Dear Friends: Time For Climate Action
Dear friends, especially in America:
With the Trump administration now in place, there are many reasons for concern. But I want to suggest that the deepest and most profound reason is climate change. 2016 was just announced to have been the warmest year ever measured. By many measures, this followed similar records set in 2014 and 2015. Since a picture is proverbially worth a thousand words, take a look at the graph for a moment.
So we know the world is warming. Yes, cold weather still happens, as our friends in Portland, Oregon will be able to confirm, and it will continue to happen for a long time yet. But we are experiencing a warming trend that has been going on for nearly five decades now.
And we can be confident that it will continue, since we know something else, too: we know that the physical properties of the so-called "greenhouse gases" are such that they cause warming in the atmosphere, oceans, and land as their concentrations grow. The science showing that goes back to 1859, and is integral to weather forecasting, so we all make frequent use of it. There is no reasonable doubt about it.
We also know that we are the cause of those increasing concentrations. There are several ways that we know this, but the simplest is basically just doing the accounting: for carbon dioxide, the main GHG, we emit about twice as much as the observed increase. And CO2 levels were pretty stable for many hundreds of thousands of years prior to the Industrial Revolution. There's more: changes in atmospheric oxygen and in the proportions of various carbon isotopes confirm that it is us who have created the more than 40% increase observed since preindustrial times.
And we know one last thing: that what we are doing is not in our own best interest. A reasonably stable climate is what allowed us to create agriculture. A destabilized climate will make it much harder to feed the nine billion mouths that will clamor for food by the end of this century. There are more reasons for concern, of course, but that's a fundamental one.
But in the face of this reality, the Trump administration reportedly intends to defund American participation in not only the Paris Accord, signed by most of the nations of the world just last year, but also in the Framework Convention underlying the Accord itself. American views and technical skill have been central to the work of the UNFCC and have deeply shaped the agreement that the Trump Administration now proposes to turn away from. The loss to the global fight to address climate change would be grave.
Nor, if public opinion polls are to be believed, does the government represent the people in this. For years, upwards of 60% of Americans have said that they are concerned about climate change, and would like to see action to address it. Yet this government--Administration and Legislature alike--are bent on the opposite course.
It is undemocratic--and deeply ironic, given that Mr. Trump claimed in his inaugural that he was handing back power to the people.
The first step in resisting this folly is to make it clear to our legislators and to Mr. Trump that we are not fooled by climate denialism and its industry shills, nor do we intend to accept the theft of our children's and grandchildren's future in the name of short-term profit.
Right now, you can make a 'down payment' on action by signing a petition online:
But the 'cheap grace' of such things isn't going to be enough. We need organization and ongoing involvement. Consider joining or even starting a branch of an action group such as Citizens Climate Lobby, or of 350.org. Their websites are here:
- 350.org
- Citizens' Climate Lobby - Political Will for a Livable World
Citizens' Climate Lobby creates the political will for a livable world. We empower individuals to experience breakthroughs exercising their personal and political power.
It must be admitted that we are partly to blame for the current disastrous situation. We knew the truth, most of us, but didn't do much about it, for the most part. We did what humans tend to do--put off dealing with the truly important in favor of the merely urgent. In that sense, we have got "the government we deserve".
But now the choice is clear. The current government will put us all in jeopardy. Time to act, or quit pretending that we care.
Comments
Doc, I just posted a hub about extreme weather in the past 400 years...
Doc, I didn't say the Mann hockey chart made any projections. It was Al Gore in his famous documentary that made the projections. The graph was posted on my hub at the end. He stood on a crane that lifted him over 20 feet off the ground...
The point being, any math major can fit a curve on the Hockey stick and see that there is mo way the future will happen in that way. You can have a spike in temperature over a few years due to el nino but that does not translate to a run away global warming.
That was my argument that the climate scientists use it to scare people the same they try to do with ocean rise that will flood Miami and NYC... never going to happen in your or my lifetime.
-
-
Doc, one more thing. The chart of projected temperature as the Mann hockey stick is going to be the death of climate change. Any real scientist will tell you that plot is unsustainable with time. Meaning, the earth with all the golbal warming speculations, cannot sustain that kind of a rise in global temperature. There is not enough heat energy to product that effect going out 20 years.
The EPA annual budget in 2016 was 8.14 Billion dollars.
You mean to tell me a fraction of that cannot be sufficient to regulate clear air and clean water...
If they stop demonizing co2 as a pollutant, perhaps they have the time and energy and money to do what is in their mandate.
Why do the emplyees at the EPA need to attend the Paris summit on climate change? What good did that do for anyone?
The answer is simple. If the EPA, just stick to their mandate and worry about clean air and clean water... they should have plenty of budget.
It's when they tie climate change to their work that cost more and people... I can say the same for other agencies such as NASA...
Doc,
I guess it is not a surprise to you that I support the cuts to funding of NOAA because they have been so politicized. In fsct, the cuts should also apply to other agencies such as the EPA and to NASA...
-
-
Here is link to full paper by Karl el. on the pause -
Doc, checkout my latest hub on Whistleblowers -
https://hubpages.com/politics/The-World-Needs-Whis...
It relates to everything you've been told by the climate science community...
You have been duped and you still don't get it or even allow yourself to question it?
I tried to warn you all these times...
Here is a link from wuwt that shows climate change is within normal variations ...
Jack Lee: the eruption of Krakatoa in 555 AD was Ten Times the magnitude of the 1880's eruption. There is nothing Man can do to stop such catastrophes. All we can do is monitor volcanic and asteroid activity and plan for the survival of a few people as best we can.
As an aside, I believe the Toba eruption 76,000 years ago caused the remaining people to reproduce with Incest. Incest is what caused the genetic problems in humans today.
Jay, actually Krakatoa was in 1883. I know it well. Many events were natural causes. Man has little control over... what makes us think we can change it now?
There have been several "climate changes" in earths' history which caused whole extinctions. We should not look to push the upper limits of population, but look to population survival at the highest technological level. Besides extinction events there have been catastrophes which just about wiped out humanity. See Toba Catastrophe Theory. Also see Krakatoa's' eruption in 555 A.D. I suggest fewer people living better.
doc, I read the article and agree with the first part. The earth is huge and human innovation will help make the growth work...
Necessity is the mother of inventions...
Who know, if we can invent a new and cheap way to desalinate sea water?
With regard to climate change, I am still a skeptic. For example, a warming climate can actually help food production...
Again, you are making the assumption that the current temperature of the earth is ideal for our survival?
Who made that the final fact?
All thru our history, and the earth's, there have been climate changes and we have adapted... that was the key to our survival.
doc, Of course I know it is limited. The key question is what is the full capacity? Is it 5 billion people, 10 billion people or 50 billion people?
If it is 5 billion, how are we able to sustain 7 billion in 2017? If it is 10 billion, we still have 3 billion to go...
If it is 50 billion, then we have little to worry about... by then, we may be exploring the stars ala Star Trek...Space the Final Frontier...
jay,
Here is link to story -http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/11/...
During the 1970s, I heard the same argument about global hunger...
How our globe cannot support x number of people and we must control population growth...
Now, 40 years later, it is global warming that will be the killer...
What you and others fail to understand is that the earth is not a fixed "pie" and that it can only be so large. In fact, the beauty of God's creation is that it is growing in many aspects. God have provided energy resources, and human resources and raw material resources that can accommodate a large growing population.
No scientist have done the calculation of the upper bound as far as I can tell...
It was estimated that the sum total of all human produced items can fit inside a cube of 300 miles. Do you understand how little that is compared to the size of the earth, a globe 8000 miles in diameter. Do the math... please.
"Does he favor genocide?"
No, a Vasectomy is Not genocide. Do not overreact.
True, population control is not the sole answer, but part of the solution. More importantly, it is something an individual can do. Common people cannot affect policy. Our political system is one of Bribery. Unless you are very rich you will be ignored. So, no more talk of politics, please.
Doc, I hope you will join me to set Jay C straight. Reducing human population is not the answer. It takes slightly over 2.0 birth rate to maintain a stable population. To see what happens to a society, look at Japan and Western Europe such as Germany, their country population is aging and will not have enough people to sustain in the next 50 years.
Doc, you see what extreme policies can do and climate change proponents is scary...in what theory want. One IPCC official has gone on record saying our world can only sustain a maximum population of 3 billion people. Does he favor genocide?
Go Green, Get a Vasectomy.
If every man got a vasectomy after one child we could cut world population in half in one generation. That means less pollution, etc. Vasectomies are common and cheap.
Get Yours Today!
Doc, I don't think you realized what happened this election of Trump. There will be no business as usual...
The likes of funding Solyndra will not happen. The agencies of NASA will not be focusing on climate change but space exploration. The EPA will loose many of its funding and its overreach of regulations that hurt coal...I can go on and on...
As I said before, if all you have is a hammer, everything else look like nails. Thst was what happened under Obama and his global view. Now, it is America first.
doc, that last link you provided is totally biased and false. If it was true, we should end all subsidies as of right now...
Under a new Trump administration, the EPA will be defanged when it comes to coal production and power generation.
We will see how this play out but climate change science is about to get a huge "audit". They have misled the people on the dangers and have profited. It is time for some accountability...
Renewable energy like solar and wind and nuclear... will be adopted in mass when the cost is competitive with oil, gas and coal. That is the bottom line. You can give credits and tax incentive all day long but that is only temporary. Wait till the incentive disapppear, and see what survives in the market place. I was in China twice this past year. They have adopted electric scooters in the cities in a big way but in the countryside, coal power is the main source. The reason is simple economics. Coal is readily available and cheap.
I think what is important is to act for ourselves and understand that our government is not really within the control of the common man. What can You and I do about climate? I suggest reducing world population one decision at a time: Get A Vasectomy! Encourage others to do so... after a sperm donation.
I see little point in checking the polls. The most important issues to people will always be what affects them right now, thus we can borrow from our kids to pay for our tax cuts and constant wars.
I think if we are to ever progress on the climate change issue we need to change how we talk to each other.
So, instead of talking about cutting fossil fuel use how about the benefits of developing alternatives? China is going full speed developing solar (even tho' they keep building coal plants) We would benefit by building up our solar, wind, hydro etc etc. More well paying jobs, more products and technology to sell and a side effect of lower pollution.
Big business and the right wing talk bubble has already convinced millions that they know more than the 97% of environmental scientists that
study the environment.
Now get them to try to defend 19th century technology while the rest of the world moves forward. Will the US remain stubbornly defending our buggy whip business?
The world is moving on to an alternative energy future so it's up to us to decide to lead the world or follow China.
I live in Florida where our wize and benevolent governor has told state employees not to use the term "global warming". So far Miami is still flooding at high tide, I guess they ignored the memo.
Doc, I think you are missing my point. Yes people will say it when they are polled. Who is going to say they are against the environment?
Yet, when put in context, what they consider to be the most important issue of our times, climate change did not even make it to the top 10. What does that tell you?
doc, who is out of touch? not me.
Here is the link to top issues in 2016 as reported by the Pew Research -
http://www.people-press.org/2016/07/07/4-top-votin...
Environment (climate change) comes in at number 12 on the list.
Doc, As expected, I disagree with your assessment of climate change. Your position is well know here on HubPages. The american people have rejected the dire warnings of Al Gore and Hansen and Mann. They are the ones you should be targeting for turning this topic into a political one. They have misled the american youth in particular. I have some first hand knowledge of this. Some of my own relatives have bought into this. They are beginning to see the truth. I hope you will also reconsider. The proposals put forth by the climate change organizations are destructive to many people in real terms. You may not be personally affected, but millions around our country and the globe will suffer if these proposals are implimented or mandated...I believe in protecting our environment such as clear air and clean water... Limiting CO2 output and fossil fuel is not the answer.
Hi Doc ~ My Comment as usual is FILLED with Factual Data & my Creative Writing Style is the way I roll, however, if the Input is not appreciated, please DELETE my Comment so I can use the Content elsewhere ~ THX ~ AP
Unfortunately for OUR ONLY Habitable Planet, the SEVERE Detrimental Effects of "Climate Change" will NEVER be adequately Addressed as long as this Pseudo-President Remains in OUR White House ~
Even "Trump VOTERs" are beginning to DEFECT away from SWINDLER Donald's CON-Job, and toward the Emerging "GLOBAL Resistance" Against his Pseudo-Presidency ~ Just witness the MASSIVE Global Protests of Resistance AGAINST Him Today ~
* Scott PRUITT ~ "Drumpfs" EPA Nominee has DOUBTs about the Existance of Man-Made "CLIMATE Change" ~ But don't worry about a thing ~
* Dangerously IGNORANT Hillbilly DUMBELL Rick Perry who expressed his "Seething DESIRE" to ELIMINATE OUR Energy Dept was nominated by "Drumpf" to be IN CHARGE of this AGENCY ~ YES it's TRUE. I kid U NOT ~ Everyone should Investigate ~
* General Mattis ~ an Anemic Looking FRAIL Fellow who appears to be in "DIRE Need" of ObamaCare & is STUCK in the PAST Fighting WW1 & 2 in his HEAD, will be in CHARGE of OUR Military
~
* Tom PRICE ~ a GUY who should be on TRIAL for "STOCK Fraud" & has a PLAN to SLASH Medicare & Medicaid by 1 TRILLION Dollars is "Drumpfs" Nominee for Health & Human Services Dept ~
Betsy DeVos ~ a GREED Driven "ANTI-Public Schools" Woman who has TIES to the Massive FORTUNE which was Acquired via the Get Rich QUICK "PYRAMID Scheme" AMWAY & who Reportedly has made many WEALTHY Corporations even WEALTHIER by Advocating the DILUTION of Public Schools in FAVOR of "FOR Profit" Charter Schools & VOUCHERs is NOMINEE for Dept of Educations ~
Believe it or NOT, this is NO JOKE these are ACTUALLY his Nominees ~ But FORTUNATELY, even his "VOTERs" are beginning to Realize his Gargantuan HOAX perpetrated on the USA ~
44