The importance of frozen regions

I recently read a good book, entitled A World Without Ice by Henry Pollack. The subject matter was just as the title says, imagining a world without ice due to the fast and furious melting of the Earth’s polar regions. Will it come to that, a world without ice?

It’s hard to say if our world will come to that, even with the predictive abilities of advanced climate modeling. It has happened before on Earth, a time of no frozen regions like we have now. But this occurred many thousands, even millions of years ago. And the difference between those eras of ice age shifting to ice free is the evolution of those changes took place very slowly and without any human influence. But now we see a rapid change in the polar regions that is artificially taking place, not the slower natural course it would normally be.

For most of us who live many miles from the poles, those frozen places seem quite inert and not a concern. But as I learned from this book, the Arctic and Antarctic regions play a very important and significant role in the balance of life of Earth in a healthy way for all of us, not just humans either. Those important polar effects range from how our climate is all over the Earth, to the way that ocean currents are meant to help balance things, to the important balance and flow of our atmosphere.

So maybe it’s time for us humans to wake up and pay more attention to the extreme importance of ice at the poles, because a world without ice would be a world we don’t want to or maybe could not even inhabit.

A winter scene in Minnesota

Ocean appreciation

the Oregon coast

Every morning when I have my coffee, I am treated to a splendid view of the lake near my home. I live in the “land of 10,000 lakes” as Minnesota is often called, and living in close proximity to a lake is a dream come true.

morning coffee view

But since I started taking an online course through edX entitled “One Planet, One Ocean”, I have come to think more about the bodies of water that are the various oceans. Oceans make up 71% of the Earth’s surface, and affect all of us in ways that perhaps we don’t even realize.

I enjoy eating seafood, but I’ll admit I don’t give a thought to how it was obtained or where it came from. Sadly there are many issues of overfishing as well as illegal fishing practices. I intend to pay more attention to the seafood I buy, reading labels and making an effort to support healthy fishing practices.

Then there is the crucial role that the oceans play in our climate, our weather systems, and in general working to maintain a healthy balance between atmosphere, land and water. The specifics of how the oceans operate in this way are complex and I won’t try to explain, I am a beginning learner in all of this myself. But one can find plenty of information out there in this regard, and I feel it really brings home the fact that oceans play a critical role in the health and well being of planet Earth.

And I’ve been made aware of how many cultures and nations are ocean dependent, from ways of economics to ways of life. A lack of respect for the oceans becomes a lack of respect for those ocean based peoples. Time to think outside of ourselves.

Plain and simple too, the oceans and the life within are magnificent! I was fortunate enough to travel to the Oregon coast a number of times when I lived in Portland, an easy hour and a half drive to marvel in all that massive water. The joy and beauty that we find in our oceans is also an important reason to think of those waters, and what can we do to help, even if we are hundreds of miles from the coast? Perhaps take some time dear reader, to search out ways to support that health and well being of our lovely oceans.

sea anemone

A few good books about climate change, and related subjects…

my coffee cup that says it all…

I love to read! There is nothing better to me than getting lost in a good book, all those wonderful characters and settings and plots and ooh sometimes a good plot twist – delicious!!

But books can also teach and inform, and I enjoy a good non-fiction book too. I have a strong love of learning and as of late my focus has been on learning more about climate science, Earth science and climate change.

So here are a couple of books that I’ve found quite good, as I strive to stay more and more in touch with our world that is going through the terrible throes of climate change.

An Inconvenient Truth by Al Gore: This book was first published in 2006 but later adapted to be more of a young adult book, striving to teach and reach the generations that we hope can really work on the climate change crisis. I actually purchased the “new generation” version but it is very well written and a good basic guide to the topics of climate change, global warming and what can we do about it.

Dire Predictions: Understanding Climate Change by Michael E. Mann & Lee R. Kump: Here is a great book that is just as it says, all about understanding climate change. It is now in its second edition, updated to coincide with the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) 5th Assessment Report that came out in 2014. I really like this book for the visuals, lots of pertinent pictures on the topic of climate change as well as great charts and graphs. It is informative and detailed but not overly so. I would also recommend checking out other books written by Michael E. Mann, who is a Distinguished Professor of Meterorology at Penn State University, and considered to be a leading voice on the topic and issues of climate change.

Vanishing World: the endangered Arctic by Fredrik Granath & Mireille De La Lez: No, this book is not about the topic of climate change but then again, it is. I wrote in a previous post how I read the foreword by Dr. Neil T.M. Hamilton, a director of the WWF Arctic Initiative, and then discovered this book was written in 2007. Dr. Hamilton’s words echoed so present day to me, messages about the damage being done in the Arctic and recognizing climate change as the culprit but saying it’s not too late. Well, let’s hope that not too late statement still holds true for this amazing ecosystem and all the life it supports. I defy anyone who reads this book and takes in the breathtaking photos to not be moved, probably to tears at the sad thought that one day, it might all be gone.

Of course that is just a short list, to get you started. But there are so many wonderful books out there that will hopefully spur your love for the Earth and all its creatures. I think of classics like Silent Spring by Rachel Carson or Walden by Henry David Thoreau. But some contemporary works in the same vein would be books like Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer or Field Notes from a Catastrophe by Elizabeth Kolbert.

So dear reader, I hope you will delve into one or more of these volumes, and have a yummy cup of coffee or tea in your favorite coffee cup while you’re at it…

On the lighter side…

a dream come true…

To some it may seem strange, choosing the camel as a favorite animal, but I find them quite precious! And yes, I’ve heard all the accounts of how they are nothing but a stubborn, spitting animal, difficult to work with at times and nothing but trouble.

But when I saw the sign for “camel rides” at the zoo yesterday, all I could see was a beautiful majestic creature who allowed me a short but sweet ride that fulfilled a lifelong desire to ride a camel. I used to half-jokingly tell my kids that if I am ever found to be terminally ill, my dying wish is to ride a camel – well now I did and they’re off the hook!

My awesome dream come true of a camel ride and the rest of yesterday’s zoo adventure was a nice respite from the rather grim climate change report that recently came out from the IPCC. I continue to stay abreast of what is going on and do what I can to help in my way, but I also remind myself to have a healthy balance in my life. And part of that healthy balance is making sure I engage in fun, enjoyable activities with family and friends, even when our world seems to be in crisis mode.

So dear reader, don’t forget to do those things that you’ve always wanted to do, and allow your dreams to come true! We are meant to have fun in this place…