Happy Monday

     There has to be a point where the well-being of the people on the planet becomes more important that quarterly profits. I mean, come on!

Reprieve

   The summer was not kind to Climate Guy 73. During the past year, I saw monthly increases in site visits, culminating in the all-time high of 12,436 in April. Ever since, the numbers have dropped so fast you would think you were looking at the temperature graph of the stratosphere for the past 40 years. (Look it up. That was my best science joke ever.)  I figured that people were just probably outside more, it being late Spring and then Summer.  Now, the green of Summer is giving way to the brilliant colors of Autumn as we speak. There is so much to do and see and experience in the world, why waste it sitting  inside on a computer? That has got to be the reason my loyal readers stopped coming by. (I'm sure it would have nothing to do with my erratic blogging, week long absences, or precipitous decline in the quality of my writing. Hey, you have a baby while living in a foreign country, all the while taking german classes to learn a new language.)

     The break was cathartic in a lot of ways, in all honesty. In this business, you can have your throat handed to you in the snap-hiss of a lightsaber. I have been read the riot act by many who think I am too radical, too "Left", that say I taint my message with "environmental alarmism" which damages my credibility. After awhile, I'll be honest, it can get to a person. There is a dread deep down, when it comes to the future of the planet, that this all maybe for naught. Am I making a difference? Are people reading? Am I doing enough?

    Then I look at my son: five months of smile and drool. The kid is easy going and sweet, the center of my universe. One smile from that toothless wonder and I realize that "Fuck yes it is all worth it!" People have to understand that we are damaging our rivers and oceans, leveling our forests, and killing millions of species every year. I owe it to my son to raise that red flag so it does NOT go unnoticed before it is too late, if it isn't too late already. I owe it to everyone's kids to do that! Even if I only get one person every few weeks to stop in and say, "Wow, that guy was funny! And I'm going to look into this Climate Reality Project, or the Anne Arundel County Watershed Stewards, or the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. " That's real all that matters.

     So I amble on. Reading new articles and watching new interviews everyday. Dropping into online communities and sharing what I know and have learned, while trying to learn more. Starting the conversation and reaching out to fill in the gaps for those who want to know more. Of course, this means lots of people rolling their eyes and shaking their heads when they don't like what I have to say. I have been told on more than 734 occasions (not that I'm counting) that I am wrong about the Climate, that Climate Change isn't real. Those people that say this to me ignore the science, the facts, the evidence. I even had a few people tell me that since they KNEW they were right, they didn't HAVE to prove it. It was up to ME to prove them wrong. What?! These are the people that take part in a scientific discussion and ignore the parameters set forth by science to state one's case. Instead, they just dismiss me as a brainwashed liberal who wants to trick people into buying clean renewable energy and plant more trees. They say I am a tree-hugger, a hippie, an Alarmist.

     Look, if you don't believe that Climate Change is real, that it is happening right now and will continue to happen in the future, and that we are the cause...this is not the blog for you. Especially now, with me back from a few weeks break and ready to type! I am trying to open the eyes of people on this planet so they can see how they are affecting the world today with their actions, and how they can affect the future by altering our present course. Some out there call me an Alarmist. I don't agree. Why? Well, it's not Alarmist if it's true, right?

Isaac Asimov

President Obama Wants to #ActOnClimate

     If you haven't yet seen the White House video featuring President Obama and Climate Change, it is below. Do yourself a favor and take a look.

     The action we take now (or fail to take) will determine the state of the world for centuries to come. We must act now!

Meme Predicts Study Results

     I posted this meme last year sometime. I think I posted it again some time early this year. Here it is again just to refresh your memory.

     And for those of you that always brush aside memes as silly internet speak with no basis in fact, here's the article that provides documentation that the meme is indeed real. Suck it.

     Its the truth. We can measure this accurately because its only been a few hundred years since we started doing it.

   

Sustainable is More Profitable

Climate vs Weather

     I think everyone is familiar with this photo of Senate Climate-Change-Denier James Inhofe using a snowball as evidence that climate change doesn't exist. It was snowing outside in Washington that day in the winter, so climate change can't be real, he posited. Which of course is ridiculous. Weather isn't climate. Weather patterns over long periods of time are climate. Besides, there is more to Climate Change than just global warming, which if the Senator would talk with a science teacher, he may understand.  

     Climate Change doesn't mean that the Earth is ONLY getting warmer. It means that due to global warming brought upon by ever increasing CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere, which can and has been directly traced to the burning of fossil fuels by humans, weather patterns over time begin to change. Summer gets longer, Spring and Fall get shorter. Winters can get nastier, storms get stronger. Places around the world get more rain than the normally get on average and there are floods, while others get less and suffer droughts. Sure, these things happen and have happened for millions of years. But, the frequency and the magnitude is increasing. The Extremes get more extreme. The Earth is warming much faster than at any other time that scientists can determine. We can look back at the climate changes over the past million years or so and what we see happening now is unprecedented. Rapid change makes it harder for life to adapt, which leads to mass die offs of species, which is taking place all over the world. 

     This report shows that 2015 is on its way to becoming the hottest year on record, beating the previous record year, which was...2014. Ouch. Not good. Hotter temperatures change the local environment and can shift weather patterns, creating a different climate. Where I grew up in Southern Maryland, you could set your watch by the 4 year snow storm that brought us 20+ inches of snow. Every four years. I vividly remember as a kid those years because we were usually out of school for a week! '79, '83, '87, '91, '96, '00. But, now storms like that are becoming more frequent and the four year interval is less predictable. 2010 saw the four year storm, but then we had another winter with heavy snows in 2013. And again in 2014. The winter of 2015 saw a ridiculous amount of snow in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic (just ask my cousins) and they prediction for this coming winter is again looking like heavy snow along the Eastern Seaboard due to a VERY strong El Niño. As you can see, all of this gets complicated.

     What I have noticed is that when discussing weather patterns, people get angry and things can get contentious. Some dismiss weather changes as normal and ignore the new emerging patterns. But weather patterns aren't the only way to recognize climate change. It can also have an effect on the local flora and fauna. Trees that once thrived in your area with what the local climate used to be are now stressed and struggling to survive. Too much water, extended drought. Too much rain or not enough has thrown their health out of whack. Animals that were once plentiful in an area suddenly decline in numbers, which has a domino effect on other plants and animals. Warmer temperatures can create ideal conditions for certain bacteria and fungi to grow, which can kill plants and trees. Everything is connected. 

     Where we live now, in Southern Germany near the Alps, I have talked at great length the locals about the weather: is it the same as it was 20 years ago? Has anything changed? Is it warmer in the Summer? In the Winter? Does it snow more often or less? Are the thunderstorms more frequent and more powerful? What about insects? Everyone that I have talked to says the same thing: 20 years ago, Autumn started at the end of August but now it starts closer to the end of September. Mosquitoes are a much bigger pest than ever before, they say. Local trees (in yards and in the forests) are struggling in the Summer months due to the reduced rainfall. House fly and Wasp populations have exploded; no one remembers them being so bad, and we live deep in cow country so flies have always been around. This is a place where they don't normally have screens for their windows, but now most people are installing them because these insects have become a major issue. 

     Of course, this is all unscientific. I have to admit that. I'm just out asking questions, getting to know people and trying to improve my crappy german. But, the people I am talking to have lived here most if not all of their lives. We are talking about old farmers, bent-backed from hard work, school teachers, gray-haired and stress-wrinkled from years in the schoolroom. People who's families have lived here for generations. People who learned how to work the land from their parents. That's DECADES of experience, observing the environment and refining methods to be a successful farmer. And now, their methods are not enough due to the changing climate. 

     I find it all fascinating and worrisome. Which is why Inhofe's snowball really frosts my little red wagon. The naysayers always focus on one thing, and that's weather. But it's not about weather, not really. Weather is a factor, but its the weather patterns that we are talking about and studying. They are changing, which bring about other more measurable changes like increases in insect populations or declining plant populations. So if you notice that there are more mosquitoes or a certain weed is suddenly everywhere and you can't fight it back, it may be because where you live the climate has changed enough to create different conditions, conditions that those insects of weed just so happen to thrive in. Something to consider the next time someone throws a snowball and tells you the world is getting colder. 

EPA Spill Is Spun

photo from Reuters http://www.reuters.com/news/picture/wastewater-spill-from-colorado-gold-mine?articleId=USKCN0QF01C20150810&slideId=1070692149     

     If you haven't already heard, there has been a toxic waste water spill in Colorado. The big news about it is that an EPA clean up crew caused the spill. It was an unfortunate accident, but of course some news outlets are spinning it to sound like the EPA is to blame. The EPA didnt leave the waste in an inadequate holding facility, did they? With the bad press and government arguing over EPA rules and the power the agency wields, this is not a good time for the EPA.

     While the stories point out that the EPA broke open the wastewater containment walls, which held more than 3million gallons of toxic liquids left over from the abandon mine it resides in, there is no mention of the fact that the company responsible for the mine. Thats because it was abandoned. Yup, some company walked away from over 3 million gallons of crud that poses a serious health threat to the people living down stream. The EPA has been filtering the wastewater to reduce the toxicity and accidentally breached a containment wall. Not good, but unintentional. However, news spin is in full effect and Newsweek headline rubs me the wrong way.

     "EPA Causes Massive Spill of Mining Waste In Colorado". Come on. Shouldn't it read "EPA Accidentally Causes Massive Spill of Abandoned Toxic Waste"? That would be more accurate, wouldn't it? So many people just glance at headlines and then form their opinions. They won't read the article and understand what is really going on. That just makes having a factual conversation about this even more difficult.

Good-bye Jon Stewart

     This is a tough day for me. I have been a Jon Stewart fan for a really long time. Before he scored his gig on the Daily Show, I remember seeing him on MTV on some game show I forget the name of. I remember the "Jon Stewart Show", short-lived but smart and hilarious. For the past 15 years, I rarely missed the Daily Show because, well, Jon always slapped us in the face with truth. He echoed the incredulity and anger that we all shared when it came to the things wrong with our country and the world. He pushed us all to use common sense and logic when addressing issues, while calling for the other media outlets to do the same. That voice was like a beacon of hope, a light in the darkness, the laugh when we needed it. Without his humor, I am convinced that I would be suffering from severe depression and hopped up on untold number of anti-depressants.

photo from: http://media.salon.com/2012/07/stewart_rect.jpg

     The truth is, Jon Stewart inspired me to write this blog. Good or bad, smart or dull, funny or boring, I do this every week (mostly) to try and reach those of you out there who are distressed about the state of our world, who need a laugh sometimes, who need to see a different perspective on things. A perspective that shows you how ridiculous the news-spin can be and how common sense and logic will always show the way. I owe that to Jon Stewart. He made it okay to question, challenge and push all that bullshit to the side and demand honesty and truth. Who else could take a subject as serious as the war in Iraq, the fight for Gay Rights or the hypocrisy that is Citizens United and lay it all out for us, all while still being able to make us laugh? How are we supposed to go on with out him to keep us all honest?

     I always had this fantasy that I would hit it big one day. When I was a kid, it was as a hockey player. In my 20's, it was as an author and a writer. For the past 5 years, as I finished my degree, joined the Climate Reality Project and the Watershed Stewards, I figured it would be for my Environmental and Climate Activism. With my witty and funny blog posts, future books and the fact I will be a hilarious interview, I had this dream of making it onto "The Daily Show", sitting across from Jon and discussing the climate crisis, the environmental issues facing our world and saying "fuck" a lot. The thought scared the crap out of me, of course, because Jon is so smart and his BS meter so sensitive. But I wanted the chance! I wanted to just talk to him. To pick his brain. To pick things apart, dissect idiot comments from idiot public officials that don't know what the hell they are talking about. To say something witty enough to make Jon Stewart laugh.

     That would help me reach more people, would help me make more of a difference in combating our current climate and environmental issues and the ones that face us in the future. It would signal that I was truly making a difference in the world, reaching people, inspiring others to stand up and make their voices heard. I would be making the world a better place, not just posting unread blogposts for my own entertainment or piece of mind. It was a goal I wanted to strive for, but was unsure how to do it. Except to just keep plugging away. Maybe I would make it on "The Daily Show" one day. Maybe not. But having a goal is the first step to attaining it. Who knows what the future holds?

      Sadly, my future does not include sitting across the desk from Jon Stewart on his daily show. I wont get that chance now. I may make it big one day and become a world renowned Climate Activist, but I won't get to walk onto to that stage, make sarcastic comments about the dolts in Congress or pick his brain about environmentalism and what he thinks we should do or be asked to stay past the 30 minute mark to discuss things further and have it thrown up on the internet for viewers to check out after the show. I won't get to turn on the TV and flip to Comedy Central when I feel that despair that can set in when everything seems so overwhelming. I wont get to hear his take on the inequities of the world. Every week for almost 15 years I had that chance. After today, we all won't have that chance. I don't like when tv shows end that I am emotionally invested in. But this, this is different. Saying good bye to this "Daily Show"...this will be extra hard. Why? Because it was real. It was true and it was good for all of us.

     Thanks Jon. I will truly miss you.

 

The White House's Clean Power Plan

    The White House is releasing the new Clean Power Plan for the USA today. It is a revised version of the plan released last year with changes to the plan that addresses concerns raised by opponents of the plan as well as the Supreme Court ruling from this past June. It is a huge step towards showing the rest of the world that America will lead when the Climate Conference in Paris this December takes place.

   
     Watch the video above to learn more. There are better and cleaner alternatives to coal, oil and natural gas, alternatives that greatly reduce pollution in many of its forms. A clean energy future is possible and vital for the future. Back the President and the White House and push for a Clean Energy Future!

Bill Nye's Evil Twin

Shout out to the folks over at Eco Watch. They shared a pretty funny video bout climate change denial and how oil spills are actually good for animals. It is satire, of course, and you can check it out here:     Bill Nye's Twin Brother Reveals the Truth About Climate Change

Who knew Bill Nye had a twin brother?

Musical Interlude

Outside the street's on fire in a real death waltz
between what's flesh and what's fantasy.

And the poet's down here don't write nothing at all

they just stand back and let it all be.

And in the quick of the night
they reach for their moment 

and try to make an honest stand.

But they wind up wounded

not even dead. 

- Bruce Springsteen

Climate Reality Thursday

     It's been a few weeks since I posted a video. So, what better way to break that streak than with a video of young Climate Leaders striving to make a difference? Enjoy.

Renewables At It Again

     Germany the other day made 78% of its energy using renewables. Wind turbines were spinning like mad in the North Sea earlier this week, setting a new mark for renewable energy production. Germany is now producing more than 25% of its daily energy with renewables, and that number keeps growing. Say what you want about Wind and Solar...you can't deny that they make enough energy to power an industrialized nation with 80 million people.

     Just imagine what would happen if put more wind and solar in the USA? And I'm not talking about lower profits for the Koch Brothers.

The Difference Between Fact and Opinion: Take 2

     Do you want to know the true difference between a Climate Change Alarmist and a Climate Change Denier? I will use this simple example to illustrate.

- A man sitting in a house looks out the window, sees that it is raining and suddenly remembers that he left the newspaper on the front porch, the windows down in his car and the patio door open. He thinks about all of these things and realizes that the newspaper will probably get ruined, his car seats will get soaked and water will blow in through the patio door.

- Another man sitting in the same house listens to the first man tell him what is happening outside. Without looking, the second man says "Its not raining." When questioned by the first man why he won't get up and look to see it for himself, the second man replies, "Because its too much work to look outside. Besides, its against my beliefs. So, in my opinion, it is not raining."

     And I wonder why I am always pulling out my own hair.

Who's the Alarmist?

     As a Climate Change and Environmental Activist, I catch my fair share of shit. I am accused of being too dramatic, of exaggerating the environmental issues facing our world, of trying to scare people into driving electric cars and putting solar panels on their roofs. The horror! The blanket term most often used by those who do not believe in Climate Change for people like me is "Alarmist". I take exception to that name for a variety of reason.

     The most obvious reason I take exception is because it pretty much kills any chance of having an informed and productive conversation about Climate Change or any environmental issue, for that matter. "He's an alarmist" puts other people off and on guard, since the term carries a negative connotation. Any hope I have for an intelligent exchange, without emotion and conjecture, pretty much disappears like the O-Zone layer above Antartica in the 1980's. The swapping of ideas, beliefs and information is crucial to informing people why I stand for what I do and why I am trying to raise awareness about the effects Climate Change will have on our way of life. Trying to vault over the "You're an Alarmist" label becomes quite difficult, since many believe anything they read, or believe whatever their Congressman tells them, or when their religious leaders tell them they have to believe. People like me get shut out without a second thought under those types of circumstances.

     Which is why I REALLY don't like the "Alarmist" label. In my experience, the people most often tossing around the term "Alarmist", are alarmists themselves! I have realized that the strongest Climate Change Deniers are the very same people that say that society will fall apart if we try and switch to renewable energy, or that by allowing gays to marry will bring about the end of days and God's wrath, or that President Obama is secretly plotting to "invade" Texas with the US Army in his never ending quest to turn us into a Social State while he tries to take over the world. I mean, talk about alarmist!

     Being concerned about the Environment and wanting to prevent further damage to the world, nature and in turn our culture, doesn't make me an alarmist. It makes me a human being. One that is focused on making the world a better place for now and the future. Trying to convince me that gay marriage will bring our society down to its knees and allow Satan to take over the world? Now THAT sounds pretty alarmist to me.

Jeb Bush Steps Out

     Jeb Bush, American Royalty and Republican Presidential Candidate, the other day said he believes that Climate Change will probably be solved by a guy tinkering in his garage. Of course, media outlets are having a field day with this, ridiculing Bush for his statements. I mean, what can a guy in his garage do to combat climate change, invent a freeze-machine like the one Mikkos Cassadine created that threw Port Charles into a sudden winter during the summer of 1981? (General Hospital fans know how close were are to the end.) Or maybe Bubba in Georgia will convert his three wheeler into a salt vaporizer that makes salt disappear when turning sea water into fresh water?

     Instead of focusing on how silly it sounded, I think we should focus on the fact that Jeb admitted Climate Change is real, is happening, and it is an issue that needs to be addressed. This is a small victory for those of us who recognize we must take action before it is too late. The fact Bush recognizes global warming and climate change as an issue is a step toward. Instead of just ignoring it or dismissing it, Bush's statements have pushed the door ajar toward working toward real progress on combating something that threatens out way of life and the health of our global society.

     In a field of ostriches--most with their heads stuck in the sand--it's nice to see one potential Republican candidate looking at what's going on in the world around him. Its easy to poke fun of another Bush and say his idea that some guy tinkering in a garage would end the climate crisis, but many breakthroughs throughout history have come from unlike places. Sure, it is unlikely that Cletus in his shed in Mississippi is going to invent a freeze-pistol that can restore the melting glaciers to their pre-Industrial Revolution condition. But who knows? I would like to think that Bush's comments mean he is open to funding research and finding solutions, moving forward instead of falling farther behind. Sure, he may be against government regulations (which is is short-sighted and unfortunate), but the fact that he acknowledges what is happening is reason to have hope. Its a departure from the other ostriches in the "Climate Change isn't real and is a vast conspiracy to get people to buy solar panels" group.

     It should be fun to see if his acknowledgement of Climate Changes the rhetoric of the other candidates if Bush's statements appeal to conservative voters who want action on Climate Change. It could change the course of the 2016 election, considering the majority of Americans believe we must do something before it is to late. Of course, he may just be saying this to get elected. But I will take the small step forward. Anything to help Jethro distill a new carbon-absorbing moonshine that cools the Earth and saves us all.

Friday Meme

Let's all take the time to really understand what we are talking about before waxing poetic about how much we know.

Where Does Your Waste Go?

     One of the main goals for me here is to get people to reduce their ecological footprint. Using less materials that can't be recycled, reducing the amount of single-use items (I'm looking at you plastic bags!) and making compost out of food waste. Without being obnoxious, I try to help my friends think a little bit about their actions and the repercussions that those actions have. Yes, my advice is at times unsolicited, however I do my best not to cram said advice down people's throats. I just try to share what I have learned reducing my amount of waste. Point out that some things are thrown away for no reason. If you're just gonna toss it after using it once, why not skip that step and not even use it to begin with, you know?

     Yesterday, a friend from my German class drove me home. She asked me if it was okay with we stopped at the supermarket so she could pick up a few things. First stop was the produce aisle (supermarkets are pretty much the same in Germany as in America, just smaller). My friend grabbed some bananas off the shelf, pulled off a plastic bag from the roll and threw them in, like so many of us do. How many times to do you that? Grab a bag for something that really doesn't require one?

     I was like, "Whaaaaat? You don't need a plastic bag for bananas. They are already attached together in nature's carrying case. They come pre-wrapped in their own organic wrapper! Do you really need a bag?"
     My friend looked perplexed and said, "But the bags are here for us to use." It seems that she hadn't really considered why she had grabbed one, but just automatically grabbed the plastic bag off the roll because they were there. "It isn't a big deal. So what?" she waved me off and moved on to the spice aisle.
     So I asked her, "Are you going to use that bag again?"
     "Well, no," she answered...and then there it was. The look. The look that many people get when they realize something for the first time. I had interrupted her normal behavior with a question that she could not quite answer.

     My friend kept the bananas in the bag and after checking out, she drove me home. I did not convince her to not take the bag, nor did I try. But, I did get her to think about it. In a week or so, she may very well show up to class and tell me that she bought bananas at the market again, but this time didn't put them in a plastic bag. Which is a small victory. We have been so conditioned to grab things when we shop that we really don't need: plastic bags, individually wrapped meals, all that crap at the check out counter. Many times, we grab that stuff because everyone else does without thinking about what happens to that plastic bag once you get home, remove the bananas and toss the bag away.

     Quite often, when I point these types of things out to people, they stop and think. If I can get someone to re-evaluate those small actions, then it makes a difference. Because the person I get to reconsider their behavior with something as ingrained into every day life like grocery shopping, they will most likely share with others what they now do if they make a change. That helps shift towards a more closed-loop and sustainable way of life. Less waste because we reduce, reuse and recycle. That's how you change the world.

     Here's a video about food waste. Its short and good. Enjoy!

California Blames Environmentalists for Drought

     Just in case you were feeling too good about the direction our country has taken in the last 24 hours...you know, with the Supreme Court rulings that ruled Obamacare was constitutional and that states must allow gay marriage, here is a little something to bring you back to reality.

     California Republicans are pushing to pass a bill that blames Environmentalists for the terrible drought the state has endured. Because, out of all the factors, all the waste, all the poor sustainability practices in agriculture and industry across the state, its the tree-huggers who caused the drought.

     But fear not, folks. Today we took 2 steps forward and one step back. As upsetting as that is, it is still technically progress. I guess in order for people to accept the science of climate change, the Supreme Court is going to have to rule on whether the science is constitutional or not.