Welcome back for an update on The Environment This Month…
Each month, I’ll take a look at what’s happening around the globe impacting the future of our planet. This month, Climate Change is high on the list, as countries get set for the Paris meeting. The outlook is bleak as coral is bleaching and dying off at an alarming rate. The reason is that emissions are still very high and countries, though they’re pledging to make changes, are still not making enough of an effort. The fact is that developing countries cannot afford to, and no one is sharing alternative sources to them. The Mid-East makes their fortunes off of the sale of Fossil Fuel. And, in the United States, a faction of the public STILL thinks this is a hoax. Europe is making a concerted effort, as are India and China, but in the face of these three other sectors dragging feet, it’s too little too late.
It’s predicted our ocean temperatures will rise by 2C. That is death to coral reefs and will melt glaciers and a huge portion of the ice cap. At this point, we’re looking at Disney Orlando sinking under water (actually that is probably just my nightmare, although a few inches rise in sea level can sink quite a bit. See this article from 2010 on the rising sea levels). Finance continues to be a huge factor in the promises made to cutting emissions. Think about that for a moment, as world wide the top 1% horde all the cash AND are behind the misinformation against climate science.
Carbon pledges from 147 nations to Paris climate summit ‘are not enough to stop temperature rise’, experts conclude.
World will pass crucial 2C global warming limit, experts warn
Environment | The Guardian
If you don’t believe that there’s some global conspiracy to not do a thing about climate change, lead by corporations and the elite, then you’re not paying attention to the breadcrumb trail that leads back to those individuals. Fox News isn’t alone in being invested in stopping the address of climate change. They’re just a cog in the works, paid for by corporations who earn their biggest bottom line from Fossil Fuel manufacture and sales. And, at the other end of that are those invested in such corporations and the people who kiss their feet.
The truth is, the fossil fuel industry has and is controlling the discussion around climate science. If, back in the 1990s, as the article below states, Exxon Mobil had studied and made findings, why did they start incorporating changes in the function of their business if it was so murky and unclear? I would doubt that such a company would make such a decision to act on something that they’ve been so slow to address or give a real shit about if they didn’t see quite clearly what was coming down the pipe.
“Yet in the far northern regions of Canada’s Arctic frontier, researchers and engineers at Exxon and Imperial Oil were quietly incorporating climate change projections into the company’s planning and closely studying how to adapt the company’s Arctic operations to a warming planet.”
Climate science isn’t a new endeavor. Scientists have been warning about this global catastrophe (yes, it is a global catastrophe already, because many things have happened because of the changes and claimed the lives of average people unable to fight the oligarchy they’re ground under and their world is controlled by) since the 1970s at least. Nearly 50 years later, we’re still ignoring their warnings for the most part. Like the tarot’s Fool, we’re hiking along with our bug of stuff, oblivious.
“As Croasdale’s team was closely studying the impact of climate change on the company’s operations, Exxon and its worldwide affiliates were crafting a public policy position that sought to downplay the certainty of global warming.”
This is patently offensive, isn’t it? Basically, what this should tell you is that Exxon Mobil and other corporations like them have been gambling with the future of your family. They’re impacting the environment on such a level, that they’ve been covering up, manipulating the information and creating a major global catastrophe for our children nad grandchildren to inherit. They’re literally stealing food out of the mouths of babies. What are we going to eat when this comes to full cycle? The article above talks about how a few degrees change in sea temps and levels will affect our food supply, water supply, and the weather. If that information doesn’t scare you, ask yourself why and then re-read the articles.
Back in the 1990’s, Exxon was publicly taking the position that the scientific research on global warming was contradictory and too sketchy to act upon. But, at the same time, its own researchers were quietly incorporating some of those scientific conclusions into the company’s operational forecasts.
What Exxon knew about the Earth’s melting Arctic
Los Angeles Times
But, not all information this month was nightmare worthy.
In recent years, Sea World has been contemplating the expansion of their tanks. This is likely due to increasing pressure from the public, who, thanks to the efforts of filmmakers, has been getting an education in the plight of captive animals such as the Orca.
Back in the 1990s I visited the Ohio park, which is now defunct. The whales were moved to other parks. That was considered an upgrade for them. The pools they were contained in were small. VERY SMALL. It was shortly after that we stopped visiting these parks as a family. At this point in my life, and my level of understanding around animals and captivity, I am sad that we ever gave them a dime. I’m not against all zoos though. Many do captive breeding programs that are vital to wild populations, such as Rhinos.
However, in the case of Sea World, Orcas are not endangered and the deplorable tanks they’re trapped in have horrible effects on the animals, from psychological to physical suffering. Their fins, for example, curl over, whereas they’re straight in the wild. The echo-location they use to gauge their environment creates a deafening cacophony, bouncing off the close, concrete walls. With the realization of the suffering these animals undergo, California’s Coastal Commission has done two wonderful things to help these captive animals: 1. they can have their expanded tanks. 2. they can only have the expanded tanks if Sea World stops breeding the animals.
The ban on breeding will stop the incarceration of whales at the parks. Where will they get them from? Unfortunately, the other parks will not fall under this rule and we have yet to see any legislation or conditions implemented to help those orcas. Perhaps in the future. For now, we can truly be excited about this change, as it will put pressure on Sea World further.
The Coastal Commission approves the expansion of tanks, with conditions.