Some Serious Snow February 14, 2007

We’ve received between 12 and 18 inches of so or so here in Cleveland, and it’s no joke!  I measured the drifts at my house and they’re about 18 inches and the driveway measured in at about 12 to 14.  I had to stay home from work because I was literally snowed in, and that is very unusual, especially since we are pretty much ready for big storms around here.  I looked out my window this morning and almost no one was driving (we were actually advised to stay off of the roads today).  Road conditions were so bad last night that visibility was close to zero, and it took me close to three hours to get home from work.  When we did get home, it was all I could do to get the car off of the street and into the driveway.  At that point we were plain stuck because I couldn’t barrel over all the snow in the drive, even in a 4×4. 

It’s a bit odd to think of global “warming” at a time like this, but it’s not so strange to see this as evidence of climate change.  I’m reminded of Al Gore talking in “An Inconvenient Truth” about how climate patterns all over the world are becoming less predictable and more chaotic.  In the middle of a long, hard blizzard that caused massive snow accumulation – I can see how new climate extremes are beginning to rear their ugly heads.  Here are some photos to give you the full effect.  The snow plow couldn’t get past my stuck car, so I had to shovel a small “path” just so we can walk down the driveway. 

           

“Momentum Building,” Finally? February 5, 2007

A panel of the world’s leading climate scientists and gov’t officials is reporting that momentum is finally building across the world about the global warming crisis… but they also report that the problem is so huge, it is not really “stoppable” at this point.  We can only hope to make it less severe.  However, since the climate change effects are going to be so dramatic, we absolutely have to make every effort to curb the problem at the highest possible human level.  To not act would be, as South Africa’s Environmental Affairs Minister said, “indefensible.”  Even with this latest report, which the Bush Administration has reportedly praised, the U.S. is still not agreeing to mandatory emissions cuts – saying that the desired cut-backs can be achieved through reliance on new technologies to curb greenhouse gasses and decrease the burning of fossil fuels.  That’s great and all, but if you read the article about the report, it’s crazy that we’re still “allowed” to not take stronger action.  We continue to effectively do nothing but allow selfishness to reign supreme.

Coastal Insurance Policies Being Canceled January 25, 2007

I am glad I don’t own coastal property right now… not that I could afford it anyway.  But to think property owners on the coast lines are having such a hard time finding insurance, and are at risk of getting their existing policies canceled, is downright scary.  If you read through this whole article, you’ll see we’re not any of us protected from the threat of losing insurance, really.  The fact is, global warming is producing such unpredictable and volatile weather patterns that we all may be at risk of losing what we have.  I just pray that working together as people of this great planet, will actually make a difference in all this.

Bush Speech Tonight to Address Climate Issues January 23, 2007

The push from big business to mandate CO2 emissions is preceding the president’s State of the Union speech tonight, where he’s expected to address issues related to global warming.

While he’s not expected to support mandatory emissions cuts, he is expected to announce an increase in ethanol usage and adjustment in U.S. climate policy.

Businesses Urge U.S. Pres to Cut Emissions January 22, 2007

An article sent via my mom via my stepdad who works for a major player in the automotive industry.  

The New York times reports that a coalition of blue chip businesses are calling for President Bush to set an absolute limit on CO2 emissions, effectively cutting total emissions by 10 – 30% over the next 15 years.  This link is from the Hamilton Spectator in Canada, reporting the same news. 

Companies involved in the coalition include Alcoa, BP, Caterpiller, Duke Energy, DuPont, FPL Group, General Electric, Lehman Brothers, PG&E and PNM. 

This is good news, very good news.

Doomsday Clock Gets Warmer January 18, 2007

The Doomsday Clock moved closer to midnight today, and for the first time ever, global warming was cited by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists as one of the reasons.

nod to mom January 17, 2007

Today is a great day, here’s why.  My mother and I have not always seen eye-to-eye on things, but today I received the below email from her which leads me to believe that while it will take a miracle to stop this crisis, miracles can and do happen.  Case in point: here I sit in agreement with everything my mother is saying - while I’m thinking, “I could not have said it better myself.”  (Incidentally it doesn’t hurt that she happens to be an accomplished environmental consultant.)

“Scientists launched a bid today to save some of the world’s rarest and most neglected creatures from extinction.

There are many international intitatives, but the U.S. is not leading the way on this except in per-capita greenhouse emissions (hmmm).  It’s time we get on with recognizing our responsibility and changing the way we do things. Largest contributors are power industry and automobiles, next some industry and agriculture and us.  It will take all working together to turn this ship called earth.

I’m going to be setting up  an email group on this. Let me know if you are interested in seeing and thinking about (and maybe even acting on) these things Vanessa has already set up a blog (Ness will you email that address to us when you can?).   Suzanne and I are going to the next Green-Lex meeting to see how we can get more involved here at home.

The April 14 “Step it Up” day (to impress  the upon national, state and local law makers the urgent need to take immediate measures to “cool” the planet) is interestingly a day when Jamisen will be in Washington DC on a school trip.  I am expecting that there will be something here in Lex as well. You may want to see what is going on with this in your community.

I encourage all to get on the Stop  Global Warming website and join the virtual march against global warming. And, see an Inconvenient Truth if you have not already.You can also check out EPAs site and reports to see some tabulations and explanations of federally tracked trends.” 
Thanks Mom!

In case we hadn’t noticed January 9, 2007

Today I read on Greenthinkers.org that 2007 is to be the hottest year yet… wow.

Check it out.

I do have to say though that the more research I do on this topic, the more I recognize that while the “green thinkers” are certainly not speaking for the masses, they are gaining converts all the time.  New enviro-friendly products are being made, alternative energy sources are being explored, and slowly but surely people are beginning to take this issue seriously (myself included as one of those new converts of course). 

The more green blogs I visit, the more optimistic I get about the probability for macro-change.  Maybe the real question is – will it happen quickly enough?

No Come Down (Not a Song by the Verve) January 8, 2007

A recent commenter to the “Second Epiphany” post (motherearth) stated something which is an unfortunate truth.  The change that needs to take place before normal, middle class people can actually afford to go green has to come from adoption by the power and the automotive industry, and most likely that will require policy change, a change from the “top, down.” 

While what we are doing to the atmosphere as individuals is a problem, it is only one small part of a much larger problem that big business and our government must face – and face now, wholely and absolutely.  Half measures will only lead to more apathy/ more shrug-offs, and we’ve been taking that path too long.  It’s what got us where we are today.  

Trying to effectuate voluntary cut-backs in energy consumption, based on what I’ve encountered thus far in terms of people’s willingness to act in this manner, won’t work.  As mother earth says, it needs to mandated.

Lack of Ice January 5, 2007

My friend tonydips has posted several helpful comments on additional energy-saving habits to try in response to my “Getting on the Wagon Again” post.  He notes record high temperatures in Connecticut this year as a wake-up call, and I totally agree.  In Cleveland it’s very unseasonably warm too – although people really just seem to be enjoying it versus thinking, “Hey, why’s it so warm”?  The polar ice cap is melting an alarming rate, and now they’re saying that the Artic Ocean’s summer sea ice could totally be melted away by 2040 and maybe earlier.  I appreciate the urgency and concern in this person’s post, which was in response to a posting on the Artic ice meltdown.  We need more people talking like this and inspiring others to take action:

“Can I, again, point out the lakes of melt waters on the surface of Antartica? Some of these, clearly visible from high orbit on Google Earth, stretch up to a thousand miles across, and are know precipitors of ice-shelf disintigration. This is urgent, people. We don’t need curbed emissions or cut emissions, we need stopped emissions. NOW!”