Global Warming Becomes Political Hot Button Topic

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With the Presidential and Congressional elections approaching quickly, globing warming and climate change are becoming hot topics. The League of Conservation Voters is targeting five House Republicans who either question or totally deny human links to climate change. The organization has labeled these Congressmen the “Flat Earth Five”. To date, two names have been released. They are Reps. Sam Benishek (R-Mich) and Ann Marie Buerkle (R-NY). Three additional names will be forthcoming.
Despite the fact that hard science data proves that global warming is a reality, i.e., melting icebergs, severe storms, extreme heat and cold weather, and crop destruction, just to name a few, the “Flat Earth Five” Republicans state there is no climate change, and the notion of global warming simply is a liberal ploy to tax large oil companies. Rep. Benishek specifically says that global warming “is just some scheme” and is “all baloney”. Rep. Buerkle first voiced doubts about climate change in 2010. On the League of Conservation National Scorecard, she has a lifetime score of 9 percent out of a possible 100. This scorecard annually rates members of Congress on conservation and clean energy issues. Rep. Buerkle has the most conservative voting record of all New York Congressional members.
It is difficult to understand and disappointing to know that protection of the environment is caught up in the crosshairs of politics. It is mind boggling that this is such a political issue in this time when 77% of Americans believe that climate change is a reality and that we all need to make lifestyle changes to save the Earth. (http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2012/07/rep_ann_marie_buerkle_named_on.html)

It is promising to see schools incorporate green living standards in curricula and refreshing to witness families work to conserve energy and employ green and healthy practices in the home. Although we often have differing beliefs about environmental issues, the unifying belief should be that this is the only planet we have on which to live. We do not own the Earth. Rather we are the stewards. We work hard to provide a future for our children, and the protection of the environment must be considered a major component of that future.
In the upcoming elections, we must be mindful of the issues crucial to our very existence. The best way to do this is to educate yourself on the candidates and what they stand for. Researching scorecards and voting records is a great start in this endeavor. This is especially true for local and state elections. While we cannot change the whole world in an instant, we can band together and improve our communities through the creation of recycling programs, instituting clean water projects, constructing safe and healthy schools and building “green” neighborhoods. To be the building blocks of the green movement, let’s vote green, live green, be green.

What is Global Warming and Why the Concern?

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We repeatedly hear the term “global warming”. The very subject usually produces arguments by some that it truly exists and by others that it is a myth. Proponents of the argument for global warming identify melting glaciers, rising sea levels, dying cloud forests and changing habits of wildlife as proof that global warming is occurring. Antagonists of this concept cite historical cyclical temperature changes and the resulting wind and storm patterns as proof that global warming is a myth. In fact, the average global temperatures and concentrations of carbon dioxide have fluctuated cyclically for hundreds of thousands of years. These fluctuations occur with the Earth’s changing positions relative to the sun.
During prior cycles, emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the atmosphere were balanced by GHGs that were naturally absorbed by the land and water. This balance enabled human civilization to develop in a consistent climate. There were periods of interruptions to this balance—volcanic eruptions that emitted particles, which cooled the Earth’s surface and El Nino, which has its own short and predictable cycles. Something different is happening now and is occurring on a large, consistently measured level. Humans have increased the emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere at a level 33 percent higher since the industrial revolution. Historically, changes of this magnitude resulted over thousands of years. They now are occurring at this rate over mere decades. Such a rapid rise in greenhouse gases pose unique challenges to life, forcing many living things to be able to adapt.
While environmentalists use the term “global warming”, scientists refer to this phenomenon as “climate change”. As the Earth’s temperature climbs, wind and ocean currents travel in patterns that cool some areas while warming others. Additionally, the amounts of snowfalls and rainfalls are impacted. Global warming or climate change is of concern because it produces extreme weather, ranging from severe storms to extended droughts. This, in turn, poses challenges for all living creatures in terms of food supply, water supply, and threat to life from severe conditions.
We can control the emission of greenhouse gases through green living. To save our planet, let’s live green, be green.

Greenland Ice Melt Stuns NASA Scientists

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NASA has issued a press release stating that in less than a week, the amount of thawed surface ice in Greenland skyrocketed from 40 percent to 97 percent. Normally, Greenland experiences approximately a 50 percent surface ice sheet melt during the summer. The presence of this new increased level of thawing was discovered by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. From satellite views, pictures show that it covers nearly all of Greenland’s surface ice cover and is larger than any measurements over the past 30 years. Upon questioning these results, NASA received confirmation from three independent sources, namely, from scientists at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, as well as from the University of Georgia at Athens and the City University of New York.
Mindful of the ongoing debate between climatologists and environmental scientists versus many conservative thinkers and politicians that “global warming” is a myth, NASA’s cryosphere manager, Tom Wagner, states that this phenomenon may be due, in part, to natural variations. On this subject, he points to this year’s unusual weather pattern over Greenland, described as an “unusually strong ridge of warm air”. However, Mr. Wagner notes that this case is “clearly thinning around the periphery, changing Greenland’s overall ice mass”. He states that warming ocean water is eating away the ice.
It appears that the Arctic, in general, is changing due to warmer temperatures. Recent notation was made of an iceberg the size of Manhattan that tore off of the Petermann Glacier in Greenland. Several studies suggest the major role that humans play in ocean warming and point to the fact that several regions of the world, especially the United States east coast, are more vulnerable than other areas to sea level rise. These occurrences appear to be human-induced and offer proof of the harm we are doing to the planet by not adhering to environmentally friendly practices. We need to heed the call of scientists and environmentalists to protect the earth for future generations. Let’s live green, be green!