are we a lost cause?

Early next year, leaders from around the world are meeting to reevaluate and ratify the Kyoto Protocol. Many had the chance to put this into place and honor it many years ago, and the fear now is that is simply too late.

More and more data is being released that we are in a much more severe crisis than originally thought and we are going to get much, much worse before we get better.

Kevin Anderson, from Exeter University, is one scientist that is making a very difficult presentation to his peers: despite the political rhetoric, the scientific warnings, the media headlines and the corporate promises, he would say, carbon emissions were soaring way out of control – far above even the bleak scenarios considered by last year’s report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Stern review. The battle against dangerous climate change had been lost, and the world needed to prepare for things to get very, very bad.

Many numbers are thrown around that may not make much sense: 280, 350, 450, 650. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, the worlds CO2 level was at 280 parts per million. We are currently at 386ppm by most estimates. Why does this matter and what does it mean? The reason that carbon dioxide is considered the most important greenhouse gas is because it absorbs more infrared radiation on a per molecule basis than any other molecule in our atmosphere. So, as we put more in the air, through burning fossil fuels, we are putting a molecule into the air that traps and holds onto heat more than any other. Where once the presence of CO2 created a nice atmosphere for our species to flourish, because we were trapping an appropriate amount of heat from the sun, we are now creating an atmosphere in which we are over-heating. The more CO2, the more trapped heat. And with more heat comes the accumulation of the effects of having that heat present; warming temperatures leading to melting ice leading to raising sea levels, etc., etc. (It should also be noted that at a certain point, somewhere around 5% total CO2 in the atmosphere, humans are greatly impaired by our bodies ability to process the molecule.)

Now, the other aspect of CO2 that must be noted is its longevity in the atmosphere. CO2 has a half life on 10 years; or, if I put 100ppm in a container it takes 10 years for it to get to 50ppm and 20 years for it to be gone. Also, there is a cumulative affect to CO2. If I have that same container of 100pp and I add 50ppm one year and another 50ppm the next, I know have just shy of 200ppm. Even though two years have gone by, the removal of CO2 is at a much slower pace then the addition. (I’m sorry if this is so elementary, but it is really important for everyone to really understand what all these scientists have talked about). Going back to the topic, what we put into the atmosphere as CO2 in 1978 has finally gone as of today. We still have 1979 pollution in our air. Which means in 2028, we will have today’s CO2 still in the air. And every year, it accumulates on itself. What we do today, literally, affects the future, because it will still be around.

I hope that makes sense because I am going to go back to the latest research on this….

Many scientists feel that the global community needs to put a cap on allowable emissions so that our CO2 concentration never gets to 450ppm. What many are saying now is that is absolutely impossible because what we are putting into the atmosphere today, may already have us at that goal, when you consider the cumulative effect. The number that scientists have decided on (450ppm) is proportional to a 2C increase in temperature, which they feel is the highest we can go for a sustainable planet. The estimates now are that we may be able to cap at 650ppm, which is a 4C increase in temperature, which is an unsustainable level.

And even putting a cap on these emissions is a political hot topic when discussing compromise: Many small island states are predicted to be swamped by rising seas with global warming triggered by carbon levels as low as 400ppm. “It’s really difficult for countries to sign up to something that loses them half their territory. It’s not going to work.”

On top of that there is very early research that indicates that the ocean’s have stopped absorbing CO2. They have been a huge work horse in keeping CO2 levels in check. If they aren’t doing their job, we have no idea what that will translate too, regarding CO2 levels.

OK. So, this is all pretty bleak and literally makes you want to throw in the towel, take a 30 minute shower, turn on the heat, and use hair spray again. I know. I battle it everyday.

I have known the science for a while and have feared a negative outcome no matter what I might do. A while ago I was asked why I keep trying to educate people about this and if I felt it was a lost cause. The only way I could answer was “I don’t know, but if I had to, I was going to die trying.”

There are two interesting websites to go to for education on CO2. I recommend HERE, which is an article about what scientists are discovering. And HERE, which is a lesson in CO2.

man oh man

A few weeks ago, I wrote about a documentary called The Disappearing Male. Unfortunately, it is still unavailable in the United States. However, more and more data is supporting the same claim.

In new reports released, data is continuing to indicate that “a host of common chemicals is feminising the males of every class of vertebrate animals, including humans. For some time scientists have been concerned about the “gender-bending” effects of some artificial chemicals, especially phthalates, used to soften plastics. The latest research, however, suggests that the scale of the problem is greater than anyone had realised.”

We have worried for many years, now, about the harm to the environment and its effect on our longevity as members of this planet. I don’t think anyone considered that the affect would be on our ability to reproduce or the extinction of one sex over another. That does seem to be the direction we are going.

If you want more information on hormone altering chemicals, you can go to the category of Bisphenol-A (the side bar) and learn more about it. One promising thing is a panel of scientists meeting with President-elect Obama to discuss a ban on these chemicals. We just hope it isn’t too late.

The whole article can be found HERE

an editorial side note to discuss irony: I recently saw a documentary on homosexuality, and specifically the psychology to being homophobic against gay males. It is in large part due to the societal belief that feminine men are something to be feared. What happens when all the men are becoming feminine? Is this an ironic form of self fulfilling prophecy?

this sucks

Whales and Dolphins Can No Longer Hear in Oceans… and it just breaks my heart.

Commercial shipping noise, seismic exploration, sonar, and off-shore construction and recreational activities are all contributing to an increasingly more disorientating environment for mammals in the ocean.

Ship noise in the Pacific Ocean has doubled every decade over the past 40 years and the global shipping fleet is expected to double in size by 2025, after doubling between 1965 and 2003, the report calculates.

Airguns used in seismic surveys generate “colossal” sounds peaking at up to 259 decibels and can be repeated every 10 seconds for months. These sounds travelled more than 3,000 km from the source. There are 90 seismic survey ships in the world, the report states, and a quarter of them are in use on any given day.

There is another interesting aspect to all of this, as well. About a week ago, there were reports of the acidification of the ocean. Well, it seems that as the ocean turns more caustic that sounds waves can travel further, increasing their distance by 70%.

The more acidic the seawater, the less low-frequency and mid-frequency sound it absorbs, said Hester and his team. The changing chemistry of seawater may mean that currently it is 10 percent less absorbent of low frequency sound than it was prior to the Industrial Revolution.

Unless greenhouse gases emissions are cut – the key issue this week in Poznan, Poland at the annual UN climate conference – the rising ocean acid level will increase the amount of background noise in the oceans and could affect the behavior of marine mammals, said Hester.

This study is timely since the U.S. Supreme Court just ruled in favor of the Navy’s continued use of sonar, despite the affects on our whale population. It seems if we do not take action in limiting allowable sound and pH of the ocean, future generates may not know what a whale or a dolphin even is.

You can find the whole article HERE.

latest news on bpa

A coalition of health advocates, looking to seize the momentum of a new administration, will meet with members of President-elect Barack Obama’s transition team next week in Washington, D.C., to push for a ban on bisphenol A.

The fact that Obama’s team is willing to meet now – with all the other pressures facing the incoming administration – sends a strong signal that the president-elect is open to making environmental health issues a higher priority than the Bush administration.

BPA has been linked to heart disease and diabetes in humans and has been found to interfere with chemotherapy for breast cancer patients. Animal studies have linked it to prostate and breast cancer, obesity, reproductive failures and behavioral problems, even at extremely low doses.

go HERE for more on this news.

look before you buy

So, as we all know, the holiday season is upon us. This is the time of year when kids re-stock on all the latest and greatest toys. But, parents be warned. New data released today shows that many of the toys on the market are full of harmful chemicals.

One in every three of the more than 1,500 children’s toys tested in time for the holiday shopping season have been found to contain “medium” or “high” levels of chemicals of concern such as lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic.

This testing is part of an annual report with www.HealthyToys.org, The website allows searches by product name, brand, or toy type to see if certain toys have toxic chemicals.

Some examples of toxic levels are:

Forty-five products tested showed bromine at concentrations of 1,000 ppm or higher, indicating the use of brominated flame retardants – chemicals that may pose hazards to children’s health.

Arsenic was detected at levels greater than 100 ppm in 22 products, while 289 products contained detectable levels of arsenic.

Cadmium, a heavy metal, was found above 100 ppm in 30 products, while 38 of products contained detectable levels of cadmium.

If you are buying toys this holiday season, please go to the site and check to see if they are on the list.

good research, bad news

I read an very interesting article today that doesn’t bode well for our future, necessarily, unless we make some conscious choices today.

In “Heat we emit could warm the Earth”, found in The New Scientist, the authors have shown that even if we control our energy usage today, there could be long lasting effects in the future heating of the planet.

Their calculations show that if global energy use increases at about 1 per cent per year – slower than in the recent past – then by 2100, the heat dissipated could become significant enough to cancel out the benefits of cuts in emissions.

However, they even take it a step further and have researched which of the alternative energies could do the most harm. Finding that nuclear is the worst, and wind and tidal power being the best.
Also, much of their research is factoring population growth and subsequent energy demands.

everything you need to know about…

recycling plastic and the various symbols.

The Daily Green posted a guide to knowing how to recycle plastic. I decided to share the post for all of you. You can go HERE.

buffer zone

New data suggests that the ocean acidity levels are raising 10 times faster than previously thought.

Professor Timothy Wootton from the department of ecology and evolution, University of Chicago, in Illinois, says such dramatic results were unexpected as it was thought that the huge ocean systems had the ability to absorb large quantities of CO2.

“It’s been thought pH in the open oceans is well buffered, so it’s surprising to see these fluctuations,” he said.

The findings showed that CO2 had lowered the water pH over time, demonstrating a year-on-year increase in acidity.

As a result, mollusks like barnacles and muscles are being affected. Most of their shells are made of calcium carbonate, which cannot be sustained in high acid environments. The populations are shrinking at very high rates. In fact, the scientists feel that all of our past models on ocean acidification need to be erased, since the ocean is not buffering the CO2 absorption as thought.

The entire article can be found HERE, via BBC.

how does your garden grow?

Our food choices affect many things, but one area that has always been a concern for me is its impact on climate change. Remember, climate change is not just the warming of our planet, but it also is the effect on our water and soil due to chemicals, overuse, over population, and much much more.

That is why I found it interesting when I read today that CalTech is studying methods of urban hydroponic gardening and roof top farms. I suppose one reason why is because I tend to think if a scientist is really researching something, then there is enough support to think we really need it.

Supporters point to the environmental cost of trucking produce from farms to cities, the loss of wilderness for farmland to feed a growing world population, and the risk of bacteria along extensive, insecure food chains as reasons for establishing urban hydroponic farms.

And, so far there seems to be some great data:

Cornell agriculturist Philson Warner, who designed the program’s hydroponics system, said his students harvest hundreds of heads of lettuce a week from an area smaller than five standard parking spaces by using a special nutrient-rich solution instead of water.

The numbers have some researchers imagining a future when enough produce to feed entire cities is grown in multistory buildings sandwiched between office towers and other structures.

You can find the whole article HERE, via Huffington Post

science and faith

I have, and believe in, both. Many people think the two clash. I feel the two complement.

I cam across a very interesting interview, that I want to share, to start discussion, to apply to your life, to dismiss… I think it is an interesting dialogue.

I’ve fallen in love with the idea that consciousness has something to do with being poised forever between the quantum world of possibilities, where nothing actual happens, and the transformation of that — whether it’s the collapse of the wave function or decoherence, where something actual happens in the world.

and:
I think that there’s something else. I think the creativity in nature is so stunning and so overwhelming that it’s God enough for me, and I think it’s God enough for many of us if we think about it.

from: God Enough, a conversation with Stuart Kauffman

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