As record-shattering temperatures in February essentially nullified winter for much of the world, Alaska is being forced to haul in tons of snow this week to accommodate the state's famous Iditarod dogsled race.
Let us have a moment of silence.
The meteorologist [Holthaus] warned, "We could now be right in the heart of a decade or more surge in global warming that could kick off a series of tipping points with far-reaching implications on our species and the countless others we share the planet with."
Damn! But seriously, who could have possibly imagined such a scenario? Too bad for us and the Earth, there have never been any scientific warnings about the effects of atmospheric carbon and fossil fuels that humanity could have responded to...
The winter that wasn't
Yet another we are seeing
Not the last of these we haven't
Winterless we start believing
A taste of our yet to come
That may already always be
From now until our days are done
No more winters becomes reality
Yes, a moment of silence for the other species that are suffering and dying due to our greed and shortsightedness.
"THE EXTINCTION CRISIS
It’s frightening but true: Our planet is now in the midst of its sixth mass extinction of plants and animals — the sixth wave of extinctions in the past half-billion years. We’re currently experiencing the worst spate of species die-offs since the loss of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. Although extinction is a natural phenomenon, it occurs at a natural “background” rate of about one to five species per year. Scientists estimate we’re now losing species at 1,000 to 10,000 times the background rate, with literally dozens going extinct every day . It could be a scary future indeed, with as many as 30 to 50 percent of all species possibly heading toward extinction by mid-century .
Unlike past mass extinctions, caused by events like asteroid strikes, volcanic eruptions, and natural climate shifts, the current crisis is almost entirely caused by us — humans. In fact, 99 percent of currently threatened species are at risk from human activities, primarily those driving habitat loss, introduction of exotic species, and global warming . Because the rate of change in our biosphere is increasing, and because every species’ extinction potentially leads to the extinction of others bound to that species in a complex ecological web, numbers of extinctions are likely to snowball in the coming decades as ecosystems unravel."
The main-stream, so-called "media" is always focusing on places where it is snowing, never on the many many places which have seen extremely high temps, of which there seem to be many; southern California and also here in central Florida, where we are already looking at temps in the low 80's. And it's only early March... I fear what's coming, but my fear means nothing and never did, to what's bringing it. Because in a way, I am the cause of it coming in the first place. Yet what saddens me the most, even more than seeing what is happening to my beloved state, is the blissful indifference of so many around me. They truly believe that all is well with this world, and everything will be fine. How I wish they were right.
I listen to National Public Radio everyday and all winter long without exception on the hourly 5 minute news break which always ends with the weather forecast, they would always comment by saying a beautiful day - unseasonably warm - but they never ever commented on its connection to global warming.
It actually became surreal as you could hear at least some awareness of what wasn't being said in the tone of the reporter's voice. They must have felt how wrong it was to not make any comment on 50 and 60 degree days - day after day this whole winter long up here in the northeast. We got Florida's winter weather I think?
Now there is an opportunity for an entrepreneur. Making snow and shipping it to Alaska! EXXON-you have a new market for a new product; act fast before others beat you to it!