Hi
I am new here. Like many of you I have been trying hard on alocal level to educate people. I think many just can't grasp the size of this problem. I am building a web site and will be calling it a road map to human extinction. I was going to do it through an email but the format gets modified by each email program. I have covered all the global problems realated to GW. Basically I tracked down all the latest news articles on the net and to a peice of it with headlines and a link to the articles. I have added youtube video clips. It is long but it a no holds bar message. I also cover extinction of humans. I have also tied peak into this to make people aware that we have No Choice to getting of oil, as we are running out. I hope to have it out in the next couple of weeks. My goal is then to send it all the politicians at all levels(I am in Canada). Also I plan sending to as people as I can,to get them to foward the message on. We are on the verge of collaspse . THe US economy is heading into recession and many say worst than the depression
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjTP_Fco-oY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HRZPpbpSjg&feature=related

Fact is humanity is heading into a brick wall. It is being driven by greed. We need to change or we will not survive. I am hoping that people like you can help me pass the message on. Another good site that I found
http://planetextinction.com/index.html

I am truly sorry I wrote that GUY, it was supposed to be funny, but after coming back and reading it, it is not funny at all. I'm sorry.

I also read the link you offered and can see why you have a diverse opinion. Nevertheless, the loss of the oceans phytoplankton, is perhaps the most serious problem humanity has ever faced.

It took a long tme Craig, but you have finally done it. ~I hate you~.

Slow down, Kem, the oceans phytoplankton are the foundation of the worlds aquatic food webs, with the single exception of the life around deep sea vents. All I said was that though they created the worlds oxygen, there is more oxygen in the atmosphere than could react with carbon. Should all life on the planet cease, 1/4 of the oxygen would react with carbon (taking a few centuries at most) while 3/4 would react with iron, taking about half a million years to leave the atmosphere.
The two reasons that I "cast doubt" are that 1, with the real problems out there, I think that we need to not be distracted by frightening but impossible scenarios, and 2, some of those environmental studies that you refer to are ones that I have submitted to, or refereed, myself.
As it happened, I thought that using iron to fertilize algae growth was a mistake due to the oxygen that would be used up. I was as surprised as anyone else in the general community to realize that the obvious mistake we'd overlooked was that the absorption of CO2 by water would acidify oceans, given that this chemical reaction is taught in high school.
Craig

You are wrong PHYSICS TEACHER GUY.___ Dead wrong. Why do you always cast doubt with the studies of the scientists who know the score on every important issue concerning our enviroment? The ocean's phytoplankton are the foundation of ALL life on this planet. Are you senile or what's your problem? What benefit do you contribute to this important discussion?

http://www.whyplankton.com/

Took me a while to look up the relevant facts, but if you assume that all living organisms are pure carbon, and the atmosphere is 20% oxygen, then reacting all of the carbon on Earth with oxygen leaves us with a 15% oxygen atmosphere - if we could filter out the dangerous CO2 levels, it would be breathable. So even without plants or plankton, we won't run out of oxygen. Mind you, we'll starve long before we get there, so don't be too complacent.

UTOPIC, Very positive but it is more than waht you offer. It requires direct action and changing the American way.

Your voice is kind you seek the most that can be had. We are not done yet . . .we need to all work hard for a reversal of directions that fall directly on how the West is going to move. Certainly the US is not in a leadership or moral position. It sits atop of the greed machine and the consumer apex which is the major change necessary in the near term as well as a new conserver ethic to rplace GREED.

We all like to know that something good has happened. But Diplomats are the lowest form of lying life. There is nothing lower than a diplomat unless it is the American president! Below is your latest primer. The problem with this Kyoto cap and trade rubbish is that it allows for pollution at this late date. The entire concept of trading the rights to pollute is based on a business concept! The horrid truth to all of this Kyoto cap and trade negotiations in Bali is that everyone wants to trade pollution instead of stopping it cold turkey and that is necessary. The way to put global warming on hold is to not allow more than 2 degrees Celsius of warming
globally there isn't any magic. The following is the method:

1. All older vehicles refitted to be at least 40 MPG fuel efficient or junked and recycled and not exported.

2. New vehicles not less than 80mpg at minimum but better than that fuel cell or otherwise electric powered.

3. The removal of CO2 from the burning of coal, or the plant is shut down until sequestration technology is up
on line. Yes this will create short term problems.

4. Public transportation or bicycle for all local adventures or outings. Recycling all water for usage
in self contained housing units recapture of rain for
drinking purposes.

5. A change in direction for the creation of new technology that serves sequestration of CO2.

The issue is energy nothing more. Stop the burning of all hydrocarbons unless sequestration is used and in use. Replace all generation of electric power with wind,solar,geothermal and wave action. Also employ rigorous self control and conserver ethics where possible. But we have known all these things for years however, the media and industry have tried to minimize the importance of all these issues because products are advertised by clients who want to produce more things that few people need.

Getting rid of all Nuclear energy because in the production of fuel rods there is an enormous release of hydrocarbons unknown to most! Until we can find the way for fusion, which is possible, but needs investigation and investment! While this is happening the economy will have to slow down and we will have to eat less and be poorer! There is no magic bullet to save this Earth and the lives of the kids and future generations we know what is necessary.

Nuclear energy has been stopped in California and is in the process of being stopped in new England and replaces with wind, solar and all other forms of environemntally sound energy. It Works!!!

Most people in the West want this way of life to continue regardless of the cost. The consumer society and the war for Hydrocarbons is based on the purchase of more trash at the malls produced mainly in China which has surpassed the USA in CO2 production. The USA has simply exported its pollution problem for the production of things in the US to other countries. American have allowed globalization to happen and have bought into it. Has anyone bothered to check on the Chinese rivers and lakes? There is no effective environmental control in China while they are concerned at the top but they are more concerned at beating the western global economy and buying Africa and South America with American dollars.

Right now America is under an additional assault. The oceans are becoming acidic. What does that mean? It means that the oceans are less able to absorb CO2 by one third. Most of this has happened as result of
pollution in the last 150 years. What does that mean? It means that the positive feedback mechanisms will come on stream sooner and therefore will speed up the melting of the poles. The place where ocean mixing takes place is in the Pacific Ocean. The present increases in Ocean acidification are as a result of the warm Atlantic where most of the Acid is coming from transferring to the bottom of the Pacific and
coming to the top. The Oceans have warmed one degree
as well.

I was working feverishly to get the word out about Acid Rain in 1978. I did the first film in North America. You know where acid rain went? It
was killed by the big corps and people in Canada like the Harper regime And others like it in the world who follow the Bush doctrine. These political hacks in the world who are trying to kill anything that smacks of less profit. As usual Wall Street and the special interests and the politicians work together. Well the chickens have come home to roost once again. The ocean acidification will affect the production of a third of the global food supplies. It will retard the coral reefs and possibly kill them and the development of Zoo Plankton phytoplankton. This combination effects the world food supply by a third.

In the next one 50 years but used to be 100 years having dropped 50 years in less than two; The real figure is we have 10 no more to make major changes. There will be major changes of extraordinary kinds unless the American people take the leadership and demand that this bunch of followers seeking the presidency find some kind of courage to lead. But within the next 8 if the changes most believed by most scientists as fundamental are not made listed in the above four points we are done. Is why I will work like hell to get my message out.

Canada deserves tiny applause for letting go of the Bush direction. They actually got together to let there prime minister,Harper know that the game is up! He had to follow the line of the rest of the world and sign onto Kyoto. This is something the special interests in this country will not allow. They are called republicrats a perfect example of what one looks like is called Joe Lieberman who supports McCain and comes from Connecticut and has just supported the worst republican candidate on the list. Many of the present party people could be traded for many on both sides of the the two party system. i think a green party is necessary to save the Earth.

UTOPIC there are very positive words here and I know you want hope. But it means changing the American Lifestyle from a consumer of goods to one of thoughts. We do that here most of us who are writing and care deeply but we are too few, however we are growing in number. Who is going to help us make the necessary changes above UTOPIC? Talking about positive things means listing simply the job that needs to be done before us and supporting those leaders that can get that job done. We have a small chance and a very narrow window of time and we must all work toward that end.

Well said Robert.

If you are on the main island of the Azores by any chance, you are probably safe enough COCO. The thing to do, is to have a pet elephant, if waves are coming they will haul your butt to higher ground without even asking you for permission. Them animals are smart.

GLOBAL WARMING ARROGANCE

Ocean acidification is not the only self perpetuating consequence of carbon pollution. Included also are the melting ice sheets which absorb rather than reflect heat, as the melting permafrost releases more CO2 & methane, and the list goes on. Inundation of low lying areas, spread of tropical diseases to temperate latitudes, sea life destruction from changing ocean chemistry, & currents, are only some potential consequences.

The US rejections of Kyoto, and now the Bali Conference, underscore the dangerous control that special interests exercise over this administration's policies. Their distortions of scientific data typifies their unconscionable war on science. Evidence linking carbon pollution to warming has long been as close to certain as science can be. Its causes, consequences, and mitigation requirements have been documented by many dedicated environmental organizations including The Union of Concerned Scientists.

Special interests argue that the current warming trends follow historic warming cycles, and hence reflect natural weather patterns--but they omit obvious differences: The earlier warming trends developed at slower rates which permitted the ecosystems to adapt. Morever they resulted from temporary natural events, which allowed transitions back to normal temperature patterns--by contrast, the current warming patterns result from artificial causes that will only intensify unless mitigated.

Often overlooked is the fact that, the same measures needed to mitigate global warming would be necessary even if it were no issue. Conservation, alternative energy development, anti- pollution refinements, etc are essential for other vital environmental reforms such as air and water quality, reductions in toxic waste generation, land preservation, etc.

Contrary to right wing assertions, measures to reduce greenhouse gases could only improve our economy by lessening our trade deficits, and improving our security by reducing our dependance on foreign oil. We could also regain some of our lost world respect that has resulted from our rejection of Kyoto while arrogantly contributing disproportionally to carbon pollution. With our participation in international efforts, China & India could no longer use our non-compliance as an excuse for their non-participation.

The environmental and social damage from our indifference to carbon pollution can only worsen if we allow this administration, guided special interests, to continue their war against our planet.

KEM -- No, not you. It's below sea-level (Cee-level), glug GLUG choke CHOKE

I once had a bird, called Bird Brain - that died in the kitchen sink.

I guess he had a sub-C level grade too. That bird didn't flu ever no more

P.S. The shrubettes are ready for Chem-Bio warfare, with massively teratogenic shots to prevent immediate death, from any thing cooked up by mankind (which is likely worse than nature has yet had a chance to unleash). The cure may save them, but give 'em a living hell of "gulf-war" syndrome (how nice). Would you like some DU salt on your turkey, Sir!?

The calvary will still have the upper hand on the Indians, but that
goes along with their propensity to make Custer-decisions.

KEM PATRICK

thankyou kem. that website for the methane explosion is: www.sveurop.org then go to the left hand panel and click on 'general articles' then go to protective nyos degassing project. we're having fun on the article about the sea acidity. come join us.

coke_co

Very well put COCO. The truth is often hard to take, ___ but the truth is ALWAYS the truth.

UTOPIC

i believe most of us on here are, like you, long time activists and environmentalists. but we are outnumbered by those in 'denial'. i get sick and tired of people telling me there's nothing wrong with earth and it's just scaremongering. well, yes, that's right. it is scary but the point is, your average 'joe bloggs' in the street isn't doing anything to help. and doesn't read articles such as this. they are more content to read trashy, glossy magazines and watch mind-numbing programmes on tv. so no, we are not 'comfortable' to give up the ship but our efforts seem futile. and i've noticed lately how people give me strange looks when i begin to discuss the problems facing our planet. and yes, they live in fear. but they still don't want to hear the truth.

While there is certainly lots of useful and painful information being offered here, it sounds like many of you are finding it convenient or "comfortable" to give up the ship, to believe that the game has just a few more moments, and then "poof" we are gone. Why? Does this make it easier to live with despair or to party hearty? Are any of you teachers or parents or grandparents of young children? Are any of you teens or college students? Is it really helpful to blast everyone with "nothing can be done, we're all fucked, the rich and powerful and gated don't care, humans are just too stupid, etc."? I am not sure how any or all of those attitudes serves this moment. As a teacher, parent, artist and long-time activist, I think we need to stay present with the moment of crisis we live in, and continue to educate others, be curious, pay attention, make the connections between issues (fear of the OTHER, such as immigrants, and fear of NATURE), write letters, tell the stories, be part of a momentum of change. With a corporate media not documenting our work, don't expect any witnesses outside of our margins. Help those who are in despair to reconnect with the things that make them whole, and help them to become part of the shift. We are not standing on the edge of a cliff with no where to go. We have many tools, and while I'd agree that there are many whose daily actions are shaped by greed and fear, there are also many whose actions are shaped by the desire for community, connection and balance. We need to help motivate each other and create miracles.

KEM PATRICK

i'm on the atlantic ocean. i don't really know how far above but i can see the sea from my window which looks to be about 5 kms away. it's beautiful. i can walk there in 20 to 30 minutes depending what i stop to look at on the way, or which animals i talk to. i don't really care. there's nothing we can do to stop what is going to happen now. so it matters not i think how far above you are. btw, all the coral in the mediterranean sea is buggered and the seagulls have deformities from eating the polluted fish. our friend jacques cousteau told us that.

Kem:

Thanks for the wonderful holiday wish. 98%. Maybe the depression caused by deregulation and the US printing funny money will be enough. Any chance a HAARP beam did some brain scrambling in Crawford, TX one day? Or is it the combination of ADD, senility, lazy intellect, social promotion , and drug and alcohol abuse we all suspect?

My son and I visited the Boy Scouts "Seabase" in the Florida Keys almost 10 years ago. The highlight was snorkeling arond the reefs. The locals had already been concerned about reef destruction for a number of years. Like many other natural wonders, they probably won't be there much longer, and every cause of destruction is related to human development. The difference is this destruction feeds back to our own survival.

A line from an old Sci Fi movie is haunting me: "Soylent Green is people!"

Is that D minus for me? __ Well, that's my average.

I hate to write this, ___ but what the heck, why not?

I believe the best thing that could happen this winter, for any chance of humanity surviving, would be a world wide bird flu pandemic that wipes out 98% of humanity. Just as long as enough of the nuclear power guys all over the world, have enough strength and sense left to shut down all of those nuclear power plants before they bite the dust. Hopefully enough people like our American Indians are still alive to clean up the messes and start all over again.

Ironic, how so many work all year and save enough to have a two week vactation and then motor off for the mountains or woods and attempt to live in the wild nature like the Indians once did. Those first settlers of the Hawaian Islands had the right idea. Then here came the Christian missionaries and the English cattle barons. Then of course we had to put some neat military bases over there. __ Now it's ruined.

I guess a D minus wont cut it?

The concept that we could dump our excess CO2 in the oceans, although now rightfully exposed as detrimental to seawater chemistry and marine life, portrays the obvious mis-applications of scientific principals that have dominated the carbon pollution issue since its inception. .

The recent agreement at Bali only provides more time for delays in meaningful US participation, which have been the greatest obstacle for meaningful progress. Unless the focus is directed to meaningful measures, rather than carbon caps etc, which will do little to curtail carbon pollution, success in reducing carbon pollution can never be achieved.

Success can never be achieved without dramatic reduction of fossil fuels along with development of alternative energy sources. Despite the assertions of the energy cartels and this administration, this is possible; but it will require concerted efforts, which we can well afford. Contrary to right wing assertions such measures would aid rather than damage our economy and security by reducing dependence on imported oil and improving our air & water quality.

Re-boot your computer Coke_ Co.

What sea? ___ Hope you are at least 100 foots above cee level.

We're gonna miss you Pacman, you're a truly swell person. ___ See ya in the next life.

Or as some may say , "Throw ya later."

Welcome to Common Dreams IrishEddieOHara!

A most Excellent post. I cannot disagree with a single word of it.

We've all been duped by the Fortune 500 into arguing about insignificant trifles of lifestyle, and rooting for identical politicians, while underneath us, the Titanic slowly flooded and slipped beneath the waves.

The buzz among the rich was: can it be true? No! Not even God could sink this ship! (Mother Earth that is.)

Now, as the classical music plays on, the deck under our feet is displaying a sickening tilt.

Only a fool would deny what is happening.

Dishes are falling (dead frogs, dying reefs.) Lights are flickering (bad air, bad water.) Now a great smokestack above us has just fallen over and crashed into the upper deck (Arctic sea GONE, just like that.)

Finally it dawns on all that there are no longer any life boats left; that it is already TOO LATE and that the remaining passengers are in grave peril.

Whose fault is this some wonder? We all enjoyed this extravagant lifestyle of luxury and travel. But none of us built this doomed ship, and none of us had a real say in how it was operated. Still, as Mr. Ohara points out, we were all complicit in building such an arrogant monstrosity by not reigning in the monopolistic capitalists who said: "this is how the world must work."

We willingly set foot and sailed on this Robber Baron's Nightmare of colonial empire, instead of rejecting that industrial life, and now we are all damnned.

We are ALL dammed, even those watching from a distance in a lifeboat (a gated community) are dammed.

Few will survive.

The Earth is going down.

Not even mass sterilization and war on any smoke source can save us now.

God what a waste.

Well I think I'll take a little walk down the staircase here, smell some roses, pour myself a drink at the bar and wait for the water to flood in.

KEM PATRICK

are you having trouble posting? i'm getting some strange things here. what's going on?
i'm by the sea. is that good or bad?

Hi PIZZDORF, yeah, the people who live at altitudes above 6,000 feet sure might notice it. The reduction of oxygen has come on gradually. Those who live at or near sea level, are now breathing the amount of oxygen of what used to be normal at abut 5,000 feet 200 years ago. The loss of the oceans phytoplankton and burning off the rain forests is accelerating yearly though.

49 now CoCo, but only 21 different bloggers. Three to go.

Our Mother Earth has a Fever:

https://www.fnmoc.navy.mil/ncoda_web/dynamic/ncoda_1440x721_global_anom.gif

We will never know what killed the earth. The autopsy will not be done by humans.

What is more likely though is that it will just get to be worse by the day. Suffering will abound and the elite will ignore it until they are forced by mob action to respond. That will also not be pretty.

MEALSOTOO

i've yet to see anyone writing an article on here about it though. but i suppose we have enough to be going on with for the time being.......

Sorry, unfortunately some Menehune like typos occurred and the left order for the piece is such:

7) If You know You will be affected move now, before the gallon is $ 8.99.

I could go on and on and on. Every civilized and half way well educated human brain should be able to understand the scope of the sheer size of the shit that is hitting the fan. LEFT KNOW.

Contemplating about what needs to be done, or better what needs to be said, for something to get done. All Your assessments are dead on. It is kind of scary to be reassured that no change of course is possible. With people like the boys in the house of shame (can't call it white house anymore, left?) reminiscent of that glorious voyage of the Titanic, where another bright decider
ran only into an iceberg because he tried to avoid it. In our case it is the other way around. The drunk captain of our ship america,
with his crew of reckless profiteers, whose only superlative is their imbecility that doesn't not know any limitations.
But back to the possible solutions my friends.
1) You go and talk to Your 'representative' and tell him/her it's either impeachment of both dumb & dumber or he/she is out
at the next best opportunity
2) Accountability of ALL 'representatives', with their wealth and with their life, because that's not only what the oath says they took, but necessary it You pu into account that our lives are at stake through their incapability of getting things done left.
3) We need to get John and Jane Doe of that crack like evangelical RIGHTwing drug. Maybe some cold turkey would help.
4) Cardboard signs in Your privileged ocean front habitats that could state things like "Your Republican Sea Level" and You
position Yourself in respect to the more 'Inlandish' occurrence of the shore break.
5) Start immediately to utilize unwanted side effects of the upcoming climate change. E.g.: if You encounter weather conditions such as the glow of the clouds inflicted through the skilled performance of a government employed HAARP player,
turn off all electric devices at once. Not only will that save a lot of electricity, it will as well show how far some sick minds will go
to protect their interests militarily.
6) Mandatory homeschooling. Start now, don't wait until it is too late. Save money by not driving to school, protect Your child from viral diseases and therefore Yourself.

I could go on and on and on. Every civilized and half way well educated human brain should be able to understand the scope of the sheer size of the shit that is hitting the fan. LEFT KNOW.
6) If You know You will be affected move now, before the gallon is $ 8.99.

KEM PATRICK:

"Guess they must hate their children and grandchildren too."

No, they think their money and privilege will buy better lives for their descendants. Which is why they don't give a shit about anyone who isn't them or isn't just like them.

Nearly everyone knows about HAARP (and Torture, and Election-theft, and Media-consolidation, and -- a very long-list now, headed on-yours by DU)...and the Weather (but still, even Franklin would think no one is doing-much about either/any).
[Unless you count the probably-nefarious use of HAARP as 'finally addressing weather', which I'm afraid some asshole/somewhere is attempting to -- for Interests not ours (as I stated above).]
[Or Franklin's'!]

KEM PATRICK

well look at that........over 40 comments now. great. but that doesn't help the reefs..........

ITSJUSTKARMA

well finally someone else besides me know about HAARP. i'm sure that project has a lot to do with all this destruction.

KEM PATRICK
Yes, I do know about termites being farty little buggers that contribute to global warming. But they also are one of the mightiest animals on earth when their cumulative actions are taken into account. No elephant could bring down a mighty structure, but termites sure can. Who knows but that the cumulative effects of each of us doing our own part (however ineffective these individual actions seem in isolation)may have an effect greater than we even can imagine. Of course it also is very likely that we will fail in our efforts to bring down this power structure that is killing us and our planet, but I love our earth too much to give in to the luxury of despair.

Anyone else finding it harder to breath these days?

The likely 'average-American response' to this article will be the accumulation and increased hording/investment in Coral-stocks for future 3rd-world carved 'nicknacks and baubles' -- thus further-endangering organic-Reefs.
[Sigh... And, methinks those in that White-House have been playing their HAARP, furiously, since 1992...to what 'Ends/Interests', I am unsure -- but I'm pretty-sure that theirs and Ours are NOT 'conjoined', as might be expected from casual-read of that Constitution, itself 'endangered' by a pervasive and acidic-hubris and not-always just a "g-d-damned piece of paper".]

I am pissed now. I really mean it. I am so upset I could come up with my own stand up routine.
'Morons In Power'.

Did we not just read about how accurate those prognostics of the 'Whatnot Climate Panel'
were regarding the Arctic Meltdown? Did we not just read about Greenland melting like
Vanilla Ice cream in Baghdad? If they even have Ice Cream there.

So now those specialists, who can obviously not even tie their own shoestrings, tell us that
by 2050 the reefs are done?
You got to be shitting me if there is not a Revolution For Our Mother Earth immediately in the
making, RIGHT?

That brings me to another issue. I don't want any RIGHTs any more. I want my f*****g lefts.
I will never again do a RIGHT turn no matter what f*****g sign there is.
Just rip the f*****g page out of the dictionary that contains RIGHT. Because it is the RIGHT
that has f****d up this planet, OUR PLANET EARTH.
Never ever should any RIGHTminded person even be allowed to operate a vehicle, because
they think it is f*****g funny and cool to convert a f*****g gas guzzler that doesn't even get
six miles to the gallon into an even bigger f*****g gas guzzler, now with even worse mileage
because the cabin is eight feet in the air and the tires have the size of a small European car.
They are f*****g wasting OUR fuel too.

Regarding the reefs I can tell You that much, nowadays there is a steady heavy flow of mud down
the flanks of the Hamakua coast. At times the Chocolate Brown Ocean delivers the most
spectacular sight of Hawai'ian Bros surfing Hershey'sâ„¢ Chocolate syrup with vanilla color
foam crests.

Acidity is farming, air pollution and volcanic emissions. In Hawai'i at times uncomfortably high,
when the trade winds take a break, the vog gets You and it goes everywhere of course.
Intense rain like in the last week and even today washes the sulfuric acid from the vegetation
and the swelling rivers take care of the soil. This happens all over the world.

But it is more important 'to go shopping' like UNCLE GEORGE WANTS YOU, then to stop this
madness right now.

Get the troops home for X-mas I know they can do it. Have an Arab Peace Corps who helps to
establish a peaceful and prosperous Iraqi Nation, integrated into a peaceful Middle East.
Immediate disarmament of all armies, mercenaries and police force. No more tasering from
RIGHT to left. We all need to work on this altogether now.
Don't You guys love Your children and Your grandchildren and Your great grandchildren?
Doesn't everybody love somebody else enough to prevent him/her to get hurt and killed?
Doesn't human mankind deserve better than what our RIGHteous politician turned citizens
come up with?
Don't WE?

So that would only be the beginning of the comedy.

Can somebody play the HAARP for the boys in the white house?

More ships should be sunk off shore to create artificial reefs. Moreover it makes for good television.

The best book I have ever read about our oceans, was that written by Jacques Costeau.

~~~ THE OCEAN WORLD ~~~

It is a large book of 440 pages, is very will illustrated and gives all any layman would need to know about our precious oceans and the ocean life. In the final chapter he gave dire warnings, if we didn't begin to clean up our act. Even then, some 30 years ago, he stated it was almost impossible to take an underwater photo or film, without having a chunk of plastic float in front of the cameras lens, anywhere in any ocean.

Humanity didn't heed his thoughful and scientific advice. He was a scientist, an inventor, navigator, pilot, explorer, author and a fine man and parent. He gave us about 70 years if we didn't stop polluting the oceans. Of course I'm certain he never dreamed we would also soon be polluting with DU.

greenerthanthou,

I can see what you may be alluding to, the evolution of blue-green algae 2.7 billion years ago was the demise of all the early primitive anaerobic microbial life forms, but was absolutely the key event in enabling the evolution of large, complex, oxygen-using life forms.

But in the current case, a CO2-rich atmosphere represents the thermodynamic dead-end of atmospheric evolution with regard to supporting complex life. Just look at Mars on one side of us and Venus on the other. At least Mars probably contains primitive anerobic bacteria-like life in it's subsurface aquifers. But, with the expected increases in solar luminosity over the next few hundred million years, the earth's thick atmosphere will probably end up looking more like Venus - too hot for any life at all. Mars will return to being a "nice place" then. But human capitalist economic activity appears to be forcing the earth to a too-early death to allow any human descendants to make it there.

I love such free-wheeling speculative talk - As someone in their 50's I wonder; do young people even do such things these days?

Guess they must hate their children and grandchildren too.

Huck-berry is another damn bible thumping preacher, a puffed up shithead who can talk a good game. He was a smart preacher, who realized there was a hell of a lot more money to be had by being elected to high office, than by raiding the wicker baskets of his holy flock.

Actually, I read a Carl Sagan book about the original life on this planet. It gave off a toxic gas that killed almost all of them. Only tetanus, botulism and other anaerobic lifeforms that can hide from oxygen have survived.

Why do the rich capitalists seem so determined to continue their ways even as our planet is destroyed? Cause they make a lot of money and they're having a great time.

I m astounded that candidate Huccklberry referred to science regarding global warming.
This from a man that believes in magic, superstition and a 6000 year old planet.
Right on Iowa - pick a real genius for us all to consider.

"Well we've eaten most of the fossil fuel nutrients, grown our population and pooped a lot of CO2. Soon we all die."

Well, the yeast - especially Saccharomyces cerevisiae - also poop out a lot of the organic solvent C2H5OH, which I am imbibing a bit of right now in it most natural form. The yeast is given a good home and nourished by sweet barley-malt sugars and balanced by the flowery aromatic bitterness from generous amounts of aromatic flower of Humulus lupulus (Cannibaceae). All thanks to the livelihood of an enterprising individual just a few miles from here.

I remember the ninth grade Biology yeast cells in a test tube experiment. Well we've eaten most of the fossil fuel nutrients, grown our population and pooped a lot of CO2. Soon we all die.

At least the yeast cells didn't know what was about to happen to them, and they could grow again someplace else. Only one test tube for us.

Thanks for the link Kem Patrick. Publicity about the consequences of the criminal use of depleted uranium is so important. Everything poisoned poisons everything else in our seas. This has a cumulative effect and appears off the radar in the main stream media because it will cost bundels, prison time for so many and most importantly cannot (ever) be fixed. The most that can be done now is damage limitation. No better time for presidential candidates to be asked their position on the use of depleted uranium in the hope publicity can rekindle more awareness of what's at stake now! This stuff is a worldwide phenomena as dust is carried wherever the wind takes it. How many worldwide cancers and other such illnesses are caused by this alone??? Any estimates? Competent experts must make a stand against its continued use everywhere on this globe. Perhaps then people will waken up to the dangers of using the 'nuke them' philosophy. How many die in the United States? As for our oceans, we poison the greatest resevoir of food and global warmings chain reaction will bring destruction sooner than we imagine.

IRISH EDDIE O'HARA -- You're so right, and I love this man for his perspicacity

"This is TRUTH!!"

And he still can it sound Funny, somehow?!?

All the limestone in the whole world is calcium carbonate. This is the largest sequestration of carbon dioxide I know of. All this binding and removal of this massive amount of Carbon Dioxide was accomplished by the growth of ancient coral reefs. Doesn't anyone remember grade school earth science about the types and formation of rock? Limestone is coral reefs and we are killing off the earths oldest and largest system to deal with carbon dioxide. How much faster will we change this earth once we have eliminated the very system that has dealt with carbon dioxide for millions of years?

Got eleven different bloggers here already.

Changing my bet to 24.

Hi NSPIRE, yes indeed, LOL.

You won't have long to wait pal.

Get used to this stuff folks. This is what a systemic death spiral looks like. Be as optimistic as you like. It won't change anything. I've been reading stories like this for years and years and they only get worse. As the language of global warming advocates becomes more and more desperate, less and less is actually done. It's funny that the Guardian neglected to point out that the UK carbon footprint has gone up, not down since Kyoto. The system of governance has been captured by corporations that believe they can live forever. The only solution that has any possibility whatsoever of stopping this juggernaut is a complete and total breakdown of the global economy. I'm soooo ready for the crash... bring it on.

Does the planet need humans? We are a part of this system but so have many other species been a part of life on earth. It is quite appearant that earth is going thru some changes, and that man and all we've done especially over the last hundred years or so hasn't helped. Earth has changed many times in the past and evidently will on into the future. Mayans 2012 Christians Armageddon Ice Ages Global Warming End of times prophecies It doesn't take much imbalance to kill species in man the acid base ratios are not widespread if one is to be healthy. And so it is with all living things. Loose the oxygen the oceans provide well it is over....earth as the next Mars? So do we live are lifes well to the end for we none of us know when that will be.

Hi KEM -- I left you a comment here

Hi TERMITE, did you know that termites consume 30% of the vegetation on this here planet, and those little buggers fart as often as the bean eating veggies do? The termites are the single largest contributor to greenhouse gas. Of course that is nature workng, ___ not humanity.

There are over a million web sites about DU, here is one of the best I've read. It fully explaines what we are faced with in regards to the real dangers and of the governments so far sucessful attempts to cover it up.
Also, more DU has been expended in the United States at military firing ranges, than has been used in the Mid-East. Thousands of tons have been fired off every year for the past 30 some years.

http://www.uraniumweaponsconference.de/background.htm

The comments by all of the other bloggers here, PJD, WTF, BARN BURNER and the others, are very informative and appropriate. Thanks to all of you, from all of us.

OK Everybody-
It won't do us any good to whine about who did it or why. let's figure out WHAT we're going to do about it and get started...
What's the first step? Anybody? I'm in.

I love the sea! I can't imagine life without a healthy vibrant coastline, coral reefs and clear water. I don't wnat that to ever happen, not now, or in the future for my grandchildren to see.

Mother Earth just needs to know we care and she will respond. Every effort we make creates a vibration which can be felt and understood. Something positive and sustaining, even spoken words or mantras are a contribution. What else...?

Let's start a positive movement of energy and support for healing our planet!

PJD,

Wind-blown debris has also been demonstrated to contribute to coral bleaching. Floatable debris smothers coral and and other sessile benthic organisms and reduces sunlight penetration. As a rule of thumb, if the item can fly and/or float it is more likely to enter the marine environment. Wind-blown agricultural chemicals (superphosphates) have been found in toxic levels in the off-shore breeze in Yorke and Eyre Peninsulas. Zooxanthellae which is the source of color in corals is especially sensitive to such debris.
Also, wind-blown debris contains bacteria not found in the oceans.
http://www.globaled.org/issues/172%20Fnl.pdf

I dived a few years on the Great Barrier Reef in the 80s, before it became commercialized. The islands that I camped on with a few mates are now the sites of mega hotels. I've been told that that beach diving is dead, and one has to boat it to a good dive site.

KEM PATRICK

Thank you for the info re DU. I knew about the devastation that it was causing in the Middle East, that we have poisoned the cradle of civilization for all time, that cancer and birth defects have increased tremendously there, and so on. But I had not known about it getting into the environment the way you describe. Of course it would be so - we can't cordon off environmental problems as we all share the same ecosystem. There is a great temptation to despair, but as long as I'm still breathing I will keep trying to do what I can for the environment, aka us all. I have snorkeled in the Great Barrier Reef and this article both sickens and motivates me.

Yesterday a blogger from Hawaii stated on another article, they didn't see the whales this year and every year prior they could set their watches by their arrival. No whales she said, and wondered if they were in trouble.

Indeed they are in big trouble, most eat krill and plankton. The whales are not the canaries of their water world, the whales are the top of the ocean's food chain. If the whales food supplies are dying off, we can realize our OXYGEN supply, for the atmosphere and the oceans is also dying off. Whatever the reason for that obvious disaster, humanity is insane to ignore that fact of life and SHOULD 'immediately' initiate a massive effort to correct it, or we won't be here discussing the whys or wherefores in a very few years. The year 2050 is a stretch as WTF noted. A big stretch.

Of course the important issues are, overpaid athletes are using steroids, Paris Hilton is out of jail, Cheney is in trouble again, a NFL quarterback is going to jail for torturing animals and waterboarding is, or is not tortue, depending upon what politician you talk to.

My God, what in hell is wrong with the people who control the world's finances, and have the power to correct this MOST important problem humanity has ever faced in our recorded history? This should be headline news for every newspaper in the world and be the headliner for Common Dreams fromnow until every person in the entire world is aware of it. ____ Ho-hum, gotta go, my favorite soap, As The World Turns is coming on.

WTF,

I thought that the primary cause of coral bleaching is excessive water temperature. At least, that is the cause the catastrohic loss of the Staghorn and Elkhorn corals in the S. Atlantic/Carribean which is, of course directly caused by global warming.

I haven't been diving on a reef since the 1980's but I understand that the damage is so bad that if I did go back to my old dive sites, I would probably be back in the boat within 15 minutes crying.

Also, a lot of parasitic attacks in a lot of other biomes is directly due to either weakening of the host or opportunism by the parasite from a warmer climate. The death of Alaskan and Canadian spruce and fir forests by the bark beetle as well as die-off of the Balsam and Hemlock trees from the Wooly Adgelid aphid in the US Applacians is largely by the end of deep winter cold snaps that would have kept these insects in check. Like the reefs, there are formerly beautiful places in Shenandoah Park in Virginia I will probably never go back to, it upsets me so.

Like many studies, it has EXCLUDED the other threats that will exacerbate coral reef die-off. Other threats include:
- Crown of Thorns starfish
- Overfishing
- Plankton species die-off (especially Zooxanthellae)
- Changes in water temperature
- Coral bleaching (due to dirt-blow-off from nearby land, especially true in Oz which is suffering a catastrophic drought)

Having said that, survival through 2050 is optimistic.

I am a diver also but this is just one more indication of another sick ecosytem. The frogs around the world were dying or mutating-no one listened. The reefs are dying and no one believes it. Unless one has done dives in some of these areas of fantastic beauty and returned years later to witness their deterioration I guess it is hard to believe. Politicians are only interested in what gets them elected and until the public is suffering from global warming (opps scratch that) "climate change" then nothing will happen. My guess is that we are already past the point of no return. Look at the talking points of the current Presidential candidates-Taxes, immigration (of brown people that is), terrorist and what else?-no climate change!

Lets take a guess of how many different bloggers comment on this MOST important thread during the next two days, before it is buried in the archives. I'll guess 12. If Cheney's picture was in the photo, or if it had the word impeach in the title, there would be over a hundred. Guess humanity has to set their priorities.

Not intending to beat a dead horse here, but it isn't JUST greenhouse gases that are killing our oceans, it's DU, that is, depleted uranium, which is being used for ammunition and bombs worldwide. 70% of our little word is covered by oceans, and one can intelligently surmise, that 70% of the DU that gets up into our atmosphere ends up in our oceans when it finally returns to the Earth's surface. How much DU is up there in the air? Well there are over five billion specks of microscopic DU particles in a single cupfull and in one bunker buster bomb there are at least 2,000 cupfulls. How much has already been released into our atmosphere during the past 35 to 40 years is a guess.

An invisible to the eye speck of DU will kill anything alive, down to the microbal level, and continue to kill for several billion years. Why is it a major problem for all life on this planet that killing our ocean life is a critical problem? The answer is, the major portion of oxygen content, (70%) in our precious atmosphere, is supplied by the tiny phytoplankton, which develop in our oceans.

Those tiny, but the most important plant life on our planet, are dying off at an alarming rate and no one knows the exact reason. Man made pollution is the major suspect. In the past few years the phytoplankton numbers have reduced by from 10 to 12%. When their numbers drop another 15 to 20%, we won't have the necessary oxygen reqired for life on this planet. How long will that take is the big question, maybe five years, maybe fifty or more. However long is not what we should be considering, how to reverse the trend is and it SHOULD outweigh every other issue, for every nation.

If the problem of our oceans dying is DU or not is also not the big question, we can certainly with a common sense evaluation, assume DU is one of the problems and perhaps the most significant. For sure all types of pollutions in our atmosphere should be corrected and firm sensible steps taken to correct it now, not next month, or next year, or by 2015.~~ NOW~~. It is nothing less than human insanity to think, or to believe otherwise. Will this most serious problem be addressed by a serious, world wide committee of our world's leaders? __Of course not.

After having dived on some of the earths most beautiful reefs, this sickens me.

The earth is sick. She will either die and become a ghost planet, or she will throw off the parasite, man, and begin her long recovery without his poisons circulating in her blood.

This is stunning news.

Unfortunately for too many of our useless contemptable corporate-whore politicians who live at temperate lattitudes, the worlds coral reefs are out of sight and out of mind. But if you have spent any time anywhere near around the swath of sea between about 28 degrees north and south lattitudes, you would know that the loss of these incredably diverse biomes is comparable in global impact to, say, all the mid and north lattitude forests in North America and Eurasia getting wiped out. If you've never dived on a healthy coral reef, think of the most colorful, exotic aquarium you've ever seen and multiply it by 100 - that is what just a few square meters of healthy coral reef is like.

And, as impotant geologic reservoirs of carbon (as CaCO3) the dead, dissolving coral and limestone from these reefs will be a frightening longer-term runaway CO2 feedback mechanism.

It seems as though the excess carbonic acid from dissolved carbon dioxide has already had devastating effects on krill populations. I would expect the problem to get much worse for all sensitive marine species until the source problem is addressed adequately. (Just don't hold you breath until that happens.)

If my previous post didn't make this clear, one also has to appreciate the sheer area covered with coral reefs - if you take a flight from south Florida to any of the eastern greater Antilles or the windward islands, get a window seat You fly for at least two hours over coral reefs, keys and coral-derived sand banks of the Bahamas Platform (the sand literally derived from eons of coral-eating parrot fish excreement).

If you don't live in the tropics, you can get an appreciation of the role of reefs throughout geologic history by considering that large parts of the worlds land areas (including nearly all of the US midwest and south) are underlain by thousands of feet of limestone derived from ancient coral reefs dating back over 550 million years.

Just as a coal miner "walks through ancient forest lands"(Sting), a trip into one of the the ubiquitos Kentucky or Appalacian limestone caverns takes you through the work of ancient coral reefs.