It’s Global Warming Believe It Or Not
This will be a totally different planet with an increase of just 3 °C (5 1/2 °F), in our global warming, a planet that hasn’t existed for millions of years. There was no humans when it was 3 degrees warmer. Some scientist say that may be the tipping point, when changes in the world’s climate could cascade out of control.
The Antarctic Ice Sheet holds nearly 90% of the world’s ice and 70% of its fresh water. If the entire ice sheet were to melt, sea level would rise by nearly 220 feet, or the height of a 20-story building. Scientists know there’s a melting trend underway. The United Nations has said that in a worst-case scenario (depending on how much global air temperatures increase), seas could jump 3 feet (1 meter) by 2100.
This past July was the hottest the world’s oceans have been in almost 130 years of record-keeping.
We are on the verge of passing irreversible tipping points, meaning even though catastrophic impacts might not be evident for some decades, present delay in curbing this planetary warming could mean the point of no return is imminent. This means we can no longer afford to sit placidly by as the powers that be, i.e. governments, media, and industry, placates us with green politically correct pleasantries, all the while our planet’s atmosphere evolves into one akin to Venus’. In October AP reported that just 57% of Americans think there is solid evidence the world is getting warmer, down 20 points in just three years. Ergo the old saying: If a frog is placed in hot water, it will jump out, but if it is placed in cold water and slowly heated, it will not perceive the danger and will be cooked to death.
Representatives of 192 governments will meet in Copenhagen for UN talks in December ( 7-18 ) for addressing climate change. It is crucial for focusing on the details of a new global climate agreement for when the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012. So, talk it up with everybody, pass the word to pay serious attention to these talks and letting our nations know that we the people are concerned and watching for some strong, meaningful resolutions and action item deadlines.
Humans have always had the ability to rise up and confront the most formidable obstacles and end up uncannily victorious. Whether it was against disease, natural disaster, or the tyranny of fellow humans. But we as a species also have this annoying habit of waiting to absolute last second before rising to the occasion. Now is the time to confront and deny the destruction of our home that houses all the life we have ever known, all that has ever been or ever will be.
That said, in the here and now, there are some brain-trusts around the planet diligently working on projects aimed at combating the fever weakening our planet.
Some have been deemed ‘weird science’ and range from dumping iron into the ocean to stimulate the growth of carbon eating/sinking algae, to launching reflective particles into the atmosphere to reduce the amount of sunlight that gets through. Coincidentally in July the American Meteorological Society issued the statement, “Geoengineering must be viewed with caution because manipulating the Earth system has considerable potential to trigger adverse and unpredictable consequences.”
Some are forehead slapping ingenious. A wind-powered fleet of 1,900 ships would crisscross the oceans, sucking up sea water and spraying it from the top of tall funnels to create vast white clouds. Groups in the United States and the UK are said to be working on the concept, aimed at reflecting 1 or 2% of sunlight back into space. The effect would be similar to the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines in 1991, which filled the atmosphere with reflective particles and reduced the global temperature by half a degree. A bigger eruption in 1815, of Mount Tambora, created a year with no summer.
Right, wrong, or in between, people are trying to come up with solutions. It’s about time we sent in some reinforcements.
… as the green future unfolds.
