NASA graphic shows record global heat anomalies

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Nov 16 2018 – Kevin Yaworski – Canadian and Global Citizen

Nearly everyone agrees the climate on planet earth has changed in a varying cycle of hot and cold periods over millions of years. The biggest concern is in the rate it has been changing and accelerating since the industrial revolution compared to the rates in the past determined from geological evidence spanning much farther than human history.

The vast majority of peer reviewed research by those experienced in climate studies agree it is changing at a much faster rate than it ever has. They basing this on ice core samples that trap CO2, glacial records that can be used to estimate global average temperatures and the thickness width, height, pace of retreat or expansion of glaciers and other geological evidence going back hundreds of thousands of years or more..

Peer reviewed research links rising average ocean surface temperatures with more frequency of intense tropical storms and the rate they can increase in severity.

Many storms and the heavy winds, rains, storm surge and flooding that come with them fueled by the warmer waters and this leads to more destruction and impacts to the people, places and infrastructure in their paths.

There have been individual studies that have been found to have used some flawed methods or focused on limited areas versus global averages and not considering trends but many more peer reviewed studies that have similar findings.

Ocean Temperature Changes – Washington Post, National Post and NOAA

The oceans cover the majority of our planet and are the biggest conveyer of heat transfers and storage. Predicting this is extremely difficult even with super computers. There is enough evidence of rapid climate change outside this.

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Warming seas double snowfall around North America’s tallest peaks

Date: December 19, 2017
Source: Dartmouth College

Research finds dramatic increases in snowfall since the beginning of the Industrial Age and explains global climate connections linking northern mountains with tropical oceans.

Unprecedented findings strengthen connections between winter storms and tropical waters

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Some of my personal experiences that are related.

Several large glaciers I have visited as a child and young adult in Canada, the US and NZ have since reduced in mass and geological evidence they retreating at a rate faster than they have in hundreds of thousands of years. Around the world glaciers that fed fresh water to communities down river since recorded time or longer have vanished or well on their way.

I have swam amoung Coral reefs in Australia, Tahitti, Cook Islands, Fiji and others reef types in Mexico. Many are dead or dying along with much of the ecosystems dependent on them after being bleached from warmer and more acidic waters. The oceans provide humans more protein food sources than any other means and in some areas it accounts for over 90%.

Although the following issues are not part of climate change it is reflective of what ignorance, unfeathered capitalism and influenced or corrupted elected and appointed officials, regulators and corporate executives can lead too.

We have islands of floating plastic and other garbage in our oceans that are larger than some countries. Hundreds of miles of petroleum based fishing nets left adrift with deadly consequences.

Hundreds of whales dieing after beaching themselves, being hit my large ship propellers or starving after their stomachs filled with plastic garbage. Killer whales moving into once ice covered and safe artic waters to feed on beluga and other whales and their calves. Thousands of polar bears drowning after longer and longer swims due to shorter ice covered periods and less time to hunt for seals on the ice to bulk up. Some that make it are so depleted and weak they cant hunt on land or become prey for other wildlife.

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Ice sheets at the poles change all the time as well from year to year but the average rate globally they shrinking or disappearing also off the charts.

I have seen what the tar sands has done to vast areas of Alberta and how little reclamation has been done. Unrecognized landscape and lakes of toxic tailings as far as the eye can see.

Aboriginal Canadians on reserves downstream of the Athabasca river where it cuts through the tar sands project area have much higher rates of rare cancers.

Some say it due to bitumen entering the water naturally. Does this look natural or a safe way to protect the river from contamination?

Petropolis: Aerial Perspectives on the Alberta Tar Sands

The release of methane and other gases from oil and gas wells is enormous during drilling and continues until capped but leaks still continue after. These leaks get worse as wells age and methane can trap 20 times as much heat in our atmosphere than CO2.

I have flown over the US near Denver and for hundreds of miles in all directions all you can see is wells old and new. Similar in North Dakota, parts of south western Manitoba and elsewhere.

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Current environmental regulations require tailings and land reclamation and other costly cleanup when done properly. The industry has lobbied and influenced to have these limited and they often not being enforced in return for lucrative royalty payments to Provincial and Federal governments.

Many oil and gas corporations have gone out of business after mismanagement and or sharp drop in oil prices and the tax payers now on the hook for the cleanup.

A six month investigation into this proves it much worse than many had realized.

Hustle in the oil patch: Inside a looming financial and environmental crisis – Investigation

No one knows where the money for proper cleanup will come from as no rainy day funds created or left after oil prices dropped and rate of spending by governments and maintained or increased. many oil executives Most of the taxpayers are already scrapping by or saddled with large debt.

Yet apparently we have a better record of cleanup than many countries.

On top of this the industry has lobbied and influenced successfully for enormous tax breaks to operate, explore and expand. The world bank peggedathus at over $35 Billion in 2013.

Subsidies for fossil fuels and investing revenues

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Climate change denial won’t even benefit oil companies soon

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Can we leave it in the ground where it took millions of years to be created, invest in more sustainable energy sources and industries to minimize the economic impact of this?

Should we reduce what we are buying and using with better choices as consumers. Should we buy more oil or refined petroleum and related products from the US? Much of Canada’s oil is sold and shipped by pipeline or rail to huge and costly to build and maintain refineries in Texas already. Then we buy back refined products. We also buying oil or petroleum from the middle east and countries with known or questionable human rights violations and other issues.

I hope I am wrong and there is more good in the picture than I am not seeing. Can we risk not erroring on the side of caution?

These are only a tiny fraction of what harm humans are doing to our planet that sustains us.

Respected Financial and Economic experts have called for divesting from fossil fuels and taking drastic measures to reduce the risks of rapid climate change.

Yes climate has changed for millions of years but never at this rate except from mega volcanic or meteorite events. There is no doubt in my mind that it being accelerated by humans.

Part of the issue is incompetent or corrupted officials and corporate execs and boards that care only about themselves and special interests.

There has also been think tanks that claim to be independent, oil and gas industry lobby groups that are well funded and some activists or environmental groups that use false or misleading information and tactics to try and prove their point.

Canada as a country absorbs more carbon than it emits. This is due to its large land mass (through Photosynthesis, calcium carbonate fixation). Canada produces about 1.5% of the world’s emissions and is responsible for absorbing about 12% of the world’s total emissions. The carbon tax is seen as non-nonsensical by many Canadian scientists. Some feel that only by tariffs/taxes on the polluting countries will planetary change be enacted.

Do we want to lead by example or just blame others?

It proven if a carbon emmissions reduction plan or tax done properly it can reduce emissions and minimize economic impact. The current Liberal plan and many provincial plans leave too many grey areas that can lead to failure of both goals.

India and many other countries have a carbon reduction plan or tax and some have proposed them. Some in place have helped reduce CO2 emissions and some have failed. Can we learn from those?

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Related

Carbon Emissions Reduction Plan or Taxes – Wikipedia

Canada divided on climate and not leading by example

The costs of climate change are rising

Rising seas and climate change: Everything you need to know

97% of “active” climate experts agree on man made climate change but more research needed on the risks and impacts

Wind and other renewables vs. fossil fuels and is climate change happening faster than ever?

Canada & other countries should listen to Mark Carney’s warnings on costs of climate change

There is a some information from those supporting expsnding the oil, gas and tar sands and for curbing it.

What we don’t know about US energy and climate change priorities and we need to accelerate the shift away from fossil fuels.