Monday, November 04, 2024

Hemp Power for the World

 One acre of hemp produces 25% more oxygen than one acre of forest and guarantees a cellulose supply that is approximately twice as high. One acre of hemp grows within 6 months, while a forest grows for decades before it is harvested. By making hemp paper, we could save millions of hectares of forest every year, Hemp can be used in textile production, construction and even as biofuel.



Thank you to American Muscle Cars on Facebook.

Tags: hemp, energy, biomass, replace forests

Peace Globe : Blog for Peace: 2024

Below is my peace blog for Blog for Peace, November 2024.

Here is my Peace Globe for Blog for Peace.

 


It will link to the post below, Endangered Spaces blog: Extinction Level Event



Sunday, November 03, 2024

Extinction Level Event


Blog For Peace

This post is made in support for Blog for Peace that happens every year. This year the theme is "Hold the Light." There are people who need you to hold the light for them.  Hold space. Hold the line. Do not judge, do not preach, just hold the light. Say the truth and back it up with proof.

Climate Change

Today, I write about how the world is facing a dramatic change that has been caused by man. It is very real and will cause catastrophic changes. They have already begun. The sea levels are rising, permafrost is melting, glaciers are disappearing, and the acidity of the oceans has increased while the salinity has decreased--which affects the worldwide currents which govern our weather. 

Greenhouse Gases

Carbon dioxide is always present in our atmosphere. It is the principal greenhouse gas that occurs naturally. The natural carbon cycle is simple. Men and animals breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide that is absorbed by plants, grasses and trees. The plants, in turn, are given energy from the sun and, through the process of photosynthesis, release oxygen back into the atmosphere. In the fall and winter of each year the process reverses as plants decay and release carbon dioxide. The oceans of the Earth absorb approximately one third of human generated carbon dioxide as part of the grand scheme of global carbon recycling.



Source: Carbon cycle-definition|explanation|diagram - DewWool

Carbon dioxide is Earth’s most important greenhouse gas: a gas that absorbs and radiates heat. Unlike oxygen or nitrogen (which make up most of our atmosphere), greenhouse gases absorb heat radiating from the Earth’s surface and release it in all directions. Without carbon dioxide, Earth’s natural greenhouse effect would be too weak to keep the average global surface temperature above freezing.

Carbon Dioxide Levels in Atmosphere

Air bubbles trapped in mile-thick ice cores from the Antarctic show that during the ice age cycles of the past million years or so, atmospheric carbon dioxide never exceeded 300 parts per million (ppm). Before the Industrial Revolution started in the mid-1700s, atmospheric carbon dioxide was 280 ppm or less. In 2020, we are at 420 ppm.  Carbon dioxide is predicted to reach 500 parts per million by the end of the century.


Source: Climate Change: Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide | NOAA Climate.gov

Concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere are expected to double from preindustrial levels by the year 2100. At that time, the resulting average temperature in the world will have increased by about 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit

The United States produced 5.2 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2020, the second largest in the world after greenhouse gas emissions by China and among the countries with the highest greenhouse gas emissions per person

Even the world's oceans cannot absorb this amount of carbon dioxide. Nor can the trees handle this great amount. In fact, it would take a forest the size of Jupiter to convert this amount of carbon dioxide to oxygen.

Other Greenhouse Gases

Greenhouse gases attributable to human activity includes methane from livestock as well as from rice patties and sewage. Nitrous oxide from fertilizer is 310 times more effective in trapping heat than CO2. Industrial fluorocarbons (such as CFC refrigerants and aerosols) trap heat which will remain in the atmosphere for as long as 50,000 years. 

Drinking Water Disappearing

With the world heating up, the ice being held in glaciers and ice sheets are melting. Greenland's ice sheet holds 6% of the world's freshwater. The glacier known as the Snows of Kilimanjaro will disappear by 2033. Some South American glaciers and Alpine glaciers will completely vanish during the same time. Even the mighty Himalayas have shrunk over 30% since the 1970s.

Melting glaciers in the high mountains of the world threaten drinking water, irrigation and hydro power. That means water, food and electricity will fail.  Concurrently there will be a decrease in precipitation in the tropics and subtropics contributing to the expansion of the deserts and those regions.

Sea Level Rising

The equilibrium between gas absorbed and gas released by the ocean has been disrupted, and the increase in dissolved carbon dioxide has caused a 30% increase in the ocean's surface acidity. This damages coral and seashells and unbalances the food chain. This is in addition to the problem caused by the increase in ocean temperature that also damages marine life.  We have seen what acid rain can do. Now we are going to see acid oceans.

Due to temperature increase. sea levels will rise by about 20 inches--partially due to melting ice and partially from the expansion of the oceans as a result of the increase in temperature.  
Islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean and the Caribbean that are close to sea level will be engulfed and drowned. The Polynesian islands of Tuvalu have already been partially evacuated because of rising waters and are expected to be completely underwater by 2050 as a result of the 12.5-inch rise (Levy, M., Why the Wind Blows A History of Weather and Global Warming p. 158.)
Rising sea levels could displace as many as 70 million Chinese, 30 million Bangladeshis, and hundreds of thousands of Americans as parts of America's coastlines disappear underwater. 

Changes in Climate Due to Warming

Permafrost in Alaska and Siberia is melting. The consequence is that methane and carbon dioxide that was trapped within the permafrost since the end of the last ice age10,000 years ago will be released during the next few decades. This means potentially up to eight hundred gigatons of carbon could be released from the melting permafrost. To make it worse, large sinkholes are opening to swallow homes, farms and public lands.

The ten hottest years on record have happened since 1998 (The 10 warmest years: Not exactly forever ago – Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet).  Three of the five most intense storms have hit the USA since 2018 (Top Five Most Intense U.S. Hurricanes | The Weather Channel).  

The habitat of plant and animal species has migrated northward by about 50 kilometers per decade in the northern hemisphere. This forever changes the ecological balance in these regions. 

The Extinction Level Event

There is a major problem with the buildup of greenhouse gasses, increasing temperatures and the melting of glaciers that remains. Typically, warm fresh water moves up the Atlantic Ocean from the tropics where it encounters saltier, heavier water south of Greenland.  Here the water sinks below the surface and travels south to the coast of Antarctica.  There it splits into two branches; one travels north into the Indian Ocean and the other skirts the eastern shore of Australia on its way to the North Pacific. Both branches then rise and travel back to the Atlantic Ocean. 



This conveyor belt (Thermohaline Circulation) is driven by differences in the oceans temperature and salinity. It moves water at a snail's pace of 0.1 meters per second. One drop of water will remain in this system for 1000 years. Paleoclimate records constructed from Greenland ice cores have revealed that the thermohaline circulation has, indeed, shut down in the past and caused regional climate change. The last time this happened, the Anazasi left their ancestral homeland.
As we emit more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, ocean temperature rises, Arctic ice melts, thermohaline circulation slows, and the ocean’s capacity to absorb carbon dioxide diminishes (Wikipedia).

It is important to realize that the weather patterns are driven largely by movements of ocean water in a continuous flow, created largely by surface winds but also partly by temperature and salinity gradients, Earth’s rotation, and tides. Major current systems typically flow clockwise in the northern hemisphere and counterclockwise in the southern hemisphere, in circular patterns that often trace the coastlines.

Ocean currents act much like a conveyor belt, transporting warm water and precipitation from the equator toward the poles and cold water from the poles back to the tropics. Thus, ocean currents regulate global climate, helping to counteract the uneven distribution of solar radiation reaching Earth’s surface. Without currents in the ocean, regional temperatures would be more extreme — super hot at the equator and frigid toward the poles — and much less of Earth’s land would be habitable. (NOAA)

 Conclusion

I wish there was an easy answer to all the problems I have illuminated with my light.  If we start today to do whatever we can to reduce our own carbon output, while electing people who are knowledgeable about this issue, and educating others to the danger of ignoring this phenomenon, we are still in for some rough times.  However, if we do nothing, the cost will be borne by our children and their children.  

The main causes of a warmer Earth are: 1) vehicle exhaust from cars, trucks, planes, ships and heavy equipment (14% of emissions); deforestation (18%); and power generation (25%).  We have already begun to see new technologies for automobiles and trucks (hydrogen, solar), but it is probably too late to do anything about the deforestation that has ravaged countries. We are losing 10 million hectares of forest cover per year (one hectare = ~2.47 acres).

Some suggestions:  

Collect farm waste, urban waste, wood manufacturing waste, and sewage, capturing the methane to use as fuel. Systems that convert methane to fuel for heating and cooking are already being used around the globe. Waste, specifically human waste, is a sustainable source of energy.

Solar panels are well on the way to reducing our dependence on electricity which is generated from hydroelectric plants or gas-powered plants. 

Wind farms have been used over the centuries for grinding grains and lifting water, but electric power generation is a new role for windmills. Block Island off the state of Rhode Island receives most of its power from windmills! 

Solar chimneys make use of the natural draft that exists between a ground base covered collection area surrounding a chimney and the top of the chimney. A turbine installed at the base the chimney serves as the generator. 

The main thing we can do is fundamentally change our attitude away from consumption and toward conservation and sustainability BEFORE we reach the tipping point.

And, of course, pray to the God that made all this wonderous world and gave us stewardship over it.


Tags: global warming, greenhouse gas, extinction level event, permafrost melting, glaciers disappearing, drinking water diminishing, rising sea levels

Blog for Peace November 4, 2024

 Join thousands of bloggers around the world when they blog for peace on November 4, 2024.  Click the image below to visit the official website and pick up all you need to know about the event.


Blog for Peace happens once per year and the date is November 4, 2024.  Please return to read my post and to find links to other peace bloggers.

Sunday, April 28, 2024

What Can You Do?

 

Copied from https://earthmonk.guru/the-boa-foundation/ 

Faced with the enormous global problems the world faces right now here are a few ideas on how you might like to play a role in supporting the Amazon:

You could donate to one of the frontline NGOs working to defend and protect the Amazon and her people. This could be The Boa Relief Fund, Apoti, The Rainforest Action Network (who run Protect An Acre grants), the Rainforest Trust, Amazon Watch (who are working on behalf of and with the indigenous people) or most famous of all the WWF

You could become a regular monthly contributor to an organisation and keep the donation going all year round. Any money counts but some organisations have special dedicated donor schemes. The Rainforest Alliance for example, have the Canopy Associates programme for anyone contributing more than $1000 where special events, webinars and other exclusive benefits are offered. Stay informed and sign up to the WWF. They will keep you up to date on conservation work, fund-raising and campaigns. Here’s the link: https://www.wwf.org.uk/fight-climate-change/thank-you

Don’t let the media move on and the Amazon rainforest become old news. Use your voice – put the Amazon in your social media feed. Share posts, tag new agencies and influencers. Help to keep her headline news.

Whilst many of the fires have been set to clear land for agribusiness large areas are often burned to access trees for felling or to create access to other areas of the forest. Reducing the amount of paper and wood we use is a good way to help reduce commercial pressures on the Amazon, as well as other forests around the world.

Think more about the food you buy. Shop locally and support your local businesses. Cattle ranching accounts for about 80% of the forest being cleared in the Amazon. An area the size of Ireland has been cleared for growing soybean! As far as possible avoid highly processed foods. Eat a more plant-based diet (you’ll live longer). Moderate your meat quota – even dropping meat from your meals two to three nights a week could make a huge impact! Read the label and know where your food is coming from to limit its carbon footprint (buy seasonal food locally sourced!), keep your eyes peeled for Fairtrade, Freedom Food (animal welfare), MSC & ASC (seafood) and in anything to do with palm oil the RSPO logo is a must. 

 Be a conscious consumer. Buy less, recycle, repair and upcycle. Shop smart and waste less. Look out for labels such as GOTS, FSC, Fairtrade, Okeo-Tex, Carbon Reduction Label, Soil Association, Vegan, Rainforest Alliance (the green frog) so that you know the goods you are been sustainably or ethically sourced or at least made with respect for the planet and her people. Try to reduce your single use plastic consumption. Do some homework and check out blogs, articles, magazines and social media feeds that can give you tips and ideas on how you can shop more consciously. Use ethical platforms such as https://ethical.market and https://www.ethicalconsumer.org (where we rank second for ethical ‘alternative clothing shops’)

As a consumer you have purchase power. You also have the power to lobby, protest, campaign and sign petitions calling the government to action. When it comes to voting remember that we need leaders who understand the urgency of our climate crisis and are willing to take bold action—including strong governance and forward-thinking policy. 

Copied from https://earthmonk.guru/the-boa-foundation/

Friday, November 04, 2022

Mother Earth is Dying

 

We are All Connected

Earth and its inhabitants are connected.  As we do to the Earth, so shall be done to us. In a letter from Chief Seattle, Chief of the Dwamish, Suquamish and allied Indian tribes to Franklin Pierce, President of the U.S.A (1854), the sentiment is well stated:

"This we know. All things are connected like the blood that unites one family. All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life: he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself."

 

The Web of Life is Choking the Earth

Warming sea temperatures impact coral reefs, habitat to the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet. Warmer water temperatures can result in coral bleaching. Increased heat stresses coral and causes the coral to release an algae called zooxanthellae from their tissues. The coral turns white. When a coral bleaches, it is not dead, but stressed. It may recover, but more than 90 percent of the Great Barrier Reef coral is bleached. Out of 1036 reefs surveyed by Australian scientists in a plane, 40% had no or negligible bleaching, 35% had moderate bleaching and 25% had severe bleaching (gbrmpa.gov.aa).

Thousands of marine animals depend on coral reefs for survival, including sea turtles, fish, crabs, shrimp, jellyfish, sea birds, starfish, and more. Coral reefs provide shelter, spawning grounds, and protection from predators. They also support organisms at the base of ocean food chains. As reef ecosystems collapse, already at-risk species may face extinction (worldwildlife.org). Coral reefs are natural barriers that absorb the force of waves and storm surges, keeping coastal communities safe. This is important because more than 600 million people worldwide (10%)  live in coastal areas less than 32 feet above sea level. Nearly 2.4 billion people (40%) live within 60 miles of the coast. (oceanservice.noaa.gov).

Global warming is causing the ice caps to melt, which exposes tundra to sunlight.  As tundra heats, it releases methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. The melting of  ice caps, glaciers and sea ice is also causing the worldwide temperature of oceans to rise. Worse, ice and snow reflect sunlight and energy while land masses and the oceans, being darker, absorb heat, Rising sea levels are inundating wetlands, the buffer that protects inland areas from flooding.  Wetlands also provide nurseries for fish and mammals and rest areas for migrating water fowl.

We are Conducting War on the Earth

The way humans use and pollute natural resources is an atrocity. We are destroying what we require to live.  We have to drink water to stay alive. Yet, we continue to pollute and over allocate water resources. We must have air to breathe. Yet, wildfires, deforestation, pestilence and disease are decreasing the amount of life-giving oxygen and replacing it with greenhouse gas such as carbon dioxide and methane.

Through a process called photosynthesis, tree leaves take in carbon dioxide and water and use the energy of the sun to convert these elements into chemical compounds such as sugars that feed the tree. As a by-product of that chemical reaction, oxygen is produced and released by the tree. Trees thus become carbon sinks (storage) that holds the carbon back from reentering the air. It is proposed that one large tree can provide a day’s supply of oxygen for up to four people. (USDA.gov)  Unfortunately, when the tree is felled, the carbon is released into the air.


Water Everywhere and Not a Drop to Drink

Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are manmade chemicals that do not break down in the environment. Researchers  have found PFAS  in rainwater in most locations on the planet - including Antarctica. There is no safe space to escape them. (University of Stockholm)

If that was not worrisome enough, we are in the middle of one of the three most severe droughts in the U.S in the last 100 years. (drought.gov)

 
Surf's Up!  No, That's Plastic

Plastics are the most common form of marine debris. They enter our rivers and streams and journey to the oceans. Once there, plastic debris never fully biodegrades. Common plastics include cigarette butts, food wrappers, beverage bottles, straws, cups and plates, bottle caps, and single-use bags.  Fishing paraphernalia, such as drift nets, fishing line, buoys and ice chests, endanger the lives of inhabitants of the seas.  Children's toys also pollute the oceans.  (NOAA)

There is now six times more plastic than plankton in the oceans (naturalscience.org). Plankton has a vital role in maintaining the health and balance of the ocean and its complex food webs. The oxygen, nutrients, and biomass they produce also sustain terrestrial life—from the food we eat to the air we breathe. (education.nationalgeographic.org).

How Hot Is It?

In 2010, researchers came to the conclusion (doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0913352107) that humans would adapt to any possible global  warming. Peak heat stress, quantified by the term "wet-bulb temperature" (heat + humidity), was  similar in diverse climates--it  never exceeded 31 °C. Excess of  35 °C for extended periods should induce hyperthermia in humans and other mammals, as dissipation of metabolic heat becomes impossible.

New experiments provide insight into which combinations of temperature and humidity begin to harm even the healthiest humans, never mind our aging population. Current heat waves around the globe are approaching, if not exceeding, these limits (Noll Laboratory at Penn State University).

Conclusion

I have been an environmentalist for 45 years.  I have watched as everything predicted in the 60s, 70s and 80s happened. There is more I could share. What I wrote is the truth. You may find more information by going to the sources cited after information in the post. I only wish to share information so that you may have the facts. There are tipping points of which we must be aware. That is a point when we must have made changes or it will be too late to stop cascading events.  Some tipping points are approaching like a freight train and some come like a thief in the night.  Let us do what we can, while we can.  Let us save the Earth and ourselves.  God bless us all.

 

Tuesday, November 01, 2022

Blog 4 Peace 2022

 

Blog4Peace

November 4-6, 2022 

 

This is the 16th year for Blog4Peace.  Over thousands of bloggers in hundreds of countries participate each year.  Peace Bloggers write posts and publish peace globes each November 4th.  We do what we can to keep peace at the forefront of our conversations all year long on the Internet via websites and blogs. Read about how Blog4Peace began on Mimi's blog: mimiwrites.blogspot.com

"We must see that peace represents
a sweeter music, a cosmic melody,
that is far superior to the discords of war."
Martin Luther King Jr 

 Information about Blog4Peace: 

  •  peaceglobegallery.blogspot.com
  •  mimiwrites.blogspot.com

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 Join us this year.  It is easy to do.  Give peace a chance...

:+: Return here to see my peace globe and read my post on November 4 :+: