I really like this TED speech from David Roberts, called ‘Climate is Simple‘. Well I like how he presents the facts…but I don’t like hearing the conclusions (though I don’t dispute them). He sums up where the climate has been, where we’re at now, and where we’re headed. It’s that last part that scares me…we’re on the verge of ruining this planet for future generations. What gives us the right to do that? I believe we should preserve this planet for future generations to enjoy…not alter it for future generations to suffer and face a lesser quality of life than us. If you agree, it’s worth watching this video:
July 2012 the hottest month EVER
The dust bowl summer of 1936 was a hot one, and until this year, the hottest on record. No more. July 2012 is officially the hottest month ever recorded in the continental US. We also set a record for the warmest January through July period, and for the past 12 month period of time.
Climate change is real, it’s happening, and the worst part is yet to come as atmospheric CO2 levels continue to rise unchecked. Scary stuff.
Climate Change Skeptics Reverse Course
Finding a climate change scientist who does NOT believe that people are responsible for global warming is pretty hard (the commonly-reported estimate is that 98% of climate change scientists are in agreement that people are mostly responsible for climate change)…and it’s getting harder. One of the more prominent skeptics, Richard Muller, has accepted the scientific evidence and is no longer a skeptic…he was part of a team of more than a dozen scientists at the University of California, Berkeley that have been studying global warming, specifically with respect to how global warming correlates to human and natural events, to try to determine the cause. What they found was that the average land temperature has increased by 1.5C over the last 250 years, and that “”the most straightforward explanation for this warming is human greenhouse gas emissions.” Most of that increase has been in the past 50 years, too.
I think former skeptic Muller put it best when he said, “While this doesn’t prove that global warming is caused by human greenhouse gases, it is currently the best explanation we have found, and sets the bar for alternative explanations.” This is what science is all about. Recognizing the facts, but also maintaining an open mind, for science is rarely 100% certain about anything. Perhaps some new hypothesis will be put forth that shows that CO2 is NOT responsible for global warming, but until such a hypothesis is presented and proven, we need to stop this media debate over global warming and report the scientific facts. The media needs to stop giving air time to climate change skeptics who don’t have the science to back up their claims…for doing so only works to legitimize their ideas in the mainstream public’s minds.
The project’s official website is here, where you can view full results of this study. Or, read more about it over at The Guardian.
Overreacting to climate change
The droughts and wildfires that have hit this country are signs of what’s to expect with climate change in the coming years, but here’s the thing…people are, I fear, overreacting to this. Meaning, they’re looking at what’s happening and saying that climate change is here, this is the new norm, etc. While that’s mostly right, climate is a variable thing and you need to look at long term trends. I have little doubt that, long term, yeah, this is the new ‘norm’. I also have little doubt, though, that in the next year or two, we’ll probably get a lot of rain, maybe cooler temperatures, and people will then use that as an argument to attempt to refute the idea of climate change, to try to convince others that there’s no threat. Just keep a level head about you, this year was bad, future years will seem better, but you need to look at long term trends of many years when you look at this global climate. Those trends make it clear that the planet is warming, and what’s really scary is that we’re already experiencing bad weather, when the worst impacts of climate change aren’t forecast to happen for many, many more years to come.
26 states are natural disasters due to drought
26 states have been declared natural disasters due to drought. Crops are withering. While it’s not possible to tie one year of weather to climate change, this is just another data point in a continuing trend, one that’s going pretty much as climate scientists have been predicting. Another result has been the wildfires in Colorado. Increased rainfall in the Pacific Northwest. These are, most likely, not ‘abnormalities’, but rather the new norm…and we’re nowhere near predicted levels of global climate warming, that’s still decades away (or more, if we don’t find a way to drastically cut CO2 levels). If we were to slash CO2 emissions to zero this year (great TED talk from Bill Gates here on that topic), much of this could be held at the levels we see now (except that sea level rise would continue for quite some time). The chances of that happening are zilch, I’d say. Expect weather extremes to get worse, and be ready to adapt the best you can.
Exxon CEO acknowledges global warming link
Rex Tillerson, the CEO of ExxonMobil, acknowledged that burning fossil fuels is warming the planet, but says we’ll be able to adapt. While I agree with that statement, I’m sorry, but I don’t want to have to adapt to a changing and warming planet, I like Earth the way it is now! We currently have the technologies needed to enormously decrease CO2 emissions and decrease global warming. We do not need to depend on adapting to a changing environment, we can instead prevent it from changing in the first place!
I do agree with much or most of what Tillerson goes on to say, about how the public is illiterate in science and math, and the press is lazy. I just disagree about the idea that depending on adaptation to a warming planet is an acceptable path to follow. I live in Colorado, where we are ‘adapting’ to what climate scientists have been predicting – erratic precipitation amounts, warmer temperatures, which right now means I’m living in the path of the most destructive wildfire in Colorado’s history. Yes, we can adapt, but I’d prefer a Colorado with a more stable climate, please!
Read more over at The Hook.
Coal use climbing
Bad news for our atmosphere…at a time when we should be reducing carbon emissions, consumption of the most CO2-laden fossil fuel, coal, is increasing, up by 5.4% over last year. Renewable energy solutions continue to make progress, but it’s a drop in bucket and doesn’t even offset these increases in fossil fuel usage.
While I continue to believe that we have developed the technology to afford-ably implement the type of massive change that’s needed to maintain atmospheric balance, it’s quite clear that we lack the social and political willpower to do so. What a shame.
Read more about coal usage over at Treehugger if you’re interested.
Life, liberty, and the pursuit of idiocy
Sometimes the level of stupidity in this country really surprises me. First there was Virginia, which viewed the term ‘sea level rise’ as a ‘left-wing term’ and instead mandated that the scientifically-observed rise in sea levels instead be referred to as ‘recurrent flooding’. Morons. Sea level rise is only a ‘left-wing term’ in as much as the ‘right wing’ types deny science in favor of short term gain and profit. Science is not political, it is factual, and those who deny science bring shame to this great country of ours.
The problem is not confined to Virginia though…neighboring state of North Carolina is trying to out-stupidify Virginia, with a recently passed bill that states that the state must ignore the science that is attempting to predict future sea levels based on our changing climate, and instead use only historical data to predict future sea levels. Because, you know, the Earth is in a constant state of equilibrium with absolute no changes to its atmospheric composition, you know. This means that rather than plan for a potential thirty nine inch rise in sea levels that scientists are predicting as a strong possibility by 2100, North Carolina will instead plan on a mere eight inch rise in sea levels. Coastal developers worry that planning for a thirty nine inch sea level rise will harm the coastal economy, so rather than plan for what scientists think will happen, they’re instead focusing on how they can maximize profit in the short term, and leave future generations to deal with this.
Morons.
As Steven Colbert put it, “If science gives you a result you don’t like, pass a law saying the result is illegal. Problem solved.”
Extreme winters likely to be the new norm
If you’ve thought the past few winters in the Northern Hemisphere were a bit unusual and inconsistent, well, get used to it, for it’s probably only going to get worse as our global climate continues to change. Scientists expect more ‘unusual’ winters, and less ‘average’ winters. What scares me is that we’re already seeing this effect, when we’re so far away from the global temperatures predicted for the coming decades.
Read more over at Scientific American.
Greenhouse gas emissions hit new record high
Despite overwhelming scientific evidence pointing to the dangers of increased greenhouse gas emissions, our species still managed to hit a record for 2011 with a 3.6% increase at a time when science says we need to be decreasing that instead. Our record gas emissions have us on track for a 3.5C or higher global temperature rise. Check out the full report over at Treehugger.
We’re moving the wrong direction and let’s face it, we don’t have a political or social system that will effect the real, tangible change required to avoid high levels of global warming. This planet will continue to warm and we can expect global climate patterns to change. Sea levels will rise. Food production will be impacted (at a time when a grown global population places more demand on that system). Our children will ask us why we did this to the planet, and we won’t have a good answer…but we cannot deny that we knew what we were doing.
If this is important to you, prove it. Drive less. Vote for politicians who do not deny the science behind global warming (there are both Republicans and Democrats who believe in science here). Buy less ‘stuff’. Support truly eco-friendly businesses (not ones that are just good at greenwashing). Better yet, teach your children about the impact our choices have on this planet, and what it means for their own future.