Today, people in 192
countries are celebrating Earth Day. Human-induced climate change is
happening and regular readers of this blog will recall that it's
become almost de rigeur for science-fiction writers to propose some
climate catastrophe or another as background for their near-future stories. Other major threats to the world ecosystems include pollution and overfishing. I've pulled a number of pictures from the Web that remind us what is at stake if we don't get our act together on the environment.
Earthrise - Apollo 8 - NASA
'nuf said
Polar Ice Caps
"At the current rate the ice caps are melting, a child born today could see a North Pole completely without ice in their lifetime....If the Greenland glaciers alone were to melt completely..., they could raise the water level by 20 feet. For some this is already a very real threat – buildings built in Russia on permafrost have already begun to twist, warp and crumble due to the melting land."
Coral Reef near Fiji
Coral reefs are one of the most beautiful of the ocean's natural wonders. They also provide one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet. According to WRI's 2011 report: "Three-quarters of the world's coral reefs are at risk from overfishing, pollution and climate change...By 2050 virtually all of the world's coral reefs – from the waters of the Indian Ocean to the Caribbean to Australia – will be in danger."
Honey Bee
"Honey bees are of vital importance, and their declining populations are an incredibly critical issue. As pollinators, they are responsible for over 130 different fruit and vegetable crops that we eat." Remember the disappearing bees? Well, they are still disappearing and, though the case is not completely solved, Reuters notes that "three...studies point an accusing finger at a culprit that many have suspected all along, a class of pesticides known as neonicotinoids....In the U.S. alone, these pesticides...coat a massive 142 million acres of corn, wheat, soy and cotton seeds. They are also a common ingredient in home gardening products."
Night Lights
Do what you can and then sleep tight.
Previous Environmental Posts
Earth Day 2012
Past the Point of No Return (November 2012)
Rio +20 (June 2012)
Now That's Hot (May 2012)
Silent Spring, Nuclear Winter, Gaia and Medea (August 2011)
Global Warming 101 series (August 2011)
Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV
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