Yosemite National Park – August 24, 2013. “”No temple made with hands can compare with Yosemite… The grandest of all special temples of Nature . (John Muir)
I was disappointed reading the Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel’s report on the National Governors Association’s meeting held earlier this month in Milwaukee, particularly that their agenda did not even include the growing threat of climate change and what steps the governors might take to reduce their state’s contributions to the rising concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, as well as how they might better help their state populations cope with increasingly more severe weather conditions already being witnessed worldwide. The wildfire that has spread into Yosemite National Park is now being called “one of the largest wildfires in recent California history”. It is said to have already burned more than 125,000 acres.
It is becoming increasingly clear that, despite what a small number of global warming deniers have been saying to the contrary, that humans burning fossil fuels – coal, natural gas, oil and other petroleum products (such as gasoline, diesel fuel and jet fuel) – for heating, transportation, electricity production, recreational activities, and for use in military operations and other human pursuits – is causing more rapid global warming to continue.
The emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere from fossil fuels burning, over time, continues to cause more global warming, which is not only changing everyone’s climate, but is also resulting in rising sea levels, ocean water acidification (by 30%!,), increased melting of the polar ice caps, changes in bird migration (poleward), more extreme weather events, worldwide, such as more horrific storms and accompanying heavy rain and flooding, and longer and worse drought and fires and more brutal heat waves elsewhere. The frequency and extent of extreme weather events and rising coastlines are predicted to increase with more global warming, across the U.S. and elsewhere.
The burning fossil fuels, especially over the last century and a half, has led to measurable increases in the concentrations of carbon dioxide and other potent greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, and these gases. accordingly, trap (absorb) more of the Sun’s energy near the surface of the earth, resulting in rising global average temperatures. The earth’s gradual warming is now manifesting itself in serious and growing-more-serious and more destructive natural and human consequences to the U.S. , North America, and the remaining continents and island communities around the world. It is of paramount importance that we all stop ignoring this problem, today, and that our political representatives and leaders, in particular, take immediate and meaningful action to confront this growing threat to humanity.
So why didn’t the governors who met earlier this month in Milwaukee have global warming and climate change on their agenda for this month’s meeting? It appears they were too busy parading around Milwaukee on their Harley Davidson motorcycles, burning fossil fuels,ith our Governor Scott Walker leading the way?
One has to wonder how future generations of Americans and others who will be affected by a warming and more dangerous and hostile environment will judge these so-called leaders of our day. Rather harshly I would guess.
The U.S. Forest Service says the Yosemite Fire is threatening about 5,500 homes and had already destroyed four homes and 12 outbuildings in several different areas.
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About Mike Neuman
Identical twin; Long-time advocate of protection of our environment; Married; Father to three sons; Grandfather to one granddaughter; Born and raised in Wisconsin; Graduate of University of Wisconsin; post graduate degrees in agricultural economics and Water Resources Management fro UWMadison; Former School Crossing Guard for City of Madison; Bike to Work for 31 years with Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources; Retired from DNR in 2007; Biked to school crossing guard site 2 X daily for 7 years retiring in 2019; in addition to being an advocate of safeguarding our environment, I am also an advocate for humane treatment of animal, children, and people in need of financial resource for humane living. I am presently a Volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, Madison, Wisconsin.
I oppose all long (>500 miles) distance travel (via fossil fuel burning) for nonessential purposes and all ownership of more than one home.
I am opposed to militarism in any form particularly for the purpose of monetary gain.
I am a Strong believer in people everywhere having the right to speak their minds openly, without any fear of reprisal, regarding any concerns; especially against those in authority who are not acting for the public good?in a timely fashion and in all countries of the world not just the U S..
My identical twin, Pat, died in June 2009.
He was fired from his job with the National Weather Service despite having a long and successful career as a flood forecaster with the Kansas City National Weather Service. He took a new position in the Midwest Regional Office in Minneapolis.
Unfortunately, Pat’s work for the NWS went sour after he began to see the evidence for concern about rising global temperatures shortly after relocating to Minneapolis, and how they appeared to effect of flooding on the Red River that flows out of Canada before entering the U.S. in North Dakota.
. Pat and I conversed on a regular basis with other scientists on the Yahoo Group named “Climate Concern “ and by personal email. The NWS denied his recommendation to give his public presentation o n his research at the “Minneapolis Mall of America” in February 2000, which deeply affected h,im. I will h He strongly believed the information ought be shared with the public to which I concurred. That was the beginning of the vendetta against my brother, Patrick J. Neuman, for speaking strongly of the obligations the federal government was responsible for accurately informing the citizenry.
A way great similar response to my raising the issue of too many greenhouse gases being emitted by drivers of vehicles on Wisconsin highway system, my immediate supervisors directed: “that neither global warming, climate change nor the long term impacts upon the natural resources of Wisconsin from expansion of the state highway system were to be any part of my job requirements, and that I must not communicate, nor in a memorandum to all the bureau, shall any person who works in the same bureau I do communicate with me, neither verbally on the phone, by email.
All Things Environmental 
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