on world ocean day

Every morning, while drinking a cup of tea and eating my breakfast, I go through a website routine. Every morning, I log into MSN messenger, check various e-mail accounts, check Facebook, go through online comics and blogs, and eventually breakfast is over and I can move on to the time-consuming task of job hunting.

Ecosalon is one of those websites.


Earlier this morning, as I ate my cinnamon-raisin bagel and drank my tea out of my Elephant House mug, I browsed through the new articles on the Ecosalon website and stumbled across this one. Apparently, since 2008, June 8 has been World Ocean Day. I didn't know that existed (so much for press). To mark the occasion, article author Heather Goldstone discussed the affect human actions are having on the world's oceans, and the rather horrific consequences that are coming about due to our almost ceaseless blundering.

At the end of the article, Goldstone lists five things we can do to help our oceans. Small things. Everyday things. Things that, to an individual, may seem unimportant and, even, ineffectual. But if every person in every country on every continent does their part, change is not only possible but probable. "One person can make a difference, and every person should try." JFK can't be wrong, can he?

And after all, which would you rather see? This:


Or this:


(Images borrowed from here, here, and here.)

on earth hour

Tonight at 8:30pm is Earth Hour! What does that mean? It means that tonight people all across the world are switching off their lights for one hour to take a stand against climate change. So get out your candles, and join me in giving our planet a bit of a break.

Because it so dearly deserves it.

(Image borrowed from here.)

on floods

All of this weekend, the news has been drenched (sorry) with stories about two environmental disasters: the flooding in Brisbane, Australia; and the flooding in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro state. Both instances of flooding have nigh-devestated the affected areas, forcing people from homes and destroying property and even taking lives. These are things no one wants to happen, and while each can be explained by natural seasonal weather patterns (La Niña and a Humidity Convergence Zone, respectively), however, I couldn't help but think that global warming may have played a part.

It's no secret that polar ice is melting. All of those images of poor polar bears stranded on tiny ice flows attests to that. However, besides rising sea levels, what else would this excess mean? I give you the water cycle:


We all know it. We all get the photocopy in elementary school science class. We all know that water evaporates and condences, forms clouds and then falls back onto us in either rain or snow. But more water in the oceans means more water is being evaporated. More water evaporating means that more will fall on us than it has in the past. La Niña is a natural event, but the reason for its severity could be global warming-induced. As much rain falls in 24 hours as falls in a month in Brazil is likely global warming. And the harsh winter and heavy snow fall experienced in Europe, the UK, Canada, and the USA is, again, global warming, presented in a slightly different form.

The kind of weather being experienced globally is not natural. Yes, some of it occurs during natural phenomena, however, the severity of these occurences clearly indicates that something else is at work here. There is a clear--and almost stupidly simple--explanation, one that we humans cannot afford to ignore anymore. We can't let these sorts of things keep happening. We can't let people keep dying. Because this is just the start. If we don't do something, weather will only get worse, and from there crops are destroyed, fresh water ruined, animals perish, and more people die.

Is that really worth living happily ignorant a little while longer?

(Images borrowed from here and here.)