By Mysi Anne via Flickr

Global warming has been discussed and debated until we’re all about sick of hearing the debates and discussions. Instead of analyzing scientific data or arguing over who’s to blame for climate change, take a look at these intriguing global warming images of the shocking and unusual changes we’ve experienced in recent years. These oddities may or may not prove that global warming is real in your book, but they’re amazing nonetheless!

Vegas Wonderland

December 2008, Las Vegas sees their first big snowfall in 30 years.

Sheffield Underwater

June 2007 floods in the UK. Photo by Random_Dave

Extreme Weather in the Land Down Under

The Heat is On in Southern Cal

2007 California wildfires Malibu. Photo by kia40671

Northwest Forest Massacre

Tree death rates in old growth forests have doubled in the last 50 years. Photo by Weatherbox

Ike the Terrible

Galveston Island, TX underwater 2 days before Ikes Sept.14, 2008 landfall. AP Photo by David Phillip

Goodbye Froggy

Frog populations have been declining around the world since the late 1980s. Green frog by Hamed Saber

Dry in the Southeast

Lake Alatoona in Georgia near the public side of a campground swimming area during the widespread drought of 2007. Photo by mjn9

Icy China

The worst winter weather in half a century left thousands without electricity, homes, and transportation in early 2008.

We’re Not in Kansas

Feb. 2008, at least 48 deaths blamed on tornadoes from Texas to Indiana.

Definitely Not Kansas

Hot, Hot, Hot

This summer's undergarments will be invisible. Image from focalplane

The Dry Sunburned Country

Victorian side of Lake Hume during 2007 drought. Photo by suburban bloke

Humongous Twister

This tornado touched down briefly in Mitchell County, Iowa in June 2008. AP Photo by Lori Mehmen

An Icy 2007 for the Eastern US

Ice in Texas during the January storms that created winter chaos up and down the east coast. Photo by jonmatthew photography

Katrina the Devastater

The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in Bay St. Louis, MS - tires still look good anyway! Photo by St Louis Garage

Texas Flames Continue to Blaze

Already responsible for the destruction of 6 homes and over 6200 acres, as well as a death, extreme wildfires continue to ravage Texas. AP/The Reporter-News, Ronald W. Erdrich

Monster Typhoons

Typhoon Saomai claimed over 100 lives and more than 50,000 homes in China, Aug. 2006. The worst storm in half a century. Via National Geographic

Hurricane Omaha

Worst Storm in a Century

July, 2007 - heavy rain, wind, and lightening trapped hundreds and destroyed homes in Chongqing, China. Image via ChinaDaily.com

20 Amazing Images Attributed to Global Warming is a post from: Ecoble

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Here are 10 of our favorite fresh new faces:

Steven Chu, Secretary of Energy

Here’s a nice change, blasting the Energy Department out of its fossilized, fossil-fuel state and into the 21st Century. Instead of an oil company exec, Obama has appointed a Nobel Prize-winning physicist with a track record in working toward energy efficiency. As Director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Chu gained a national reputation as a speaker; among other things, he liked to point out that companies who claimed they couldn’t possibly cut back energy use suddenly manifested miracles of efficiency when they stopped paying lobbyists and hired engineers instead.

Lisa Jackson, Director, Environmental Protection Agency

After years of neglect, bending over backward to industry demands, and interference in basic science by political hacks, Jackson will be a breath of fresh air at the EPA. As head of New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection Jackson has been implementing that state’s climate plan, which aims to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. If New Jersey can do it, there’s hope for the U.S. “I can think of few people more qualified and ready to lead the EPA during these challenging times,” notes Senator Tom Carper (D-DE)

Carol Browner, “Global Warming Czar”

The longest-serving EPA Director in history (all of Clinton’s eight years) and a “well-known environmental wonk”, Browner brings her geeky science background to the White House, where she will head a new council to coordinate White House energy, climate and environment policies. She’s been lauded by everyone from the Audubon Society to the Center for American Progress; the conservative American Enterprise Institute, in contrast, finds her “excessively partisan”, which must come as a shock after the easy-going, non-partisan environmental policies of the Bush years.

John Holdren,  Science Advisor

Can you imagine a world in which the President’s science advisor publishes articles with titles like: “The Future of Climate Change Policy: The U.S.’s Last Chance to Lead”? Science was not exactly respected during the Bush years; it was more swept under the rug, then beaten with the broom. Holdren, a physicist-turned-environmental-policy-expert, is better than “change we can believe in” – he’s “change we can demonstrate with empirical proof”.  Oh – the subtitle for that article, which appeared in the October Scientific American? “McCain or Obama can end shameful U.S. foot-dragging and rally the world against climate change.”

Nancy Sutley, Chair, White House Council on Environmental Quality

As Deputy Mayor of Los Angeles, Sutley has been working on that sprawling city’s climate change initiatives; prior to that she worked at the EPA, the California EPA, and served as energy advisor to California Governor Gray Davis. She’s also a woman of color, born in  South America, and an open lesbian. Says Warner Chabot, CEO of the California League of Conservation Voters: “Nancy Sutley rocks!… one of the most ethical, effective environmental policy leaders in government.”

Jeff Merkley, Oregon Senator

What a nice concept – a Senator who, instead of being a former business exec, is a former executive director of Portland Habitat for Humanity. As Speaker of the Oregon House, he racked up such an impressive record that the Oregon League of Conservation Voters named him “Caretaker of the Year”. He’s bringing in a plan to fight climate change by, among other things, having U.S. cities adopt some of the initiatives he pushed through in Oregon, such as investing in renewable energy and conservation.  Merkley took out incumbent Senator Gordon Smith, whose League of Conservation Voters score of 37 percent was much improved by an election-year conversion that might not have lasted had he been re-elected. Ironically, Smith was the black-as-dirty-coal sheep of the generally very green Udall family – cousins Mark (D-CO) and Tom (D-NM) are newly-minted senators themselves, with Mark a former director of Colorado Outward Bound.

Paul Tonko, New York Congressman

A familiar face in Upstate New York, Tonko brings a solid progressive vote to this solidly Democratic district (a nice change after years of hawkishness under Sam Stratton and moderateness under Michael McNulty). Tonko is an engineer, spent years in the NY State Legislature, and then was head of the New York Energy Development Authority.

Phil Shiliro, Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs

You probably haven’t heard of him, and probably don’t even know his job exists – there are no YouTube videos, or even a pic of him on the White House website [update - they've finally got one up!]. But he’s the guy that schmoozes with the Congress, making sure that Democratic lawmakers (and maybe even a Republican or two, you never know) are on board so that legislation gets passed. Effective liaison was one of the big failures of the Clinton White House, and Obama is already making smarter choices – Shiliro is a former chief of staff to Henry Waxman (more on him in a moment) with nearly 30 years of Capital Hill experience. An environmental lawyer, he joined Waxman’s staff in 1982 to work on the Clean Air Act.

Henry Waxman, California Congressman

Not exactly a new face, but probably the most significant change in Congress this year. Henry Waxman booted John Dingell (D-GM) from the chairmanship of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, where he had been single-handedly holding up, slowing down and sabotaging any legislation that Detroit automakers didn’t like. Waxman, in contrast, has been the go-to guy on just about all things green: He wrote the Safe Climate Act (which may now be able to pass); he also wrote the Global Warming Statement of Principals and got 152 House members to sign on. He’s also been a key defender of the Clean Air Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act. (Likely key player in helping Waxman oust Dingell: Phil Shiliro)

Jerry McNerney, California Congressman

Not a new face again, but a pleasant surprise – a green face we didn’t expect would stick around. McNerney is a wind power executive (!) and two years ago he knocked off one of the most anti-green Congressman, the scandal-plagued Richard Pombo. McNerney walked cautiously during his first term, thinking he would only be able to hang on in this solidly Republican district as a blue-dog moderate Democrat. But he won re-election over a rock-ribbed conservative, and it looks like he’s here to stay.

Green Politicians: 10 eco-friendly additions to Washington is a post from: Ecoble

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Getting There - Thanksgiving is one of the heaviest travel weekends of the year, and how you choose to get there can make a big difference in your annual carbon footprint. If you’re driving long distances, avoid SUVs and big gas-guzzlers – remember, you can always rent something smaller. Carpooling is also good, although not always an option. And if you’re flying, keep in mind that air miles are about the most damaging mode of travel for the environment. Avoid flying if possible; if you can’t, consider purchasing carbon offsets from a reliable source.

Set the Scene - Candles are great for creating a warm, homey environment. But paraffin candles are awful for the home environment. They’re made from petrochemicals, they put vaporized parrafin into the air, and they often contain artificial oils and scents that you don’t want your loved ones to be breathing, either. Today, we have better options, made with beeswax and soy wax. Likewise, as you’re buying decorations, think of what’s going to happen to them when the holiday has passed. Try to avoid buying a bunch of paper goods that will go straight into the landfill.

Moderate the Meat - Industrial agricultural poultry farms generate a huge amount of waste; too much to compost (which is how small farms deal with natural by-products in a natural way, returning them to the soil as fertilizer). Instead, all that manure degrades into methane – a greenhouse gas that’s 20 times more potent than CO2. Plus, these birds are pumped full of antibiotics and nasty chemicals to try to keep them healthy in that cramped, hellish environment. This does awful things for the meat – both in terms of nutrients, and in flavor. Go for a free-range organic bird – your taste buds will thank you, as will your arteries. (Or you could try going Vegan…)

Go Local - Transportation is a big part of the CO2 impact of our food. Shipping by water has a modest impact, trucking is pretty bad, and air freight is terrible. Which means that, surprisingly, (ocean-shipped) Peruvian mangoes may have a lower impact than (trucked) Idaho potatoes. Your best bet – buy local. Go down to the farmers market for the most planet-friendly potatoes and yams.

Go Seasonal - Hothouse-grown peppers, tomatoes and lettuce are also not great for the environment – because of the hefty energy used in growing them in cold climates. Think like the Pilgrims, and try to focus on things that grow naturally in your neighborhood this time of year. In the north, that might mean substituting cold-loving crops like spinach, kale and chard instead of a salad.

Go Organic - Industrial agriculature depletes the soil, then uses petrochemical-derived fertilizers to attempt to replenish it. It’s a crazy system that’s accelerating climate change. Organic agriculture, in contrast, actually returns large amounts of carbon to the soil. If all the farms in the US switched to organics, it would be the equivalent of taking millions of cars off the road! Plus, organics are healthier. And your health is always something to be thankful for.

Avoid Packaged Foods - Often, producing and disposing of food packaging takes more energy than it took to grow and process the food in the first place. What can you do about that? Cut back on pre-packaged stuff. Go with fresh local spinach instead of frozen; bake your own pumpkin pie instead of buying one in a plastic clamshell from the market.

Recycle - And of course, make sure the cans, bottles, and packaging you use gets recycled.

Compost - Don’t send your scraps off to a landfill! In that nasty environment, food waste breaks down into methane, which as we’ve noted is a greenhouse gas 20 times more potent than CO2. Set up a home composting system; if you can’t, check locally – many cities now have composting programs.

Don’t Say “Yes” to Excess - Don’t go whole hog – or whole turkey. Buy a smaller bird, only make three side dishes instead of six, go for two pies instead of four. You can still eat plenty of food, there will be less waste overall, and when you step on the scale Monday morning, you’ll be able to look at that dial without fear and loathing.

10 Great Ways to Green your Thanksgiving is a post from: Ecoble

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What is Global Warming?

Atmospheric gases (primarily water vapor but also including carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, etc.) work together to retain some of the sun’s heat so that the earth stays a comfortable climate – this is known as the greenhouse effect and is necessary for human life. Climate change – long term changes in the overall climate of a particular region – can also occur naturally. The Ice Age, for example, is thought to be a natural change in the global climate. Some believe this was caused by a change in the distance between the earth and the sun, or a change in the earth’s orbital path, while others believe this climate change may have came about because of meteorites.

According to temperature records over the past 150 years, the average global temperature has risen at least one degree overall and more than 2 degrees specifically in the arctic. Scientists have also discovered a correlation between these temperatures and the level of carbon dioxide (and more recently methane gas) in the atmosphere.

In a perfect world, the trees and plants would balance the carbon dioxide levels in the air and a natural animal population would emit just the right amount of methane and CO2 to keep the atmosphere and climate in check.

In our world – we’ve removed vast amounts of vegetation to make space for structures that operate on polluting fossil fuels; we degrade land by breeding huge herds of methane-emitting cattle to feed our growing population; we manufacture products using processes that create even more gases. Our normal habits have altered the gas balance of our atmosphere, retaining more heat than ever before, and is considered to be the man made side of global warming and the current climate change.

Is Global Warming Real?

We’ve examined this question in a previous post, Global Warming: Fact or Fiction. Whether man made or natural, can anyone truly argue the fact that climates are changing around the world? Yes, global warming is real – Britain’s National Academy of Science states:

“The world’s leading climate experts at the Nobel Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change believe that it is greater than 90 per cent likely that human activity is responsible for most of the observed warming in recent decades. That is a pretty strong consensus.”

Global Warming Proof

“Global warming will intensify drought and it will intensify floods,” states Stephen Schneider, editor of the Climatic Change journal. 2007 brought some of the worst floods in history to a number of countries around the planet – including 14 African countries, the UK, Malaysia, the US midwest, and North Korea. Droughts and water shortages have been just as prominent in recent years – plaguing areas of the Middle East, the southeastern US, Spain, and Australia.

2007 Jakarta flood named worst in 300 years. Photo by Indhas

Lake Lanier, Georgia. Water level change in 11 months. Photo by Brian Hursey

The longtime dream route between Europe and Asia, the Northwest Passage, was open and ‘fully navigable’ for the first time in its monitored history in 2007. This is perhaps the most extreme sign that the arctic is melting at an alarmingly fast rate.

Extreme summer temperatures are another obvious proof that global warming is real. Not only are the summers becoming unbearable in many regions around the world – they’re lasting longer and longer. In fact, here in the Blue Ridge foothills of the southeast US, the leaves are just now showing their bright autumn colors and the highs were in the 70’s last week. 10 years ago, short sleeves were out of sight before the beginning of October!

105 at 5:30 in the evening. Photo by Matt McGee

These unusual changes in climate have also been linked to more frequent and more intense forest fires across the world. Wildfires in the past decade have burned longer, destroyed more land, and happened more often than ever before. The US, especially the southeast and southwest, have been affected drastically by these fires. Fires are also starting in forests in the Amazon, Siberia, Greece, Indonesia, and a number of other countries around the globe.

Orange County forest fire. Photo by Miro-Foto

Proof that global warming is real is all around us – from the extreme temperatures to the more and more frequent natural disasters. It is almost 100% likely that a big portion of this climate change is because of our own actions, habits, and lifestyles.

What do you think?

Is Global Warming Real? 5 Proofs That Urge Action is a post from: Ecoble

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Where’s the beef?

It’s not down on the farm these days, alas. The healthy, natural beef of years gone by is almost extinct. It has been driven out by cheap beef, raised on gigantic feedlots, fattened on corn. The problem is: corn isn’t healthy for cows, and raising beef this way ultimately isn’t healthy for us either. Here are some things to watch out for and ways to be more healthy when it comes to your beef-related choices.

If you ask children, “What do cows eat?”, they’ll tell you: “Cows eat grass!” Not corn – grass. Kids are smart; smarter, it seems, than the barons of agribusiness, who haven’t figured that part out yet.

Why do farmers feed cows on corn? First, because it’s cheap, thanks to massive federal subsidies. Second, because  starchy corn forces cows to fatten up faster. Cattle evolved a complex digestive system to derive nutrition from rangeland grasses; feed them on corn and their digestion goes haywire, causing flatulence, acid stomach, and massive weight gain.

This isn’t healthy for cows: with their immune systems damaged, the cows get sick – an amazing array of illnesses, ranging from liver abscesses and infections to dust-inspired  respiratory disease. So agribusiness loads them up with antibiotics to keep them alive long enough to get them to the slaughterhouse – and your plates.

This also isn’t healthy for people: this beef ends up lower in nutrients (everything from vitamin A to vitamin E) and higher in fat – the bad kind, cholesterol-boosting fat. And the rampant use of antibiotics in crowded conditions has led to the rise of a new breed of super-bugs that are sickening thousands and possibly millions.

You heard about the spinach infected with E. coli 157? There’s no way to prove anything, but it’s likely the infection came from animal waste. Agribusiness likes to say “It could come from over-flying birds or foxes running through the fields,” but the most probable cause is the lakes of animal waste on nearby cattle farms. Remember the acid indigestion the cows get from corn? E. coli 157 doesn’t live in the guts of normal, grass-fed cattle, but it thrives in the acid environment of corn-fed cows.

This is a growing problem – 199 people got sick during the spinach outbreak and three died, but that’s a drop in the bucket compared to the 20,000 people a year who are infected with E. coli 157 ,and 200 who die. It’s mostly the very young and the very old who are vulnerable; infection from E. coli 157 is the biggest cause of kidney failure in children.

The biggest irony: none of this makes any economic sense at all! Nobody would bother feeding corn to cattle if we weren’t all paying billions of dollars in subsidies to make corn cheap. And consider this: Cornell’s David Pimentel points out that growing that corn takes vast amounts of petroleum-based chemical fertilizer.

Because of this dependence on petroleum, Pimentel says, a typical steer will in effect consume 284 gallons of oil in his lifetime. Comments Michael Pollan,

“We have succeeded in industrializing the beef calf, transforming what was once a solar-powered ruminant into the very last thing we need: another fossil-fuel machine.”

Giant agriculture distorts everything. In real agriculture, poop is fertilizer. But we use petroleum products to fertilize the corn, send the corn to giant cattle operations, which churn out massive lagoons of dammed-up poop. It should go back to fertilizer, but it’s such an antibiotic and chemical-laced concoction that is nothing but a toxic waste-product.

So now you know more of the facts, but what can you do to improve your diet and make a global difference as well? Vegetarians would like you to cut out beef completely, but that’s not really necessary.

• Cut back on beef (and meat). One or two days a week without meat is the equivalent of switching from a gas-powered sedan to a hybrid. (It’ll also save you money, and is good for your heart).
• When you do eat beef, go for free-range or grass-fed. Organic is best – it’s more expensive, true, but remember, you just cut out a day or two of beef, so you can afford to eat better. Better for you, and better the planet – there’s some evidence that grass-fed cows actually helps sequester carbon in the soil as they graze.
• Watch your dairy intake, too. Most big dairy producers are as bad as the beef feedlots. Cut back on dairy, or switch to organic for lower impact.
• Watch out for corn in your veggie products! Once you start reading ingredient labels, you’ll be shocked and appalled to see how American processed food is loaded up with corn and corn derivatives (loaded with dairy derivatives, too!). It is a good idea to cut back on processed foods anyway, as they are loaded with all kinds of weird chemicals and additives (many of which are manufactured in bulk in China with minimal safety standards).

Should You Have Some Beef with Your Beef? is a post from: Ecoble

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