Citizen cooperation urgent re climate change, humanitarian crises

It was more than a decade ago, when Al Gore sounded the alarm on climate change. Global warming may have been a misnomer to some, but scientists declared then that if the nations of the world did not act in reducing carbon emissions, there would come a time when there would be no turning back, and environmental disasters would create widespread humanitarian crises. The urgency for doing something to reverse the impact of climate change, however, is undermined by politics, resulting in continuing inertia in responding to what scientists now tell us can no longer be ignored.



What Al Gore labeled “An Inconvenient Truth” is far from just inconvenient, scientists remind us. It is a truth that requires action and actually might be better termed “ugly” more than inconvenient.



The United Nations released a report on global warming a few days ago with the details that are another reminder of the grave consequences of doing nothing about the environment right now. Scientists say,“The evidence is overwhelming: Levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are rising. Temperatures are going up. Springs are arriving earlier. Ice sheets are melting. Sea level is rising. The patterns of rainfall and drought are changing. Heat waves are getting worse, as is extreme precipitation. The oceans are acidifying.” 



The dilemmas in reducing carbon emissions involve the need to maintain a growing world population which requires energy sources. It takes more energy to plant food as the numbers of people to feed increase. Transportation needed to take goods from one place to another means additional fuel. Many human needs require energy sources, these needs coming at a time when possible options either take too much time and resources or would cause environmental problems as well.



While conservatives scoffed about climate change, and it became fashionable to make fun of Al Gore rather than focusing on the urgency of agreements that might have reduced pollution levels sufficiently to make a difference. Despite the warnings of scientists, people maintained it was either God's will for the earth to be destroyed or if climate change was occurring it this was simply part of an ongoing pattern that has been going on for thousands of years.



The argument against the scientists' predictions was the accusation they had been based solely on financial gain for themselves and their research. Politicians countered claims of man-made climate change with the opinions of scientists who disagreed with their peers. These disagreements helped to convince some people and confuse others. The man in the middle was immobilized by the divisions, so the tacit decision left was to go with the most emotionally rewarding notion in the short run, that man's activities could effect little change on what was foreordained by God or the ordinary course of climate changes that had occurred since earth's creation.



The apathy and ignorance, and the lack of willingness of politicians to take responsibility means the inevitable consequences of environmental disasters scientists remind us will create humanitarian havoc in the days and years to come. They tell us that the environmental upheavals will take their course, and that we have not seen the worst. But this declaration of inevitability simply cements the apathy, for if there is nothing man can do, the best thing might be to protect oneself as much as possible financially and to enjoy the moments now. That too is no good answer.



The blame has not been shouldered responsibly in ways that create action, although there is enough blame proverbially to be passed around. While progressives point to environmental challenges that must be met by changes, few agree on what they need to be, outside of the reduction of pollution levels that contribute the climate change. Without the knowledge, and acceptance, of individual responsibility; the problems may not be solved simply at the top.



While the news media reports, and the governments wrangle, the scientists and the people in the middle hold the key not to finger pointing blame but to future practice that will involve every citizen who wants to stay alive and who wants the generations to come to have a peaceful place to live. It is a shared responsibility, shared by folks of all political persuasions and religious beliefs.



Yet while the Democrats recently spent an evening in a talkathon on what to do about climate change, Fox News continued its denials in the same pattern as has occurred in more than a decade. With Fox the more popular channel, it is likely convincing the masses will be difficult to do. And when politicians offer laws and orders, the inability to accept the problem of climate change will likely result in continued inertia and the march to environmental chaos. For it is not a political problem but made one by those whose vested interests in the status quo outweigh the needs of the people most likely to be hurt in the humanitarian crises that scientists tell us will occur as a result of doing either nothing or not enough.

Skeptics continue to mock the idea of climate change despite 2013 'best evidence'

Measuring the summer Arctic melt

Marsha Hunt---In spite of the polar weather sweeping much of the world and the extreme temperatures, fires, earthquakes and other activities identified with climate change, many people still deny the earth's atmosphere is changing, forcing the governments to develop inertia over making recommended changes.  So what is the present evidence and what do people need to know to understand that local weather anecdotes are not the same as rigorous science and that the consequences of doing nothing far outweigh the policies of corporations whose money-making notions interfere with the knowledge and changes we need.

Although there have been many articles and reports supporting scientific evidence of climate change, a significant faction of folks continue to mock the ideas, rattling their verbal swords on social media sites and trivializing the problem that is creating major problems around the world.

And while Al Gore initiated the efforts to bring the attention of the world to the anticipated problems observed by scientists decades ago, and has been mocked for those efforts, nevertheless the facts, as unfolding and substantiated by scientific research across the world, the climate is changing; and the impact of this is enormous, experts remind us. The criticisms against Gore have also been printed many times, but according to those who have followed his pronouncements over the years and reviewed the accusations, his main premise of the threat of climate change to the world's welfare has been found to be true much of the time.

Even the naysayers of the early Gore pronouncements, like former President George W. Bush, now agree there is indeed something to the urgent need to change direction and reexamine priorities when it comes to climate change, such as reducing pollutants that are said to be behind much of the problems.

Remarks by present naysayers indicate certainly that there are many people who have firmly decided the notions of climate change as being man-made are not true and simply part of backdoor politicians aligned with scientists to make money on the issue, while others, like Palin, make remarks that often poke fun at the ideas of it altogether.

Palin's remarks in 2013 reflect the rightwing notions that some say stand in the way of the changes needed to combat climate change.  She said, "I've been hearing all this hootin' and hollarin' from the liberals about how CO2 is going up to levels we haven't seen in 5 million years," Palin told Fox and Friends' host Gretchen Carlson. "But the truth is, life was pretty good millions of years ago. "There were plenty of plants and animals back then, and they did just fine in the heat. And as Earth starts to warm up, all our old friends will start coming back. The polar bears might die off, but think of all the dinosaurs we're gonna get!"

While some folks look at the polar weather and maintain that means the earth is actually getting colder and proving scientists wrong, the science has observed repeatedly the term "climate change" refers to the extremes in both directions, of hot and cold weather patterns; and that the overall direction of the earth's temperature is actually going up.

The most useful information for the world economies has less to do with the topics of immigration and economic reform than what scientists say is responsible for what might be particularly devastating, and has been for many already, and that's the consequences of climate change that include more hurricanes, typhoons, tornadoes and weather conditions that can negatively impact millions.  2013 reflected the greatest evidence yet of the negative impact of climate change, according to science experts.  And these conditions require large outlays of money and manpower to overcome or control, something which will become even more difficult in the future.

Philippines super typhoon brings more evidence of climate change, increasingly severe storms

[caption id="attachment_20827" align="alignleft" width="300"] Philippines storm[/caption]

Editor---"Let me repeat myself: This is a very real danger, and we can mitigate and lessen its effects if we use the information available to prepare," President Benigno S. Aquino III was quoted as saying in a national TV address Thursday as residents were warned of a potential calamity to it the Philippines, as scientists have predicted might happen as a consequence of climate change.

While the naysayers of past years, and some who continue to be despite contrary evidence, deny climate change the worsening storms are but a signal of more to come, scientists declare.  Those in the scientific community who have said otherwise were not the graduates of the better schools nor the higher levels of the scientific community; but there were those who nevertheless used their evidence to say that weather events like Hurricane Sandy and now the violent storm in the Philippines are but the usual and customary of weather changes that take place in the natural order of events.

Now the evidence is grave, and graver still are the predictions of the future.  The time to prepare for that worst scenario came more than 15 years ago, as Al Gore declared the world must prepare for climate change.  And even as a few nations began to consider scientists warning to be serious, key nations continued to find reasons why climate change just wasn't so.

Former President Bush was one of those who scoffed at the notion of climate change, along with key politicians in his administration.  Later Bush was to admit that human behavior had some impact on climate in negative way, but the process of protecting people and making the right plans for the coming storms was put in the back drawer for folks to worry about later.

It is now time to worry, scientists say and that collaboration and sacrifice must take place, or all the discussions of government shutdowns, health care quarrels and debates over abortion will continue to cover up the neglect in outlining what the world needs most, attention to the details of climate change and cooperation to prevent the worsening events.

The typhoon in the Philippines is said to have been fueled by the warm waters in the region.

Say you're sorry to Al and embrace an inconvenient truth

[caption id="attachment_17034" align="alignleft" width="200"] Al Gore, receiving Nobel Peace Prize[/caption]

Carol Forsloff — He was made fun of by the left and right, by much of the mainstream press, as well as the blogstreams, while his wife divorced him. The man who would be President more than 12 years ago gave early warnings now being embraced by those who ridiculed him for years. Let's say we're sorry to Al.

Al Gore proclaimed a crisis for the environment. He quoted the scientists of the day, that day even before George Bush Jr. was elected President, ushering the eight years of  Republican denial, represented by folks such as Donald Trump, and the Democrat's lack of critical focus on what is now said to be the most important and critical issue facing not just the American people but the entire world.

Global warming is a fact, most of the top scientists say., especially after this most recent major weather event in the United States, Hurricane Sandy. The naysayers came from the ranks, not of the top, award-winning groups, but those who had graduated from the lesser ranks of Universities and were more easily dissuaded by political involvement. And there were many of these who even maintained that many of the gases released into the atmosphere were actually beneficial for the environment. Now the naysayers, for the most part, say little or nothing, as climate change has taken public attention, after major storms that have swamped many areas of the world.

An Inconvenient Truthwas inconvenient for masses of folks who have proclaimed the need for drilling in the Arctic or for deeper drilling into ocean waters to be a paramount necessity to maintain America's grand thirst for energy and supremacy as well. The Kyoto Treaty, which focused on the international agreement to curb toxic emissions into the earth's atmosphere, was mocked as a vessel for other nations to promote their own agendas or the need for scientists to receive more money for what were ridiculed as misadventures in science. But that Treaty allowed that first step in recognizing that climate change is a global problem.

We all remember movies that generated great enthusiasm for world cooperation from outside invaders. The film Independence Day likely comes to mind for most, as the threat of invaders from outer space brought world cooperation to find a solution that would remove the threat from destroying the world.

It is that cooperation that is needed now, the United Nations reminds us, as does other agencies devoted to focusing on issues that impact us all.

So let's say we're sorry to Al, who opened up the discussion on a broad scale, and who sacrificed his reputation, his marriage and potentially the Presidency, as he was made a target of derision those 12 years ago and counting. And let's respect his standing up and speaking out about the risks of climate change and the need for international cooperation and alternative energies by remembering and taking action as he once advised and accepting as an honest appraisal of our environmental dilemmas, that inconvenient truth.

What if Al Gore was right about climate change?

Carol Forsloff - A giant ice island breaks off Greenland; and it is time to break out the
jokes on Al Gore again, but what if Gore and the scientists are right.
Will that be funny too? 


Today's news, which is reported in press releases, newspapers, and
organizations around the world, discusses a massive ice island, or huge
glacier described large enough to be 4 times that of Manhattan island,
has broken off Greenland.  What does that mean?


Most scientists interviewed for a variety of sources don't talk about
imminent dangers, as the "island" can break up, keep proceeding south
and interrupt shipping or it may just hang around its parent, Greenland,
for the foreseeable future.


It is hypothesized, however, to be part of the pattern of climate change.


Al Gore, cited internationally for his pronouncements on climate change,
has been used as the comedic football for those who disparage climate
change.  Today there is new evidence that says he might just well be
right.  Scientists can't say for certain the present glacier breaking
off Greenland is part of that climate change.  They also say they can't
say it isn't.


Russia is suffering from fires so large, so all-consuming that the
health risks have become serious.  Pakistan is experiencing huge floods,
greater than experienced in many, many years.  The U.S. south and east
coasts, as well as parts of the interiors of the country, have had
double-digit temperatures off and on for more than a month.


Should climate change be a serious discussion or remain the arena for
jokes? The deniers have grown quiet as climatologists express concern
about climate shifts, air and water pollution and serious weather
conditions. 


On Sunday radio Gore is once again the brunt of jokes associated with climate change.


What are the risks if Gore was wrong and what more might they be if he's right?

The Gore divorce: When love fades in a marriage

 

[caption id="attachment_10822" align="alignleft" width="258" caption="Al Gore's wedding - wikimedia commons"][/caption]

 Carol Forsloff - Faded love is often rumored to be part of what happens to most marriages, but is that true; and if so, how can this be prevented.

The end of Al and Tipper Gore's 40-Year marriage raises the question in the minds of many just how marriages are able to keep a lid on trouble, then suddenly in later years end.

Former Vice President Al Gore and his wife Tipper lived in the spotlight for 40 years, a bright
spotlight that put them in front of the proverbial cameras frequently
during tumultuous political times.

While most people heard of Al Gore, because of his pronouncements on the Internet and climate change as well as his run for the Presidency, Tipper has been famous as
well as an author and advocate for the Parents Music Resource Center,
which is the advisory committee on the appropriateness of music lyrics.

The split of this high profile couple makes people wonder about marriage and turns upside down the idea that older couples or don't divorce or long-term marriages remain in spite of trouble.

Life expectancy has changed relationships, so the emotional distances can grow wide over the
years.  Some marriages have trouble standing the test of time for that reason.

Most marriages that are going to end do so in the first decade, especially first-time marriages,
which typically terminate during the first eight years.

The odds of divorce do decrease dramatically with time, but irreconcilable differences can
occur at any time.  Sometimes a marital breakup won't occur because of the children or fear of financial difficulty.  Still other couples are
afraid to lose friends or their public face.

What may be a surprise to some people, however, is that the second highest divorce rate, according to divorce attorneys,
occurs among couples who have been married between 20 and 25 years.   This means after reflections of children that may now be grown, less financial demands made on the partners, and when professional standings
have been acquired.

What type of marriages survive?  Both marital advisors and attorneys agree that marriage takes work, a genuine affection for one another, attention and honesty.

Just assuming a long-term relationship will survive because it is long-term is not enough, experts say.  It is important to tend the flame of love forever so it doesn't go out.