Climate Photo of the Week
Gulf Oil Spill disaster photos and reporting.
This week's photo is a tribute to Dr. Steve Schneider, who died a week ago. In addition to his 40 year study of climate and leadership in interpreting and acting with the science, he was a friend and mentor to World View of Global Warming from the very beginning. His science papers, ideas, tips and background are a major influence. I first met him, his wife ornithologist Terry Root and ornithologist Jeff Price during the songbird migration at Pt Pelee, Lake Ontario in 2000 ( yes, some of the birds were quite early --- Terry did one of the early data reviews correlated to temperature). I last saw him as a major figure during the Copenhagen talks last December. Just before that, he contributed to a caption for my exhibition at the American Assn for the Advancement of Science (Nov 2009-May 2010). In light of this summer's heat wave and continued reports of adverse effects of adding more and more CO2 to our atmosphere -- I reprint the final words of that caption:
Now, because of our population, how we get and use energy, conduct our agriculture and make use of the land, the human effect on climate is measurable and strong. Human activities have driven CO2 in the atmosphere to the highest level in at least 800,000 years, and global temperature is climbing out of the range in which human civilization evolved over the past several thousand years. Sea level rise, water availability, ecosystems, weather extremes and other systems are also moving out of the range of variability that we and many other species are used to. That process could be reversed before exceeding temperature levels of the past 10,000 years if prompt actions to curtail the emissions that create this warming were to become a global political priority. -- Stephen H. Schneider, November 2, 2009
Clearly, in the United States, this political priority has not come about. The Senate decided last week not to bring a comprehensive climate and energy bill to the floor. This killed any chances for a national limit on CO2 emissions. Efforts failed by supporters of the Kerry-Liberman bill and other versions to show the great number of new jobs which would be created by changing to less-polluting energy sources, as did attempts to show the Gulf oil spill and national heat wave as effects of our overuse of fossil fuels. No Republican would vote for the bill, and several Democrats remained unconvinced.
In light of this, we are updating and reprinting our essay about the crude smear of the Gulf and our use of gasoline and other polluting fuels.
Please see Climate News and Views.
World View of Global Warming is an independent documentary project by photojournalist Gary Braasch, now in its 11th year, presenting a comprehensive look at global warming science, the world wide effects of climate change, its implications, and what action is being taken about it. Braasch documents this change through science reporting and photography from the Arctic to Antarctica, from glaciers to the oceans. Rapid climate change is occurring now and its effects are fast becoming one of the prime events of the 21st century.
Every citizen of the world needs to be aware of rapid climate change:
1. Understand the problem, its causes and threats.
2. Let your leaders know the facts and that you expect them to act.
3. Do something today to reduce greenhouse gas output --
please Take Action
Locations documented since April 1999. Site updated January 2010. Text and photography Copyright © 2005 - 2010 by Gary Braasch. World View of Global Warming is funded by donations and grants. If you would like to contribute, please click HERE. |
Photographers' Perspectives on Global Warming October 14 - November 6, 2005 was shown at JW Gallery, Brooklyn. Posters from this exhibit are available. Please email your request. |
This project would be impossible without scientists and observers around the world who have provided hundreds of scientific contacts and papers. See Background, Advisors, and Reference for documentation, funders and major advisors, without whom I could not complete the work. This project is privately supported and I seek donations through Blue Earth Alliance.
World View of Global Warming is a project of the Blue Earth Alliance, Seattle Washington, a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. The project is supported entirely by donations, grants, and license fees for the photographs. Information about how to contribute is on the Blue Earth web site, or contact Gary Braasch. Thank you.
For other information about Gary Braasch's climate change projects and books, please see the books Earth Under Fire and How We Know What We Know About Our Changing Climate, and the exhibit "Climate Change in Our World" (information to the right above on this page). Link to PDF version
COPYRIGHT NOTICE:
Photography and text Copyright © 2005 - 2010 (and before) Gary Braasch All rights reserved. Use of photographs in any manner without permission is prohibited by US copyright law. Photography is available for license to publications and other uses. Please contact requestinformation@worldviewofglobalwarming.org. View more of Gary Braasch's photography here.