ORANGUTANS: Men of the Forest

Environmental policies include low natural gas prices, increased fuel efficiency standards for all vehicles, & higher regulations on power plant emissions. These will no doubt contribute to Obama’s goal of cutting emissions (based on 2005 levels) by 17% by 2020. Currently, Obama has managed to cut emissions by 9%.  

Cher: http://www.care2.com/news/member/100041282/3495933

The significance of this video, apart from being informative in a short span of time, lies in the realization that if we really are such a small fragment of Earth’s 4.5 billion years of life, then how are we doing so much damage. In our “few seconds” of recorded history, we have manages to destroy the environment both directly and indirectly.

Directly, we are responsible for environmental disasters incl. causing ecological trauma in the Gulf of Mexico dead zone, the Tennessee Coal Ash Spill in 2008, the Al-Mishraq Fire in 2003 & the ecocide in Vietnam in the 1960s & 1970s.

Indirectly (using the word ‘indirectly’ is generous in this context), we have been responsible for far worse. The loss of arctic sea ice is, at the very least, 70% man-made. And that’s just the low ball estimate–Climate Change could be up to 95% due to human-induced climate change! This research, (online in the journal Environmental Research Letters), stands apart from previous research which only attribute half the loss to man-made climate change & the other half to nature taking its course.

Climate Change Links http://www.climateark.org/links/

Info: Temperature Rising-With Deaths of Forests, a Loss of Key Climate Protectors http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/01/science/earth/01forest.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2&hp

Save our Forests http://www.greencupboards.com/blog/2011/10/04/save-our-forests/ 

The concern of modern day environmentalist: it’s not the hole in the ozone layer, or the chemical runoff that flows to our rivers and oceans; it’s not melting ice caps, three eyed tadpoles, or birds caught by plastic six pack pop rings. According to New York Times, Mother Nature is currently crying out for the rescue of her Forests.

Saving the Forests, & the Climate http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/08/opinion/saving-the-forests-and-the-climate.html?ref=earthplanet  Deforestation is releasing globally about 1.6 BillionTons of carbon a year. That is 25to30% of the 4to5 BillionTons of carbon accumulating a year in the atmosphere from the total of all human activities. Stopping further Deforestation globally is an obvious first step in stabilizing global Climates. Conversely, allowing the further destruction of Forests feeds the further destabilization of climates!!

Video:   HUMAN  PLANET

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=2HiUMlOz4UQ&vq=large

Watch!!: What’s your connection to Rainforest Destruction?

You MUST watch this Video!!!!

The Sustainability Lie: a short film on Borneo's Palm Oil Industry http://www.rainforest-rescue.org/news/3195/the-sustainability-lie-a-film-about-the-dirty-palm-oil-business

Environment, Animals, Indigenous People, Climate DISASTER!!! Because of Big Corporations, the "PalmOil Mafia"’s GREED!!! Indigenous People arrested and treated like criminals because they don't want to leave their own land!!!!!!

Thanks for sharing this important information, Michela! All this greed gives me the cold chills. Take care.

Thanks Michela.

Terrible just terrible.  Here in WI (USA) we are hitting a record for no snow.  Last yrs winter was a low for snow too.  My heart hurts for all of this distruction to our planet.

Tha's very important to show to all the people excuse me my english!

Video: Time-lapse history of human global CO2 emissions  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqV-kx2ClXU

Earth's CO2 Home Page http://co2now.org/

Global Temperature Update http://co2now.org/

News: Fish of Antarctica Threatened by Climate Change http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120213154053.htm

A rise of 2 degrees centigrade of water temperature will likely have a devastating impact on this Antarctic fish lineage, which is so well adapted to water at freezing temperatures.
Cal: http://www.care2.com/news/member/193692282/3101336

The future prospects of the earth and all its inhabitants are appalling. By inhabitans, I mean people and animals.

News: Climate Change - The World’s Most Beautiful Mosque in Malaysia is Vulnerable to Rising Seas


February 15, 2012 - As increasing levels of greenhouse gases choke the planet and giant plumes of methane fast-track Global Warming, glaciers and ice caps melt, leaving all low-lying and coastal developments vulnerable to rising sea levels.

Take a look at the beautiful Malacca Straits Mosque in Malaysia. It was propped up on concrete pillars, but how will it fare in a few decades when the Strait of Malacca is one meter higher?
Cal: http://www.care2.com/news/member/193692282/3103140

News: As Arctic Sea Ice Declines, Polar Bear Patrol Gets Busy

Sea ice loss has kept the bears coming in large numbers. With sea ice offshore melting in June - a month earlier than what was typical 30 years ago, when sea ice persisted well into the summer months - more than 300 of the region’s Polar Bears came early to the town & its environs. Stuck onshore for a longer period, the Bears increasingly came into conflict with Churchill’s roughly 1,000 residents.

The population of Western Hudson Bay Polar Bears has declined from 1,200 in 1987 to roughly 900 today, as the Bears lose body mass & produce fewer cubs. Scientists are now wondering how long this population of animals will survive if it continues to spend more time on shore, where there is almost nothing to eat.

A tranquilized Polar Bear is removed from the polar bear “jail” outside of Churchill

Manitoba Adult males socializing while waiting for the ice to re-form on Hudson Bay

A Polar Bear alert warning sign posted inside the town of Churchill

Cal: http://www.care2.com/news/member/193692282/3110646

Video: Saving Earth's Wildlife http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxZLciuAAhc&feature=player_detailpage

From: Marilyn M.: This is why I fight so hard for our Creatures and our Environment...

News: Cheetah struggling to reproduce http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/mar/07/wildlife-animals

The world's fastest animal, the African Cheetah, is losing its ability to reproduce because of Climate Change!! Cheetah has developed abnormal coils in its sperm as a result of warmer temperatures, affecting the Big Cat’s ability to reproduce.

Cal: http://www.care2.com/news/member/193692282/3130036

  Polar bear cubs face many dangers during their 1st year. At an early age, cubs are taught by their mother to stay close. Females with cubs generally avoid adult male bears who sometimes attack the young & eat them. Highly protective female bears often drive off much larger male bears. Females are known to fight to the death to protect their cubs.

News: Tornado season likely to expand  http://news.mongabay.com/2012/0306-hance_tornado_season_cc.html

…Isn't this early for tornado season? Yes, say experts, & climatologists add that while research on tornadoes & Climate Change is currently in its infancy, it's possible, probably even likely, that Climate Change is expanding tornado season in the U.S. due to the earlier arrival of spring.

Cal: http://www.care2.com/news/member/193692282/3130034

Next month Matt Damon’s new movie will be released and the Oil and Gas industry is worried sick about it. The movie, Promised Land, is about a Pennsylvania farm town deciding whether to go forward with shale gas drilling after a team of landmen arrives in the area. Damon plays one of these landman, who rolls into town presenting himself as a humble flannel-wearing farmboy from Iowa. Damon’s character is an ace salesman, famously good at convincing homeowners to sign away the rights to their land. But halfway through the story, he starts having ethical pangs about his profession. Damon’s internal conflicts grow deeper as he grows closer to locals…

Cal: http://www.care2.com/news/member/193692282/3501945

Nice, and very interesting!. Thank you very much Michela!!! :)

News: Greenland ice melt seen at lower temperatures http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/11/us-ice-sheet-climate-idUSBRE82A0AT20120311

The complete melt of the Greenland ice sheet could occur at lower global temperatures than previously thought, increasing the threat & severity of a rise in sea level. Substantial melting of land ice could contribute to long-term sea level rise of several meters, potentially threatening the lives of millions of people. Temperature threshold for melting the (ice sheet) exists & that this threshold has been overestimated until now.

A complete ice sheet melt could happen if global temperatures rose between 0.8 and 3.2 degrees C. above pre-industrial levels, with a best estimate of 1.6 degrees. Previous research suggested the ice sheet could melt in a range of a 1.9 to 5.1 degree temperature rise, with a best estimate of 3.1 degrees.

1/20 of the world's ice is in Greenland, which is 1/4 of the size of the USA & about 80% of it is covered by the ice sheet. If it all melted it would be equivalent to a 6.4 meter global sea level rise, previous research has shown. If the global temperature significantly overshoots the threshold for a long time, the ice will continue melting & not regrow - even if the climate would, after many thousand years, return to its pre-industrial state.

Today, Global Warming of 0.8 degrees has already been recorded. The more we exceed the threshold, the faster it melts. If the world takes no action to limit Greenhouse Gas Emissions, the Earth could warm by 8 degrees Celsius. This would result in 1/5 of the ice sheet melting within 500 years & a complete loss in 2,000 years. If temperature rise is limited to 2 degrees C., a complete melt of the ice sheet could happen in 50,000 years.

Cal: http://www.care2.com/news/member/193692282/3140400

News: Entire nation of Kiribati to be relocated over rising sea level threat http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/kiribati/9127576/Entire-nation-of-Kiribati-to-be-relocated-over-rising-sea-level-threat.html

The low-lying Pacific nation of Kiribati is negotiating to buy land in Fiji so it can relocate islanders under threat from rising sea levels. The archipelago, home to a population of 103,000, is already feeling the effects of climate change. Several people lost their homes to rising seas and the need for action is urgent.

Cal: http://www.care2.com/news/member/193692282/3130046

News: Entire Pacific Nation could one day move to Fiji http://news.yahoo.com/entire-pacific-nation-could-one-day-move-fiji-044612426.html

Some scientists estimated the current level of sea rise in the Pacific at about 2 millimeters (0.1 inches) per year. Many scientists expect that rate to accelerate due to Climate Change.

Fearing that Climate Change could wipe out their entire Pacific archipelago, the leaders of Kiribati are considering an unusual backup plan: moving the populace to Fiji.

Kiribati, which straddles the Equator near the International date line, has found itself at the leading edge of the debate on Climate Change because many of its atolls rise just a few feet above sea level.

Fiji, home to about 850,000 people, is about 1,400 miles south of Kiribati. But just what people there think about potentially providing a home for thousands of their neighbors remains unclear.

Jae: http://www.care2.com/news/member/228509130/3132687

News: Climate Change report: time to start preparing for the worst http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2012/0328/Climate-change-report-time-to-start-preparing-for-the-worst

It's time to start protecting people from the impact of severe-weather events, a panel says. The report offers further evidence of how the Climate Change conversation is shifting.

Cal: http://www.care2.com/news/member/193692282/3173917

Fearing that Climate Change could wipe out their entire Pacific archipelago, the leaders of Kiribati are considering an unusual backup plan: moving the populace to Fiji. Photo of Kiribati's Tarawa atoll 

News: Damage to world's Oceans to reach $2 Trillion a year  http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/03/21/us-climate-cost-oceans-idUKBRE82K01720120321

The damage to the world's Oceans from Climate Change could reach $2 Trillion a year by 2100, if measures to cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions are not stepped up. Without action to limit rising Greenhouse Gas Emissions, the Global average Temperature could rise by 4 degrees Celsius by the end of the century, causing: Ocean acidification, Sea level rise, Marine Pollution, Species migration, more intense tropical Cyclones; & .threatening Coral Reefs, disrupting fisheries & depleting fish stocks. "The faster we stop emissions rising, the lower the damage will be. But on current technology, I wouldn't be surprised if we end up on a 4 degree C pathway"

Study recommended: the UN appoints a High Commissioner for Oceans to coordinate Research&Action; Ocean services should be more integrated into EconomicPolicy; there should be more preparation for a 1-2 meter Sea level rise by the end of the century.

Cal: http://www.care2.com/news/member/193692282/3149327

A woman photographs the devastated coastline between Nice & Antibes in Southern France, Nov. 6, 2011

TY, noted.

This is frightening.
Your picture of a polar bear lost on an ice cube is alarming, although the idea behind it is not new.
I've heard that Americans are allowed to kill all polar bears. Is that true???

A majority of Americans are beginning to take global warming seriously. Good news.

Watch Video: Melting Arctic ice could poison ecosystem

Arctic sea ice that's been melting at a dramatic rate in the last few decades is releasing a chemical soup that could poison the food chain with mercury and other dangerous chemicals.

When the salt in sea ice, frigid temperatures & sunlight interact a chemical reaction releases bromine atoms into the atmosphere, which then mix with a gaseous form of mercury creating a pollutant that falls back to Earth.

Over the last 30 years, the amount ice that survives the summer melt and grows again in the winter is becoming significantly smaller (12 % per decade), resulting in a much thinner & more salty form of ice.

When the "new" ice melts, it releases a higher concentration of the chemicals into the air that create the mercury.

Cal: http://www.care2.com/news/member/193692282/3147105

From: Juergen Friedrich

Video: Ägypten ohne Nil (Egypt without the Nile)

Dear Michela, OK, it is in German, but plenty of data are presented in graphs. What about changing the headline "Save our Dying Planet" into "Save our Drying Planet"? My speciality aims at irrigation of deserts. Additionally, I try to get support for the idea, the thus new lands might be cultivated with Oil Palms instead of cutting down the natural tropical Rain Forests. If we take into focus the history of Oil industry and the worldwide trade of crude oil shipping, then it is very easy to calculate the costs "for my vision" much lower.

Best regards, Juergen

News: The Toxic 100: Top Corporate Air Polluters Identified http://truth-out.org/news/item/10921-the-toxic-100-top-corporate-air-polluters-identified

"The Toxic 100 Air Polluters informs consumers & shareholders which large Corporations release the most toxic pollutants into our air"

The top 5 air polluters among large Corporations are:

• The German-owned Bayer Group,
• Textron Inc.,
• General Electric Co.,
• Precision Castparts,
• Koch Industries.

Full list of Toxic 100 Air Polluters http://www.peri.umass.edu/toxicair2012/  

Kit B.: http://www.care2.com/news/member/451276626/3442111 

Emissions from an Exxon Mobil Oil refinery

in Torrance, Calif., Sept.2010

News: Climate Change bringing on more extreme weather in Europe http://www.greenerideal.com/science/1123-climate-change-extreme-weather-europe/

The European Environment Agency’s most recent report, ‘Climate change, impacts & vulnerability in Europe 2012’, discloses that Europe has seen recording setting high temperatures over the past decade & higher than average temperatures have been seen across Europe.

Some the changes observed include: higher precipitation in the northern regions & lower precipitation in southern regions; snow cover decreasing & most permafrost soils warming up; the Greenland ice sheet is melting; & heat waves, floods and droughts are on the rise. “Climate Change is a reality around the world, & the extent & speed of change is becoming ever more evident”. “This means that every part of the economy, including households, needs to adapt as well as reduce emissions.” Climate change can impact the socio-economic status of Europe as well: Existing socio-economic vulnerabilities may be exacerbated by the impacts of climate change. There are significant differences in the economic, technical, & institutional capacity to cope with & adapt to climate change across Europe. When impacts of climate change affect regions with low adaptive capacity, the consequences can be severe. An integrated assessment of European regions’ vulnerability to climate change suggests that climate change may negatively affect the territorial cohesion in Europe by deepening existing socio-economic imbalances.

Cher: http://www.care2.com/news/member/100041282/3490842

News: Why Is North America Behind The Curve On Climate Change & Energy? http://livinggreenmag.com/2012/11/05/energy-ecology/why-is-north-america-behind-the-curve-on-climate-change-and-energy/

Just 3 short years ago, it appeared that North America was on the verge of finally kicking that nasty dirty energy addiction that was crippling our economies & our energy independence. The United States had elected a president, Barack Obama, who set incredibly lofty goals for renewable energy targets, & green energy investments across the continent were higher than anywhere else in the world. In the early part of this century, both North America & Europe were investing solidly in renewable energy projects & technology. As Renewable Energy Focus pointed out:  “Venture equity funding of clean energy reached $2.5bn in Europe, whereas North America saw $6.8bn venture equity funding in clean energy…The average size of investment rounds for an average company rose 103% to €65 million per company in North American, whereas clean energy companies in Europe saw investment rounds fall 4% to €27m per company. ”But in the span of just two years (2009 – 2011), the United States went from being the world leader in Renewable Energy investments to 3rd behind both China & Germany.

Cher: http://www.care2.com/news/member/100041282/3480538

Video: Burning Lungs (Deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest)  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olmzzWo0wps&feature=player_embedded Source: Terry V.

News: Hurricane Sandy Fans Flames of Climate Change Debate http://www.ipsnews.net/2012/11/hurricane-sandy-fans-flames-of-climate-change-debate/

“The fossil fuel Industry is causing the climate crisis, leading to more extreme weather events like Hurricane Sandy” “We’re calling on Big Oil to stop spending millions to influence this election & donate the money to disaster relief instead”

The scientists who predicted this kind of megastorm have issued another stark warning: if we stay on our current path, our children will live on a super-heated planet that’s 4 or 5 degrees warmer than it is right now”. Global warming is caused mainly by human activities such as burning fossil fuels like coal.  This operation & others lead to higher concentrations of greenhouse gasses that raise the temperatures of both the Oceans & the Earth’s atmosphere.

Cal: http://www.care2.com/news/member/193692282/3479393

News: David Attenborough weighs in on U.S. politicians avoiding Climate Change issues It would take a terrible example of extreme weather to wake people up to the dangers of Global Warming. Attenborough, one of the world’s leading naturalists, has also accused U.S. politicians of ducking the Climate Change issue because of the economic cost of tackling it. [It] does worry me that most powerful nation in the world, North America, denies what the rest of us can see very clearly [on C. Change]. I don’t know what you do about that. It’s easier to deny”.

Comments done a few days following the U.S. presidential debates: when Climate Change failed to get a mention in the event in 24 years. What is needed to wake people up? The former BBC broadcaster famous for series such as Life & Planet Earth: “Disaster. It’s a terrible thing to say, isn’t it? Even disaster doesn’t do it. There have been disasters in N. America, with hurricanes & floods, yet still people deny & say ‘oh, it has nothing to do with Climate Change’ It visibly has got [something] to do with Climate Change” But some U.S. politicians found it easier to deny the science on Climate Change than take action, because recognizing the science on man-made Climate Change “means a huge section from the Nat.l budget will be spent to deal with it, plenty of politicians will be happy to say ‘don’t worry about that, we’re not going to increase your taxes.’” Despite record-breaking heat in the U.S. & a drought that has devastated crops in the Midwest, the issue of Climate Change failed to get a mention in the country’s presidential debates. The U.S.’s attitude towards Climate Change & the environment was not just because of politics, but because of the country’s history, because they’re a pioneer country. There has been the wild west, the western frontier… that’s still there, you see it in the arms business, the right for everyone to bear arms. It’s part of the pioneer stuff that you’ve [Americans] grown up with.” The solution was to raise living standards & increase democracy in developing countries. “The only way I can think of it [tackling population] is by giving women the rights to control their own bodies & control how many children they have. In every circumstance where women have that right, where they have the vote, where they are proper medical facilities, where they are literate, where they are given the choice, the birth rate falls”. “That is a good start, if that could be spread.”

Cher: http://www.care2.com/news/member/100041282/3477109

News: How can Conservation Efforts help Species adapt to Climate Change? http://www.enn.com/wildlife/article/45108 As the climate changes, conservationists are divided over the most effective way to preserve animal & plant diversity because they cannot simply preserve the status quo. Ensuring species can shift to track the climate to which they are suited is a complex problem, especially when there are competing demands on land use. A simple prediction is that more habitat would help species to shift, but it is not obvious what the best spatial locations for habitat would be…
Cal: http://www.care2.com/news/member/193692282/3472477  

News: A Million Species could face extinction due to Human encroachment & Climate Change

With 7 billion people on the planet - heading to 10 billion - & with greenhouse gas emissions threatening more rapid temperature rises than the warming that brought the last Ice Age to an end, the many millions of living things on Earth face an unprecedented squeeze. Is a wave of extinctions possible, & if so, what can we do about it? The Climate Scientist & Biologist Stephen Schneider described this confluence of events - species struggling to adapt to rapid warming in a world heavily modified by human action - as a “no-brainer for an extinction spasm.”

Extinction risk from Climate Change

As Climate Warms, Species May Need to Migrate or Perish

Cal: http://www.care2.com/news/member/193692282/3275220 

Top environmental leaders are still pondering the meaning of the president's inaugural address.

Kevin A.: http://www.care2.com/news/member/353427779/3518004

President Barack Obama discussed the need to act on climate change in his inauguration address, highlighting previously stated intentions to make the issue a priority in his second term. In his speech, Obama tied failure to respond to Climate Change with a betrayal of future generations. "Some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science, but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires, & crippling drought, & more powerful storms" he said Jan. 21. "The path towards sustainable energy sources will be long & sometimes difficult. But America cannot resist this transition; we must lead it."

News: In Brazil, a showdown over Rainforest Deforestation http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Americas/2012/0525/In-Brazil-a-showdown-over-rainforest-deforestation

Brazil's President is scheduled to sign a reform package today that could retroactively legalize the Deforestation of Millions of Acres in the Amazon.

Cal: http://www.care2.com/news/member/193692282/3378020

News: The Living Amazon: New Digital Log Of Every Brazilian Rain Forest Species http://worldcrunch.com/living-amazon-new-digital-log-every-brazilian-rain-forest-species/5389

Researchers in the Northern State of Pará want to use the Internet to track the thousands of Plant & Animal Species in the Brazilian Rainforest. It's part of an even more ambitious Global Project.

Cal: http://www.care2.com/news/member/193692282/3377804

News: Climate change, irrigation threaten Murray-Darling disaster http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/51073

The rivers of the Murray-Darling Basin are dying. While average inflows decline due to Climate Change, extractions for irrigation remain at environmentally damaging levels.

Cal: http://www.care2.com/news/member/193692282/3378018

News: Really Bad Business: U.S. car manufacturers linked to Amazon Destruction, Slave Labor

According to a new report by Greenpeace, top U.S. car companies such as Ford, General Motors, & Nissan are sourcing pig iron that has resulted in the Destruction of Amazon Rainforests, Slave Labor, & Land Conflict with Indigenous Tribes. Spending 2 years documenting the pig iron trade between Northeastern Brazil & the U.S., Greenpeace has discovered that Rainforests are cut & burned to power blast furnaces that produce pig iron, which is then shipped to the U.S. for steel production.

Despite attention to the problem over the years, little has been done & household consumer products in the U.S. can still be traced back to Illegalities & Forest Destruction in the Amazon.

News: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch – From Laos To Hawaii   May 18, 2012 If you have ever wondered what happens to all the rubbish humans create, after some consideration – and few available answers – you have probably concluded that it’s probably dealt with properly. This is often the case, but sadly there are some companies – & people too – who treat the natural world as something of a garbage dump. It might seem like if you chuck a plastic drinks bottle into the water off the coast of the UK that it just disappears – or maybe you’ve just never thought about it. The reality is that it doesn’t just disappear; it joins the other billions of pieces of rubbish, domestic & industrial, that are dumped into the sea each year. Whilst the oceans might cover 71% of the earth’s surface, they’re not a black hole and environmentalists have warned of serious consequences if they continue to be used as the world’s rubbish dump. Nowhere is this more apparent than the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Bigger Than Texas: The Great Pacific Garbage Dump

Cher: http://www.care2.com/news/member/100041282/3355351

News: British Butterfly defies doom prediction to thrive in Changing Climate http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/may/24/brown-argus-butterfly-climate-change A modest but resilient British Butterfly has bucked the trend of worried predictions about the Species' health, it appears to have benefited rather than lost out from Climate Change.

Cal: http://www.care2.com/news/member/193692282/3378095

Vietnam’s fertile Mekong delta is threatened by rising sea levels & salt water ingress: the country’s future as a major rice exporter depends critically on research underway in the Philippines. Scientists at the Int.l Rice Research Institute (IRRI) are working with Vietnamese counterparts in the town of Los Banos, 63 km Southeast of Manila, to develop a new strain of rice that can withstand submergence for over 2 weeks & also resist salinity.

Cal: http://www.care2.com/news/member/193692282/3248224

News: Brazil's growth has a monkey on its back

May 29, 2012 Expansion in the city of Manaus, gearing up for the World Cup, is encroaching on precious turf of the Endangered Pied Tamarin Monkey. These once ubiquitous Monkeys are nowhere to be seen. The species is in danger of total extinction: due to Manaus quickly growth. This small Primate is listed as Endangered on the Int.l Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. Geographic Range: a relatively small area of the Amazon basin, ab. 25miles North & 60miles East of Manaus, & Manaus' rapid expansion is only going to eat into Tamarin’s territory.

Brazil's economy surged since 2008 to surpass the UK as the world’s 6th-largest economy, & that growth is visible in cities like Manaus, but Manaus sits deep in the jungle. The city had its 1st boom when European & US investors came for the rubber. Then the British explorer & so-called bio-pirate Henry Wickham stole the seeds for the Para rubber tree in the late 19th century: the British were able to grow the tree in other tropical parts of their empire. The city began to grow again when the Brazilian Gov.t brought in tax benefits in order to maintain & build a population to save it from foreign occupation. The Manaus Free Trade Zone was born, hosting some of the world's biggest Co.: Honda, Yamaha, Sony, Samsung, Foxconn. Cal: http://www.care2.com/news/member/193692282/3380671

Take Note: The Int.l Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) RED LIST of ENDANGERED SPECIES -Red List Maps - Discover & explore Species distributions & observations http://maps.iucnredlist.org/index.html

Tamarin: http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/40644/0

A 3-month-old Pied Tamarin (Saguinus Bicolor) with its mother. These creatures are threatened by Brazil's rapid expansion

News: Is an Oil Spill in the Arctic a Big Deal? http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art17380.asp Deb Duxbury, BellaOnline's Animal Life Editor - Shell Oil is still behind on any plan for environmental recovery & cleanup should a spill occur in the Arctic Circle because of their drilling. Their lack of preparedness should not come as a shock as the only theoretical testing the company considered was done back in the year 2000, when Shell proposed the Arctic drilling project. The Republican-majority House&Senate voted in favor of allowing drilling in the Arctic, but Pres.Clinton vetoed the measure…

Video: What If An Oil Spill Happened in the Arctic? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dL3RGwpBaI&feature=player_embedded#!

Here are the video results from the oil spill response capacity test in 2000: showing the disaster that could occur if an oil spill happened in Arctic waters. To learn more: http://na.oceana.org/en/our-work/climate-energy/offshore-drilling/overview.

Deb: http://www.care2.com/news/member/571583704/3418782

Top 10 Coming Disasters in 2016 If America Picks Romney http://www.alternet.org/election-2012/top-10-coming-disasters-2016-if-america-picks-romney What kind of a "direction" Romney might take the country:
7. Romney. is determined to increase the amount of carbon dioxide spewed into the atmosphere by backing Big Oil against renewable sources of energy. His policies will accelerate Climate Change, increasing the average surface temperature of the Earth, with more frequent droughts, forest fires, & extreme weather events. Climate Change will accelerate. Dirty sources of energy like coal will be encouraged. Hot, dry summers could produce dust bowls in some parts of the US, while hurricanes will increase in their ferocity.
1. Austerity does not work: produces massive unemployment & deficits. The tight money policies tried in Europe have produced spiraling unemployment & ballooning deficits with a continued mortgage crisis in Spain. 2. R. will abolish the “Obamacare” throwing tens of millions of Americans back out of health insurance programs & leaving them to the mercies of emergency room treatment. 3. R.-Ryan want to further lower taxes on the rich. Income inequality has been growing enormously in the US: the top 1% have captured 93% of the country’s increased income during the recovery from the Depression of 2008-2009. Accelerated gap between the rich & the poor. 4. R.-Ryan determined to outlaw abortion. Ryan does not even make any exceptions for it. R. does, but he wants to deprive women of choice & of the right to control their bodies. 5. R. says he wants a more forceful intervention in Syria, & seems willing to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities near Isfahan, likely killing 100,000 people. 6. R. supports Republican/Koch Brothers attempts at voter suppression. 8. R. is in the back pocket of casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, spending $100 million to elect him & worships far rightwing Israeli PM Binyamin Netanyahu. R. says he will recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, seems clear he will back to the hilt the creeping illegal Israeli annexation of the PalestinianW.Bank. 9. R.-Ryan will end Medicare

Growing Oil Palm to make 'green' biofuels in the tropics could be accelerating the effects of Climate Change, say scientists. Researchers from Bangor University found the creation of oil palm plantations are releasing prehistoric sources of carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere. The findings throw into doubt hopes that biofuels grown in the tropics could help cut greenhouse gas emissions. Working as part of an international team, the north Wales scientists looked at how the deforestation of peat-swamps in Malaysia, to make way for oil palm trees, is releasing carbon which has been locked away for thousands of years. It is feared this carbon will be attacked by microbes & produce the greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide. The Bangor researchers say the ancient carbon comes from deep in the soil, which as the effects of deforestation take hold, breaks down & dissolves into the nearby watercourses.

Source: Myraida D.

Federal officials propose listing wolverine as Endangered because its cold-weather habitat could shrink as the climate warms. But US says it won't use wolverine's status to regulate greenhouse gases.

News: Women and the Green Economy (WAGE) Promoting Sustainability & Solutions to Climate Change to accelerate and provide the new thinking and creative power for a global post-carbon Economy

Rita: http://www.care2.com/news/member/449572778/3255107

Earth Day 2012: What do we think about the Environment?

10 months ago Sure, Earth Day has been around since 1970, but lately it seems to have become more of a marketing exercise for corporations than a celebration for everyday people, and a day to commit living our lives in a more environmentally responsible manner. To find out how we really feel about the environmental themes and initiatives that Earth Day is really about, Sodahead polled its users and created this infographic with the responses. And some of the results may surprise you…

Cher: http://www.care2.com/news/member/100041282/3277523

Some info about Oil Companies…. FaceBook Disabled my Account in May2010!!! When on FB, I had recruited more than 3,500 to my Animal/Environmental Causes (OrangutanOutreach, OrangutanLandTrust, Don't Palm Us Off, JaneGoodall Inst., TheCove, Rapes in Congo, etc etc) I had 3,000 Friends & made Donations for $635. I LOST EVERYTHING when FB Disabled my Account Entered the Care2 Community thereafter: June 2010. FB Disabled my ACCOUNT because I was posting my Link to “my” Petition for Orangutans, Tigers, Elephants, Wildlife, Biodiversity, Rainforests, “Label PalmOil", for which I worked hard, even 10 hrs/day, since when my UK friend Ryno Nel, belonging to my FB group, wrote it & I signed it for 3rd. FB considered it as a SPAM declaring I violated their rules!! Isn’t it more probable that the "PalmOil"/Oil/Logging Lobby(Corporations) defend their Money/Greed Interests?? Palm Oil is used to produce Biofuels!!! ...in the same days: FB blocked also the Petition Against BP (the Gulf Disaster)!!!

Scientists Race to Save World's Rice Bowl From Climate Change Climate change is predicted to cause more intense & frequent floods & droughts in SE Asia, threatening the world's rice bowl & millions of people who live there unless preventive actions are taken soon. Billions of people will be in danger of losing their main food staple...rice...unless humanity can minimize the potential Environmental damages to SE Asia & the rice fields that provide this important food source. At the Climate Smart Agriculture in Asia workshop held in Bangkok, Thailand, climatologists & agricultural researchers discussed farming practices & technologies that could help the region cope with Global Warming's effects, incl. rising temperatures, increased salinity, & sporadic rainfall.

Dave C.: http://www.care2.com/news/member/267569599/3312871

Swells rise into a rice field in Dhal Char, Bangladesh, making it hard to cultivate. Climate Change may make such events more frequent & severe

Data sheds light on speed of Greenland's Glaciers

Greenland's Glaciers are not speeding up as much as previously thought. As a result, the ice rivers may be contributing "significantly less" to sea-level rise than had been thought. Previous studies had estimated that the nation's Glaciers would double their flow by 2010 & continue to maintain that speed. But the team, writing in Science, said the Glaciers could eventually flow faster than earlier studies estimated.

Maria: http://www.care2.com/news/member/949017879/3314944

Ice that is deposited into the sea by Glaciers contributes to sea-level rise

Keeping our daily coffee: the farmers in Peru adapting to Climate Change Shade-grown, hand- picked coffee is one of Peru's biggest exports, but the country's smallholder farmers face sustained crop losses from extreme weather. Heavy downpours & flash floods that lead to landslides, & at the other extreme, high temperatures & drought: farmers are facing new & complex conditions. It was colder, fresh, now when the rain comes, it is still hot. The weather is changing, we need to adapt. Peru is among the group of countries that will be most affected by Climate Change. It can always be argued that specific extreme weather events aren't directly connected to Climate Change, but proof of cause & effect is a moot point for these small farmers who can't afford the luxury of Climate Change scepticism. Peru's Vice-President: ‘We are already living the effects of Climate Change. We've experienced massive landslides & flooding along the coastal regions as well as in the mountains. It's happening in the here & now. This is not about criticizing, but about proactively coming up with responses & solutions to tackle Climate Change that address the issue for the poor & give them a way forward'. 90% of the region's coffee is for export, with implications on the global market, unlikely to go unnoticed. How international coffee buyers are prepared to respond to Climate Change related impacts on the world's 2nd most traded commodity after oil?

Cal: http://www.care2.com/news/member/193692282/3343311

This Peruvian farmer has seen her coffee plants wash away with torrential rains

Dear michela,

I'm emailing you about the upcoming “Forward on Climate” rally on Feb. 17 in Washington, D.C. I want you to be a part of it. 

This is our chance to show President Obama just how much support there is for him to lead on global warming. For us, for our children, and for future generations.

Yes, I’ll be at the “Forward on Climate” rally on Feb. 17.

I can’t make it to the rally, but I want to help in other ways.

There’s so much at stake. Today marks 100 days since Superstorm Sandy slammed into the Mid-Atlantic, and at least 3,500 families in New York and New Jersey are still displaced from their homes, with some of them living in tent shelters this winter [1]. Scientists warn that unless we tackle global warming, storms like Sandy will become more common and more severe. 

The time for presidential leadership on addressing global warming is now, not after the next devastating storm. We have the solutions, from wind and solar power, to cleaning up power plants, but we need the president and other leaders doing more to put these solutions to work. 

That’s why we’re headed to Washington, so we can each deliver a simple but powerful message to President Obama: I want you to lead on global warming, and start by rejecting the Keystone XL pipeline.

The rally will begin at noon on Feb. 17 on the National Mall, where we’ll hear from several inspiring speakers and then march to the White House. 

Join me. Help make this event too big to ignore. 

Yes, I’ll be at the “Forward on Climate” rally on Feb. 17.

I can’t make it to the rally, but I want to help in other ways.

Yours,
Margie Alt
Environment America Executive Director

News: Big Steps Forward for US Climate Movement http://www.alternet.org/fracking/big-steps-forward-us-climate-movement

Here are two crucial events you should know about.

1. Feb. 17 in Washington, D.C.: The biggest climate demonstration in US history, taking place. Tens of thousands of people have already signed up indicating their intention to take part, and momentum is building.

2. March 2-4 in Dallas, Texas: The no-fracking movement will convene for a Nat.l conference right in the belly of the beast of the gas industry. Organized by Stop the Frack Attack, the coalition which brought thousands to DC on July 28th last year, this event will be attended by hundreds, not tens of thousands, but it will still be significant. This will be the 1st major Nat.l conference of the movement against fracking.

Cal: http://www.care2.com/news/member/193692282/3526419

Extreme weather has already cost this country billions—in just the last 2 years.

The Largest Climate Rally in History: Feb. 17, 2013 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.: more than 35,000 Americans traveled to Washington, D.C. to make Forward on Climate the largest climate rally in history. Watch the more than 3 hours of live coverage of the event:

The next 60 days are going to be important ones for the Obama Administration. Not because of brewing debt-ceiling negotiations, or gun control, or any of the other second-term priorities that everyone talks about in Washington. They’re going to be crucial for the future of the Arctic. Over the 2 two months, the Interior Department will be conducting a review of Royal Dutch Shell’s offshore oil drilling operations in the Arctic Ocean. As the region rapidly melts due to Global Warming, Oil & Gas Companies are eyeing previously inaccessible fossil fuel deposits in Arctic waters. Shell, which has spent $4.5 billion to build up its Arctic operations, is the first company to get permits from the Interior Department for exploratory drilling in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas off the coast of Alaska.

News: Climate Change means catastrophe in UK, not café culture says professor http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/9852392/Climate-change-means-catastrophe-in-UK-not-cafe-culture-says-professor.html

Global warming in Britain will not mean a nice "café culture, sitting outside sipping lattes" but heatwaves that kill vulnerable elderly people & catastrophic flooding, a Climate Change expert has warned. Heatwaves, like the one that killed 2,000 people in 2003, could become more frequent.  

News: Climate rally draws 35,000 to march on Washington http://www.examiner.com/article/climate-rally-draws-35-000-to-march-on-washington

The Forward on Climate Rally in Washington, DC, on Feb. 17, has gathered 35,000 climate activists seeking to show President Obama just how massive the demand is for action on Climate Change.

Studies Put Arctic Ice Loss under Microscope: A reduction in summer Arctic ice cover reached a record low in 2012. But new research published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters suggests this melting doesn’t stop in cooler months. It finds sea ice volumes have declined 9% during the winter & 36% during autumn months over the course of the last decade. This widespread reduction of ice is disrupting the balance of the region’s greenhouse gases. The melting affects both the uptake & release of gases such as methane & carbon dioxide, which can end up in the soil & cause lasting negative effects. As the ice retreats & more shipping routes are opened, access for oil & gas exploration has also become easier. The UN Environment Programme says the region needs to be better protected as a result.

News: Will Amazon Species lose the Climate Change race? http://news.mongabay.com/2013/0214-handley-amazon-climate.html

Deforestation could increase the risk of biodiversity loss in the Amazon by forcing species to migrate further in order to remain at equilibrium with changing climates

Cal: http://www.care2.com/news/member/193692282/3531697 

The conservative dark-money group Donors Trust contributed huge sums to battle against Climate-Change science.

Cal: http://www.care2.com/news/member/193692282/3532822

“Destroying Rainforest for economic gain is like burning a Renaissance painting to cook a meal.” - E. O. Wilson

Source: Terry V.

It’s no secret that the U.S. is facing atypical weather with a shorter, but more intense, winters & extreme heat in the summers.

Estimates have found that over the past century, the temperatures have  hiked up 1.3°F a year.

Cher: http://www.care2.com/news/member/100041282/3537346

Steadily rising temperatures have been prompting birds to begin their migration patterns either too early or too late. Warmer temperatures are causing birds to begin their migration patterns earlier than usual. They are also causing birds to alter the amount of time in which they complete their migrations. Numerous studies have been done to determine the extent to which bird migration patterns are being affected by Climate Change & although variations across species & geographic regions exist, it can be stated that bird migration patterns are affected negatively.

Cher: http://www.care2.com/news/member/100041282/3536412

While it’s clear to just about everyone at this point that Mother Earth is out of balance, perhaps it is difficult to galvanize mainstream Americans (& the U.S. Congress) with bureaucratic-sounding terms such as climate change. There are better ways of describing what it will be like to have 8 feet of water flooding your first floor—such as describing what it has been like to actually have eight feet of water flooding homes.

Happy Polar Bear Day!! We must not limit ourselves to exchange “greetings”… we MUST fight against Global Warming!!!

One of the most feared of Climate Change "feedbacks" is the potential release of greenhouse gases by melting arctic permafrost soils. New research indicates a critical threshold of that feedback effect could be closer than we once thought.

Mike S. http://www.care2.com/news/member/761699980/3539268

The oceans are becoming more acidic faster than they have in the past 300 million years, a period that includes 4 mass extinctions. Then, as is happening now, increases in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere warmed the planet & made the oceans more acidic. These changes are associated with major shifts in climate & mass extinctions.

But while past increases in the atmosphere's carbon dioxide levels resulted from volcanoes & other natural causes, today that spike is due to human activities.

The single-celled organism Stensioeina beccariiformis survived the mass extinction that killed the dinosaurs but went extinct 56 million years ago, when the oceans acidified due to a massive carbon dioxide release

News: Ocean Acidification Affects Northeastern US Coasts More http://www.livescience.com/27594-ocean-acidification-affects-us-coasts.html

Coastal regions around the USA respond differently to ocean acidification. Scientists from 11 U.S. institutions measured levels of carbon dioxide & other forms of carbon in waters off the East Coast & the Gulf of Mexico. If the same amount of carbon dioxide entered both the Gulf of Maine & the Gulf of Mexico, it would have a greater effect on the Gulf of Maine's ecosystem. "Before now, we haven't had a very clear picture of acidification status on the East Coast of the U.S." "It's important that we start to understand it, because [an] increase in ocean acidity could deeply affect marine life along the coast & has important implications for people who rely on aquaculture & fisheries". Waters along the NE U.S. coast are more susceptible to acidification than southern-facing regions of the country. It's not yet clear what's causing the greater susceptibility near Maine, but its cold ocean currents may be bringing fresh, low-alkalinity water south from the Labrador Sea. If so, Climate Change could melt sea ice & glaciers & bring in more fresh water, though whether this would make the water more susceptible to acidification is unknown.

Kit B. http://www.care2.com/news/member/451276626/3542020

Climate Change is Real  Thanks to extensive research & noticeable changes in weather & storm prevalence, it’s getting harder to turn a blind eye to the reality of Climate Change.

Since the Industrial Age spurred the increasing usage of fossil fuels for energy production, the weather has been warming slowly. Since 1880, the temperature of the Earth has increased by 1 degree Celsius. Although 72% of media outlets report on Global Warming with a skeptical air, the overwhelming majority of scientists believe that the extreme weather of the last decade is at least partially caused by Global Warming. Some examples of climate calamities caused partly by Global Warming include:

• Hurricane Katrina
• Drought in desert countries
• Hurricane Sandy
• Tornadoes in the Midwest

Cher: http://www.care2.com/news/member/100041282/3542704

“This music video takes a look at the effect that Global Warming / Climate Change is having on Polar Bears. I don't want to write too much here... because to be honest with you, my disgust at the human race is such, that I'd likely write something that won't be nice! I truly don't like being critical of the Human Race, of which I too am a member... but it often seems to me, that the only 'Race' we humans are in, is a 'Race' to destroy this beautiful planet on which we need to live! We humans are insane!!! If it's not bad enough that we repeatedly allow ourselves to be sucked-in to Wars that serve no purpose other than to feed the greed of War Mongering Profiteers... we shamefully put the future of the world's children at risk, & contribute toward an ever increasing number of other species of the planet 'being made extinct'! What is it with us 'humans'??? The fact that we may speak different languages; have different coloured skin; follow different religions... doesn't mean we come from different planets! It may be news to some people... but this is the only planet we humans have got... & if we don't suddenly change our ways, & come together as one human family…it will be we humans who are next to become 'extinct'!!!“

Source: Terry V.    

"OIL / PALM OIL / LOGGING / FOOD / FAST FOOD....etc.... BIG CORPORATIONS, LOBBIES... MAFIA"
ARE TAKING OUR EARTH to DESTRUCTION!!!!!!!!!!!
JUST FOR THEIR MONEY$$$$ & GREED$$$$$!!!!!!!!
AT THE EXPENSES OF HUMANKIND's FUTURE & OUR CHILDREN's  FUTURE!!!!!!!!

If, e.g., a Dictator KILLS HUNDREDS or THOUSANDS PEOPLE: it is called a "CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY" and he CAN BE MADE RESPONSIBLE FOR IT!!!!!!!
In the case of BIG CORPORATIONS... we are not talking of HUNDREDS or THOUSANDS of PEOPLE,

BUT HUMANITY as a WHOLE & EARTH SURVIVAL!!!!!!

News: Bleak future for Polar Bears, scientists say  http://www.canada.com/life/green-guide/Bleak+future+polar+bears+scientists/6948642/story.html

Most of the world’s polar bears are likely to disappear in the next 30 to 50 years if the Arctic continues to heat up as climatologists predict, 2 Univ. of Alberta scientists say. The latest findings are similar to those of a panel of Gov.t-commissioned scientists who warned the former U.S. Bush administration that two-thirds of the world’s polar bears could disappear by 2050 if the Arctic continues to warm at the pace that climatologists are predicting. Stirling was one of the scientists who wrote the report that led the U.S. to list the polar bear as threatened. Since then, Climate Change skeptics & a handful of scientists have suggested polar bears could make the transition to life on land by eating berries, goose eggs & other things. Still others have pointed out bears made the transition to a warmer world in the past. “The threat to polar bears is driven simply by Habitat Loss” “It is no different than the situation in the Amazon. If you cut down the Forest that an Amazon parrot relies on, most people grasp that the species is at risk. Unfortunately, sea ice is a much more foreign habitat for most people & its dynamic nature means that most fail to see it as a habitat. We can no more have polar bears with too little sea ice than we can have a forest without soil.

Cal: http://www.care2.com/news/member/193692282/3415638

News: World rejects new protections for Polar Bears  http://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/07/world/polar-bear-protections/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

The American delegation at the CITES meeting sought a ban on the International Trade of Polar Bear parts. The ban was opposed by Canada, home to the world's largest population of Polar Bears, as well as Norway & Greenland.

Watch Video!!! http://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/07/world/polar-bear-protections/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

Jill: http://www.care2.com/news/member/478413351/3544907

Over the last 100 years, global temperatures have warmed by about 1.33 degrees Fahrenheit (0.74 degrees Celsius) on average. The change may seem minor, but it's happening very quickly — more than half of it since 1979, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Though it can still be difficult to tease out how much Climate Change plays in any given weather event, changes are occurring. In the spirit of Earth day, here's a look at our marvelous blue marble & the ways people & other living things are responding to Global Warming.

Kit B. http://www.care2.com/news/member/451276626/3543385

Polar Bears jostle each other, Quebec. According to Environment Canada, Canada is home to around 15,000 of the estimated 20,000 Polar Bears in the world. The U.S. (Alaska), Russia, Denmark (Greenland) & Norway are the other 4 countries where Polar Bears can be found. Bears thanks to Climate Change, are being forced to move due to melting ice. As sea ice decreases, the Bears swim farther to find suitable habitats, & food is harder to come by.

News: Surprising Depth to Global Warming's Effects http://www.livescience.com/28248-deep-ocean-warming.html

Knowing how much heat the ocean absorbs is vital to understanding sea level rise (the oceans expand as they warm), & predicting how much, & how fast, the atmosphere will warm.

Kit B.: http://www.care2.com/news/member/451276626/3554893

News: Taking Our Foot Off the Global Warming Accelerator http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/15402-taking-our-foot-off-the-global-warming-accelerator

In his State of the Union speech, President Obama said, in reference to the climate crisis, "If Congress won't act soon to protect future generations, I will. I will direct my cabinet to come up with executive actions we can take, now and in the future, to reduce pollution, prepare our communities for the consequences of Climate Change, & speed the transition to more sustainable sources of energy." 

Last month, 70 environmental groups signed a letter to President Obama urging him to bypass Congress & use his executive authority to address the climate crisis in multiple ways. Key among those recommendations was yet another call to reject the Keystone Pipeline. As important as that is, there is even lower-hanging fruit that so far is being overlooked by the President and apparently forgotten by the environmental community. The President specifically urged Americans to cut in half the energy wasted in homes & business over the next 20 years. One of the easiest & most benign ways to cut energy waste & reduce the nation's emissions of greenhouse gases is very simple, relatively painless & would actually save consumers money immediately, with no upfront costs - restore a lower national freeway speed limit of 55 mph. It requires no technological innovation, merely a societal acceptance of the imperative to start reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Kit B.: http://www.care2.com/news/member/451276626/3555514

News: Will Climate Change Send These 5 Islands to a Watery Grave? http://www.takepart.com/photos/islands-disappear-climate-change

Tuvalu, Kiribati, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Seychelles

Isolated in the middle of unforgiving bodies of water, how will these dots of land fare when rising waters come knocking at their shores? Climate Change continues to crank up the heat on our planet, the ice sheets in Greenland & Antarctica are melting at increasingly rapid rates. In the USA, for example, parts of Miami could be underwater by 2040.

Cal: http://www.care2.com/news/member/193692282/3552806

from Debbie W.:   This big bear hug is for you!  xoxo
 

News: Andes Ice Melted in 25 Years Took 1,600 Years To Form http://www.greenerideal.com/science/0406-andes-ice-melted-in-25-years-took-1600-years-to-form-study-says/

We reported earlier this year that the Andes is melting at a record rate: A new study, reported by BBC, the glaciers in the tropical Andes have shrunk by 30-50% since the 1970s.

News: America’s Addiction to Oil – Infographic  http://www.greenerideal.com/vehicles/0407-americas-addiction-to-oil-in/

Everyone knows about America’s addiction to oil, but many may not realize the severity of the issue. Check out the infographic for stats on just how serious America’s oil dependence is compared to the rest of the world & what we can do to begin lessening our reliance.

Cher: http://www.care2.com/news/member/100041282/3560317

News: Even Doubters Want to Prepare for Global Warming http://www.livescience.com/28345-doubters-prepare-climate-change.html

Some still insist that Climate Change is a hoax, but the vast majority of Americans believe the globe is warming — & they want to prepare for the worst. In fact, even 60% of Climate-Change doubters favored preparations. Researchers collected opinions between March 3 & March 18 via an online questionnaire, using a nationally representative sample of 1,174 American adults, both English & Spanish speaking.

The survey asked about Climate-Change beliefs & support for adaptation strategies to help coastal areas cope with the rising sea levels & frequent, intense storms that a warmer world could bring. The results showed that 82% of Americans are in favor of preparation.

Kit B.: http://www.care2.com/news/member/451276626/3557126

As the world burns, a new movement to reverse Climate Change is emerging - fiercely, loudly & right next door It got so hot in Australia in January that the weather service had to add two new colors to its charts. A few weeks later, at the other end of the planet, new data from the CryoSat-2 satellite showed 80% of Arctic sea ice has disappeared. We're not breaking records anymore; we're breaking the planet. In 50 years, no one will care about the fiscal cliff or the Euro crisis. They'll just ask, "So the Arctic melted, & then what did you do?"

Sherri G.: http://www.care2.com/news/member/558789048/3563168

The Fossil Fuel Resistance: Meet the New Green Heroes

Americans got to see some of this movement spread out across the Mall in Washington, D.C., on a bitter-cold day in Feb. Press accounts put the crowd upward of 40,000 – by far the largest climate rally in the country's history. They were there to oppose the Keystone XL pipeline, which would run down from Canada's tar sands, south to the Gulf of Mexico, a fight that Time magazine recently referred to as the Selma and the Stonewall of the environmental movement. But there were thousands in the crowd also working to block fracking wells across the Appalachians and proposed Pacific coast deep-water ports that would send coal to China.

Beverly M.: http://www.care2.com/news/member/904222254/3562582

New Teaching Standards for Science

A Million Comments Against Keystone XL

from Liz G.:    HAPPY EARTH DAY dear Michela ~ YOU are a truly beautiful friend who appreciates our wonderful world and do ALL you can to preserve all who live in her...THANK YOU!!! Enjoy your visit to Sweden and may you have time for YOU to rest and relax. Love and hugs always to you for your very caring heart. Hugs Liz Xx

from Ruth M.: HAPPY EARTH DAY. HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND MY FRIEND;-)

Strong scientific evidence links climate change with increasing heat waves, coastal flooding, and other extreme weather events..

According to a recent study by Australian & British researchers, as initially reported by Reuters, the rate at which ice is melting in Antarctica during the summer is at the highest level in 1,000 years. The researchers—from the Australian Nat.l University & the British Antarctic Survey—found from data taken at the ice core that summer ice melt has been 10 times more intense over the past 50 years than they were 600 years.

Cher: http://www.care2.com/news/member/100041282/3565410

Earth Day — the 43rd year of this national focus on the state of our Globe. So, how is Earth doing? Should we be weeping ... or cheering? Both.

Kit B. http://www.care2.com/news/member/451276626/3565804

In a Word: Awful - A soybean farming area in the outskirts of Vilhena is photographed in Sept.2009 as existing within the 'Legal Amazon,' a name given to an area originally covered by a portion of the Brazilian Rainforest. Beef & soy are the 2 main drivers of Deforestation in the Amazon. Shockingly, a total of 2.7 billion tons of CO2—or 30 percent of the carbon emissions associated with deforestation in the last decade—were exported from Brazil. Of this, 29% were due to soybean production & 71% due to cattle ranching.

Yesterday it emerged that Facebook has rejected an advertisement by CREDO Mobile criticizing the actions of Fwd.us, the political group started by Zuckerberg and others in the tech industry.

Source: Jeanne S.

Stefanie S. http://www.care2.com/news/member/460359844/3573310

The rainforests are often referred to as “Earth’s Lungs” because of the importance they play in our global ecosystem. However the trees and animal life that call the rainforests home are in serious danger. Check out the infographic below to discover interesting facts about rainforests, & find some inspiration for how you can make a difference in saving them.

Cher: http://www.care2.com/news/member/100041282/3569036

The world is likely days away from a "sobering milestone" in our planetary history. Concentrations of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide will likely reach 400 parts per million (ppm) for first time in human history, and unless drastic action is taken, we're on track to hit 450 ppm in the near future. "I wish it weren't true, but it looks like the world is going to blow through the 400-ppm level without losing a beat," The last time the greenhouse gases were at 400 ppm was likely the Pliocene epoch, between 3.2 million & 5 million years ago.

The current reading is at 399.72 ppm -- far past the 350 ppm level many have warned is the upper safe limit before the planet hits a tipping point.

"At this pace we'll hit 450 ppm within a few decades" Indeed, the rate of rise of CO2 over the past century is "unprecedented."

The figure should serve as a call to act on the deadly emissions caused by our fossil fuel addiction. "The 400-ppm threshold is a sobering milestone, & should serve as a wake up call for all of us to support clean energy technology & reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, before it's too late for our children & grandchildren".

Kit B.: http://www.care2.com/news/member/451276626/3572465

A recent Deutsche Bank report concludes that solar power has now reached grid parity, meaning that it costs the same as electricity from the power grid, in Italy & India (where the Gov.t’s goal is 20GW of solar by 2022), & that by next year even more countries will reach parity. The German bank has also increased its solar demand forecast for this year by 20% because of strong demand in places like India, the U.S., China (around 7 to 10 GW), the U.K. (around 1 to 2 GW), Germany & Italy (around 2 GW).

Wind, water and solar technologies can provide 100 percent of the world's energy, eliminating all fossil fuels. Here's how

In Dec. leaders from around the world will meet in Copenhagen to try to agree on cutting back greenhouse gas emissions for decades to come. The most effective step to implement that goal would be a massive shift away from fossil fuels to clean, renewable energy sources. If leaders can have confidence that such a transformation is possible, they might commit to an historic agreement. We think they can.

Source: Alice C.

Climate Change is dramatically altering the Swiss Alps, where hundreds of bodies of water are being created by melting glaciers. Though the lakes can attract tourists & even generate electricity, local residents also fear catastrophic tidal waves.

Cal: http://www.care2.com/news/member/193692282/3570834

Rising sea level clearly evident along undeveloped stretch of South Carolina coast

Cal: http://www.care2.com/news/member/193692282/3572368

Tens of thousands of people remain homeless. Housing, business, tourism &coastal protection all remain major issues with the summer vacation -- & hurricane -- seasons almost here again.

Cal: http://www.care2.com/news/member/193692282/3571263

News: THINK ABOUT IT

Author: Jürgen Friedrich

Since years it is well known: Survival of mankind depends more of safe water supply then of oil/coal/gas.

Surprised 'beyond measurement' I noticed, that the 'official water discussion' does not refer to ancient water positions from the Bible. I have done some research in the field of modern meteorology. The result follows here in short and in expectation of an answer.

"According to an U.N. report, the Global Warming outlook is much worse than originally predicted. Which is pretty bad when they originally predicted it would destroy the planet." (Jay Leno)

London (Westminster) in 2020 A.D. - according to James Lovelock

Jan-Dec Global Mean temperature over Land & Ocean (1901-2000)

News: Amazon road could cut uncontacted tribes’ land in half

Peru’s Congress is about to approve a highly controversial road that will slash in half the territory of at least 2 uncontacted tribes. Three highly important protected areas lie in its path, including the Madre de Dios Reserve for uncontacted Indians.

The proposed road will run across the Southeast of Peru’s Amazon from Puerto Esperanza in the Purus region near Brazil, to Iñapari. Congressmen are considering a law that could declare the project a ‘public necessity’, & consequently bypass huge indigenous opposition.

Cal: http://www.care2.com/news/member/193692282/3339594

News: Climate Change 'Biggest Threat' to Food Security Jun 5, 2012 Colombo - When it comes to expressing the threat to food security posed by changing climate patterns & extreme weather events in Asia & the Pacific, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) does not mince its words
Cal: http://www.care2.com/news/member/193692282/3384834

News: Climate Change Endangers Food Climate Change is a major contributing factor in the battle to provide food security in Asia & the Pacific. Growing pressure on Ecosystems to produce food, as well as changing temperature & precipitation patterns, will have unpredictable and deleterious effects on existing food-producing resources. The continued or increased occurrence of extreme weather events will further exacerbate vulnerabilities of communities and natural systems.
Cher: http://www.care2.com/news/member/100041282/3385178

News: Climate Change Led to Collapse of Ancient Indus Civilization - May 28, 2012 - A study combining the latest archaeological evidence with state-of-the-art geoscience technologies provides evidence that Climate Change was a key ingredient in the collapse of the great Indus or Harappan Civilization almost 4000 years ago. The study also resolves a long-standing debate over the source & fate of the Sarasvati, the sacred river of Hindu mythology. This study suggests that the decline in monsoon rains led to weakened river dynamics, and played a critical role both in the development & the collapse of the Harappan culture, which relied on river floods to fuel their agricultural surpluses. A compelling picture of 10,000 years of changing landscapes emerges. Before the plain was massively settled, the wild & forceful Indus & its tributaries flowing from the Himalaya cut valleys into their own deposits & left high "interfluvial" stretches of land between them. In the east, reliable monsoon rains sustained perennial rivers that crisscrossed the desert leaving behind their sedimentary deposits across a broad region. The research argues that these crucial differences prove that the Sarasvati (Ghaggar-Hakra) was not Himalayan-fed, but a perennial monsoon-supported watercourse, & that aridification reduced it to short seasonal flows. By 3900 years ago, their rivers drying, the Harappans had an escape route to the east toward the Ganges basin, where monsoon rains remained reliable. We now see landscape dynamics as the crucial link between Climate Change & people""Today the Indus system feeds the largest irrigation scheme in the world, immobilizing the river in channels & behind dams. If the monsoon were to increase in a warming world, as some predict, catastrophic floods such as the humanitarian disaster of 2010, would turn the current irrigation system, designed for a tamer river, obsolete."
Maria D.: http://www.care2.com/news/member/949017879/3380651

News: What you can do to fight Climate Change http://www.worldwildlife.org/what/globalmarkets/Climate%20Change/whatyoucando-individuals.html

Did you know that the USA is the world's single largest contributor to Global Warming, with average annual emissions of 19.6 tons per person? That is nearly 5 times the world average of 3.9 tons per person. The impacts of Climate Change are too great to ignore, & we must do everything in our power to protect our future. It clearly is time for all Americans to roll up their sleeves, to take steps to reduce emissions, to prepare for Climate Change, & to encourage others to do the same. Start with a few quick & easy steps… Walking or riding a bike can reduce emissions by 20 pounds for every gallon of gasoline used.
Cher: http://www.care2.com/news/member/100041282/3378982