RISING SEA LEVELS
SINCE 1880 SEA AND OCEAN LEVELS HAVE RISEN 9 INCHES AND WATER QUALITY HAS DECLINED AND BECOME A SERIOUS ISSUE. GLOBAL WARMING IS CREATING SERIOUS FRESH WATER SHORTAGES WORLDWIDE AND DROUGHT CONDITIONS ARE DESTROYING AGRICULTURAL CROPS IN MANY PARTS OF THE WORLD. BURNING FOSSIL FUELS AND DEFORESTATION ARE THE TWO MAIN CAUSES FOR GLOBAL WARMING. FOSSIL FUEL CONSUMPTION RELEASES HEAT-TRAPPING GREEN HOUSE GASES INTO THE ATMOSPHERE PREVENTING THE HEAT GENERATED ON EARTH FROM ESCAPING. OCEANS AND OTHER WATER SUPPLIES THEN ABSORB THE MAJORITY OF THIS HEAT. WHEN WATER TEMPERATURES INCREASE THE WATER EXPANDS AND HIGHER TEMPERATURES UPSET SEA, LAKE AND RIVER ECOSYSTEMS. AS GLOBAL WARMING CONTINUES, ICE SHIELDS AND PERMA FROST ARE MELTING FASTER THAN THEY CAN BE RESTORED BY COLD WINTER TEMPERATURES. RECENT SCIENTIFIC STUDIES PREDICT WE COULD EXPERIENCE INCREASED SEA LEVELS OF 1.5 TO 5 FEET BY THE END OF THIS CENTURY. UNITED STATES AGENCY’S ARE PREFORMING CONTINUOUS MONITORING AND ASSESSMENTS OF SEA LEVELS, BUT LITTLE IS BEING DONE TO SLOW THE CLIMATIC CONDITIONS THAT ARE CAUSING THE PROBLEM.
SO, IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN DO? UNTIL WE ACCEPT THE FACT THAT HUMAN DEMANDS FOR EARTH’S RESOURCES AND THE EXPANSION OF OUR WORLDWIDE POPULATION, ARE THE PRIMARY CAUSES OF THE CLIMATIC CHANGES WE ARE EXPERIENCING, THE PROBLEMS WILL CONTINUE TO ACCELERATE. JUST YESTERDAY, I HEARD A POLITICAL CANDIDATE SUGGESTING WE HAVE SO MANY TREES THAT WE HAVE NO HUMAN CAUSED PROBLEMS WITH CLIMATE CHANGE. HE OBVIOUSLY WAS IGNORANT OF THE FACTS AND SHOULD NOT BE SEEKING A LEADERSHIP POSITION WHICH WILL REQUIRE AN INDEPTH KNOWLEDGE OF ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES. THE BIGGEST CONCERN IS THAT A LARGE NUMBER OF MEMBERS OF THE PARTY HE REPRESENTS AGREE. MAYBE IT IS THE NECESSITY OF PROTECTING THE WEALTHY DONATORS THAT PROVIDE THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES REQUIRED TO COMPETE IN POLITICAL RACES. WHAT EVER THE REASON, FAILURE TO IMPLEMENT THE CHANGES REQUIRED TO REDUCE GLOBAL WARMING AND OTHER DEVASTATING ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES, WILL INCREASE AND THREATEN LIFE ON EARTH.
RAISING SEA AND OCEAN LEVELS IS JUST ONE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES WE MUST ADDRESS. INCREASED STORM FREQUENCY AND SEVERITY, INCREASED WILDFIRE INTENSITY AND MAGNITUDE, LOSS OF HABITATS, NON-FUNCTIONING ECOSYSTEMS, SPECIES EXTINCTION, SOIL AND BANK EROSION, RISING CARBON DIOXIDE LEVELS IN THE ATMOSPHERE, POLLUTED WATER SUPPLIES AND AVAILABILITY OF FRESH WATER SUPPLIES; ARE ALL IN NEED OF SERIOUS MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS. YES, WE HAVE MAJOR PROBLEMS TO ADDRESS, BUT UNTIL WE ACCEPT THE TRUTH, LITTLE WILL HAPPEN TO ENSURE FUTURE LIFE ON EARTH. AS LONG AS WE IGNORE THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES MANKIND HAS EVER FACED, WE WILL NEVER FIND THE ENERGY AND RESOURCES REQUIRED TO SOLVE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES THAT ARE ACTUALLY HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.
FAILURE TO ACT WILL BRING DEVASTATING CLIMATIC CHANGES, MAJOR FLOODING, EROSION, SPECIES EXTINCTION AND FOOD SHORTAGES. THE SEA LEVEL RISE HAS MORE THAN DOUBLED JUST SINCE 1993. IN JUST 30 YEARS, WE CAN EXPECT AT LEAST A 10 TO 12 INCH RISE WHICH WILL CAUSE A PROFOUND SHIFT IN COASTAL FLOODING. THIS WILL CAUSE TIDE AND STORM SURGES TO INCREASE AND REACH FURTHER INLAND. SCIENTISTS PREDICT THAT BY THE END OF THIS CENTURY 12 TO 13 PERCENT OF HOMES IN FLORIDA WILL BE FLOODED OUT. ALASKAN VILLAGES BUILD IN COASTAL AREAS ARE ALREADY HAVING TO MOVE HOMES AND OTHER STRUCTURES FURTHER INLAND DUE TO BEACH EROSION. SEVERAL LARGE CITIES IN INDIA COULD EXPERIENCE INUNDATING FLOODING BY 2030. THE EAST COAST CITIES OF THE UNITED STATES; LIKE NEW YORK, CAMBRIDGE, MIAMI, POMPANO BEACH, NORFOLK AND HAMPTON, WILL EXPERIENCE SIGNIFICANT FLOODING PROBLEMS BY 2050. COASTAL CITIES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD WILL BE THREATENED BY DEVASTATING FLOODS DURING THE NEXT 50 YEARS.
IF THESE FACTS ARE NOT SUFFICIENT TO CALL US TO ACTION, THERE MAY BE NO HOPE! I HAVE STATED TIME AND AGAIN, THE TWO MAJOR ISSUES CAUSING THESE CLIMATIC CHANGES ARE POPULATION EXPANSION AND DEFORESTATION. WE MUST GET CONTROL OF GREEN HOUSE GASES BEING RELEASED INTO THE ATMOSPHERE! WE MUST MANAGE OUR REMAINING FOREST LANDS TO OPTIMIZE THE LIFE-SUSTAINING ELEMENTS THEY PROVIDE! WE MUST CONSTRAIN THE AMOUNT OF CARBON DIOXIDE BEING RELEASED INTO THE ATMOSPHERE BY WILDFIRES, MANAGEMENT BURNS, DECAYING OLD GROWTH AND DESTRUCTION OF FOREST BIO-DIVERSITY! WE MUST KEEP OUR FORESTED LANDS HEALTHY AND VIBRANT, SO THE TRANSPIRATION PROCESS CONTINUES TO SUPPLY AMBLE RAINS TO OUR AGRICULTURAL LANDS! OUR CURRENT COURSE OF MANAGEMENT WILL NOT PROVIDE FOR OUR DESIRED FUTURE! IT IS HUMANITY’S GREEDY DEMANDS THAT HAVE COMPROMISED THE NATURAL WORLD. IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO JOIN HANDS WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD, AND LEAD IN RESTORING WHAT WE HAVE DESTROYED. NATURE NEEDS HELP!! BE CAREFUL WHO YOU SELECT TO REPRESENT YOU IN THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS! WE NEED LEADERS THAT SEE THE TRUTH AND THE INTEGRITY TO SUPPORT THE NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE! WE CAN NO LONGER AFFORD TO PRETEND TO BE IGNORANT OF THE FACTS. THE TRUTH IS STARING US IN THE FACE, AND SCREAMING FOR HELP!
SINCE 1880 SEA AND OCEAN LEVELS HAVE RISEN 9 INCHES AND WATER QUALITY HAS DECLINED AND BECOME A SERIOUS ISSUE. GLOBAL WARMING IS CREATING SERIOUS FRESH WATER SHORTAGES WORLDWIDE AND DROUGHT CONDITIONS ARE DESTROYING AGRICULTURAL CROPS IN MANY PARTS OF THE WORLD. BURNING FOSSIL FUELS AND DEFORESTATION ARE THE TWO MAIN CAUSES FOR GLOBAL WARMING. FOSSIL FUEL CONSUMPTION RELEASES HEAT-TRAPPING GREEN HOUSE GASES INTO THE ATMOSPHERE PREVENTING THE HEAT GENERATED ON EARTH FROM ESCAPING. OCEANS AND OTHER WATER SUPPLIES THEN ABSORB THE MAJORITY OF THIS HEAT. WHEN WATER TEMPERATURES INCREASE THE WATER EXPANDS AND HIGHER TEMPERATURES UPSET SEA, LAKE AND RIVER ECOSYSTEMS. AS GLOBAL WARMING CONTINUES, ICE SHIELDS AND PERMA FROST ARE MELTING FASTER THAN THEY CAN BE RESTORED BY COLD WINTER TEMPERATURES. RECENT SCIENTIFIC STUDIES PREDICT WE COULD EXPERIENCE INCREASED SEA LEVELS OF 1.5 TO 5 FEET BY THE END OF THIS CENTURY. UNITED STATES AGENCY’S ARE PREFORMING CONTINUOUS MONITORING AND ASSESSMENTS OF SEA LEVELS, BUT LITTLE IS BEING DONE TO SLOW THE CLIMATIC CONDITIONS THAT ARE CAUSING THE PROBLEM.
SO, IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN DO? UNTIL WE ACCEPT THE FACT THAT HUMAN DEMANDS FOR EARTH’S RESOURCES AND THE EXPANSION OF OUR WORLDWIDE POPULATION, ARE THE PRIMARY CAUSES OF THE CLIMATIC CHANGES WE ARE EXPERIENCING, THE PROBLEMS WILL CONTINUE TO ACCELERATE. JUST YESTERDAY, I HEARD A POLITICAL CANDIDATE SUGGESTING WE HAVE SO MANY TREES THAT WE HAVE NO HUMAN CAUSED PROBLEMS WITH CLIMATE CHANGE. HE OBVIOUSLY WAS IGNORANT OF THE FACTS AND SHOULD NOT BE SEEKING A LEADERSHIP POSITION WHICH WILL REQUIRE AN INDEPTH KNOWLEDGE OF ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES. THE BIGGEST CONCERN IS THAT A LARGE NUMBER OF MEMBERS OF THE PARTY HE REPRESENTS AGREE. MAYBE IT IS THE NECESSITY OF PROTECTING THE WEALTHY DONATORS THAT PROVIDE THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES REQUIRED TO COMPETE IN POLITICAL RACES. WHAT EVER THE REASON, FAILURE TO IMPLEMENT THE CHANGES REQUIRED TO REDUCE GLOBAL WARMING AND OTHER DEVASTATING ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES, WILL INCREASE AND THREATEN LIFE ON EARTH.
RAISING SEA AND OCEAN LEVELS IS JUST ONE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES WE MUST ADDRESS. INCREASED STORM FREQUENCY AND SEVERITY, INCREASED WILDFIRE INTENSITY AND MAGNITUDE, LOSS OF HABITATS, NON-FUNCTIONING ECOSYSTEMS, SPECIES EXTINCTION, SOIL AND BANK EROSION, RISING CARBON DIOXIDE LEVELS IN THE ATMOSPHERE, POLLUTED WATER SUPPLIES AND AVAILABILITY OF FRESH WATER SUPPLIES; ARE ALL IN NEED OF SERIOUS MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS. YES, WE HAVE MAJOR PROBLEMS TO ADDRESS, BUT UNTIL WE ACCEPT THE TRUTH, LITTLE WILL HAPPEN TO ENSURE FUTURE LIFE ON EARTH. AS LONG AS WE IGNORE THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES MANKIND HAS EVER FACED, WE WILL NEVER FIND THE ENERGY AND RESOURCES REQUIRED TO SOLVE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES THAT ARE ACTUALLY HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.
FAILURE TO ACT WILL BRING DEVASTATING CLIMATIC CHANGES, MAJOR FLOODING, EROSION, SPECIES EXTINCTION AND FOOD SHORTAGES. THE SEA LEVEL RISE HAS MORE THAN DOUBLED JUST SINCE 1993. IN JUST 30 YEARS, WE CAN EXPECT AT LEAST A 10 TO 12 INCH RISE WHICH WILL CAUSE A PROFOUND SHIFT IN COASTAL FLOODING. THIS WILL CAUSE TIDE AND STORM SURGES TO INCREASE AND REACH FURTHER INLAND. SCIENTISTS PREDICT THAT BY THE END OF THIS CENTURY 12 TO 13 PERCENT OF HOMES IN FLORIDA WILL BE FLOODED OUT. ALASKAN VILLAGES BUILD IN COASTAL AREAS ARE ALREADY HAVING TO MOVE HOMES AND OTHER STRUCTURES FURTHER INLAND DUE TO BEACH EROSION. SEVERAL LARGE CITIES IN INDIA COULD EXPERIENCE INUNDATING FLOODING BY 2030. THE EAST COAST CITIES OF THE UNITED STATES; LIKE NEW YORK, CAMBRIDGE, MIAMI, POMPANO BEACH, NORFOLK AND HAMPTON, WILL EXPERIENCE SIGNIFICANT FLOODING PROBLEMS BY 2050. COASTAL CITIES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD WILL BE THREATENED BY DEVASTATING FLOODS DURING THE NEXT 50 YEARS.
IF THESE FACTS ARE NOT SUFFICIENT TO CALL US TO ACTION, THERE MAY BE NO HOPE! I HAVE STATED TIME AND AGAIN, THE TWO MAJOR ISSUES CAUSING THESE CLIMATIC CHANGES ARE POPULATION EXPANSION AND DEFORESTATION. WE MUST GET CONTROL OF GREEN HOUSE GASES BEING RELEASED INTO THE ATMOSPHERE! WE MUST MANAGE OUR REMAINING FOREST LANDS TO OPTIMIZE THE LIFE-SUSTAINING ELEMENTS THEY PROVIDE! WE MUST CONSTRAIN THE AMOUNT OF CARBON DIOXIDE BEING RELEASED INTO THE ATMOSPHERE BY WILDFIRES, MANAGEMENT BURNS, DECAYING OLD GROWTH AND DESTRUCTION OF FOREST BIO-DIVERSITY! WE MUST KEEP OUR FORESTED LANDS HEALTHY AND VIBRANT, SO THE TRANSPIRATION PROCESS CONTINUES TO SUPPLY AMBLE RAINS TO OUR AGRICULTURAL LANDS! OUR CURRENT COURSE OF MANAGEMENT WILL NOT PROVIDE FOR OUR DESIRED FUTURE! IT IS HUMANITY’S GREEDY DEMANDS THAT HAVE COMPROMISED THE NATURAL WORLD. IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO JOIN HANDS WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD, AND LEAD IN RESTORING WHAT WE HAVE DESTROYED. NATURE NEEDS HELP!! BE CAREFUL WHO YOU SELECT TO REPRESENT YOU IN THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS! WE NEED LEADERS THAT SEE THE TRUTH AND THE INTEGRITY TO SUPPORT THE NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE! WE CAN NO LONGER AFFORD TO PRETEND TO BE IGNORANT OF THE FACTS. THE TRUTH IS STARING US IN THE FACE, AND SCREAMING FOR HELP!
