You have no doubt heard
Mother Earth is in serious trouble. Actually, it is life as we know it that is
in big trouble, as Mother Earth will surely clean up our mess in due time. We
are gravely concerned, so hope to inform others of the great dangers we face. Due
to the reality of feedback loops inherent in the environment that will multiply
the problems and are near or past their tipping points we must act quickly if
we and our descendants are to thrive, or even survive.
The following is general information on climate change and links
to news articles culled from various sources that highlight the urgency of the threats.
Read one or all, but please look with compassion and forgiveness on our shared
plight. We apologize that this post is in need of an update as some information has become dated. We hope to get this done soon. For now here are a few recent articles:
Climate Change Has Arrived The Biblical Flood That Will Drown California Physicists: 90% Chance Society Collapses Within Decades Climate Worst Case Scenarios May Not Go Far Enough US In Grip of Historic Megadrought Welcome to the End of the Human Climate Niche How Warming Winters Are Affecting Everything Ocean Temperatures Hit Record High Climate Change Has Emerged in Everyday Weather Major Climate Report Slams the Door On Wishful Thinking .
Fast Facts on Global
Warming/Climate Change
The industrial age started in 1750. Glacier retreat was
first noted in the early 1800's. An increase of 2000 billion tons of CO2 have
been added to the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution. Carbon dioxide is
up 36%, since 1750. 3/4 from burning fossil fuels: 43% from coal, 34% oil, 18%
natural gas. Methane also up 148% since 1750. Positive feedback loops make it
much worse due to ice, cloud, tundra loss, and CO2 and methane gains.
The "global ocean conveyor belt" (see thermohaline
circulation) will eventually fail to circulate ocean water and cause major
cooling in the North Atlantic, North
America, and Europe, and likely causing ice ages in some areas. This would also
cause the oceans to become stagnant and loose vital oxygen levels due to lack
of circulation and cause major extinction events.
Co2 passed 400 parts per million in May of 2013. The last
time it was this high was 4.5 million years ago and the oceans were 50-85 feet
higher as a result. It may go to 540-970 ppm by 2100. 30-40% of the carbon
dioxide has been soaked up by the oceans but that causes ocean warming and
creates carbonic acid so crustaceans can't make shells and corals reefs bleach
and die.
Warming since the 1950's is unprecedented over thousands of
years. Global temps are expected to rise 3.1-8.6 by 2100 and cause rising seas,
floods and changing rain and snow patterns, expanding deserts, extreme weather,
heat waves, extinctions, crop failures, and droughts. Climate
"inertia" slows change but is persistent for better or worse lasting
tens of thousands of years. 16 of 17 warmest years have occurred since 2000.
2016 was the warmest ever. The last 39 years have
consecutively been above average. Greenhouse gases, cloud cover, and other
factors also effect temps. Global warming was first discovered in 1950 and
first noted in print in 1952. In 1986 and 87 NASA scientists went before
congress so the term was widely adopted and awareness was raised significantly.
One fifth of plants face Extinction. They are the lungs of the earth providing
a huge carbon sink.
Arctic temps rise twice as fast. The West Antarctic is
melting fast due to warm ocean water below. If it melts it will add 10 foot
ocean rise. If Greenland melts it will also be 10 feet, but if the East
Antarctic melts it will add 200 feet to the oceans. Warmer oceans put more
water vapor into the atmosphere creating killer waves and storms.
Of the 500 reefs coral reefs in the Northern Great Barrier
Reef only four show no signs of bleaching. Most have severe bleaching. The arctic
ice cap used to be solid but is now fractured and vulnerable. It is in crisis
and also affects weather around the globe. Deep sea life diversity is highly
susceptible due to acidification and low oxygen. Current ocean warming is
unprecedented in human history.
Fifty four percent of people worldwide consider warming a
very serious problem but the Chinese and Americans who are the worst offenders and
are concerned the least. Climate change causes extreme storms, heat waves, fires, ocean acidification, wind storms,
hurricanes, coral death, droughts, and mass extinctions.
Starting with clouds, oceans, and
aquifers:
New NASA data shows how the world is running out of water
Next The story of ice:
Marine and land life:
Climate change causing damage to diversity and abundance of marine species-disturbing food chain
Scientist build a case for sixth extinction
Scientist build a case for sixth extinction
How to prevent the 6th mass extinction
World Wide Fund says nearly half of the world's marine animals wiped out in a single generation
World Wide Fund says nearly half of the world's marine animals wiped out in a single generation
Scientist chart of 400 mile zone of coral Devastation at the Great Barrier Reef
Since 1970 58% of the world's wildlife population has disappeared
Since 1970 58% of the world's wildlife population has disappeared
California news:
And lastly climate change overall:
You may (and please do) further research any of these subjects on the internet through Google, Wikipedia, etc. Personally the problems became up close and personal on a trip to the high sierra mountains in 2016. The sight of thousands of trees, and many of them that were young and healthy that had turned a deathly yellow/orange was devastating.
A
live one man show in Yosemite featuring a spot on manifestation of the spirit
of John Muir cemented the urgency into place. If he were here he would be
pounding on the doors of capital hill and every heart and mind willing to
listen to save the gentle giants that are the trees and in so doing save
ourselves.
Time
is short. You might say the bomb has already gone off, and our job now is to
limit the damage as the shock waves roll across the world. We like to say
climate change is our first priority at Cowboy Dharma, but it is the climate of
fear and denial we personally have that is first and foremost in need of
attention. We must break through to the best part of us and others that we may
come together in hope, help and healing to save life as we know it.