The role of oceans relative to increasing greenhouse gas emissions

If you have been following this blog, you know I took the summer off, but now I am back, as the UN convenes in NYC to address climate change. The specific climate issue I wish to focus on is the role of the World's oceans in the presence of increased greeenhouse gas emissions.

The oceans absorb approximately 1/4 of the CO2 emitted into the atmosphere. This is good in that it removes this amount of CO2 from the atmosphere and global warming effects. However, this absorbed CO2 is acidifying the oceans at an alarming rate...."the current level of ocean acidification appears unprecedented, at least over the last 300 million years."(source 9 Sep 2014 UN News article)

Another note of concern, is that the oceans seem to be absorbing less CO2 than previously. For a complete picture of ocean chemistry and Ph history, see pages 4 and 5 the World Meteorological Organization Greenhouse Gas Bulletin for 2013.

The effects of ocean acidification on marine ecosystems is very significant and will be considered in future posts.

Andean Glaciers, another barometer to climate change

Yes, I have a fascination with glaciers, so following are two recent links to Andean glaciers which would not have been possible just a few years ago. Can technology save us? Probably not, as technology combined with greed and prejudice is killing us.

For now, just imagine being the astronaut that took these pics.

Patagonia Glacier overview
 
Northern Patagonia Icefield

Bill

Latest Sea Level Rise Studies in West Antarctica

No doubt you have all read at least a modest amount this highly publicized topic. To me it does add a lot more credibility to near term sea level rise concerns. The latest studies are of what IS happening, not just what is predicted to happen. For a nice synopsis with some excellent graphics for the mechanisms, watch the following video from Yale Forum on Climate Change and the Media.

The One Video to Explain Why the Antarctic Ice Sheet Is Doomed

How bad is wind power for birds?

A controversial subject, with few very definitive answers, except in extreme cases, like Altamonte, CA.

The good news is that when wind turbines are sited AFTER doing a thorough bird study, especially of migratory bird pathways, the harm to birds is lessened greatly...BUT can still be significant.

For an in-depth article from the American Bird Conservancy, see top ten myths about wind power and birds.

What I missed in this very thorough article was a comparison of wind turbine bird kills to kills by cats and window impacts. I recall that the later two are orders of magnitude worse... and Mother Jones confirms my recollection in regard to cats.

And if you prefer Bloomberg to Mother Jones, read THIS.

The Ugly Side of Raising Meat to Eat

I am mostly a vegan, who also eats a bit of fish, mostly what I catch. I also strongly believe that eating a lot of meat is bad for you, and bad for our World.

Why? For starters, you can get the same nutrition from plants that you get from meat, at a cost of 1/10 of the water, energy, land area, and nutrients that eating animals costs.

Add to that all the studies (like the China Study) which show for us humans, eating only plants is far more healthy, than eating meat plus plants.

For a nice review by Marc Guenther, see Yet Another Reason to Eat Less Meat.

Changes in Antarctica May Cool Europe

Europe's climate in recent history has been warmed by the Gulf Stream. Plus some recent European cold periods have been attributed to a reduction in Gulf Stream flow, like the Little Ice Age from about 1350 to 1850.

So is this happening again? There is some solid evidence that it may be.

See this Smithsonian article about the shutdown of deep sea mixing in the Weddell Sea of Antarctica in Climate Change Felt in Deep Waters of Antarctica. There are also many good links in this article, such as the science behind Thermohaline Circulation, aka Ocean Conveyor Belt.

Since there is also a corresponding slow down of the deep water ocean circulation in the N. Atlantic due to increased fresh water influx from melting Greenland glaciers, the combined effect of Arctic and Antarctic changes on the Thermohaline Circulation may become especially significant in the future.

Above picture is my family in 1979, north of the Arctic Circle in Norway. Cold then, and now maybe getting colder (thermohaline changes)...or maybe getting warmer (greenhouse gas effects). They will probably see, and I believe in their lifetime, they will make positive efforts to benefit the health of our planet.

Obama's California???

That title should raise some hackles..... but maybe it also got you to read on. Obama visited California recently, and was struck by the profound drought. So below is a satellite view of this drought, and yes it is dramatic.

For full details about this photo go to Earth Observatory.

So where will your 2015 and after wine be coming from???  Maybe Chile or Argentina?

Some dramatic satellite pics of UK flooding

No doubt you have all read about the long and disastrous flooding in the SW of the UK. From Earth Observatory, here is a satellite image of the latest storm, and here are images of the regions affected, both before, and after the storms.

Now are the storms caused by global warming due to greatly increased greenhouse gas emissions? Scientific opinions lean to "Yes", but are cautious to say that proof is not possible at this time. And yes, I agree, but I also feel that the science behind what is forecast, and what is happening is very soundly connected.

World Sustainability and Plant-based Eating

On Dec 31, I put up a post about J. Morris Hicks' efforts to convey the value of plant-based eating... value to both the eater, and more importantly to the World's population, because it can so greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and hence improve sustainability of our World

What we are faced with as a species trying to survive long term on Earth, is living in a sustainable manner. Very simply, that means not running out of fresh water and food, not flooding ourselves out of coastal cities and towns, not causing major extinctions of plants and wildlife, not creating huge ocean dead zones..........

When we look at building enough renewable energy capacity, like wind, solar, geothermal, hydroelectric, tidal, wave, biomass, etc., to make a significant contribution, lets say a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, the task is very daunting. But if we switch to plant based eating, we can achieve that same 50%, and while the task is still very daunting, it is daunting in a behavioral sense, BUT VERY DOABLE in a physical sense.

So how is your today's diet? Take the 4 Leaf Test (link to test is near bottom of Hick's post). How am I doing? I am in the 4-leaf category by a parsley leaf, but I am there. And I am enjoying my food more than ever, probably because it both tastes good, and makes me feel good, too.

My lunch from the buffet line at McDougall's Hawaii Plant-based Eating program, Jan 2014.

Meat is the new tobacco!!!

Sound weird?

It is solid science, if and when you get through the Industry filters.

Trust me, and MANY doctors whom I will provide links to soon, but in the meantime:

http://www.pcrm.org/pdfs/health/meat_new_tobacco_chart.pdf

Off to a vegan stir fry dinner,

Herbivore Bill

The Beef about McDonald's Beef

Marc Guenther says HERE what I firmly believe: Eating much less beef (and other meat), will greatly help our World survive, and will also greatly benefit your health.

My apology for a recent absence of posts, but I have been away learning how to become a better vegan-with-no-added-oil, thanks to a great Dr. McDougall program.