Our Children’s Future is being Sabotaged by the Failure of U.S. Congress and Wisconsin Politicians to Act NOW to Reduce Greenhouse Gases
Things have gone real bad for our natural and human environment in Wisconsin, and especially for poor Black children in the state, under the governorship of Scott Walker. There may still be time to fix things, but scientists the world over say now that “major action is needed and fast” – from everyday people, from all businesses, and especially from all current and acting government officials. It is morally wrong for them not to act now, both meaningfully and without delay, for the sake of today’s children. It is they who will face the brunt of global warming impacts as this century progresses.
The effects of rising greenhouse gas concentration level in the atmosphere are latent and slow to develop. But once they do – and they are beginning to do that now – those effects are long-lasting. Decades and centuries, not just years. And more warming also creates chain reactions, producing positive feedbacks that lead to more warming;for example, reducing snow and ice cover at the poles leads to a reduction in albedo (reflection of Sun’s rays back out to space). Because less of the Sun’s radiation is reflected, more is absorbed by the darker (than snow) ocean, thus warming the ocean waters, which causes more snow and ice on the ocean to melt, reducing albedo at the poles even more, warming the water even more and so on. This has already been measured as happening now.
Another example of the positive feedbacks of more warming is that the Permafrost region, which covers one-fifth of the earth’s surface, is now thawing. The thawing of eons of organic material in the Permafrost causes the production and release of methane gas, which is another greenhouse gas (in addition to carbon dioxide and several others) that has 37-times the heat absorbing power of carbon dioxide in the earth atmosphere. This will add to the warming that is already occurring. Add the additional warming will cause even more methane to be released by the thawing Permafrost region. And so on. This dangerous compounding and reoccurring effect has already started as well.
It’s time to Conserve, Now! – for all children living today, and especially for those who follow them. Maybe by that time humans will find a way to safely combat the warming temperatures and rising oceans. But there is much yet that has to happen. The latest reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change are out, and farming and consumption as practiced in the U.S. must change in many ways. Researchers say climate change has already cut yields of wheat and corn, reducing gains achieved by better farming technology. Meat and dairy production consumes vast amount of fossil fuel derived energy, and animal waste adds more methane to the atmosphere.
Making matters worse, world population is expected to hit nine billion by 2050. The world’s population needs to be reduced, not allowed to grow more rapidly. To do that, aid and education will need to be given to countries having out of control population explosions. We are morally obligated to help them on this for the sake of all humanity. Future and distant future populations need to be given a chance. To achieve that, all the world’s countries need to drastically reduce all activities causing the most greenhouse gases to be emitted by their people and industries, while everyone should be encouraging activities that will sequester greenhouse gases from the atmosphere (growing plants and trees, primarily). Some of this is starting now and such initiatives should be amplified in number and be heavily financed by countries that have historically deforested the world while burning up the most fossil fuels.
There should be only a minimum number of fossil fuel development projects developed, and only the most clean and energy efficient fuel should be taken from the earth for combustion. The goal should be to obtain as much power from wind, solar and and renewable energies as possible.
Major Global Warming Upheaval Already Underway
National Public Radio: “The United Nations International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC): “major action is needed and fast”. The IPCC’s latest report to the United Nation presents an ominous threat for the entire world by the end of the century, and many of those threats are already well in the development phase
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“The report clearly shows that adaptation is an option only if efforts to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions are strengthened substantially. Without mitigation, the impacts of climate change will be devastating.” – Wolfgang Cramer
“Conserve, NOW 3” Program Needed to Promote Environmental Justice and Income Equality in the U.S.
More to come … Start by reading Feb.7, 2014 Testimony to Wisconsin State Assembly Committee
“… There’s no Planet B …”
What does sustainability look like? Those who tuned in to WORT’s FM radio station’s “THE ACCESS HOUR” last night (Monday at 7:00 – 8:00 pm) at 89.9 FM (also available to listen to live at http://www.WORTFM.org, or through the WORTFM.org archives), would have a pretty good inkling of what sustainable living is truly all about, and why it is especially URGENT that all of us begin practicing it, NOW, since in the words of one of last year’s speakers, “there’s no planet B”.
On Monday, March 24, 2014, Madison, Wisconsin’s listener sponsored radio station, WORT-FM, aired on its “The Public Access Hour” program a show in which climate change educator and WORT volunteer Kermit Hovey interviewed a number of the presenters and participants who had attended last year’s Sustainability Summit in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The quotes on this post come from the March 24th Public Access Hour show.
This year’s Sustainability Summit is called “Conserving the Future Together” and is being held in Milwaukee on March 26-28, 2014. See http://www.sustainabilitysummit.us for more information.
Last Monday’s access hour show began with Kermit Hovey interviewing Milwaukee Area Technical College’s (MATC) educator George Stone, who was the 2013 and this year’s Sustainability Summit director. In response to Hovey’s question on how he would define “sustainability”, Stone answered:
“Well, A hundred years ago, in the era of Teddy Roosevelt, we called it “conservation”. I think basically that’s what it is. And when I think of sustainability I’m not thinking primarily about sustainable financial resources, or that sort of thing, I’m thinking of the sustainability of natural resources. You know the basic necessities of life, food, water, and that requires soil for the food, all kind of the materials that Mother Earth supplies, for our advanced civilization, they’re in limited supply, we live on a finite planet, with a growing population, we need to be wise – wise use – we need to be wise and frugal in the way that we use these resources, and adopting the Native American philosophy of inter generational justice: let’s say we have a responsibility to future generations -many of the Nations consider 7 generations in the future. So that’s sustainability. It’s our moral responsibility – and I might say, parenthetically, I consider that all human activity has a moral dimension – it’s our moral responsibility to pass on a planet, and habitats on this planet, to future generations that are as close as possible to what we’ve enjoyed. Plundering the earth, and destroying for our own excess, is not justifiable.
“So sustainability I think is an expression of that in the sense that there is a moral responsibility to future generations. James Hansen, our keynote speaker today, refers to it as “inter-generational justice”. That’s my idea of “sustainability”.”
Climate scientist Michael Mann: “… there’s only one planet, right? And if we screw it up, there’s no planet “B”, and so there couldn’t be anything more important in our lives especially when we think about the sort of world we want to leave for our children and grandchildren, what could be more important than trying to find a way to live sustainably, so that we don’t leave a degraded planet for future generations?”
Go to the archives for “The Public Access Hour” for March 24, 2014 at http://www.wortfm.org for the full interview by Kermit Hovey with Michael Mann along with other speakers and participants.
Will Today’s Children Be Left in the Lurch on Future Planet Earth?
What will Earth’s climate in the future be like? Today’s children will have no choice but to spend the majority of their time in whatever we leave them.
As anyone today who pays even the slightest bit of attention to what 98% of world scientists have been warning us, the consequences of our unprecedented and continued combustion of massive quantities of the earth’s fossil fuels – primarily in transportation, heating and electricity use – over the past several centuries will likely be dire.
The continuing build up of more and more greenhouse gases in our atmosphere (and oceans) from too much fossil fuel burning will likely leave our planet as a sickening place for today’s children, or children to be, to live.
The earth’s atmosphere will trap more radiation thus more heat from the Sun, making weather storm systems much more potent and deadly than those of today.
The water levels of the earth’s oceans will continue rising, warming and the oceans will become more acidic, causing intolerable conditions for many of our oceans’ species. Ecological and biological systems everywhere are likely to be severely impacted. Sustaining life (and living) will become more difficult on Future Planet Earth. If we continue our ecologically reckless burning of fossil fuels, even at the level we burn them now, today’s children and future children will have to pay the price of that overindulgence. The way we are living now is unsustainable, and how long our present day Earth will remain hospitable for human beings and animals to live is limited. Many known “positive global warming feedbacks”, such as more methane releases by the increasing thawing of the permafrost region; and increasing solar radiation absorption (heating) of the Arctic ocean waters due to replacement of its snow and ice cover with its darker, more sunlight-absorbing, sea water are quite probably already kicking in. Once those feedback systems approach their maximum, global warming could take on the characteristics U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry recently described as: “the world’s most fearsome weapon of mass destruction”, and moreover that “the science of climate change is leaping out at us like a scene from a 3D movie… It’s warning us; it’s compelling us to act” (Kerry).
President John F. Kennedy once famously said: “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”
Not many Americans these days must be thinking about the meaning of those words as so many in particular take round-trip flights by jet to far away places, yearly, which requires the burning immense amounts of fossil fuels, especially in take-off and cruising very long distances.
A prime example here in Wisconsin is Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR) and Wisconsin Public Television (WPT) are sponsoring round-trip vacations for anyone who’s willing to pay them to arrange flights to Hawaii, Ireland, the Mediterranean, and New York City this year. More trips are being planned to other exotic places, as well. In addition to those people not spending their money to help out our state’s economy, those excursions contribute to the many tons of greenhouse gases from the jet airliners flying those tourists to their destinations and back to the Badger State over the course of those flights. I have informed WPR that flying by jet is without question the worst thing individuals can do if their goal is to minimize their greenhouse gas emissions. It appears they care only about making money off these excursions and care little or not at all about the perils of a warming planet they are helping to cause by arranging these exotic trips. It’s shameful.
Global Warming Likely to Hurt Wisconsin Agriculture
Agriculture has been a critical dimension of Wisconsin from early settlement and the logging era, through industrialization, and remains an important economic, social and cultural component of the Dairy State. Wisconsin ranks first nationally in cheese production, and second for milk and butter production. Yet Wisconsin is also second in milk cows, oats, carrots, and sweet corn used in processing. It remains the national leader in processed snap beans, cranberries, corn for silage, mink pelts and milk goats. It is also among the top five states for important agricultural commodities such as potatoes, maple syrup, mint for oil, and cucumbers for pickles.
Continue global warming is predicted to bring increases in both the frequency and the severity of droughts and floods, resulting in increased challenges for Wisconsin farmers and livestock operations. Warmer water temperatures are also likely to cause the habitat ranges of many fish species to shift and disruption of ecosystems already stressed by human activity. Overall, climate change in Wisconsin resulting from global warming will make it more difficult to grow crops, raise animals, and catch fish in the same ways and places as in the past.
Changes in the frequency and severity of droughts and floods could pose challenges for farmers and ranchers. Meanwhile, warmer water temperatures are likely to cause the habitat ranges of many fish species to shift, which could disrupt ecosystems. Overall, climate change could make it more difficult to grow crops, raise animals, and catch fish in the same ways and same places as we have done in the past.
Heat waves, which are projected to increase under climate change, could directly threaten livestock. A number of states have each reported losses of more than 5,000 animals from just one heat wave. Heat stress affects animals both directly and indirectly. Over time, heat stress can increase vulnerability to disease, reduce fertility, and reduce milk production.
Drought may threaten pasture and feed supplies. Drought reduces the amount of quality forage available to grazing livestock. Some areas could experience longer, more intense droughts, resulting from higher summer temperatures and reduced precipitation. For animals that rely on grain, changes in crop production due to drought could also become a problem.
Climate change may increase the prevalence of parasites and diseases that affect livestock.The earlier onset of spring and warmer winters could allow some parasites and pathogens to survive more easily. In areas with increased rainfall, moisture-reliant pathogens could thrive.
Increases in carbon dioxide (CO2) may increase the productivity of pastures, but may also decrease their quality. Increases in atmospheric CO2 can increase the productivity of plants on which livestock feed. However, studies indicate that the quality of some of the forage found in pasture lands decreases with higher CO2. As a result, livestock would need to eat more to get the same nutritional benefits.
The negative effects of climate change will be exacerbated by continuing declines in the acreage of Wisconsin farmland. Wisconsin lost more than 620,000 acres of farmland from 2007 to 2012, a 4% decrease according to the Census of Agriculture, which is conducted every five years by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Likely causes of these declines are urban sprawl development, enabled by federal, state and local highway expansions which replace vegetation and topsoil with heat-absorbing Portland cement or asphalt in order to facilitate continued growth in motor vehicle driving (more fossil fuel burning) and more employment and profits for the construction and bridge building industry.
Sources: U.S. EPA; U. S. Department of Agriculture; Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impact
Pope Francis: People and Political Leaders Have Responsibility to Protect the Earth, Including the Natural and Human Environment
Pope Francis is presently the official head of the Roman Catholic Church. He chose to name himself “Francis”, after St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of the environment. Pope Francis states that protecting creation is a fundamental part of the Catholic church’s mission. He elaborates on the responsibility of people and political leaders having the responsibility protect the earth, including reducing emissions that cause climate change, poverty and destruction of the natural and human environment. See quoted material below. Also provided below are quotes from Pope Francis’s two immediate predecessors, Pope Benedict XVI, who served as Pope from 2005 to 2013, and Pope John II, who was the pope for 27 years and who died in 2005. political leaders to meet their responsibilities on the climate change challenge:
“Even if ‘nature is at our disposition’, all too often we do not ‘respect it or consider it a gracious gift which we must care for and set at the service of our brothers and sisters, including future generations’. Here too what is crucial is responsibility on the part of all in pursuing, in a spirit of fraternity, policies respectful of this earth which is our common home. I recall a popular saying: ‘God always forgives, we sometimes forgive, but when nature – creation – is mistreated, she never forgives!’. We have also witnessed the devastating effects of several recent natural disasters. In particular, I would mention once more the numerous victims and the great devastation caused in the Philippines and other countries of South-East Asia as a result of Super Typhoon Haiyan.”
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Super Typhoon Haiyan was the deadliest storm in modern meteorological record keeping, killing 6,000 people, with 2,000 people still missing. It was the strongest tropical cyclone ever recorded as making landfall as it crossed land directly at the Central Philippines on November 7-8, 2013, and proceeded to create havoc on the other S-E Asia countries. Three months after Super Typhoon Haiyan devastated the Philippines, the destruction and relief struggles are still apparent for the Filipinos. With media coverage having proceeded on to other issues, the Philippine community still needs massive financial help from the outside world.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, $78.7 million is still needed in food security assistance and more than $132 million is needed for emergency shelter. 100% of a donation to the Salvation Army for the relief effort in Tacloban goes directly to the people of Philippines.
Super Typhoon Haiyan displaced an estimated four million people in the Philippines. The problems actually get worse for many people, they don’t get better.
A documentary is available online. Watch it here: http://www.savn.tv/campaign/view/1150
“Man is not in charge today, money is in charge, money rules. God our Father did not give the task of caring for the earth to money, but to us, to men and women: we have this task! Instead, men and women are sacrificed to the idols of profit and consumption: it is the “culture of waste.” If you break a computer it is a tragedy, but poverty, the needs, the dramas of so many people end up becoming the norm… in so many parts of the world there are children who have nothing to eat, that’s not news, it seems normal. It cannot be this way! Yet these things become the norm: that some homeless people die of cold on the streets is not news. In contrast, a ten point drop on the stock markets of some cities, is a tragedy”.
“We are called not only to respect the natural environment, but also to show respect for, and solidarity with, all the members of our human family. These two dimensions are closely related; today we are suffering from a crisis which is not only about the just management of economic resources, but also about concern for human resources, for the needs of our brothers and sisters living in extreme poverty, and especially for the many children in our world lacking adequate education, health care and nutrition. Consumerism and a “culture of waste” have led some of us to tolerate the waste of precious resources, including food, while others are literally wasting away from hunger. I ask all of you to reflect on this grave ethical problem in a spirit of solidarity grounded in our common responsibility for the earth and for all our brothers and sisters in the human family.”
“Please, I would like to ask all those who have positions of responsibility in economic, political and social life, and all men and women of goodwill: let us be “protectors” of creation, protectors of God’s plan inscribed in nature, protectors of one another and of the environment. Let us not allow omens of destruction and death to accompany the advance of this world!”
POPE BENEDICT XVI
“I wish to reflect today upon the relationship between the Creator and ourselves as guardians of his creation. In so doing I also wish to offer my support to leaders of governments and international agencies who soon will meet at the United Nations to discuss the urgent issue of climate change. The
Earth is indeed a precious gift of the Creator who, in designing its intrinsic order, has given us guidelines that assist us as stewards of his creation. Precisely from within this framework, the Church considers that matters concerning the environment and its protection are intimately linked with integral human development. [There is] a pressing moral need for renewed solidarity not only between countries but also between individuals, since the natural environment is given b God to everyone, and so our use of it entails a personal responsibility towards humanity as a whole, particularly towards the poor and towards future generations…How important it is then, that the international community and individual governments send the right signals to their citizens and succeed in countering harmful ways of treating the environment! The protection of the environment, and the safeguarding of resources and of the climate, oblige all leaders to act jointly, respecting the law and promoting solidarity with the weakest regions of the world.” (December 8, 2007)
“My dear friends, God’s creation is one and it is good. The concerns for non-violence, sustainable development, justice and peace, and care for our environment are of vital importance for humanity.” (Speaking at World Youth Day, June 2008)
“At a time of world food shortage, of financial turmoil, of old and new forms of poverty, of disturbing climate change, of violence and deprivation which force many to leave their homelands in search of a less precarious form of existence, of the ever-present threat of terrorism, of growing fears over the future, it is urgent to rediscover grounds for hope. Let no one draw back from this peaceful battle that has been launched by Christ’s Resurrection. For as I said earlier, Christ is looking for men and women who will help him to affirm his victory using his own weapons: the weapons of justice and truth, mercy, forgiveness and love”. (Easter 2009)
POPE JOHN PAUL II
“The gradual depletion of the ozone layer and the related ‘greenhouse effect’ has now reached crisis proportions as a consequence of industrial growth, massive urban concentrations and vastly increased energy needs. Industrial waste, the burning of fossil fuels, unrestricted deforestation, the use of certain types of herbicides, coolants and propellants: all of these are known to harm the atmosphere and environment. The resulting meteorological and atmospheric changes range from damage to health to the possible future submersion of low-lying lands.”
“Faced with the widespread destruction of the environment, people everywhere are coming to understand that we cannot continue to use the goods of the earth as we have in the past. The public in general as well as political leaders are concerned about this problem, and experts from a wide range of disciplines are studying its causes. Moreover, a new ecological awareness is beginning to emerge which, rather than being downplayed, ought to be encouraged to develop into concrete programs and initiatives.
“The most profound and serious indication of the moral implications underlying the ecological problem is the lack of respect for life evident in many of the patterns of environmental pollution. Often, the interests of production prevail over concern for the dignity of workers, while economic interests take priority over the good of individuals and even entire peoples. In these cases, pollution or environmental destruction is the result of an unnatural and reductionist vision which at times leads to a genuine contempt for man.
“On another level, delicate ecological balances are upset by the uncontrolled destruction of animal and plant life or by a reckless exploitation of natural resources. It should be pointed out that all of this, even if carried out in the name of progress and well-being, is ultimately to mankind’s disadvantage.”
“Respect for life, and above all for the dignity of the human person, is the ultimate guiding norm for any sound economic, industrial or scientific progress.”
“The complexity of the ecological question is evident to all. There are, however, certain underlying principles, which, while respecting the legitimate autonomy and the specific competence of those involved, can direct research towards adequate and lasting solutions. These principles are essential to the building of a peaceful society; no peaceful society can afford to neglect either respect for life or the fact that there is an integrity to creation.
“Theology, philosophy and science all speak of a harmonious universe, of a “cosmos” endowed with its own integrity, its own internal, dynamic balance. This order must be respected. The human race is called to explore this order, to examine it with due care and to make use of it while safeguarding its integrity.
“On the other hand, the earth is ultimately a common heritage, the fruits of which are for the benefit of all. In the words of the Second Vatican Council, “God destined the earth and all it contains for the use of every individual and all peoples”. This has direct consequences for the problem at hand. It is manifestly unjust that a privileged few should continue to accumulate excess goods, squandering available resources, while masses of people are living in conditions of misery at the very lowest level of subsistence. Today, the dramatic threat of ecological breakdown is teaching us the extent to which greed and selfishness – both individual and collective – are contrary to the order of creation, an order which is characterized by mutual interdependence.
“The concepts of an ordered universe and a common heritage both point to the necessity of a more internationally coordinated approach to the management of the earth’s goods. In many cases the effects of ecological problems transcend the borders of individual States; hence their solution cannot be found solely on the national level. Recently there have been some promising steps towards such international action, yet the existing mechanisms and bodies are clearly not adequate for the development of a comprehensive plan of action. Political obstacles, forms of exaggerated nationalism and economic interests – to mention only a few factors – impede international cooperation and long-term effective action.
“The need for joint action on the international level does not lessen the responsibility of each individual State. Not only should each State join with others in implementing internationally accepted standards, but it should also make or facilitate necessary socio-economic adjustments within its own borders, giving special attention to the most vulnerable sectors of society. The State should also actively endeavur within its own territory to prevent destruction of the atmosphere and biosphere, by carefully monitoring , among other things, the impact of new technological or scientific advances. The State also has the responsibility of ensuring that its citizens are not exposed to dangerous pollutants or toxic wastes. The right to a safe environment is ever more insistently presented today as a right that must be included in an updated Charter of Human Rights.
“Modern society will find no solution to the ecological problem unless it takes a serious look at its life style. In many parts of the world society is given to instant gratification and consumerism while remaining indifferent to the damage which these cause. As I have already stated, the seriousness of the ecological issue lays bare the depth of man’s moral crisis. If an appreciation of the value of the human person and of human life is lacking, we will also lose interest in others and in the earth itself. Simplicity, moderation and discipline, as well as a spirit of sacrifice, must become a part of everyday life, lest all suffer the negative consequences of the careless habits of a few.
“An education in ecological responsibility is urgent: responsibility for oneself, for others, and for the earth. This education cannot be rooted in mere sentiment or empty wishes. Its purpose cannot be ideological or political. It must not be based on a rejection of the modern world or a vague desire to return to some “paradise lost” . Instead, a true education in responsibility entails a genuine conversion in ways of thought and behavior. Churches and religious bodies, non-governmental and governmental organizations, indeed all members of society, have a precise role to play in such education. The first educator, however, is the family, where the child learns to respect his neighbor and to love nature….The relationship between a good aesthetic education and the maintenance of a healthy environment cannot be overlooked.
“Today the ecological crisis has assumed such proportions as to be the responsibility of everyone. As I have pointed out, its various aspects demonstrate the need for concerted efforts aimed at establishing the duties and obligations that belong to individuals, peoples, States and the international community. This not only goes hand in hand with efforts to build true peace, but also confirms and reinforces those efforts in a concrete way. When the ecological crisis is set within the broader context of the search for peace within society, we can understand better the importance of giving attention to what the earth and its atmosphere are telling us: namely, that there is an order in the universe which must be respected, and that the human person, endowed with the capability of choosing freely, has a grave responsibility to preserve this order for the well-being of future generations. I wish to repeat that the ecological crisis is a moral issue.
“Even men and women without any particular religious conviction, but with an acute sense of their responsibilities for the common good, recognize their obligation to contribute to the restoration of a healthy environment. All the more should men and women who believe in God the Creator, and who are thus convinced that there is a well-defined unity and order in the world, feel called to address the problem. Christians, in particular, realize that their responsibility within creation and their duty towards nature and the Creator are an essential part of their faith. As a result, they are conscious of a vast field of ecumenical and inter-religious cooperation opening up before them.
“At the conclusion of this Message, I should like to address directly my brothers and sisters in the Catholic Church, in order to remind them of their serious obligation to care for all of creation. The commitment of believers to a healthy environment for everyone stems directly from their belief in God the Creator, from their recognition of the effects of original and personal sin, and from the certainty of having been redeemed by Christ. Respect for life and for the dignity of the human person extends also to the rest of creation, which is called to join man in praising God.
“In 1979, I proclaimed Saint Francis of Assisi as the heavenly Patron of those who promote ecology. He offers Christians an example of genuine and deep respect for the integrity of creation. As a friend of the poor who was loved by God’s creatures, Saint Francis invited all of creation – animals, plants, natural forces, even Brother Sun and Sister Moon – to give honor and praise to the Lord. The poor man of Assisi gives us striking witness that when we are at peace with God we are better able to devote ourselves to building up that peace with all creation which is inseparable from peace among all peoples.
“It is my hope that the inspiration of Saint Francis will help us to keep ever alive a sense of “fraternity” with all those good and beautiful things which Almighty God has created. And may he remind us of our serious obligation to respect and watch over them with care, in light of that greater and higher fraternity that exists within the human family.”(8 December 1989 – from the Vatican, Rome – World Day of Peace Message, January 1990)
Source: http://catholicclimatecovenant.org/
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California May Finally Get Rain
The National Weather Service (NWS) reports that every square mile of California is in some state of drought, and almost 15% of the state, mostly in central California’s agricultural heartland, is in the most extreme state of exceptional drought. Rainfall in some of the most populated parts of the state has been all but nonexistent since July 1; San Francisco had just 5.85 inches of rain, about 35% of what’s normal for that location, and Los Angeles had just 1.2 inches of rain, less than 10% of what it normally gets for that period of the year.
Snowpack in the Sierra Nevada basin – the water bank for much of California – is way below average. By every count, California is in a truly historic drought that will cost the state and the country billions of dollars. Food prices are beginning to rise across the U.S., reflecting the effects of California’s drought.
The NWS projects that this week a pair of Pacific storms are expected to bring as much as 2 inches of rain to the coast, and several feet of snow to the Sierra Nevadas.
Still, despite the fact that Los Angeles could receive more rain this week than it has in nearly eight months, the drought will be far from over. Even with the storms that are predicted, much of California will still be way below average for precipitation this time of year.
Testimony on AB 1 to Assembly Jobs, Economy and Mining Committee, Regarding Governor Walker’s Proposed State Income and Property Tax Cuts
Following is the text of my public testimony for the Wisconsin Assembly’s Jobs, Economy and Mining Committee on Assembly Bill 1. AB 1 is Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s proposed $406 million in property tax cuts and $98 million in state income tax cuts, which would both be returned to Wisconsin’s tax payers with passage of the bill.
I, Michael Neuman, attended the public hearing, held in room 417 of the State Capitol building, Madison, on February 5, 2014. The text of my testimony published below is intended to accompany the three documents I delivered for the committee at the hearing. This testimony also supports my statement of opposition to AB 1, which I submitted immediately prior to the hearing.
DOCUMENTS
A. “Financial Incentives to Reduce Total Driving, Flying and Home Energy Use”, by Michael T. Neuman, May 2000 (25 pgs);
B. Letter “To My Elected Governmental Officials RE: “PROTECTION FROM GLOBAL WARMING”, by Michael T. Neuman, Madison, Wisconsin, May 26, 2000 (1 pg. – cover letter attached to , above);
C. “EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, Conserve, NOW!, Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Other Environmental Costs by Offering Financial Incentives that Reward Less Driving, Flying and Home Energy Use”, by Michael T. Neuman, August 1, 2001 (6 pgs.).
TEXT OF TESTIMONY
Good afternoon. My name is Michael Neuman. Thank you for the opportunity to testify on this bill, which would turn over hundreds of millions of state dollars to state taxpayers. The reason I oppose this action is because it simply gives the money to Wisconsin taxpayers rather than them having to earn the money back. A far better approach to returning this money to Wisconsin residents would be to create and fund a state program to offer the money back in the form of “positive financial incentives” which encourage state residents to DRIVE LESS ANNUAL MILES than the average miles driven (by individual or family) in the state; to avoid flying due to the massive volumes of jet fuel burned in flying; and to encourage household consume less fossil fuel energy that is derived from fossil fuels, such as coal and natural gas, compared to the average amount of energy used over the previous year by similar sized household.
The primary aim of this program, called “Conserve, NOW, Conserve Now ex sum is to substantially reduce Wisconsin’s annual quantities of greenhouse gases emitted from Wisconsin’s transportation and energy production sectors, which account for the two largest quantities of anthropogenic (human caused) greenhouse gas tons emitted on an annual basis.
Few people question that global warming is occurring anymore, and just as few still question if we humans could be causing it, despite that nine-eight percent of global warming scientists surveyed now say it is, that we are primarily responsible for the warming that has occurred so far. The reason is our burning of way too much fossil fuels for energy, particularly around the beginning of the 19th century. That is when human began relying on motor vehicle driving, flying by airplane, shipping, and the use of electricity in a big way, and these are all continuing to grow, worldwide.
Some cities, counties and states have already begun to plan for the changes in the climate that lies ahead, and the predicted potential for more dangerous extreme weather continues to be realized around the planet, and the potential for even worse weather extremes grows as the planet warms, the arctic ice shrinks, the permafrost regions thaw, glaciers recede, oceans levels rise, the destruction of the world’s carbon dioxide using tropical forests continue, while more people throughout world burn more and more fossil fuels, adding to the accumulation of more and more millions of tons of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere that surrounds the planet.
Many communities have already begun planning their infrastructure to accommodate “new normals” with global warming built into the assumptions. Dane County and Madison in Wisconsin both have begun that planning process. So has New York City and a number of other cities, counties and states in the U.S. The state of California has been also been engaged heavily in mitigation by actively attempting to reduce their greenhouse gases and rely more on solar and wind energy and mass transit.
Changes in Wisconsin’s climate are also inevitable, with heavier early winter and fall rains which tend to cause more flooding and hotter, more drought-like condition in summer (as in 2012). Our current and projected future greenhouse gas emissions under a “business as usual” economy and way of life are unsustainable. Current levels levels of fossil fuel burning have already led to more instability in the climate which leads to more dangerous, less hospitable environmental conditions for humans as well as animal life. The financial and human burdens and potential for loss of life will grow and become more threatening unless we invest in major mitigation that results in meaningful worldwide reductions of greenhouse gases and investments are made to adapt to the changes in climate today, rather than waiting for more weeks, months and years to pass, as has been done since 2000 when I first proposed “Concern NOW”, or “Positive Financial Incentives: An Environmentally Just Approach for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions” (blog post #7).
Despite that fact that 98% of the world’s scientists who have studied global warming conclude that it is, that the rise in greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere is already documented, and that global warming and extreme weather events have already has been occurring (Super Typhoon Haiyan; Super Storm Sandy, …) as well as disruptive changes to the climate (Southern California drought; Australia’s long heatwaves) have already been registered throughout the planet due to warming which threatens to worsen, further warming the earth’s atmosphere and added ocean warming and “acidification” (A certain percentage of the carbon dioxide that is emitted to the atmosphere gets assimilated by the oceans, making the oceans’ waters more acidic.) The combination of the warmer and more acidic ocean water is already destroying coral reef in many areas and depleting many other ocean species in various parts of the world.
The proposed financial incentives program, also called “Conserve NOW”, would not only lead to Wisconsin’s reduction of annual greenhouse gas emissions from the state, it would also lower the needs for capacity expansion of Wisconsin’s highway, airport, and utility infrastructure expansions, which would save billions of transportation and energy production dollars, in addition to reducing other pollutant emissions from fewer motor vehicles operating on the system and the avoidance of otherwise unavoidable impacts of infrastructure expansion construction and maintenance.
Because of the growing threats now being realized throughout the world as a result of global warming, I am proposing the financial incentives for driving less, or not at all, not flying, and using less than average fossil fuel derived energy in the home be TRIPLE the incentives proposed in my 2000 proposal, that the federal government fund two-thirds of the annual cost of the program, and that the state of Wisconsin fund the remaining third of the porogram, which I now call “Conserve NOW X3”.
We can ill afford to continue with “business as usual” as regards fossil fuel burning if we want to be assured that today’s children and children of the future living on this planet will not have to live with a growing fear of evermore probable and calamitous natural disasters. Instead of a maximum total of $7,600 for those who don’t drive, fly or use fossil fuel derived energy in their home, a maximum of $22,800 (3 times the previous maximum) could be earned by those who do the same (the amount get progressively less for those who do).
The $406 million the governor of Wisconsin proposes to return to state property taxpayers would be an ample amount to begin offering these incentives as not everyone who enrolls in this financial incentives program will earn the maximum amount.
For the federal share of this program, a good amount could come from the savings in avoiding sinking more federal funds in continuing to expand the state highway system in Wisconsin. Other funds could come from not continuing to exempt the airline industry from paying jet fuel taxes, and from having the airline industry fund federal aviation control employees (rather than the current system of having the U.S. taxpayers pay the salaries of 15,000 FAA flight controllers). Finally, an increase in federal gasoline and diesel taxes should also be considered to fund financial incentives for the American public to drive less. Until this type of program is enacted, Americans should consider voluntarily driving and flying less, and conserving on energy derived from burning fossil fuels, in addition to taking other steps they might consider that will help maintain and preserve the earth as a safe and hospitable place to live.
Hundreds of Reptiles, Amphibians Found Dead at South Africa Airport
31 January 2014
Johannesburg (AFP) – Several hundred reptiles and amphibians were found dead at Johannesburg airport when a routine inspection uncovered some 1,600 of the creatures crammed into two crates destined for the United States.
The shipment, from Madagascar, was left unattended in the cargo area of OR Tambo International Airport after bad weather delayed flights to the US, South Africa’s National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) said on Friday.
“The bad smell coming from the sealed animal crates indicated that many of the reptiles were dead or dying and in need of urgent assistance,” the NSPCA said in a statement.
The surviving animals, which include geckos, frogs, chameleons, lizards and toads, are being treated at Johannesburg Zoo.
The NSPCA said the animals had been kept in small muslin bags or plastic tubes for about five days before they were found on January 29.
“Many animals could not move or turn around in their containers. None had been provided with water,” it said.
More than 360 of the creatures died of dehydration, kidney failure, cannibalism and infections, Johannesburg Zoo managing director Bulumko Nelana told Sapa news agency.
The shipment was legal and the animals were destined for the pet trade, according to the NSPCA.
“People who have exotic animals as pets must realise that they are causing this cruelty. Without the demand for these animals as pets, there would be no market and these animals would not be stolen from the wild,” said Ainsley Hay, the manager of the NSPCA’s Wildlife Protection Unit.
Source: News.Yahoo.com
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