- The amount of sea ice in the Arctic and Antarctic is a record low.
- Thousands of geese died after landing at a mine in Montana – toxic water.
- Bolivia declared a state of emergency because the glaciers they depend on for water are rapidly melting.
- A fungal disease is killing snakes in at least 20 eastern states.
Nearly every day there is a new distress call from Mother Nature. It sounds pretty grim, doesn’t it? Many people blame climate change for the negative changes we are witnessing with what feels like greater frequency. But are they really more frequent? Nature is, after all, ever-changing. Even if humans were not interfering on Earth there would still be climate changes. We’re just not helping matters. In fact, we’re probably accelerating the changes. The news is not all bad though. Consider these facts:
- Global CO2 emissions remained flat in 2016 for the third year in a row.
- China is banning all sales of ivory by the end of the year.
- Canada is eliminating the use of coal in power plants by 2030.
- Texas hit a peak generation of electricity from wind – 45% of total energy demand.
- Demand for gasoline has stopped rising thanks to electric cars and better fuel efficiency.
The same people who are wreaking havoc in nature are quite capable of saving themselves. We just have to decide to. Scott Pruitt as head of the EPA and Rick Perry as head of the Energy Department don’t seem like the people who will continue the progress. It’s short-termism at its finest. Sooner or later businesses will pay the price though. Tonight is the 10th annual Earth Hour – when people around the world will switch off their lights at 8:30p to demonstrate a commitment to fighting climate change. As WWF says, Turn Up the Dark!