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| stranded polar bears |
It's passing strange how sometimes one
thing leads to another—you read an article and then related
articles or experiences seem to tumble in on you emphasizing and
supporting each other.
For example, a few days ago I was
reading an article discussing increasing frequencies and height of
flooding and beach erosion in Eastern Seaboard communities in the
United States. The article stated that communities are fighting an increasingly expensive and losing battle against the growing severity
of storms.
Japan has been experiencing an unusual
summer of very heavy and sustained rains causing flooding and
landslides and many deaths. Arizona has just experienced heavy
downpours and severe flooding and a couple deaths in Phoenix and
Tucson areas.
Today, in Venice, Piazza San Marco is partly flooded for the third time in the past week due, apparently, to higher high tides caused by higher sea levels from ice melt. In the not too distant future perhaps the second floor will become the new first floor. You could always park your boat in the old living room.
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| flooded Piazza San Marco around 2:00 pm today |
Just yesterday I read an article
titled “Oil is Back” wherein research into sustainable energy and
more energy efficient motor vehicles are being abandoned in the
United States because of an increase in local production through
“fracking” for shale oil and releasing more federal lands and
offshore areas for drilling, including previously protected
environmentally sensitive areas. Reasonably cheaper gasoline being
available, energy efficient vehicles are being abandoned to
increasing sales for SUVs. Carbon emissions, as a consequence, are
predicted to be 6% higher by 2040 with concomitant increases in
global temperatures and severity of weather patterns not to mention
environmental degradation.
Yet,
“ . . .such
a situation -- knowing one thing and doing something else -- can only
be described as some form of mass delusion or a collective version of
schizophrenia. In one part of our collective brain, we are aware that
petroleum use must decline sharply to prevent the sorts of global
catastrophes that we are only used to seeing in science fiction
movies; in another, we retain our affection for driving and gasoline
use without giving much thought to the consequences.”
FULL ARTICLE:
Today
I ran across this video designed to counter such thoughtlessness and
short-sightedness. Well, I liked it for three reasons: the message,
the videos of the Arctic and, Emma Thompson is one of my favorite
actresses.
VIDEO:
Voila!
My little meditation for today.
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