climate change=death

The threat of global climate change to human health is great. Unfortunately, it is the elderly, very young and very poor in developing countries who will bear the brunt of human fatalities. As our atmosphere heats up, the lack of fresh water and water borne disease increase due to floods, droughts and heat waves. In turn, this will create a domino effect, not only affecting our health, but the implications it will have on our fragile health care system. We will see increases in diseases such as cholera, malaria, and diarrhea. Furthermore, vegetation, agriculture and farming fields could be wiped out due to severe and frequent changes in percipitation. Then we'd have to worry if we have enough food supply to feed people. If we don't, we can see a spike in malnutrition, inflation and deaths. With an overburdened health care system here in the U.S., how would we expect less wealthy nations to care for their sick? Human health is affected by many co-factors, some are political, social and individual behavior. I believe we have failed on all aspects, and if we don't do more to curb the emissions of greenhouse gasses our health care system will be stressed and tested to its limit. (image source)

Surfing for Global Warming

We've heard of .com, .edu, .net, and .org, but have you ever heard of a .eco? If you answered no, well, your not alone. It appears that surfing (image source) for global warming just got a little easier. Former vice president Al Gore and his philanthropy, the Alliance for Climate Protection along with Dot Eco LLC are teaming up to provide a space for "individuals to express their support for environmental causes, for companies to promote their envronmental initiatives, and for environmental organizations to maintain their websites." Just when i thought the internet was all inclusive, here come the .eco's. I don't know how necessary it is to have a domain exclusively for environmental causes. I always thought the other domains did a pretty good job at marketing global warming initiatives, and along with the blogging world, enough space for supporters to express their ideas, thoughts, and yes...feelings. But i guess it's not all really about expressing ourselves, but about making a profit while we are at it. You see, ICANN will apparently make money from this venture as well. They are responsible for overseeing creations of domains and the more hits a domain gets..the more money ICANN stands to gain. The business of global warming is not cheap, could we see something like the .com bust of the 90's transform to the .eco bust of today? With all the hype of global warming and global climate change, a complete wipeout is unlikely, it will just add more noise to the static.

Global Warming Satire

I sometimes wonder if all the debate on global warming has become a joke. Political cartoons and the media have had a significant impact on how we view the issue of global warming and global climate change. What makes the news of course are the "end of the world" scenarios if we don't do somthing to stop global warming. In "The Happening" episode of South Park shown above (1:54), illustrates how much influence the fanatics of global warming has had on pop culture. Is this what it has come down to? Easy jabs at our political leaders, late nite comics over exagerating and compartamentalizing the issue to socialsit tree hugging hippies? Global warming has been talked to death that even the global warming jokes sometimes fall flat. But why are there jokes about global warming the the first place? Popular TV shows have illustrated how global warming has been percieved by our leaders for the past eight years such as Will Ferrell's vignette on SNL. It seems everywhere you go, the topic of global warming has become today's never ending reality TV show. One of those guilty pleasure shows we just can't seem to take our eyes away from. If this is such a concerning issue, why has it become late nite fodder? Is this our way or resigning ourselves to the inevitable truth? I remember in a psychology class reading how when people get nervous they use humor as a defensive mechanism, or a way to deflect the issue by trivializing it. Well, i'm not a psychologist, but i'm beggining to feel that the media, while bringing attention to the issue, has been responsible for also decreasing the scientific message of global warming and has now become the laughing stock issue. The effects of global warming are real, and because we live in an industrialized wealthy nation where we may not feel it's effects directly, does not mean it's not happening. This article by Michael Specter who is a writer for The New Yorker writes about the impact of global climate change. The people who live in the slums of India i'm sure don't see the humor of global warming, instead they worry if the water they are drinking will kill them, or if there will be sufficient rain fall for vegetation. These are the stories that truely deserve front page exposure and perhaps then we can start doing something about global warming and stop making the issue into satire.

The Lies About Global Warming

Has the debate on global warming been a hoax? A scare tactic to manipulate the media and the people? How reliable are the claims by Al Gore (image source) and his tree hugging supporters? While i've always been one that cares about our planet , is the condition of our planet as extreme as many proponents of globla warming make it out to be? I've sometimes wondered, "what if these scientist got it all wrong?" i mean, they are only human, and science has been wrong in the past. While we see the ice caps contracting and the polar bears losing their habitat, all very powerful images to drive in the emotional claims of global warming, but not the whole truth. Patrick Michaels, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute states that "the discussion surrounding global warming has become wildly extreme, you either believe it's the end of the world unless we do something about it right now, or you're a denier." I personllay don't think it's the end of the world, but i don't think i'm a denier also. So where does that put me in? All these scientist spend so much money on fancy computer models, and charts all aruguing the effects of anthropogenic induced global warming. These charts all illustrate a doomsday scenario, but we don't talk about how the ice sheets of the south pole have actually expanded, we are living in a "cooling" world climate, the earth has experience many clyclical trends of cooling and warming in the past. Finally, climate is unpredictable! How often has our local meteorologist been wrong in predicting our local weather? Before we rush to judgements, we need to hear all sides of the story. I'm not here to write for or against global warming, but i have to admit, opponets of global warming make a compelling case. This short youtube video should convince you...one way or another. (4:47)

The environmental recession

For the first time since i've been keeping track of the dow jones industrial average, i saw it drop below the 7,000 point mark. Why do i care about how low it will go? Well...last year i turned 30 years old and i finally decided that i should start caring about my future. In my golden years, i want to be able to travel, and live a comfortable life. So, i decided to start investing into my 401k plan. I went really aggressive and deep. I was putting in 150$ a month and my employer was putting in 4% of my salary. I got really savvy about the market and saw my investments grow. So why am i telling you all this...well, i checked my balance this past weekend, called my financial advisor and after a long intervention i decided not to pull my money out. But i did decide to go more conservative since i had lost 30% in my investments in just a few short months. While this story is happening to many Americans i wondered how else this deep recession is afecting the causes i care about. I saw this article in the NY Times about a potential new pact on global climate change. I was thrilled that Mr. Obama and our government is spearheading these new negotiations on how to deal with global warming. But, i wondered...if we didn't make sweeping change in times of economic prosperity, why should i believe we would make sweeping change during economic hardships? The youtube video (1:30) asks us if we believe the economic recession will further delay environmental advancements. I have to admit, right now, i'm more concerned about my job security, my ever shrinking 401K (which i'm still contributing to but at a reduced monthly amount) and i'm concerned if i'll be able to get aid for school for next year. Going green is NOT cheap and while i care about the long term conditions our planet may face if we don't do anything now, i'm more concerned about the short term effects this poor economy will have directly on me. Is it possible to achieve job growth and a sustainable environmental future at the same time? (image source)

The hype on climate change

There has been a lot of debate on global climate change, and with a new administration, it is the hope of many proponents of global warming that President Obama will lead us to an energry efficient and environmental conscious nation. But has there been too much hype on the subject of global warming? Whatever side your on, exaggeration, and overdramatization are often pitfalls in our arguments. The NY Times reported how Al Gore, now the face of global warming has become the most visual casualty of inaccuracies and overstatements. Speaking to an audience on global warming, Al Gore stated that "global warming is creating weather-related disasters that are completely unprededented." In addition, columnist George Will, a frequent opponent of global climate change attacked scientists for "fear mongoring"the American public and was quick to point out how they have been wrong in the past by predicting a looming "ice age". However, they are not alone. President Obama, durring an appearance at a California climate conference stated that "science pointing to human caused warming was beyond dispute". Beyond dispute? While i support our efforts to curtail human enduced causes to global warming, i hardly doubt that it's beyond dispute. There's lots of evidence that should give people pause of the effects of global climate change. Scientific data is continually changing and providing us with new information around global warming. But they are all prone to human error. While i think its wonderful that advancement in technology has allowed us to provide better data, they have not been around long enough to give us the proof beyond dispute. When we hear stories such as Mr. Gore having to pull slides showcasing disaster, it tends to give his critics more ammunition. Many proponents of global warming say that we have seen extreme weather paterns, changes in percipitation and rise of sea levels. But is it all caused by global warming? How do we know that the carbon dioxides released are the main cause? And, if it's true that we are living in a "ice house" world, why are we concerned about global warming in the first place? And finally, it's been really cold in the streets of NY lately, so cold that my skin dries up, my con ed bill has gone up and i've had to pull out the extra comforters to keep warm. I may be just hyping it up, but isn't that what get's people attention in the first place? (image source)

Acid Rain

flickr

Most of us have heard of acid rain. But have you ever heard of acid fog, acid snow or even acid dust? Depending on where you live, acid raid can take on many forms, but the effects to our environment and health are all the same. Acid rain is mainly casued by sulfur dioxides and nitrogen oxides released into our atmoshphere from the burning of fossil fuels. These chemicals can travel for thousands of miles and once they react with water and oxygen they for fulfuric and nitric acid acording to the environmental page of National Geographic. The National Geographic also states that due to this reaction, PH balace of rain can drop well below the 5.6 average acidic levels in rain. Over a period of time, low PH balace of rain will begin to also affect marine life. This article reports that once PH balance falls below 4.5, all fish, frogs, insects and bottom-dwelling bacterial decomposers begin to die. I remember when i was really young hearing in the news how car paint had begun to deteriorate after long exposure to acid rain. Acid rain also robs the soil of essential nutrients for plant life and trees. Acid rain affects our oceans, rivers, lakes and streams and potentially causing severe agricutural implications. Once our agricultural fields begin to be effected, we will see shortage of vegetation and continued economic downturn. The only way to fight acid rain is by restricting the pollutants that cause it. This means burning fewer fossil fuels! So instead of driving to work why not take public transportation, and if you have to drive, carpooling is another great way to become an environmentally friendly consumer!

Snowman for Prez in 2012

flickr

There has been some good news on the global warming front. President Obama this week met with Prime Minister Harper of Canada. This maiden voyage to our neighbor to our north is significant for many reasons. First, Canada is a major supplier of oil to the United States. So any movement we do on the economics around reducing our oil dependence from other contries will surely affect Canada's economy. However, I was glad to hear about practical ways that the U.S. and Canada can work together for the sake of environmental protection. While no major decisions were made on this maiden trip, some tangible and concrete ideas were discussed. I'm glad to note that both governments are on the same page on 1) develope and deploy clean energy technology 2) Expand clean energy research and development and finally 3) to launch a clean energy dialogue with their citizens. What's amazing, is that this dialogue is even happening! For the past eight years former president G.W.Bush has turned such a blind eye to our environmental concerns. What's also great is that Obama's new administrator of the E.P.A. is to review some last minute "do nothing policies on global warming." I only hope Obama is sincere on his pledge to do something about our global warming crisis. If not...i'm voting for this guy in 2012...if he's not melted away! It's only 30seconds..but he's asking for our vote! Maybe we should hear mr. snowman out?!

All about AL

flickr

Former vice president Al Gore has had a really good year. He won an academy award for his docudrama "An Inconvinient Truth" and also won the nobel prize for his work on global warming. Because vice president Al Gore has dedicated so much time to this cause, that we now have the perfect cognitive schema when it comes to global warming. This mental framwork would most likely look like this: Al Gore, Vice-President, winner of nobel prize, winner of Emmy for "An Inconvinient Truth", global warming advocate, a lot of attention.
After watching the film, i noticed all the various types of appeals Al Gore made to make his point and persuade his audience that global warming is real. There was of course, an appeal to popularity (he used himself), appeal to history (used the "hockey stick" graph"), appeal to authority (droped a lot of experts names of people i don't know) and appeal to emotion (showed the glaciers breaking down before our very eyes). All very effective techniques. In this cartoon clip that i found on youtube, Al Gore describes how global warming happens. Basically, a little girl walks out an ice cream shop and imidiately her ice cream melts, an authority figure is outside to explain why her ice cream melts. The sun beams coming down to earch get "beat up" by the green house gases, traping the sun beams on earth and piling up, causing warming. Take a look! (1:54)


This has got to be the easiest explanation i've ever seen.

America the Beautiful

flickr

Keeping America beautiful doesn't have to be a daunting task for us. While our government debates with other governments of the causes of global warming and climate change, i figure there are things i can do at home to help the cause. The term "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" often comes to my head as an environmentally aware consumer. It may seem small, but if we all practice the three "R's" we can all have a major impact of the garbage produced. Most end up in man made landfills or get burned, releasing toxic gasses into our atmosphere, further increasing the greenhouses and causing further warming of our planet. I found some great tips on how to keep America beautiful. Some small but very significant ways to contribute are:

1) Plant a tree or coordinate a clean-up event in your community! This is a great way to get our community active and educated on the issues of global warming.

2) Re-use material such as paper grocery bags and avoid plastics! For some reason they end up in our oceans killing marine life or in our beaches as unsightful waste.

For more information on how you or your business can contribute check out this article.

Global Warming vs. Climate Change

flickr

We often hear people talk about global warming and climate change as if they were the same thing. However, this is false. The truth is that global warming is defined as "the overall warming of the planet based on average temperatures over the entire surface". Climate change on the other hand " ...are the changes in regional climate characteristics, including temperature, humidity, rainfall, and wind". So why do so many people use these terms interchangeably? Does global warming cause climate change? Or, does climate change cause global warming? Perhaps there is a third external factor that causes both? First, lets look at these two concepts individually. The earth has gone through several cyclical warming and cooling periods for a very long time. However the entrapment of greenhouse gases have increased so rapidly that the average global temperature has risen. The effects of this warming trend have been seen with the contraction of the ice caps in the north pole, causing a rise in sea elevations. Climate change, is usually referred to regional conditions and how warm or cool our temperatures are. It may seem that climate is responding to the changing warming of the earth. Climate change may manifest itself as severe weather conditions in certain parts of the planet, such as droughts or flooding, all affecting agriculture. There are many myths surrounding global warming and climate change. The first step in de-mystifying the subject is to understand both concepts.

Global Warming Porno

flickr

Now that i have your attention, this entry is not about pornography, at least not in the traditional sense of pornographic images (sorry folks). But it is about how the media exploits global warming and the potential apocolyptic end to our planet. In Mark Maslin's "Global Warming: A Very Short Introduction" he describes the media's love fest with anything illustrating "doom and gloom" to our society. You see, global warming has all the right ingredients. It has drama. If we don't do anything about global warming we will see the end of days as only the book of revelations can imagine. It has controversy. Does the science behind global warming add up? Why are there so many conflicting evidence around global warming? Scientist have been wrong before, what makes their claims right this time? It has suspense. James Hansen, who is believed to be the "father" of the global warming issues states that the new president "...only has 4 years to save the world"! Only four years?! Huh! Sounds like the perfect hollywood film! Oh, wait a minute, Hollywood has already bought into the global warming drama. "The Day After Tomorrow" was a blockbuster success and it brought the issue of global warming to the massess. The fact is, that "...the media has brought this obscure scientific issue to one of popular public concern" (Maslin: Global Warming, pg37) Furthermore, the cause of global warming has seen it's stock rise by the release of Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" and by many more cable channels dedicating specials on the issue and its catastrophic effectswith really neat special effects for our viewing pleasure. Sceptics of global warming have equally used the media to progress their views by debating the consensus and reliability of of data around global warming. Stay tuned folks, the show is only just beggining and the fights ahead and passions ensued will truly be "pornographic". Cigarette anyone?

Where have all the birds gone?

flickr

The purple finch, about 5-6 inches in size and weighs about 1-1 1/2 ounces with a thick and pointed bill, is usually seen in the eastern United States in the winter months. Males are traditionally reddish in color and females brown with white stripes. In the past, the purple finch has seen cyclical declines, many have said due to the introduction of other species such as the house sparrow over 100 years ago. However, interestingly enough, the purple finch is seeing another decline in the eastern parts of the United States, and this time it's not due to the introduction of new species, and acording to the Audubon Society, more than 305 bird species have been moving further north than usual due to the rapid damage of their ecosystem. The fact is that that purple finch, who once migrated across Springfield, MO are now seen further north along the latitude of Milwaukee, Wis. Why? Global warming is changing these beautiful birds habits and migration patterns. In addition, other concerns for the purple finch and the other 305 bird species is the fact that they no longer have homes to come back to to nest. Deforestation, and low food supply in these once abudant regions are now limited areas for successful breeding. A study on North American species spending winters farther north indicates that "...the only explanation why so many birds over such a broad area are wintering in more northern locales is global warming." While our planet continues to warm due to anthropogenic-enhance greenhouse gases, global warming will manifest itself in a number of ways. We already see it by the changing paterns of the purple finch and the 305 other bird species affected, but what about things that effect us directly? Such as changing weather patterns, the contraction of ice sheets in the antartic causing dangerous sea leveal variations, agricultural fields ruined by dust and wind and finally extreme temperatures in steady areas. While these changes may be regional, it's only a matter of time before its global impact.

Three's a Crowd

Flickr

This is a love story. The United States, China, and in the middle Carbon Dioxides. The U.S. and China are love struck with Carbon Dioxides, as they lead the world as the two largest emitters of greenhouse gases. Now after years of unregulated love, the couple is caught in that awkward triangle and asking, "How did we get here?". The U.S flirtation with carbon dioxides exploded during the industrial revolution, and China, well, not wanting to stay behind and having gone on their own industrial revolution joined in the love affair. After many headaches, disappointments, brief breakups, crying and binging on the always available carbon dioxides, the U.S. and China are poised for relationship counseling once again. The New York Times reports the U.S. and China may actually have a chance this time against that tart carbon dioxide. (we hear that it's been flirting with India for some time and having an orgy with developing countries hungry to become mature industrialized nations). While we may have a "love hangover" after all is said and done, how can we ensure we don't go back to our old ways? Afterall, there are fingerprints left all over air, water, and land due to carbon dioxides, and quitting cold turkey is never the answer! Just look at our relationship with Europe, divorce is not the solution. Perhaps this "roadmap" for US-China cooperation on energy and climate change may be just what the doctor ordered. Three's a crowd, but if we have to live with our sins, the very least we can do is talk to one another and hopefully forgive...but never forget.

The E.P.A. cannot do it all

flickr.com

Everyone needs to contribute to global climate change. It is a fact that the Enviromental Protection Agency or E.P.A. alone cannot do it all. For the past eight years, our U.S. government under President G.W. Bush has slowly turned its back on the science of global warming. Upon entering office, President Bush failed to show leadership turning a blind eye to the "Kyoto Treaty" and demonstrating to the world that the U.S. will not be a leader in the fight against greenhouse gases, the leading causes of global warming. While the U.S. lags behind, we must now look to european natations to lead the way. However, there are things each one of us can do to fight global change. The New York Times January 31st editorial edition gives us some insight on how we can contribute. 1) We must demand from our new government and President Obama to take responsibility and ownership of the issue. 2) Ask President Obama to give states authority to regulate greenhous gases and 3) Consumers must be force the automakers to produce fuel-efficient vehicles. The "Clean Air Act" of 1990 along with the Kyoto Treaty have been ignored for far too long. If we don't begin to damand more of ourselves and our government the damage from global climate change will extend far beyond the borders of neighbors to the south and north, affecting our economy, agrigulture and national security. The "go it alone" Bush mantra is over. Our addiction to oil and it's pollutants will most likely leave stinging hangover, but can we afford to relapse if our spacious skys and fruited plains expire? The E.P.A. cannot do it all, but each one of us can contribute to its protection.