Oceans Are Rising Faster And Faster

Thankfully the amount of climate crisis deniers is falling. More and more of us are coming to the realization that our planet, while it is massive, is very susceptible to the industrialization and pollution that we put into the ecosystem. Unfortunately, that increasing awareness has not stopped the dire predictions for the effects of our man-made change in the climate. The oceans are now expected to rise more than ever before.

From The Washington Post:

Thirty-two scientists from federal and non-federal institutions contributed to the report, which took nearly two years to complete. The Climate Change Science Program, which was established in 1990, coordinates the climate research of 13 different federal agencies.

Tom Armstrong, senior adviser for global change programs at USGS, said the report "shows how quickly the information is advancing" on potential climate shifts. The prospect of abrupt climate change, he said, "is one of those things that keeps people up at night, because it's a low-probability but high-risk scenario. It's unlikely to happen in our lifetimes, but if it were to occur, it would be life-changing."

In one of the report's most worrisome findings, the agency estimates that in light of recent ice sheet melting, global sea level rise could be as much as four feet by 2100. The IPCC had projected a sea level rise of no more than 1.5 feet by that time, but satellite data over the past two years show the world's major ice sheets are melting much more rapidly than previously thought. The Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets are now losing an average of 48 cubic miles of ice a year, equivalent to twice the amount of ice that exists in the Alps.

Four feet may not sound like a lot, but when you examine world geography along the thousands upon thousands of miles of coastline, the results are devastating. Not only will rising seas wipe out many coastal cities and ports, but regions inland will see drastic changes in their weather patterns, leading to more instability than what we see now. There is a lot more in the report and I suggest everyone read it...and then get into action, reducing your own impact and advocating for change in our communities and national governments.

Here in America, we must make sure that President Obama and Congress spend money to ensure we switch to clean energy to rebuild our infrastructure. That means less cars, more mass transit and ridding ourselves of coal and oil power and replace it with solar and wind. There's no more time to waste.

Why 350 Is One Of The Most Important Numbers To Know

The level of carbon in our atmosphere is rising at an alarming rate due to our production and consumption habits. If only we did a few (or more than a few) key things to change the way we live, the number of particles in the atmosphere would be reduced and our planet could begin to balance itself out.

We Have Two Credit Crises On Our Hands

Everyone with access to a newspaper or even a radio is aware of the national and increasingly international credit crisis. Banks are afraid of loaning money to other banks in fear of them closing next week, so you can imagine what they think of small businesses and average people in need of some cash to buy a home, car or whatnot. Yet there is another crisis that does not care about dollars, euros or yen, it has to deal with our planet as a whole.

From The BBC:

The Living Planet Report is the work of WWF, the Zoological Society of London and the Global Footprint Network.

It says that more than three quarters of the world's population lives in countries where consumption levels are outstripping environmental renewal.

This makes them "ecological debtors", meaning that they are drawing - and often overdrawing - on the agricultural land, forests, seas and resources of other countries to sustain them.

The report concludes that the reckless consumption of "natural capital" is endangering the world's future prosperity, with clear economic impacts including high costs for food, water and energy.

Dr Dan Barlow, head of policy at the conservation group's Scotland arm, added: "While the media headlines continue to be dominated by the economic turmoil, the world is hurtling further into an ecological credit crunch."

The United States of course is the largest debtor in this sense, though China is vying to be the world's largest polluter and energy hog. Despite the arrogance of China's growing economy, that does not mean we in America cannot help to lead by example and help alleviate this ecological crisis. President Bush was certainly not up to the task, but under Obama and a public willing to make changes across the board, we can certainly alter our course for the better.