in getting this type of information out to the public. Our media has been co opted by these same corporate entities seeking to escape culpability for their crimes against nature just to save a buck even at the expense of our health and that of our children.
So are you incensed yet? Do you want to do someting to let them know that you will not go back to rivers in flames and rivers and streams from coast to coast flowing with industrial and human waste, coal excrement, nuclear waste and anything else those who buy policy in DC deem too expensive to take responsibility for? We need the same loud voices that we heard in the 1970s. We need that urgency. We need that caring. Those voices, the voices of our young selves that stood in the streets crying for environmental justice must now be heard again. Those who perceive themselves as masters of our fate must be sent a message that it is we who are the masters of our fate. Our children deserve better than that. They deserve clean water! Please , speak out for our rivers. Our lifeblood. The soul of America. Remember Cuyahoga and say, never again!
Thank you.In 1972 I was 13 years old and becoming much more cognizant of the fact that the Earth... more
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Looking realistically upon the state of our planet on this day of appreciation for our Earth, humans have been grossly negligent regarding its stewardship. From our seeds of life to the state of our air, water and land we have forgotten how precious the gifts she gives us truly are. We prod, poke, drill, pollute, toxify and alter for profit the only home we have in some vain attempt to show that we are onmipotent over nature as if it is somehow our enemy. As if we are angry as its awesome power and jealous of its beauty. As if doing so bestows some sort of importance upon us in our arrogance, and loneliness. How did this come to be? When did this planet that provides our sustenance and very life become something to be vanquished and destroyed?
How is it that pieces of green paper are more important than a clean river teeming with life running to and from its source, or nutrient rich soil that provides generations of species with life, or trees that provide us a shield to the biodistress that we have exacerbated to dangerous levels?
For me Earth Day is every day, but hopefully for many this day will be a day where reflection takes place in connecting the dots of how important the web of life is from the smallest phytoplankton in our oceans to the largest mammal on land. For that is where it all begins. In respecting that web of life and its importance to our own lives we understand how rare and precious life is and how quickly it can be gone.
Our Earth has taken many blows from man and continues to suffer from our greed, apathy, indifference and selfishness. But I do see a glimmer of hope- in our children. In those who will inherit what we have made and in my own child who I have raised to care about the future just as much as I do. It is through their eyes that we can see the world we were meant to have and the world that with coming full circle in consciousness we can still have if we really want it.
This beautiful video relays the wonders of our only home. May it inspire those who see it to understand the symbiosis between us and the Earth, the water, the air and the land that is us.Looking realistically upon the state of our planet on this day of appreciation for our... more
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It's 2031. Biodistress is taking its toll on our planet as many islands in the Pacific and the Indian Oceans have now succombed to the rising seas while drought is now "normal" in many parts of Africa, Asia and the Western and Southeastern United States. The great rivers of the world, the Yellow, the Ganges, the Indus, the Brahmaputra, the Amazon, the Mekong, the Thames, the Colorado to just name a few all with continuing falling water levels as population increases have brought about migrations from areas where drought and water scarcity can no longer support growing food, and where the great glaciers of the world such as the Himalayas, Alps and Patagonia are now melting to the point where water is scarce and in many areas non existant.
Great forests that once spanned South America and the U.S. were levelled to grow BT corn, GM soy and the fuel that takes our food and water, giving us back diseases, deforestation and pollution as people continue to starve in our world as access to food is but a dream in a world where markets over value that which has no value while ignoring what has the greatest value. Our food is also now part of this vast monoculture world of the biotech companies that stole our seeds and our right to save them. And through their greed we now hunger not just for sustenance, but for justice.
It was in 2020 that the great famine occurred. It started in Africa where the GM seeds had been forced upon the people there with stories of high yields, little pesticide usage and a promise of bringing people out of poverty, failed. With the coercion of government agencies however, including and most prominently the U.S. these terminator seeds made their way around the world, eventually blowing their transgenic pollution onto organic crops and perpetuating a death spiral of biodiversity that now seeks to bring an end to the richness and beauty of a planet that was once thriving.
This particular famine was unlike any other, as it was started by a gene that was placed in the GM crop shutting off and producing a toxic mold that could not be controlled, as the companies had not tested these new "climate change" seeds properly before releasing them upon us all. Biodistress was actually the catalsyt as warming temperatures interacting with other environmental factors attributed to soil nutrient depletion had affected the capacity of the seeds to perform as was claimed they could. All who had purchased those seeds saw their crops yellow, wither and die globally. Economies across the world were scrambling to cover their losses as the hungry crowded streets in anger demanding restitution as many died. Farmer suicides increased not only in India, but in Asia and Africa where they had lost everything not only to the crop collapse but to the drought, deforestation and lack of water that dessimated their livestock as well.
We had warned the world that entering into this too fast and too deeply without knowing all of the consequences could lead to this result. We demanded restraint and disclosure from governments. We fought for sustainable agriculture, saving seeds and a world where farmers not corporations that made war chemicals grew our food. But we were overruled and finally in 2015, it was deemed illegal to grow any other seeds but those GM seeds of these companies. We were essentially told, you eat what we provide or you die... only, people are now dying in greater numbers as monoculture has proven to be a failure as it has dessimated our forests, polluted our water, killed our biodiversity and brought about new diseases we were not prepared to deal with.
However, we keep on fighting. Underground seed distribution centers are now coming into place by those who foresaw this disaster and saved organic non GMO seeds. Imagine that. We who simply wish to grow healthy food, now considered outlaws. But it is a badge we wear with honor as the fight for our right to grow food, save seeds and preserve agriculture continues.
Next installment: How we take our food back.
I have written this to illustrate what can happen if we continue on the road we are on. The good news in this is that we have a choice. We have a voice. It doesn't have to be this way. Let's raise our voices. Let's make that choice. Let's take back our food, our water, our planet! More to come.It's 2031. Biodistress is taking its toll on our planet as many islands in the... more
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Dr. David Suzuki celebrated his 75th birthday on March 24. He has been a dedicated and passionate advocate for the environment since the mid 1970s when his CBC show, The Nature Of Things first debuted, which is now seen in syndication in forty countries. His tireless work in genetics and his advocacy for our planet and for reconnecting to nature have inspired countless millions over the last four decades.
I am posting this interview because in it he captures the essence of the problems we face and their causes, and also relays one very important point: Our loss of contact with nature that has led to a decline in our love and respect for nature, which in turn is leading us to where we see the world now. Toxic, polluted, out of balance with people more apathetic to the corrolation between the environment and our lives than ever before. And this apathy combined with an economic process that does not consider the environmental impact upon our lives but only their own profit at its loss is not conducive to the changes we need to see in order to regain that essential connection that gives us life.
So I wish to thank Dr. Suzuki for his years of dedication to the planet and working to make us understand that we are nature, and in order to preserve it we must be part of it.
Excerpt:
"JR: There was a line in a book by Matthew Fox that really stopped me: “The human race will not destroy itself from lack of information. The human race will destroy itself through lack of appreciation.” Where do you turn to heal and regenerate yourself when dealing with these massive challenges we’ve just discussed and the consequences of being aware of and witnessing the ecological damage?
DS: It’s soul-destroying to see what we’re doing to the planet, but I have four grandchildren and spending time with them renews my determination. For me, the big breakthrough was, I used to come home late at night going, “I gotta keep going, I gotta keep going, I gotta finish...” And at one point I looked in the mirror and thought, “Who the hell do you think you are? You think you’re so important you’re going to make the difference? You’re one human being. You’ve got to be part of a much bigger movement, but you yourself are insignificant.” That relieved me of this terrible conceit that I was so important I had to give my whole life to the cause. My wife is always saying we need sustainable activism. Too many people put everything into it and burn out and what stabilizes us, of course, is family, and the things that we do together with family, like getting out in nature.
In Richard Louv’s book Last Child in the Woods, he says we are now suffering from a whole spectrum of problems that are classified under “Nature Deficit Disorder.” Our children need to experience nature and when you look at things like attention deficit or bullying or hyperactivity, these are all related to the fact that our kids aren’t getting out there. Nature calms us; nature heals us. We need to have nature. We’re growing a group of kids now that spend the least amount of time outdoors than any generation in human history.
I grew up in the 50s. We had a house with six people in less than a thousand square feet so it was a small house. I remember the constant refrain in our house was, “Get out of the house. Go out and play!” And if we said, “But mommy it’s raining outside,” she’d say, “Put a raincoat on and go on outside.” And we’d be out in the ditches and the ponds, but it was a necessity because the house was tiny. Now, we don’t want our kids to go out. There might be a pervert behind a bush or speeding cars. We want our kids inside and we’d rather have them playing video games or text messaging or working on the computer. We need to experience nature. It’s certainly for me my touchstone and my salvation in terms of maintaining my sanity.
JR: If people don’t love something, they’re not going to protect it.
DS: Exactly."Dr. David Suzuki celebrated his 75th birthday on March 24. He has been a dedicated and... more
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A well written piece by Paul Krugman appeared in the NY Times yesterday that gives a truthful view on the current protests we are seeing in relation to food prices and world weather events and the effects of climate change. I have been reporting and writing about sustainable agriculture here for a couple of years now primarily in regards to the effects of climate, speculation, world policy regarding loans and food grown for export, types of sustainable agricultural practices, seed patents and the effects of monoculture GMOs on the world's economy, health, environment and food sovereignty.
It is no overstatement to state that we are in a climate/food crisis. Recent events in Australia, Russia, China, Africa and Latin America for example have not only been a part of rising prices but also in giving us a glimpse of what life will be like in a warming world. Agriculture, its cultivation, its very existence is under threat by an ongoing assault of erratic and intensifiying weather/climate events, pesticides, expansive and destructive industrial agricultural policies and practices that see more land going to growing non food items, lack of food access and the effects of GMOs and the transgenic contamination they bring which has already affected not only the traditional corn varieties of Mexico's culture and livelihood, but crops around the world which works against what we must now be doing to save our agriculture.
As we look to the future our ability to provide for our needs is being made much harder by our own actions. As we see our population approaching a projected 9 billion within the next several decades we must begin to seriously understand the role our actions play in the world we see before us, and the world we will leave successive generations. The ability to feed ourselves and plant seeds that preserve our global biodiversity is being attacked by those who would profit from both their ownership and their demise.
In this century there will be no greater challenge to our species than working to preserve the planet that provides our food, our water, and our lives. What Mr. Krugman states here is not to be taken lightly. Climate change is indeed upon us, and its reach goes far beyond the political differences that have kept this urgent crisis from being faced as it must be now. The protests in Egypt and around the world are warning signs as well as hopeful signs. If we do not deal with the root causes of this crisis including and most importantly climate change, the world of our making will not be one we will be able to inhabit. This does come down to the very seeds we plant in our soils, and in our consciences.
http://water-is-life.blogspot.com/2011/02/droughts-floods-and-food.html
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Excerpt by Mr, Krugman:
"While several factors have contributed to soaring food prices, what really stands out is the extent to which severe weather events have disrupted agricultural production. And these severe weather events are exactly the kind of thing we’d expect to see as rising concentrations of greenhouse gases change our climate — which means that the current food price surge may be just the beginning."A well written piece by Paul Krugman appeared in the NY Times yesterday that gives a... more
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I consider myself to be an environmentalist. That is because I have a deep concern for the preservation of natural resources and the ethics and politics associated with this issue and a mission of fighting pollution in our world. I see the world from a biocentric viewpoint and believe that we as humans are stewards of this planet here to preserve this world not only for ourselves and future generations but also for all of those species who share this world with us who cannot speak for themselves.
However, I could not call myself an environmentalist if I did not set an example. If I did not attempt to achieve progress and preservation by seeking these ends by influencing the political process, by educating others, by activism, and by setting an example for our younger generation. I do all of those things as best I can, but most of all I seek to live my life as I tell others they should and need to live theirs. That I believe is the true spirit of environmentalism.
And just as I now try to impart that spirit upon my own child, so was it imparted to me by my mother at an early age. For she too was a woman who cared about all living things and who lived a life of peace with great respect for this Earth. It was surely a great tragedy in my life to have her taken from me at 17 by cancer for she was to me the one person in my life who set my feet on the right path. And ever since her death almost thirty three years ago, I have made it my personal mission to live a life that best exemplifies all the beauty she possessed in her soul. The life she surely would have wanted for me. And by that I don't mean a life filled with Earthly riches, but spiritual ones. A life filled with love and truly being able to appreciate and cherish all this Earth gives us and to protect it to the best of my ability and give that gift to others.
That to me is what being an environmentalist is all about. It is about being a citizen of the world. It is about being an American. It is about being a Patriot. It is about standing up for what you believe in even and especially when standing up is ridiculed by those who don't understand or don't want to hear the truth. It is about a steady burning conviction that goes deep to your very soul that you feel everyday for you truly understand the symbiosis between this planet and how it all relates to your being here and see the sheer and awesome beauty of it all. It is also in knowing that this Earth for all of its faults and miseries is worth saving, and that is why you continue on.
Environmentalism is not just the reading of graphs and charts it is understanding the human interrelation to the numbers on those charts and the moral issues involved in explaining that relationship to others. For many years as a younger woman I could never truly understand why more people didn't see this relationship or just didn't want to see it. But that was before I went out into the business world and also became more involved as an activist. It then became very clear to me why more people didn't see this relationship... it wasn't lucrative enough to see it. From politics, to business, to the media it has been an issue that did not get the coverage or action it deserved because it was either considered over most peoples' heads, an issue too involved for media honchos to care about, or just not politically viable. And they just didn't get that symbiosis.
As Al Gore related to in An Inconvenient Truth in quoting Winston Churchill, 'We have entered a period of consequences.' And it is ironically because it was not seen as luctrative or viable in the past that it is now a spectre that threatens our very way of life if we continue to ignore it. So all of the years I have spent caring about this issue from the time I was a young girl of 12 sitting with my mother on the porch reading Silent Spring, to my days as a teen organizing neighborhood cleanups, signing petitions, writing essays, and joining other organizations to warn people of the impending consequences, have now come full circle for me. And that is why I now continue to be an environmentalist. For we are the stewards, the missives, and the voice of Mother Earth. And I believe that together we can save this world for our children, because we must.
What a great legacy to have left for me to pass on. Thanks, mom.I consider myself to be an environmentalist. That is because I have a deep concern for... more
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4/2013: Now it's the forty third Earth Day I will live through and the sentiments are the same. Every day is Earth Day.
Thank you, Mother.
"Keep close to Nature's heart... and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean. "
John Muir
American environmentalist, founder of the Sierra Club, whose birthday is tomorrow.
"We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect."
Aldo Leopold
American environmentalist whose death is noted tomorrow.
The circle of life.
I think in order to go into the future with hope, these words of wisdom from the past regarding our connection to the Earth must never be forgotten.
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Observation: And adding to a post I placed here three years ago and seeing every comment from everyone voted down that was voted up then only proves someone is following me around here by lurking my profile. What a miserable person you are and I now know who you are. And guess what? This system on Current is very user friendly in working both ways and allowing us to fix the mean-spiritedness and psychotic obsession people like you carry around. These are also the hypocrites that get fluff posts on top talking about "community". It's only a "community" to them however if they can control it. Really sad.
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This Thursday April 22, will be the fortieth Earth Day I have lived through. But I have lived on this Earth approximately 18,697 days and there has not been one day where this Earth has failed to provide for all of my needs in every sense. And because of this, I pledged a long time ago to do my part as a citizen of this Earth to do all I can to preserve its beauty, mystery, and the systems that provide for our sustenance. That is what Earth Day is all about. It is about remembering all our Earth gives to us and paying homage to her and pledging to do all we can to do the same for her.
However, on this Earth Day as on many other days before I am filled with hope yet sadness at seeing how we humans on the whole do not understand this message. Climate change combined with pollution now threaten to place our Earth on a collision course with catastrophe as we push the limitations of the very systems that give us life. We have become detached from Earth even though we live here. The beauty of a sunrise, a clear mountain stream, a tree, and now even the soul satisfying practice of tilling our own soil have been depraved by those who care little for the essence of Earth beyond what they can sell it for.
So on this Earth Day as I have for almost every other of the approximate 18,697 days I have lived here, I will pay homage to the magnificence of a planet unlike any other. A planet of unsurpassed beauty and potential.
And I will never give up in doing all I can to preserve this giver of all life.
And I will blog. And I will speak out. And I will take action. And I will fight.
For our Earth. Our home.
For without her, there is nothing else.
Thank you, Mother.
Happy Earth Day.4/2013: Now it's the forty third Earth Day I will live through and the... more
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A different verbal form of the urgency of climate change, in the hope that we as a species will see this urgency and address it before it is indeed too late.
This dagger placed at her heart
carving out coldness
floating through time
melting into infinity
Night falls on desolate land
wasting bones
withered sands
shaped by hands
that knew better
Water now runs slow
thirsting for life
against time
dispensed for folly
We the stewards
never seeing
what lies ahead
striving only
for pleasure of the now
One last breath
as leaves give way
to ill winds
a heart broken
a trust betrayed
As fate slips into the abyss
hope now our last refuge
passion our imperative
Our voices the sound
of silence
in a universe devoid of time
Destiny a feeble reminder of weakness
or yet perhaps,
a promise of tomorrow.
COPYRIGHT-Jan Moore-2009A different verbal form of the urgency of climate change, in the hope that we as a... more
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This is Part 2 of the Earth Care Group's posting of Tommic's essay on Climate Change Impacts. The first part was posted Sunday and regarded glaciers. This part and conclusion regards the Gulf Stream (the great ocean conveyor belt) slowing, water scarcity, and ocean temperatures and their effect on climate. These are all very important factors taken into account when determining the impacts of climate change trends and the human role in them. Trends and climate change involve more than just watching a weather report or having one winter with abnormal snowfall. Remember, snowfall is also precipitation.
Our hope in presenting these essays on our blog (which is open to anyone in our group who wishes to write an environmental essay and tag it Earth Care Group Blog) is that by presenting this information more people will become aware of the processes of our Earth and how those natural processes are now being effected by human behavior. We have a moral obligation to do all we can to preserve the climate balance of our only truly remarkable home.
Again, thank you to Tommic for contributing this entry.This is Part 2 of the Earth Care Group's posting of Tommic's essay on... more
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In assessing the urgency of climate change/global warming, our contributions to it, and its relationship to pollution, one must be cognizant of the inextricable link between them. For many naysayers however, this is not the case. They attempt to separate the two in order to demean the importance of the very real effects of global warming in relation to the pollution of our air, water, land and the biosphere as a whole. In doing so they do a great disservice not only to addressing this urgent crisis in total, but to the future generations to come must have in order to survive. This is not in line with what humans are or meant to be. We are here to be stewards of this world and prepare it for the next. This is our mission, and it encompasses so much more on so many more levels than political ideology and corporate balance sheets.
In order to have a symbiosis between planet and body, the entire global picture and our effect on it must be truthfully disclosed and understood. As indigenous cultures have relayed to us for centuries, when mankind is out of balance so is our Mother Earth, and that depletes her life force that gives life to us and all other species. If you take a look throughout history any time of peace and prosperity was also a time when the Earth was bountiful and humans were in harmony with her life rhythms. We have now not only lost touch with the Earth’s life rhythm but with our own, and that in turn is now leading us to a point where war, disease, famine and environmental calamity are commonplace and more prevalent only to become worse in the future.In assessing the urgency of climate change/global warming, our contributions to it,... more
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This is the first entry in our new feature, the Earth Care Group blog. Our first entry was written by Tommic, our co -moderator, and deals with climate change impacts. It will be posted in three parts. This part deals with glaciers and is a comprehensive review of the reality of the state of the world. There will be two more parts posted within this week and we invite serious discussion of the reality and the opportunity as humans to take action to preserve the delicate climate balance of our only home.Thank you to Tommic for this comprehensive essay.
In the future we will invite others to contribute postings to this blog on any environmental topic of their choice. We want to create a group where information is not hindered by political and ideological barriers. A place where truth can be discussed in order for solutions and actions to follow. I hope you will be a participant in this.
Thank you,
Jan
Moderator
Earth Care
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Climate Change Impacts: by Tommic
Global warming has become perhaps the most complicated issue facing world leaders. On the one hand, warnings from the scientific community are becoming louder, as an increasing body of science points to rising dangers from the ongoing buildup of human-related greenhouse gases — produced mainly by the burning of fossil fuels and forests. On the other, the technological, economic and political issues that have to be resolved before a concerted worldwide effort to reduce emissions can begin have gotten no simpler, particularly in the face of a global economic slowdown.
At the heart of the debate is a momentous tussle between rich and poor countries over who steps up first and who pays most for changed energy menus. People worldwide must come to the realization that we will have to pay now or later but we will pay in the end and the cost to the economies of the world will suffer greater the longer we wait.
96 percent of the worlds glaciers are shrinking.
The continued retreat of glaciers will have a number of different quantitative impacts. In areas that are heavily dependent on water runoff from glaciers that melt during the warmer summer months, a continuation of the current retreat will eventually deplete the glacial ice and substantially reduce or eliminate runoff. A reduction in runoff will affect the ability to irrigate crops and will reduce summer stream flows necessary to keep dams and reservoirs replenished. This situation is particularly acute for irrigation in South America, where numerous artificial lakes are filled almost exclusively by glacial melt. Central Asian countries have also been historically dependent on the seasonal glacier melt water for irrigation and drinking supplies. In Norway, the Alps, and the Pacific Northwest of North America, glacier runoff is important for hydropower.
Pine Island glacier in Antarctic is being depleted at the rate of 16 meters per year loss of ice depth Larson ice shelves a and b are already gone with Larson B being the size of Rhode Island
The recent collapse of Wordie Ice Shelf, Prince Gustav Ice Shelf, Mueller Ice Shelf, Jones Ice Shelf, Larsen-A and Larsen-B Ice Shelf on the Antarctic Peninsula has raised awareness of how dynamic ice shelf systems are. Jones ice Shelf had an area of 35 km2 in the 1970s but by 2008 it had disappeared. Wordie Ice Shelf has gone from an area of 1500 square kilometers in 1950 to 140 km2 in 2000. Prince Gustav Ice Shelf has gone from an area of 1600 km2 to 11 km2 in 2008. After their loss the reduced buttressing of feeder glaciers has allowed the expected speed-up of inland ice masses after shelf ice break-up. . The Wilkins Ice Shelf is another ice shelf that has suffered substantial retreat. The ice shelf had an area of 16,000 km2 (6,200 sq mi) in 1998 when 1,000 km2 (390 sq mi) was lost.In 2007 and 2008 significant rifting developed and led to the loss of another 1,400 km2 (540 sq mi) of area.This is the first entry in our new feature, the Earth Care Group blog. Our first entry... more
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