PhilipHarris's Blog

This is not about race; it’s about oil and lessons not learned, warnings not heeded, opportunities lost and a future that is black. Have you noticed that the news is filled with accusations, promises of investigations, commissions being formed, warnings of prosecutions and basic finger pointing? What is the subject of all of this attention? Obviously, it is the Deepwater Horizon on-going disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

There should be no need to recount the events or to even bring you up-to-date on the planet’s worst environmental disaster since the Biblical flood. Just turn on the news and get all of the latest. My concern is not the loss of entire ecosystems, how many millions of gallons of crude are destroying the entire way of life of the Gulf, how the spill will get to the East Coast and perhaps Europe, the senseless loss of wildlife along with their homes, habitats and breeding grounds, or the economic destruction of the Gulf. Rather, my concern is whether or not the finger is pointing in the right direction.

It is certainly easy to point toward BP. And, there is no question that at some point, they will pay the piper. There are also those who made faulty equipment and who failed to ensure that all such equipment would work at such depths. Of course, we do not want to forget those who issued permits when all facts were not known and compliances not guaranteed. Without doubt, heads will roll, jobs will be lost, and fines paid. One must remember, however, that those with financial power, at least historically, never really lose power of money.

America, and most of the world, is at the crossroad of a major crisis. But is the crisis oil spills or something more fundamental? Here is the crux of the matter; we have developed a universal culture of blaming others for our woes. As a result, we have a companion mindset that says problems like oil spills, climate change, refugees, peace, pollution and other pressing world problems cannot be solved by the common person because it is beyond the scope of their ability and power to do so. As long as we point the finger at another, we think we are free from guilt and not responsible for the solution of problems. But let’s be clear, our insatiable appetite for oil, power, and throwaway consumer goods has allowed the rampart rape and pillage of the very home on which we live. As long as our cars run, the lights come on, the food is on the shelves and we can get the latest disposable gadget, the purveyors of black gold can do as they will. Certainly someone is watching them and, if a problem occurs, ‘someone’ will deal with it.

Critics of such concepts as the Law of Attraction like to point to such disasters as genocide, disease, oil spills, rape, and a wide range of other seemingly disasters and argue that “certainly people do not attract these things to themselves?they are much too horrible.” Ah, the pointing figure syndrome strikes again. Clearly, people do not let dictators rise to power. Clearly, we do not let nations commit genocide. Clearly, we do not so over consume so there is food for all. Clearly, we do not consume the majority of the world’s energy resources. Clearly, we treat all with respect and dignity and help all in need so there is no need for crime. Clearly, oil companies are greedy and they get away with all sorts of machinations, but that’s not our problem. Clearly, someone else is always responsible for the troubles in the world and there is nothing we can do about it.

In way, all of the above are what are called “memes.” If you haven’t done so, I highly recommend reading “The Virus of the Mind, by Richard Brodie. A ‘meme’ is a unit of information in a mind that influences events such that more copies of itself get created in other minds. A virus of the mind is something that infects people with memes which, in turn, influence the infected people’s behavior in such a way that the virus spreads. Dictators are experts in the use of memes to alter public behavior, as are corporate advertisers. After all, look at all of the new diseases that exist and look at all of the stupid things people buy because they are convinced they must have those things. This is how those who ‘know’ use the Law of Attraction to get rich. This all brings us back to the oil spill in the Gulf. The reason that the oil rig is there in the first place is because we have been convinced we must have oil; that we must get it at all costs so the Arabs can’t control us or turn off their supplies, and that even if there is a disaster, it happens and there is nothing you can do about it because you really need the oil.

When we point the finger, we must discover that we are pointing in a mirror. We let ourselves be controlled and manipulated by the masters of memes. We bring into our lives that which someone else says we must have. As a result, the Law of Attraction is fulfilled and we attract what we deserve, what we think, what we fear. There is a growing sense of futility, an emerging blackness in the American psyche. It is a mind virus that is spreading everywhere. Biologists tell us that one of the leading causes of evolution is environmental stress. There are those who also say that humanity is on the verge of a spontaneous evolution. While change does not require negative stress, it does seem that humanity only rises to the occasion when we are faced with disaster. Such disasters are now happening in the environment, the economy, in religion, education, politics, and in nearly every aspect of human life. Many forces are flowing together in what appears to be an interesting 2012 scenario. Perhaps we will wake and discover that we do not have to “suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.” Perhaps we will discover that if we can create such gross injustices to ourselves and the place that we live, then we also have the ability and the power to create a world that makes sense.

The following is a list of major oil spills and disasters. Perhaps if we recall that the Gulf is not the only place that we have allowed such destruction, we will wake up and end the madness.

Oil Spills and Disasters

The following list includes major oil spills since 1967. The circumstances surrounding the spill, amount of oil spilled, and the attendant environmental damage is also given.

1967-March 18, Cornwall, Eng.: Torrey Canyon ran aground, spilling 38 million gallons of crude oil off the Scilly Islands.
1976-Dec. 15, Buzzards Bay, Mass.: Argo Merchant ran aground and broke apart southeast of Nantucket Island, spilling its entire cargo of 7.7 million gallons of fuel oil.

1977-April, North Sea: blowout of well in Ekofisk oil field leaked 81 million gallons.

1978-March 16, off Portsall, France: wrecked supertanker Amoco Cadiz spilled 68 million gallons, causing widespread environmental damage over 100 mi of Brittany coast.

1979-June 3, Gulf of Mexico: exploratory oil well Ixtoc 1 blew out, spilling an estimated 140 million gallons of crude oil into the open sea. Although it is one of the largest known oil spills, it had a low environmental impact.
July 19, Tobago: the Atlantic Empress and the Aegean Captain collided, spilling 46 million gallons of crude. While being towed, the Atlantic Empress spilled an additional 41 million gallons off Barbados on Aug. 2.

1980-March 30, Stavanger, Norway: floating hotel in North Sea collapsed, killing 123 oil workers.

1983-Feb. 4, Persian Gulf, Iran: Nowruz Field platform spilled 80 million gallons of oil.
Aug. 6, Cape Town, South Africa: the Spanish tanker Castillo de Bellver caught fire, spilling 78 million gallons of oil off the coast.



1988-July 6, North Sea off Scotland: 166 workers killed in explosion and fire on Occidental Petroleum's Piper Alpha rig in North Sea; 64 survivors. It is the world's worst offshore oil disaster.
Nov. 10, Saint John's, Newfoundland: Odyssey spilled 43 million gallons of oil.

1989-March 24, Prince William Sound, Alaska: tanker Exxon Valdez hit an undersea reef and spilled 10 million–plus gallons of oil into the water, causing the worst oil spill in U.S. history.
Dec. 19, off Las Palmas, the Canary Islands: explosion in Iranian supertanker, the Kharg-5, caused 19 million gallons of crude oil to spill into Atlantic Ocean about 400 mi north of Las Palmas, forming a 100-square-mile oil slick.

1990-June 8, off Galveston, Tex.: Mega Borg released 5.1 million gallons of oil some 60 nautical miles south-southeast of Galveston as a result of an explosion and subsequent fire in the pump room.

1991-Jan. 23–27, southern Kuwait: during the Persian Gulf War, Iraq deliberately released 240–460 million gallons of crude oil into the Persian Gulf from tankers 10 mi off Kuwait. Spill had little military significance. On Jan. 27, U.S. warplanes bombed pipe systems to stop the flow of oil.
April 11, Genoa, Italy: Haven spilled 42 million gallons of oil in Genoa port.
May 28, Angola: ABT Summer exploded and leaked 15–78 million gallons of oil off the coast of Angola. It's not clear how much sank or burned.

1992-March 2, Fergana Valley, Uzbekistan: 88 million gallons of oil spilled from an oil well.

1993-Aug. 10, Tampa Bay, Fla.: three ships collided, the barge Bouchard B155, the freighter Balsa 37, and the barge Ocean 255. The Bouchard spilled an estimated 336,000 gallons of No. 6 fuel oil into Tampa Bay.

1994-Sept. 8, Russia: dam built to contain oil burst and spilled oil into Kolva River tributary. U.S. Energy Department estimated spill at 2 million barrels. Russian state-owned oil company claimed spill was only 102,000 barrels.

1996-Feb. 15, off Welsh coast: supertanker Sea Empress ran aground at port of Milford Haven, Wales, spewed out 70,000 tons of crude oil, and created a 25-mile slick.

1999-Dec. 12, French Atlantic coast: Maltese-registered tanker Erika broke apart and sank off Britanny, spilling 3 million gallons of heavy oil into the sea.

2000-Jan. 18, off Rio de Janeiro: ruptured pipeline owned by government oil company, Petrobras, spewed 343,200 gallons of heavy oil into Guanabara Bay.
Nov. 28, Mississippi River south of New Orleans: oil tanker Westchester lost power and ran aground near Port Sulphur, La., dumping 567,000 gallons of crude oil into lower Mississippi. Spill was largest in U.S. waters since Exxon Valdez disaster in March 1989.

2002-Nov. 13, Spain: Prestige suffered a damaged hull and was towed to sea and sank. Much of the 20 million gallons of oil remains underwater.

2003-July 28, Pakistan: The Tasman Spirit, a tanker, ran aground near the Karachi port, and eventually cracked into two pieces. One of its four oil tanks burst open, leaking 28,000 tons of crude oil into the sea.

2004-Dec. 7, Unalaska, Aleutian Islands, Alaska: A major storm pushed the M/V Selendang Ayu up onto a rocky shore, breaking it in two. 337,000 gallons of oil were released, most of which was driven onto the shoreline of Makushin and Skan Bays.

2005-Aug.-Sept., New Orleans, Louisiana: The Coast Guard estimated that more than 7 million gallons of oil were spilled during Hurricane Katrina from various sources, including pipelines, storage tanks and industrial plants.

2006-June 19, Calcasieu River, Louisiana: An estimated 71,000 barrels of waste oil were released from a tank at the CITGO Refinery on the Calcasieu River during a violent rain storm.
July 15, Beirut, Lebanon: The Israeli navy bombs the Jieh coast power station, and between three million and ten million gallons of oil leaks into the sea, affecting nearly 100 miles of coastline. A coastal blockade, a result of the war, greatly hampers outside clean-up efforts.
August 11th, Guimaras island, The Philippines: A tanker carrying 530,000 gallons of oil sinks off the coast of the Philippines, putting the country's fishing and tourism industries at great risk. The ship sinks in deep water, making it virtually unrecoverable, and it continues to emit oil into the ocean as other nations are called in to assist in the massive clean-up effort.

2007-December 7, South Korea: Oil spill causes environmental disaster, destroying beaches, coating birds and oysters with oil, and driving away tourists with its stench. The Hebei Spirit collides with a steel wire connecting a tug boat and barge five miles off South Korea's west coast, spilling 2.8 million gallons of crude oil. Seven thousand people are trying to clean up 12 miles of oil-coated coast.




2008-July 25, New Orleans, Louisiana: A 61-foot barge, carrying 419,000 gallons of heavy fuel, collides with a 600-foot tanker ship in the Mississippi River near New Orleans. Hundreds of thousands of gallons of fuel leak from the barge, causing a halt to all river traffic while cleanup efforts commence to limit the environmental fallout on local wildlife.

2009-March 11, Queensland, Australia: During Cyclone Hamish, unsecured cargo aboard the container ship MV Pacific Adventurer came loose on deck and caused the release of 52,000 gallons of heavy fuel and 620 tons of ammonium nitrate, a fertilizer, into the Coral Sea. About 60 km of the Sunshine Coast was covered in oil, prompting the closure of half the area's beaches.

2010-Jan. 23, Port Arthur, Texas: The oil tanker Eagle Otome and a barge collide in the Sabine-Neches Waterway, causing the release of about 462,000 gallons of crude oil. Environmental damage was minimal as about 46,000 gallons were recovered and 175,000 gallons were dispersed or evaporated, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
April 24, Gulf of Mexico: The Deepwater Horizon, a semi-submersible drilling rig, sank on April 22, after an April 20th explosion on the vessel. Eleven people died in the blast. When the rig sank, the riser—the 5,000-foot-long pipe that connects the wellhead to the rig—became detached and began leaking oil. In addition, U.S. Coast Guard investigators discovered a leak in the wellhead itself. As much as 25,000 barrels (1,050,000 gallons) of oil per day were leaking into the water, threatening wildlife along the Louisiana Coast. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano declared it a "spill of national significance." As many as 1,000 people and dozens of ships and aircraft were enlisted to help in the cleanup. BP (British Petroleum), which leased the Deepwater Horizon, is responsible for the cleanup, but the U.S. Navy supplied the company with resources to help contain the slick. Oil reached the Louisiana shore on April 30, and there was widespread consensus that the spill would dwarf the Exxon Valdez in terms of environmental damage.

Source: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0001451.html

"Before I draw nearer to that stone to which you point," said Scrooge, "answer me one question. Are these the shadows of the things that Will be, or are they shadows of things that May be, only?"

Still the Ghost pointed downward to the grave by which it stood.

"Men's courses will foreshadow certain ends, to which, if persevered in, they must lead," said Scrooge. "But if the courses be departed from, the ends will change. Say it is thus with what you show me."

Most everyone is familiar with the Dickens’s classic, “A Christmas Carol.”  The above is a quote from the fourth Stave where Scrooge stands before his own grave.  Like many great social novelists, there are many layers of meaning in their immortal words, if one would but take the time to listen.  Often, humanity is offered portents of its future, but all too often, we fail to head the words and warnings.  With barely only two years left to 2012, let’s look at the ‘stone’ to which the ‘Ghost” points.

 

We are all familiar with the prophecies of Nostradamus, the Mayan Calendar, the End Times scenario, the sage words of the Hopi, the I Ching, and warnings by other great seers and cultures regarding December 21st, 2012.  Critics claim that this is all hype and that such prophecies are but myths that sell books, but which have no efficacy.  They point to the many doomsday predictions prior to the dawn of each millennia and the fact that each such event, was a non-event.  So, is the 2012 phenomena just hype?  Is there anything different now that would warrant closer inspection?

Let’s create a little 2012 Report Card and see.  The focus here is not on numbers and statistics.  Those can be found on thousands internet sites.  Let’s just create an overview and determine if there is anything to worry about.  Since the economy has been captivating the news for the past year, it would be a good starting point.  There is little doubt the world economy is in recession.  Even after spending trillions of dollars, governments have been unable to totally stabilize downward economic trends.  Yes, Wall Street has had a few rebounds, but Wall Street is not the entire economy.  There are still more layoffs, foreclosures, and consumer spending and confidence is down.  This is not just in the U.S., but globally.  Of importance is the fact that the apparent goal of government efforts is to try to return the economy to the old model of business.  Companies produce, you spend, you throw away, and buy again.  This is no longer a sustainable economic model.  While there has been a lot of talk regarding ‘green products’ and there are fringe economists promoting more sustainable economic theories, the impact of this movement is, so far, negligible.  On a “pass/fail” basis, I give us a fail with respect to the economy.

Sustainable energy is another subject for consideration.  There has been lots of chatter regarding alternative energy and environmentally friendly energy sources.  Wind farms have been built, appliances are a bit more efficient, and there is serious research into expanding solar, tidal, geothermal, hydrogen, biofuel and other possible energy sources.  However, there can be little doubt that we are still an oil based society.  Much research on these alternatives began during the Arab oil embargo in the early seventies.  It stopped when oil prices receded.   It seems that just as alternatives become more economically viable, oil prices drop just enough to slow progress and investment.  As a percentage of total energy output, alternatives are a very small factor.  Actions and efforts here must be given a ‘fail’ grade, largely due to the fact that time is not on our side.

Climate change is the next, and perhaps most overriding of concerns; all else hinges upon this one danger.  It matters not in this discourse who is responsible for climate change.  It is happening now; it is out of control and it is happening at an accelerated rate.  Temperatures are changing, waters are rising, glaciers are melting, storms are more severe, there are growing droughts and floods and lives are being lost and dramatically altered now.  We receive a ‘failing’ grade in this category for several fundamental reasons.  World leaders are continuing to fail at addressing this issue.  Summit after summit fails to produce and results.  There is still a blind perception that we have until 2020 or 2050 to deal with the issues.  We do not.  Governments are hiding and suppressing climate change data.  Corporations are spending billions claiming that climate change is a hoax.  Governments have failed to connect the dots from climate to the economy.  Governments have failed to, at least publicly, to create plans to deal with the growing concerns over environmental refugees.  While there is concern over the security threats that climate change creates, little is being done to figure out where hundreds of millions will go as seas rise, drinking water sources dry up, and food production declines.  Perhaps the lack of response is the response.

If we examine the issues of war, politics and peace, we once again receive a ‘failing’ grade. There are hundreds of wars in progress, terrorism is alive and well, genocide have been ignored, the Middle East, Iran, Iraq, N. Korea and many African nations are a mess and their appears to be little progress in establishing peace among nations.  Government corruption is forever in the news and nations just do not appear to be able to work in concert on any major global issue.  Nationalism is on the rise and clashes of cultures flare as people have increased their mobility. There is a rise in fringe and extremist groups and gaps between rich and poor continue to widen. 

Religion and science is an interesting topic in this grading system.  On the one hand, religions are in turmoil and there is growing strife within and between organized religions.  On the other hand, there is a continued growth in spirituality that embraces humanity’s unity and oneness.  With respect to science, it is still at odds with most religions but, the gap is closing with respect to spirituality.  By science, I do not mean new gadgets or technologies, but rather the progress in quantum physics regarding the nature of the universe.  The gap between the scientist and the mystic is narrowing and a more unified theory of being is at hand.  Unfortunately, since religions are still powerful and play a lead role in the politics of many nations, we have to assign a ‘failing’ grade here also.

Clearly, more topics could be covered. Education, the role of the family, equality among races and other social concerns have seen some progress, but again, the problems are still growing and solutions are far and few between.  Humanity, like Scrooge, stands before his grave.  The Ghost before us is all of the prophets who have pointed to this time of change.  What is different now from times past is that every aspect of our existence on the planet is in turmoil.  We have had economic problems in the past.  We have seen many great wars. There has been religious strife.  We have had mini ice ages, periods of drought and severe weather.  The difference is that all of these things are happening at once and not over scattered periods of time.  Add to all of this the great unknown of our solar systems alignment with the galactic core, polarity shift (which appears to have started), and things like the Solar maximum for sunspots, and plot grows even thicker. So once again, "Men's courses will foreshadow certain ends, to which, if persevered in, they must lead," said Scrooge. "But if the courses be departed from, the ends will change. Say it is thus with what you show me."  There is a time factor to consider in the plea of scrooge.  Even if we depart, which I have shown we have not, from our courses, certain ends will result.  The seers of days past saw the path we were on.  They took us to the stone and pointed the way to change.  Truly, if we change our course, the ends will be altered.  But is anyone listening?  At this point, 2012 looks to be a raucous time.

 

 

 

Is Climate Armageddon upon us? Well, there is good news and bad news. The bad news is yes, I believe that it is. The good news is that while we cannot stop it, we still have a little time to prepare for it.  I am not trying to be an alarmist, that bell has been rung by others.  And, while I am not a climatologist, you do not have to be one to read the message in the bottle.  From all that I have read, the climate tipping point has been reached and we cannot stop the rising tide, pun intended, of major climate change impacts. The best we can do is to prepare and brace for impact, and, take immediate actions to try to lessen the duration of the climate event that has already begun.

By know, you have hopefully heard about the just released White House Report on Climate Change.  I do not base my conclusions on the report but it does put it all into some level of perspective in terminology for the layman.  The hi9ghlights of the report, and its website, are as follows:

 

“Climate Change Impacts

Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States: Report Home Page, The most comprehensive, authoritative report on Global Climate Change (http://globalchange.gov/)

1. Global warming is unequivocal and primarily human-induced.

2. Climate changes are underway in the United States and are projected to grow.

3. Widespread climate-related impacts are occurring now and are expected to increase.

4. Climate change will stress water resources.

5. Crop and livestock production will be increasingly challenged.

6. Coastal areas are at increasing risk from sea-level rise and storm surge.

7. Threats to human health will increase.

8. Climate change will interact with many social and environmental stresses.

9. Thresholds will be crossed, leading to large changes in climate and ecosystems.

10. Future climate change and its impacts depend on choices made today.”

 

 

The report details anticipated changes by regions of the United States and for many, it should be an eye opener.  My only concern over the report is that it sets the timeline for these changes a bit far into the future. Even a decade is too far as these events are happening now and the severity of the events will soon grow exponentially.  Keep in mind, every model that has predicted a climate change timeline has been proven wrong.  It is all happening faster.  Further, new factors emerge every day that speed up this timeline and unforeseen factors also pop up every day.  The snowball effect has begun and reports will be unable to keep up with the downhill train.  I would ask that you read some of the following stories that have hit various news and science sites.  The key word is “some” as this is just a smattering of what is not always making headline news.

 

“UN humanitarian chief John Holmes speaks during a press conference in Khartoum in May 2009. Some of the world's biggest cities are at growing risk of "mega disasters", the UN's humanitarian chief said Tuesday, warning that climate change was behind a rising number of natural catastrophes.

The Red Cross joined the UN in urging more investment to ensure that cities, villages and small communities were better prepared for natural disasters that are being amplified by global warming.

Natural and man-made disasters killed nearly a quarter of a million people in 2008 and warnings about looming disasters, particularly climate change, are not being heeded, the Red Cross said.

At 242,662 people worldwide, this was the second biggest annual toll of the past decade, according to a report by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Nine in 10 of those disasters were weather-related and they caused up to 200 billion dollars (145 billion Euros) worth of damage, Holmes said, calling it an "enormous concern".

"The effects of climate change are being felt now; they're not simply some future threat."

 

“Extreme weather, drought, heavy rainfall and increasing temperatures are a fact of life in many parts of the U.S. as a result of human-induced climate change, researchers report today in a new assessment. These and other changes will continue and likely increase in intensity into the future, the scientists found.

Researchers representing 13 U.S. government science agencies, major universities and research institutes produced the study, "Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States." Commissioned in 2007, it is the most comprehensive report to date on national climate change, offering the latest information on rising temperatures, heavy downpours, extreme weather, sea level changes and other results of climate change in the U.S.”

 

“By mid-century, people may be fleeing rising seas, droughts, floods and other effects of changing climate, in migrations that could vastly exceed the scope of anything before, says a major new report. The document, authored by researchers at Columbia University's Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), the United Nations University and CARE International, was released at a news conference in Bonn.

While the report does not attempt to put numbers to those potentially uprooted, estimates from other reports it cites range from 25 million to 50 million by 2010, to almost 700 million by 2050.

 

• Breakdown of ecosystem-based economies including subsistence herding, farming and fishing will be the dominant driver of forced migration.
• Climate change will increase the frequency and intensity of natural hazards such as cyclones, floods and droughts. Rains in parts of Mexico and Central America, for instance, are projected to drop as much as 50% by 2080. Farmers in parts of Mexico and North Africa's Sahel region may already be moving in part due to changing rains.
• Sea level rise directly threatens the existence of some 40 countries. Saltwater intrusion, flooding and erosion could destroy agriculture in the densely populated Mekong, Nile and Ganges deltas. A rise of two meters, or six feet--well within some projections for this century-- would inundate nearly half the Mekong's 3 million hectares (7.5 million acres) of farmland. Some Pacific island nations including the Maldives (pop. 300,000) are already considering prospects for total relocation.
• Ongoing melting of alpine glaciers in the Himalayas will devastate the heavily irrigated farmlands of Asia by increasing floods and decreasing long-term water supplies. The glacier-fed basins of the Ganges, Brahmaputra, Irrawaddy, Salween, Mekong, Yangtze and Yellow rivers now support over 1.4 billion people.
• Most migrants will probably move within their own countries, or to countries next door. Many will be poor, and many will be unable to move far enough to improve their lots. Ripples from resulting conflicts and collapses will hit richer countries.”

 

June 10th, 2009 by Les Blumenthal, McClatchy Newspapers

In Washington State, oysters in some areas haven't reproduced for four years, and preliminary evidence suggests that the increasing acidity of the ocean could be the cause. In the Gulf of Mexico, falling oxygen levels in the water have forced shrimp to migrate elsewhere.

Federal studies also found acidity levels in the North Pacific and off Alaska are unusually high compared to other ocean regions. The high acidity is already taking a toll of such tiny species as pteropods, which are an important food for salmon and other fish.

As greenhouse gas emissions increase, billions of tons of carbon dioxide from smokestacks and vehicle tailpipes are absorbed by the oceans. The result is carbonic acid, which dilutes the "rich soup" of calcium carbonate in the seawater that many species, especially on the low end of the food chain, thrive in, Warren said.

"If we lose it, it is gone forever," Warren said of the oceans' delicate chemical balance.”

 

Coral reefs throughout the Caribbean have been comprehensively 'flattened' over the last 40 years, according to a disturbing new study by the University of East Anglia (UEA).

This drastic loss of architectural complexity is clearly driving substantial declines in biodiversity, which will in turn affect coastal fishing communities.

"The loss of structure also vastly reduces the Caribbean's natural coastal defenses, significantly increasing the risk of coastal erosion and flooding."

 

More and more, scientists are getting a better grip on the nitrogen cycle. They are learning about sources of nitrogen and how this element changes as it loops from the nonliving, such as the atmosphere, soil or water, to the living, whether plants or animals. Scientists have determined that humans are disrupting the nitrogen cycle by altering the amount of nitrogen that is stored in the biosphere.

The study, in the June 19 issue of the journal Science, is the latest to rule out a drop in CO2 as the cause for earth's ice ages growing longer and more intense some 850,000 years ago. But it also confirms many researchers' suspicion that higher carbon dioxide levels coincided with warmer intervals during the study period.

The authors show that peak CO₂ levels over the last 2.1 million years averaged only 280 parts per million; but today, CO₂ is at 385 parts per million, or 38% higher.

"We know from looking at much older climate records that large and rapid increase in C0₂ in the past, (about 55 million years ago) caused large extinction in bottom-dwelling ocean creatures, and dissolved a lot of shells as the ocean became acidic," he said. "We're heading in that direction now."

 

“The current solar minimum has been so long and deep, it prompted some scientists to speculate that the sun might enter a long period with no sunspot activity at all, akin to the Maunder Minimum of the 17th century. This new result dispels those concerns. The sun's internal magnetic dynamo is still operating, and the sunspot cycle is not "broken."

Howe and Hill found that the stream associated with the next solar cycle has moved sluggishly, taking three years to cover a 10 degree range in latitude compared to only two years for the previous solar cycle.

The jet stream is now, finally, reaching the critical latitude, heralding a return of solar activity in the months and years ahead.” (NOTE: This is one of those events that could change everything in a very brief time span.)

 

“The world's ocean environment - and the fish in it - is facing catastrophe.

"These huge resources which we once believed to be renewable, that our whole human history has led us up until now to believe are renewable, are not renewable anymore because of what we are doing to them. And so our entire philosophical approach has to change. It is not going to be the same in the future as it was in the past." (FILM-The End of the Line)

 

LONDON, England (CNN) -- The first comprehensive report into the human cost of climate change warns the world is in the throes of a "silent crisis" that is killing 300,000 people each year.

More than 300 million people are already seriously affected by the gradual warming of the earth and that number is set to double by 2030, the report from the Global Humanitarian Forum warns.

"For the first time we are trying to get the world's attention to the fact that climate change is not something waiting to happen. It is impacting seriously the lives of many people around the world," the forum's president, former U.N.

 

Racing the clock: Rapid climate change forces scientists to evaluate extreme conservation strategies

May 25th, 2009

Scientists are, for the first time, objectively evaluating ways to help species adapt to rapid climate change and other environmental threats via strategies that were considered too radical for serious consideration as recently as five or 10 years ago. Among these radical strategies currently being considered is so-called "managed relocation." Managed relocation, which is also known as "assisted migration," involves manually moving species into more accommodating habitats where they are not currently found.

"…it is becomingly overwhelmingly evident that climate change is a reality; and it is fast and large. Consequences will arise within decades, not centuries."

"We have previously been able to say, 'let nature run its course.' But because humans have already changed the world, there is no letting nature run its course anymore.

 

There are many other stories in various science journals that tell of eco-system collapses; species extinctions; habitat loss; storm severity; ocean rise refugees; droughts; floods and more.  These are current events, not future events.  Add to this the disease issues caused by current climate change and the picture looks bleak.  The point is that with all of the talk of carbon caps and new technologies, people are being lulled into believing that we still have plenty of time to deal with the issue.  There is an attitude that we must first deal with the economy and then tackle tough climate change problems.  Sorry, we do not have that luxury.  Want to boost the construction industry?  Start now by building housing for climate refugees.  Begin now to move infrastructure away for coastal areas.  Relocate people now away from devastating storm zones.  Relocate people away from areas of looming water shortages.  Start de-centralizing power grids to prevent total power supply chaos.  Lots of jobs to be had from the pending disasters.  Will anyone really listen to this warning?  Probably not.  Nothing much will happen until a major catastrophe hits a major Western country.  Of course, by that time, it will be a bit late.  It would seem that the forces are gathering to bring about a major 2102 event.  The sad part is that it did not have to happen.  No one hears a prophet until after the prophesied event actually happens.  Nostradamus left some warnings along with the Hopi, Mayans and many more.  Just an aside, when Brian Doe and I wrote the first two books of the “Waking God” trilogy we thought we were speaking of events that would be a bit further into the future.  Funny how form can so closely follow thought.  I will never forget the quote that greeted students in my old junior high school, “A word to the wise is sufficient.”

 

 

 

On May 6th, Governor Baldacci of Maine signed into law a bill allowing same sex marriage.  The Governor said, “I have come to believe that this is a question of fairness and of equal protection under the law, and that a civil union is not equal to civil marriage.”  He went on to say, “This new law does not force any religion to recognize a marriage that falls outside of its beliefs, it does not require the church to perform any ceremony with which it disagrees. Instead, it reaffirms the separation of church and state.”

 

Does this put the matter to rest in the State of Maine?  Unfortunately, no.  “We feel he kind of shortchanged us all,” said The Rev. Bob Emrich, pastor of Emmanuel Bible Baptist Church in Plymouth and a founder of the Maine Marriage Alliance, which opposes the law. “But that’s his prerogative. He’s the governor.”  According to AP writer Glenn Adams, Marc Mutty of the Roman Catholic Diocese said challengers expect to get the go-ahead by May 21 to begin collecting signatures to get a referendum on the bill, which was signed Wednesday by Gov. John Baldacci.  The Maine Jeremiah Project, a church based public policy group and The National Association of Marriage Enhancement are starting a petition drive to get the issue on the November ballot as a referendum question.

 

In my opinion, these church groups should really mind their own business!  If church and state are to be separate, as provided by our Constitution, then they should stick to their own concerns rather than trying to foist their ‘worn out dogma’ on others.  Nothing in this bill requires them to conduct same sex marriages.  They can continue to do practice their faith as they so choose.  The fact that they are trying to force their values on others is just another example of the evils of organized religion.  Why must everyone live the way they want people to live?  Why must they insist that they are right and everyone else is wrong?  There are other religions belief systems and that is why separation is guaranteed.  One could easily argue that the state should not accept religious marriage ceremonies as legal unless it is accompanied by a civil union as well.  Why should marriage be only what these religious leaders claim it should be?

 

Yes, we are one nation under God, but we are not one nation under the Baptist or Catholic version of God.  Christians need to get off this ‘everyone must believe as we do’ train.  This attitude has caused the world way too much suffering and strife and division.  Christianity is perhaps the only religion that purposely sets out to force others to act in its own image.   Maybe if religions practiced the true meaning of their teachings and acted with tolerance, love and compassion towards others, the world just might be a safer place.

 

Is the swine flu another case of health officials ‘crying wolf,’ a test of their emergency system in preparation for something else, a cover-up or even a hoax?  According to the World Health Organization, “Influenza is a highly infectious disease caused by a very unstable virus…annual epidemics are thought to result in 3-5 million cases of severe illness and from 250,000 to 500,000 deaths…The greatest public health concern lies in the tendency of Influenzavirus A to change suddenly and markedly, either through mutation or through the exchange of influenza virus genes or through the transfer of whole virus between host species into novel, genetically distinct subtypes…The result is the sudden appearance of a new virus strain to which populations may have no immunity and against which no existing vaccine may confer protection” (WHO 11/26/02, 111th Session, item 5.8). 

The WHO notes that the 1918 pandemic killed some 40-50 million people and that a “likely” new pandemic would kill around a half-million people in industrial nations alone.  Now, let’s take a look at the following numbers regarding the current swine flu, H1N1.  Keep in mind, that by the time you read this, the numbers will surely have changed.

-- THE UNITED STATES:  The number of confirmed cases of swine flu in the United States rose to 111 spread across 13 states, health officials said (THE NUMBER OF STATES IS NOW 22).

-- CONFIRMED INFECTIONS: Thirteen countries have been affected in addition to Mexico. According to the World Health Organization: The United States 91, Mexico 26, Canada 13, Germany 3, Britain 5, Israel 2, New Zealand 3, Spain 4, Austria 1.

The following countries have also announced confirmed cases: Costa Rica 2, Netherlands 1, Peru 1, and Switzerland 1.

- NATIONS WITH SUSPECTED INFECTIONS: Argentina 3, Australia 114, Chile 24, Colombia 59, Denmark 5, Finland 1, France 41, Ireland 3, Italy 20, Japan 1, Poland 2, Portugal 1, South Africa 1, South Korea 4, Sweden 5. (c) 2009 AFP

 

Everyone knows that WHO alert level has been raised to a level 5, 6 being the highest.  But in looking at the history and the numbers, is this justified?  We are looking at only a few hundred cases on a worldwide basis.  In the United States alone, the annual seasonal flu kills 36,000 according to the CDC.  Why all the fuss over the politically incorrect ‘swine flu?’  Is it possible that the high alert is just a test of our emergency systems?  If so, why now and why over a flu?  Is it possible that we are not being told the entire story and if not, what is really going on?  Is it possible that Vice president Joe Biden actually meant what he said but that he was not supposed to let the ‘pig out of the bag?’  What does he possibly know that we do not?  Or, as some have suggested who are really into conspiracy theories, is this just a ploy to get more money for the pharmaceutical industry or a way of diverting attention away from issues like the economy and climate change?

 

The numbers do not match the response.  Either we are being kept in the dark about what is really going on, or someone is playing a very expensive and dangerous game.  I am not a big fan of wasting taxpayers’ money on often wasteful and usually fruitless Congressional investigations.  But in this instance, someone needs to look into this and let the public know the truth about what is really going on.  Cry wolf, a cover-up, a test, a diversion?  You be the judge, but it is time to ask the questions.

 

There are those who would have us believe that resources and actions must be devoted to solving the world’s financial crisis at the expense of all else.  These same people would also have us believe that addressing the issue of climate change and the environment must be put aside in light of this new priority.  A recently released poll indicates that the issue of climate change has dropped to position number 20 as far as issues concerning the American public.  It is clear that the economic stress has taken a bite out of concern for the environment.  However, can we afford to lose sight of what is happening to the climate?  Are the issues of the economy and the environment really separate issues?  Can we have one without the other?

 

What is currently going on in the environment?  Keeping in mind that everything is happening faster than scientists have predicted, a brief snapshot is as follows:  Major Arctic and Antarctic shelves have collapsed which may make it possible for  land glaciers to now slip into the ocean; Major rivers around the world are losing water; Icelandic glaciers are retreating at an alarming rate; the Bering Sea may soon be ice free in the summer; The magnetic North Pole is rapidly shifting; the oceans are being depleted of fish; tropical diseases are moving further north and south from the equator; species are dying off at an alarming rate (this time period has been labeled the 6th great extinction); the earth’s population may have already reached its sustainability limit; bird migrations are changing; storm severity is increasing; wildfires are more frequent; droughts and crop failures are spreading; sea levels are rising; drinking water is disappearing, and need I go on?

 

How can anyone possibly believe that we can address economic issues at the expense of climate change issues?  Economies run on resources.  If the forests go, there is no wood for houses; if the fish die, there is no fishing industry; if re-emerging diseases start killing everyone off, there is no one to buy the products; if storm severity keeps increasing, all the insurance bail out money is wasted; if crops fail, there is no agricultural industry.  Industry would have us believe that getting the economy back on track is achieved by giving more money to banks and freeing up credit.  The sad part is that politicians have bought into this argument and they keep giving them more money, but the economy still worsens.  They do not want our precious dollars to go into new green companies or concepts because they are not yet prepared to gobble up those dollars.  And a result, they have convinced many that it comes down to a choice, the economy or the environment.

 

President Obama has taken a more holistic approach to solving our major public policy issues.  He seems to understand that you cannot treat the disease with a Band-Aid.   All facets of life are interrelated and the health of the whole is equal to the sum health of the parts.  What will it ‘profit’ us to regain an outdated economy at the expense of quality of life?  Are we that selfish that we are willing to sacrifice the planet for a few more years of buying junk?  The change that is coming is coming fast.  It is not centuries away.  It is happening now and may soon, if it has not already, be beyond the most valiant efforts to alter.   The brain cannot function without a heart; the economy function without an environment.  By our continued focus upon the things of life, we are losing any notion of the essence of life.  It is way past time to put away our childish things and to concentrate upon a world at peace with itself and its environment.  Blessings to the Earth!