You may forward Planet Waves Monsanto Eco to your friends. They can sign up for this free environmental newsletter from Planet Waves. View this edition as a webpage. Dear Friend and Reader: Sunday, Sept. 21, a 'climate march' is scheduled in New York City, two days before a gathering of world leaders called by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to discuss the November 2015 U.N. Climate Conference in Paris.
the world's bigwigs are there), one could argue that it's almost pointless. Almost. But not quite. As Hedges notes, "Our only hope comes from radical groups descending on New York to carry out direct action, including Global Climate Convergence and Popular Resistance. March if you want. But it should be the warm-up. The real fight will come once people disperse on 11th Avenue." Consider for a moment that some scientists, including Michael Slezak of New Scientist magazine, are predicting that while a variety of factors have effectively slowed global warming recently, it is unlikely to happen again in our lifetimes. In other words, we are beyond the point of friendly marches with dubious effect. According to Nicola Maher, involved in global warming research at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, "After 2030, the rate of global warming is likely to be so fast that even large volcanic eruptions on the scale of Krakatoa are unlikely to drive a hiatus decade." Such scientific research gives dire credence to Kevin Zeese of Popular Resistance, who spoke to Hedges in a phone interview. Zeese said:
"At U.N. meetings on climate change you see corporate logos on display. During the last meeting on climate change in Poland, the U.N. held a simultaneous conference to promote coal as a clean energy source. These U.N. meetings have become corporate trade shows where discussions on climate are hijacked to promote corporate interests. Barack Obama has announced he will continue the U.S. stance of only calling for voluntary climate goals in advance of the upcoming climate summit in Paris next year." Like Hedges, I would have preferred "incremental and piecemeal reform" of carbon emissions by elected officials who understand that their job is to protect those they govern -- and the planet we all call home. I would prefer that it not come down to radical action and revolution and getting arrested to get the right things done. I wish, passionately, that adopting local, green measures in our communities could be enough. Because these local ways to build community, care for our environment and co-create our government at the grassroots level are essential. They keep us creative, productive, connected to each other and connected to a very necessary awareness of, and reverence for, all living things.
If we're past the point of symbolism in the race to slow global warming, what are you willing to do that has real impact? Lesser-Known Greenhouse Gas Persisting in Atmosphere Speaking of global warming, carbon tetrachloride (CCL4), known as a dry cleaning solvent and formerly used to extinguish fires, seems to be lingering in Earth's atmosphere at higher levels than it should be, according to an Aug. 22 article in Science magazine. Unless you were a big fan of Lost in Space, chances are you have never heard of this substance that was sought by the Robinsons on that 1960s TV show. But carbon tetrachloride is among the ozone-depleting chemicals banned by The Montreal Protocol, a 1989 UN-sponsored environmental treaty. Monitoring by the World Meteorological Association indicates that, even though CCL4 stays in the atmosphere longer than originally thought, levels are not depleting anywhere near as much as they should. "Unfortunately there is still a major source of CCL4 out in the world," said NASA chemist Paul Newman, indicating that the source of this excess CCL4 is a bit of a mystery. 100th Anniversary of Last Passenger Pigeon Marking the death of the last individual passenger pigeon, Martha, ZSL London Zoo stopped its clock at noon BST on Sept. 1. The act commemorated 100 years to the day and hour that Martha died, according to The Guardian.
Ken Norris, director of science at ZSL, said: "The 100th anniversary of Martha's death is not only a chance to remember her species, but to draw attention to the plight of countless other species who continue to face extinction because of our actions." California Drought Spurs Relief Efforts Not least of our actions affecting wildlife is our intensive use of water. Hundreds of residents have run out of water in East Porterville, a town north of Bakersfield, California, reported the Porterville Recorder Aug 23. The ongoing drought in California has dried up individual wells in rural San Joaquin Valley; 182 out of 1,400 households reported having little or no water to drink. Firefighters, the Red Cross and volunteer groups delivered 12-gallon-per-person rations of bottled water Aug. 22 to residents that reported having water issues -- costing the county $30,000, and anticipated to last three weeks. "Right now we're trying to provide immediate relief," said Andrew Lockman, Office of Emergency Services Manager. "This is conceived as an emergency plan right now." Death Valley's 'Wandering Boulder' Mystery Solved Water is always scarce in California's Death Valley National Park. And scientists have finally solved a geologic mystery that was first observed there in 1948, the Los Angeles Times reported Aug. 27: how boulders weighing as much as 600 pounds manage to occasionally wiggle across the hard desert floor with no other discernable tracks besides their own.
It turns out that if conditions are just right, when the ice on the desert playa cracks and shifts, a light wind can slide the huge ice floes across the surface of the shallow water and against the large rocks. Acting like a sail, the ice sheets -- hundreds of feet across and only a quarter-inch thick -- are able to propel boulders across the slippery, muddy lake bottom. The Norris cousins' findings were formally published last week in PLOS ONE. "I'm amazed by the irony of it all," James Norris told the Times. "In a place where rainfall averages two inches a year, rocks are being shoved around by mechanisms typically seen in arctic climes."
As exciting as the discovery is, park officials are concerned that ill-equipped motorists will flock to the inhospitable region and get stuck with flat tires even more often than usual. James Norris has a slightly different bittersweet take on the discovery: "There was a side of me that was wistful, because the mystery was no more." We can find tremendous beauty and excitement in mystery; so too in knowing what needs to be done, and then doing it. Yours & truly,  Amanda Painter and the ECO editorial team You may forward Planet Waves Monsanto Eco to your friends. They can sign up for this free environmental newsletter from Planet Waves. View this edition as a webpage. Planet Waves Monsanto Watch (ISSN 1933-9135) is published each Tuesday evening in Kingston, New York by Planet Waves, Inc. Publisher: Eric Francis Coppolino. Editor: Amanda Painter. Business Manager: Chelsea Bottinelli. Web Developer: Anatoly Ryzhenko. Research, Writing and Editing: Planet Waves Monsanto Watch is produced by a team consisting of Elizabeth Michaud, Amanda Moreno, Amanda Painter, Amy Elliott, Carol van Strum, Len Wallick and Chad Woodward. Virgo Birthday Reading: Pre-order Now for Lowest Price Dear Virgo Sun or rising: Summer may be winding down, but your solar year is only just beginning. Eric will have your Virgo birthday reading available later in the week -- making this the perfect time to pre-order for the best possible price.
If you know and love a Virgo, this reading makes a practical gift they'll truly value. Your reading includes a live question-and-response session with Eric (date TBA), archived in case you cannot make the live event. These conference calls have been a productive and fun way to learn about astrology and how it affects us. You also get access to last year's reading to check Eric's accuracy, and to review the past few seasons. In addition, your reading includes an extended written sign description. You can lock in the current price of $29.95 by pre-ordering now; the price will increase to $49.95 upon publication. If you're not a Virgo, this will make a beautiful, lasting and inexpensive gift for any Virgo in your life. Yours & truly, Amanda Painter To unsubscribe, click here e Wiki | Friends | Editors | Contact Us Copyright © 2013 by Planet Waves, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Other copyrights may apply. Some images used under Fair Use or Share Alike attribution. |
