28th September 2019
Musings.......
News everywhere seems to revolve around Climate change. There has been no time in recent history that Climate change has received such comprehensive coverage in the mainstream media. Suddenly Climate change and Global Warming seems to sell. This is good news. However the transformation has not been easy.
We have seen many mainstream media houses showing reluctance, -especially in the western countries and developed nations- the so called NORTH countries- to accept and give importance to issues of climate change. So what has got about this transformation of sorts.
You could say US President Donald Trump is one of the reasons for the change in attitude of the press. At least the mainstream media in US ,which is at loggerheads with their President has resorted to disagree with whatever he stands for and says. Taking to Twitter to dispense important policy matters have made the media there as mute spectators losing relevance. The other reason being constant allegation from the President himself of any media house except the Fox network to be Fake News.
So as I was saying, Donald Trump and party does not believe in Climate change. He and his supporters believe that Climate change and global warming are all conspiracy theories. In turn when the US unilaterally withdrew from the Paris Climate Agreement ( countries pledged to restrict global warming levels to 1.5degreeC by 2030 ), media took up the issue mainly to bash Trump. Caught in between, the legitimate environmental issue began to trend and people started to take notice.
Take notice we have as we ourselves experience changes to climactic conditions - incessant rains followed by dry spells, hotter summers and harsher winters. The main issue is no country is ready to reduce its share of use of Fossil fuels. The major polluters of the world US and China have shown reluctance to take blame and in turn wants the poorer countries to cut their fossil fuel use which is outright absurd.
A gleam of hope among all the politics in the ongoing UN General Assembly in New York has been the young Swedish activist Greta Thurnburg. She took a yatch to travel all the way from Europe to New York where she is to attend the UN Climate Summit. This follows a campaign at home where more and more Swedes are avoiding the Aeroplane and travelling by other means including Railway to reduce the carbon footprint. The fact that an 18 year old Swedish Girl has become a symbol of Environmental reforms is testimony to the fact that we still have hope. The Earth may might as well survive. More and more Greta Thurnbergs are the need of the hour.
Another reason for Climate Change hegemony in news is the recent forest fires in the Amazon. A hostile Right wing Government in Brazil led by Jair Bolsanaro added spice to the bland meal. His spat with French President Immanuel Macron over the issue of Amazon fires and his inactivity was international headlines. What mattered was not the politics but the fact that systemic destruction of the Amazon was brought to notice and the world stood by Environmentalists. Not getting into the politics over the matter, what is horrifying is that Amazon is not restricted to Brazil alone but other Latin American countries such as Bolivia, Peru to name a few. Forest Fires were also reported from Siberia and Alaska.
Adding to this is the already well known fact that the Artic ice is melting. Newer sea routes have been formed. Hitherto unnavigable routes in winter have opened up due to Global Warming and the consequences are increase in the Sea water level. Sea water acidity levels are at an all time high. Many plant and animal flora of the sea are at the verge of extinction. Coral reefs could become extinct as soon as 2050 if news are to be believed.
What makes the sea water to rise is not so much melting glaciers but ice over the continental land mass.
Land mass which lies below the frozen layers of ice is called Permafrost.
Permafrost is the ground i.e the rock or soil with a temperature which is below freezing point of water ( 0 degree C ) for more than 2 years. It covers almost 24% of the Northern Hemisphere and part of the continental shelves in the Arctic Ocean. In areas not covered by ice it is located below soil, rock or sediment that freezes annually and is called the active layer. Subsea Permafrost occurs in the continental shelves as noted earlier.
They can manifest as Massive Ground ice, Landforms such as palsas and pingos.
Th Permafrost carbon cycle (Arctic Carbon Cycle) deals with the transfer of carbon from permafrost soils to terrestrial vegetation and microbes, to the atmosphere, back to vegetation, and finally back to permafrost soils through burial and sedimentation due to cryogenic processes.
Arctic permafrost has been diminishing for many centuries. The consequence is thawing soil, which may be weaker, and release of methane, which contributes to an increased rate of global warming as part of a feedback loop.
With Arctic temperatures set to increase due to global warming, there is to be massive amounts of methane released to the atmosphere with cyclical increase in atmospheric temperature.
Buildings on Permafrost is not a feasible option as the heat from the building or it’s pipeline could thaw the Permafrost and destabilise the structure.
It is proven that Permafrost can be medium for preservation of ancient microorganisms. The 2016 outbreak of Anthrax in Yamal peninsula is attributed to the melting of Permafrost. This could even become an issue with melting Permafrost opening up possibility of epidemics.
Hence the world is going to see drastic changes to its composition as early as 2050. When major cities of the world along famed coastlines could disappear, major cities inland could face Day Zero and drastic water shortages.
The UN Climate Summit is a small step towards conservation of nature and to prime humanity against the dangers of global warming and climate change. Every step matters, however small it may be. It is imperative upon world leaders to take up the issue much more seriously as time is running out. Previously, myself included used to read about preserving the environment for future generations but now the we see ourselves in a position where apocalypse could strike in our lifetime.
Environmentalists should keep pressuring governments and Climate change should be made electoral campaign issues along with other basic necessities. Right wing governments are at best ignorant and the world community should realise that the Right is not always Right !!
Food for Thought.......
RC
rohitchennithala.blogspot.com
rohitchennithala.home.blog
News everywhere seems to revolve around Climate change. There has been no time in recent history that Climate change has received such comprehensive coverage in the mainstream media. Suddenly Climate change and Global Warming seems to sell. This is good news. However the transformation has not been easy.
We have seen many mainstream media houses showing reluctance, -especially in the western countries and developed nations- the so called NORTH countries- to accept and give importance to issues of climate change. So what has got about this transformation of sorts.
You could say US President Donald Trump is one of the reasons for the change in attitude of the press. At least the mainstream media in US ,which is at loggerheads with their President has resorted to disagree with whatever he stands for and says. Taking to Twitter to dispense important policy matters have made the media there as mute spectators losing relevance. The other reason being constant allegation from the President himself of any media house except the Fox network to be Fake News.
So as I was saying, Donald Trump and party does not believe in Climate change. He and his supporters believe that Climate change and global warming are all conspiracy theories. In turn when the US unilaterally withdrew from the Paris Climate Agreement ( countries pledged to restrict global warming levels to 1.5degreeC by 2030 ), media took up the issue mainly to bash Trump. Caught in between, the legitimate environmental issue began to trend and people started to take notice.
Take notice we have as we ourselves experience changes to climactic conditions - incessant rains followed by dry spells, hotter summers and harsher winters. The main issue is no country is ready to reduce its share of use of Fossil fuels. The major polluters of the world US and China have shown reluctance to take blame and in turn wants the poorer countries to cut their fossil fuel use which is outright absurd.
A gleam of hope among all the politics in the ongoing UN General Assembly in New York has been the young Swedish activist Greta Thurnburg. She took a yatch to travel all the way from Europe to New York where she is to attend the UN Climate Summit. This follows a campaign at home where more and more Swedes are avoiding the Aeroplane and travelling by other means including Railway to reduce the carbon footprint. The fact that an 18 year old Swedish Girl has become a symbol of Environmental reforms is testimony to the fact that we still have hope. The Earth may might as well survive. More and more Greta Thurnbergs are the need of the hour.
Another reason for Climate Change hegemony in news is the recent forest fires in the Amazon. A hostile Right wing Government in Brazil led by Jair Bolsanaro added spice to the bland meal. His spat with French President Immanuel Macron over the issue of Amazon fires and his inactivity was international headlines. What mattered was not the politics but the fact that systemic destruction of the Amazon was brought to notice and the world stood by Environmentalists. Not getting into the politics over the matter, what is horrifying is that Amazon is not restricted to Brazil alone but other Latin American countries such as Bolivia, Peru to name a few. Forest Fires were also reported from Siberia and Alaska.
Adding to this is the already well known fact that the Artic ice is melting. Newer sea routes have been formed. Hitherto unnavigable routes in winter have opened up due to Global Warming and the consequences are increase in the Sea water level. Sea water acidity levels are at an all time high. Many plant and animal flora of the sea are at the verge of extinction. Coral reefs could become extinct as soon as 2050 if news are to be believed.
What makes the sea water to rise is not so much melting glaciers but ice over the continental land mass.
Land mass which lies below the frozen layers of ice is called Permafrost.
Permafrost is the ground i.e the rock or soil with a temperature which is below freezing point of water ( 0 degree C ) for more than 2 years. It covers almost 24% of the Northern Hemisphere and part of the continental shelves in the Arctic Ocean. In areas not covered by ice it is located below soil, rock or sediment that freezes annually and is called the active layer. Subsea Permafrost occurs in the continental shelves as noted earlier.
They can manifest as Massive Ground ice, Landforms such as palsas and pingos.
Th Permafrost carbon cycle (Arctic Carbon Cycle) deals with the transfer of carbon from permafrost soils to terrestrial vegetation and microbes, to the atmosphere, back to vegetation, and finally back to permafrost soils through burial and sedimentation due to cryogenic processes.
Arctic permafrost has been diminishing for many centuries. The consequence is thawing soil, which may be weaker, and release of methane, which contributes to an increased rate of global warming as part of a feedback loop.
With Arctic temperatures set to increase due to global warming, there is to be massive amounts of methane released to the atmosphere with cyclical increase in atmospheric temperature.
Buildings on Permafrost is not a feasible option as the heat from the building or it’s pipeline could thaw the Permafrost and destabilise the structure.
It is proven that Permafrost can be medium for preservation of ancient microorganisms. The 2016 outbreak of Anthrax in Yamal peninsula is attributed to the melting of Permafrost. This could even become an issue with melting Permafrost opening up possibility of epidemics.
Hence the world is going to see drastic changes to its composition as early as 2050. When major cities of the world along famed coastlines could disappear, major cities inland could face Day Zero and drastic water shortages.
The UN Climate Summit is a small step towards conservation of nature and to prime humanity against the dangers of global warming and climate change. Every step matters, however small it may be. It is imperative upon world leaders to take up the issue much more seriously as time is running out. Previously, myself included used to read about preserving the environment for future generations but now the we see ourselves in a position where apocalypse could strike in our lifetime.
Environmentalists should keep pressuring governments and Climate change should be made electoral campaign issues along with other basic necessities. Right wing governments are at best ignorant and the world community should realise that the Right is not always Right !!
Food for Thought.......
RC
rohitchennithala.blogspot.com
rohitchennithala.home.blog
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