What We Did This Year

It’s the time of year when our mailboxes and email are flooded with requests for funds. But just what have we accomplished worldwide against Climate Change? The groups I follow, Sierra Club, Greenpeace, Nature Conservancy, Environmental Defense Fund, and Audubon Society, are all sending out their accomplishments. I am just an ordinary person and this is my perspective of what has changed. 

First, we are on our way to making electric cars in the Western world. Norway leads the world in per capita use, although China has the most cars in use. (1) The US has been slow to change, with gas-guzzling trucks, SUVs and luxury cars common in most areas. My only concern with this is what we will use to create the electricity. Germany has closed three of the last six nuclear power plants, showing how smart they are once again. (2) One positive outcome of the COVID pandemic is that skies cleared when people stopped driving. So we got to see what clean air looked like. Of course, clear does not mean clean.

Businesses have found a selling point to be carbon neutral, so we have moved past the pioneer stage of change. News outlets are reporting on climate change daily. This means “a rapidly evolving research” (3) in most areas. 

A good summary before the Climate Change Conference was on Vox. “Coal is effectively dead in many countries. Renewable prices are falling rapidly. The price of solar fell by 89 percent in the past decade. Onshore wind fell by 70 percent. They’re now cheaper than coal and gas. To make this transition, we will need lots of energy storage. There’s good news there too: The price of batteries has fallen by 97 percent in the past 30 years.”(4)

The Hill had a summary of how well/badly we have done in combatting climate change. (5) Zaelke and Dreyfus see positives as advances in science, policy and activism. Feedback loops, which I covered in a previous post, are being monitored. Fossil fuels are on their way out, at a snail’s pace. Awareness of the need for natural habitat and the species it contains, and activism by youth are on the rise. The World Bank is putting its money where its mouth is, starting a fund to help countries trying to advance in this field.

So, to sum up, we have turned the bow of the ship. Although we signed back onto the Climate Change Agreement, my greatest hope is with the youth of today. They are being affected the most, and they have the best chance to turn things around. I believe they will.

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_car_use_by_country#, accessed 12/31/21
2. https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-germany-angela-merkel-gerhard-schroeder-11b97717f822a38c90fb7483ffc825aa, accessed 12/31/21
3. Lionello, P., Abrantes, F., Gacic, M. et al. The climate of the Mediterranean region: research progress and climate change impacts. Reg Environ Change 14, 1679–1684 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-014-0666-0, accessed 12/32/21
4. Lopez, German. The world’s progress on climate change. https://www.vox.com/the-weeds/2021/11/5/22765434/climate-change-global-warming-progress-glasgow-cop26, accessed 12/31/21
5. Zaelke, Durwood, and Dreyfus, Gabrielle. The good, the bad and the ugly of climate change in 2021 — but it’s not too late to act. https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/587652-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-of-climate-change-in-2021-but-its. 12/29/21. Accessed 12/31/21.

Inspiration

I was absolutely inspired this month when I was asked to give a short talk on poetry to a group of gifted students who are writing about climate change. The students who are learning about climate change are our hope for the future. The organization that is mobilizing these children is Chicago Gifted Community Center . They support a Climate Summit once a year, and the link above will take you to the page where writing is accepted for this, whether you’re a kid or adult. 

As I have mentioned before, the news is full of actions being taken by countries all over the world. Unfortunately, the United States can’t seem to get over its love affair with fossil fuels. I understand that people will be thrown out of work. So let’s train them to do something else they enjoy. I have traveled into a mine (northern Michigan) and it is not a fun job. It does put food on the table, so people don’t want to give it up. I get that. But it is going to be obsolete in a few years. Start learning new skills, people.

As for the owners of fossil fuel companies, take some of the millions you are making today and invest in another type of renewable energy. Some countries have already done it. Iceland and Sweden are leading the way, with almost 100% renewable energy. Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Germany, Uruguay, United Kingdom, Denmark and China round out the top ten. 

Our present system of government is failing on this front, with a minority of rural states bucking the trend. It will take a massive effort to overcome the people representing these states, who don’t want progress in our response to climate change. In fact, I have a family member who doesn’t believe there is a crisis. And it’s not the one that was described as “he doesn’t believe there’s a flood until he feels the water.”

So how do we overcome the reluctance of many people to even acknowledge there is a crisis? I believe it will come. In every new idea/invention there are several groups: the pioneers, the settlers and those who don’t want change at all. There is an excellent description of change management here: Caveo Learning. We have had pioneers for some time now, and the mass of humanity that sees the danger of not changing is beginning to move. Let's see what Caveo says about addressing the reluctance to change.

We address resistance through audience analysis. Gather data that predicts or measures resistance by the various target populations, then analyze it to determine where the problems are, the size of the problems of resistance, and the potential impact on the project. Then, build action plans to mitigate the resistance.

Of course, don’t focus solely on resistance avoidance. There are many positives—or at least, there should be—for the change being implemented; focus on those benefits, as well. (1)

Perhaps we should change our focus and spend more time preparing people for the major shift that is inevitable if we survive. 

(1) Change Management and Countering Resistance to Organizational Change  https://www.caveolearning.com/blog/change-management-and-countering-resistance-to-organizational-change, accessed 10/22.

Climate Emergency

 We have gone from Global Warming to Climate Change to Climate Emergency in the last couple of years. Of course, there are those who have been pointing to this future, as we went about our business happily hoping some magic technology fix would occur so that we wouldn't have to change. Unfortunately, nature doesn't work that way. We are learning by our mistakes that nature can be inflexible at times. Warm up the atmosphere and you will warm up the oceans. Warm up the oceans and you will melt the polar ice caps, create massive storms unpredictable in scope and location. Warm up the climate and you will ensure massive extinctions, that may include ourselves. 

I have been raising butterflies for three years. The first year, I had over 100 monarch butterflies hatch from their chrysalides. Last year, although milkweed was plentiful, I only raised 20. This year, so far, I have raised one swallowtail and two monarchs. Was it the very wet June that drowned several of my dahlia, or the drought since then that killed my milkweed? I can only hope this is not occurring species-wide. I think it was the insecticide my association felt compelled to spray on the lawn because people don't want to have lawns that look "bad" from insects. 

How do you reach people who are blind to what is occuring? The media has picked up on this topic and we are now deluged with ideas every day. I began this year choosing one topic and writing on it, but I am overwhelmed by the amount of information out there. My need for constant stimulation doesn't help much. I listen to public radio and watch the news every day. I think the most promising news is that we as a species have realized we are on schedule for disaster after disaster until we solve some of the problems. 

Most pressing, of course, is the carbon in the atmosphere. It was startling to see how clean the air became with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. People stayed home for weeks, traffic was negligible and the skies were blue over Chicago. So, our modes of transportation have been the first to be changed. Electric cars will be a reality in a few years (what will we do with all those batteries?) and buses have already gone electric in half a dozen cities.

Companies are also beginning to find ways to capture carbon from the atmosphere. Today, Iceland opened the world's largest carbon capture plant. (1) It will capture 4,000 tons of carbon dioxide from the air, the equivalent of 870 cars. If we can create these plants all over the world, they will have an impact.

Solar and wind power continue to increase in use. Governments all over the world are making commitments to improve mitigation efforts. The United Nations has made climate action a Sustainable Development Goal (#13) . In fact, the United Nations has the most extensive list of resources I have seen on the Web. (2) It is understandable that the governing body of the world would have the broadest view of the effects of each country on the environment.

I have more hope now than I have ever had. Those that are fighting this change will soon be outnumbered and hopefully the governments will take note.

(1) https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/sep/09/worlds-biggest-plant-to-turn-carbon-dioxide-into-rock-opens-in-iceland-orca . Accessed 9/24/21

(2) https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/ . Accessed 9/24/21

Alaska

 My family counselor said of my son that he didn't believe there was a flood until he felt the water. This could aptly describe the attitude of Alaskans toward climate change. Don't get me wrong, it is absolutely beautiful there, the people are wonderful, and I am sure there are many that are worried about the warming. What was surprising to me was that Alaska favored no taxes over renewable energy sources. They had no recycling except in government buildings. They make a good deal of money from tourists, who must go by plane, train, ship or car, all of which use fossil fuels. Alaska is still mostly wilderness, with only 300,000 people in its largest city. The state basically has two main roads, linking Fairbanks to Anchorage and Anchorage to Canada. Many citizens fly small planes to travel within the state. Although the snow is melting faster, glaciers are sliding down mountains, and the pine beetle has killed millions of pines along the base of the mountains, (1) global warming is a topic that is avoided with tourists (they may discuss it among themselves). At dinner one night, a gentleman who had moved there after years of visiting in the summer said that the mountains have 1/3 the snow they used to have. As someone who camped in the Rockies a half dozen times, I know what the glaciers there looked like 70 years ago. There are no glaciers in Rocky Mountain National Park today. The West, in general, has a denial system in place about global warming, in spite of the 20-year drought, savage forest fires, and heat waves that kill people. This denial system helps continue living in the world without changing the way we live. I include myself in that system, and I know how harmful denial can be, both as a relative of an alcoholic and as a teacher of children with disabilities. You can't solve the problems you don't see. I sure hope this changes soon.

(1) Popkin, Gabriel, Invasive Insects and Diseases Are Killing Our Forests, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/06/opinion/epidemic-invasive-species-trees.html

A Long, Hot Summer

I began writing this in the middle of May, after rotator-cuff surgery. I have to admit that I became overwhelmed with the amount of climate change information that comes into my life on  a daily basis. I decided the best attempt might be to list resources for those who are interested.  

I start with the most recent; a video made by PBS about Greta Thunberg, who is one of my heroes. She is demanding change now. Although this video was made in 2020, it was one of the first to show what progress is being made. Her question in a carbon-capture plant was very accurate. Why not just build wind or solar technology? Fortunately, the world has changed in one year. Our present government is beginning an aggressive plan to  change the way we do business. Will this change in the future? No one knows.

Greta Thunberg - Year to Change the World

https://www.pbs.org/show/greta-thunberg-year-change-world/

At the web site for the Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development (https://www.igsd.org/), a tweet from Helena Molin Valdes recommends a new video with David Attenborough on Netflix; "The future’s not determined, the future is in our hands.” Sir David Attenborough tells the story of one of the most important scientific discoveries of our time. "Breaking Boundaries: The Science of Our Planet", coming 4 June."

I had intended to put Climate Wednesdays down as a resource because I heard an interview on public radio with one of the members, but apparently they do not do every Wednesday. Still, if you are interested, there might be important information here:

Climate Wednesdays

Brooklyn Public Library

https://www.bklynlibrary.org/event-series/climate-wednesdays

Enjoy your summer. I’m hoping it’s not as hot as Chicago has been for the last month. 

Change

 I’m not a scientist. I didn’t even take a science class in college, unless you count psychology. My knowledge about science comes from a lifelong interest in scientific topics: in no specific order, plants, space, chemistry, ecology, technology and geology. I read Discover Magazine, thank you Wilda Morris for my free subscription, and listen to Science Friday religiously, pun intended. 

I love to write about nature. It gained an idyllic representation in the late 18th and early 19th century literature, but it can be quite ruthless. Ask anyone who has seen a cat play with a mouse or a flood wash away a car. Nature is not a person, has no emotions, no personality. When the temperature rises to a certain point, ice melts. When trees burn, they release carbon. When animals lose habitat, they move or die.

As a pioneer in Early Childhood Special Education Technology, I learned of the stages of change and the reactions of people to that change. Shawn Galloway(1) characterizes people according to their reactions: pioneers, yes people, crowd followers, skeptics and cave people. 

I’d like to think we have finally made it to the crowd follower stage of development. New books, news items, and even college studies are common, although our country is still divided in opinion. I have already written about Greta Thunberg. Bill Gates says we need to get to zero emissions to reverse the heating. Will anyone listen to him?

Galloway, Shawn, “Five Types of People in Organizational Change”, 1/1/2017, accessed 3/31/2021

https://ohsonline.com/articles/2017/01/01/five-types-of-people-in-organizational-change.aspx?admgarea=magazine&m=1

Climate Disasters: I Was So Certain

 Climate Change 2.0

If you weren’t paying attention this month, there was a catastrophic climate event. This was the third Polar Vortex in my lifetime of 73 years, and all three occurred in the last 10 years. The first time it happened, my mother was still alive. I drove to her house before the snow hit so that I could be there in an emergency. I didn’t try to figure out why it was happening, but with another in 2019 and 2020, it dawned on me that if we are experiencing polar weather, then it is not occurring where it is supposed to - at the pole. Sure enough, some scientists believe the air at the pole is displaced when the air at the pole is warm. 

“This warming is believed to be weakening and fragmenting the polar vortex, and distorting the polar jet stream, the ring of westerly winds that typically keeps the ultra-cold air mass contained to the Arctic Circle.”(1)

With polar temperatures warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet, I’m afraid I agree with Greta Thunberg, who says we have less than ten years to change the environmental history of the planet.

I talked about feedback loops last month, but I’d like to talk about the poles this month. Many years ago, I took a class online from a Canadian University. Sorry, I can’t remember which one, but it was a GREAT class. One thing I had never thought about was the salt content of the oceans. Salt drops to the floor of the ocean when the water freezes. Ocean currents pick it up and carry it all over the world. But what if less water freezes? 

Salinity levels are important for two reasons. First, along with temperature, they directly affect seawater density (salty water is denser than freshwater) and therefore the circulation of ocean currents from the tropics to the poles. These currents control how heat is carried within the oceans and ultimately regulate the world’s climate. Second, sea surface salinity is intimately linked to Earth’s overall water cycle and to how much freshwater leaves and enters the oceans through evaporation and precipitation. Measuring salinity is one way to probe the water cycle in greater detail. (2) For a detailed explanation of oceanic warming, this web site has colorful graphics to show you: https://www.iucn.org/resources/issues-briefs/ocean-warming#:~:text=Data%20from%20the%20US%20National,over%20the%20past%20100%20years. IUCN stands for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. 

In the last month, two events have surfaced in my life. First, the Chicago Gifted Community Center is hosting a Kids’ Climate Summit on April 13th. For more information, look here: https://www.chicagogiftedcommunity.org/KCS-2021, then I got Bill Gates’ new book in the mail, and watched his interview with Trevor Noah. 

Today, after I wrote this, Science Friday interviewed a climate scientist who shot my theory down. Oh well.

 I have been an environmentalist since the 1960s but I am still learning. Hope you are, too.

1. https://www.chicagotribune.com/weather/ct-met-polar-vortex-climate-change-20190130-story.html, accessed 2/27/21.
2. https://insideclimatenews.org/news/14092020/ocean-saltwater-climate-change-extreme-weather/, accessed 2/27/21.

Climate Change 2021

Climate Change

The theme I chose for this year is Climate Change. I had hoped to learn and write about it last year, but it was impossible not to get sidetracked. I’m not going to address people who don’t believe it is occurring or even those who don’t believe mankind is causing it. This is for people who believe in the science and read what scientists have to say about it. 

There has been a benefit to the containment caused by the COVID-19 epidemic and that is that we have all had to rely on technology to see our friends and learn about the world. I had the pleasure of watching Greta Thunberg and the Dalai Lama discuss climate change with two climate scientists at my breakfast last week. Susan Natale  (renowned Arctic scientist with Woodshole Oceanographic Institute) and William Moomaw (lead author on reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change/IPCC, and the co-recipient of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize) each gave a glimpse into their research and talked about feedback loops that aren’t even considered in the Climate Change international agreement. There are three videos that help to visualize what is going on ecologically.

Natale discussed her studies in the Arctic and the feedback loop being created there. The permafrost is thawing and temperatures are rising twice as fast as the rest of the planet. When the permafrost thaws, it releases gas that has been frozen. In addition, the ground collapses like a slow mudslide. Twice as much carbon is released in permafrost as in the rest of the planet.

Moomaw discussed his research on forests. When temperatures rise, plants release more CO₂. This increases droughts, pests and fires. Fires release more carbon and dead trees don’t absorb any CO_{2 .} Carbon began to increase in the atmosphere in the 1750s with industrialization. Half of the carbon in the atmosphere was created since 1992. Eleven billion tons of carbon have been released, but there are only five billion tons still there. The rest has been absorbed by the oceans and plants. Carbon is stored in dry wood, leaves and soil. Of the carbon stored in the Northern Hemisphere, 50% of it is located in temperate forests. He called for us to rely on wind and solar power, and save and expand the temperate forests, wetlands, marsh and grassland.

Why are these not included in carbon budgets? One reason may be that not many people live at the poles. It is also hard to get data from the poles.

The Dalai Lama noted that the snow is disappearing from the mountains of Tibet. Ecology is looking into the future and favoring preservation over “progress”. 

Since the first Earth Day, I have heard the argument that we can’t sacrifice our economy for Mother Nature, and I have always thought that Mother Nature will have her revenge if we don’t think about what we are doing.

Serendipity: from “The Thread,” My two must-reads in early 2021 on climate change are:  David Pogue’s “How to Prepare for Climate Change” and Bill Gates’ “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster.”

1. Dalai Lama https://www.facebook.com/339188887615/videos/262379708552887/
2. David Pogue https://www.publicmediamarket.org/blogs/blog/how-to-prepare-for-climate-change-by-david-pogue?utm_campaign=The+Thread_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_source=sfmc_&utm_content=
3. David Pogue https://authory.com/DavidPogue
4. Bill Gates https://www.gatesnotes.com/How-to-Avoid-a-Climate-Disaster
5. The Thread, https://www.mprnews.org/arts/books?utm_campaign=The+Thread_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_source=sfmc_&utm_content=