America’s Ecological Precipice

Alaska is a good-sized part of the Arctic, the world’s epicenter of climate change, where sensitivity to human-caused global warming is magnified much more than in the 48 lower states, but the likely consequences of this climatic drama have not sunk in with the public, just yet.

As such, America’s largest state, Alaska (twice the size of Texas), is part of the ongoing, rapid meltdown of the Arctic, which is certain to bring more scorching heat waves and more severe weather patterns, i.e., extreme droughts and sudden, torrential downpours onto America’s landscape. And, most disturbingly, as a result of the rapidity of the meltdown of the Arctic, a group of top-level scientists fear the onset of unstoppable global warming.

As the Arctic warms, which is currently happening 2-to-3 times faster than elsewhere on the planet, two prongs of looming disaster occur with increasing frequency and severity: (1) The warming Arctic alters the atmospheric jet streams, bringing in its wake embedded droughts similar to the 2012 blistering drought, the worst drought since the 1950s. (2) Additionally, and more critically, the warming Arctic is flat-out releasing methane into the atmosphere like there is no tomorrow, threatening to heat up the entire planet, which, over time, could turn into a worldwide scorcher, possibly triggering an extinction event.

This lackadaisical attitude in America is one of the most haunting aspects of the very real threat of an extinction event. But, the threat is no longer just a threat. It is already in its early stages! According to the Arctic Methane Emergency Group (www.ameg.me), a group of world-renowned scientists, “The planet is on the verge of runaway climate change, leading to the distinct possibility of an extinction event” because of the massive release of methane trapped under the warming Arctic, which is currently happening with wild abandon all across the Arctic from Russia to America.

As it happens, if the American public is ill-informed and if people are of the opinion that the threat is distant… ‘let future generations worry about it’… this attitude,real time Location system, almost guarantees nothing constructive will be done about the threat of an extinction event. Left to its own devices, the extinction event will simply creep up on humanity over time until all hell breaks loose. Moreover, in this regard, the “creeping up” is already in the process of shifting into higher gears.

Based upon eight (8) joint Russian/American scientific expeditions into the Arctic under the aegis of the International Arctic Research Centre at the University Alaska Fairbanks, methane fields of a breathtakingly fantastic scale have been discovered with plumes over a half-mile wide spewing methane directly into the atmosphere in concentrations 100 times higher than normal. The Russian and American scientists have never before experienced anything of such magnitude, and in addition to powerful emissions from shallow waters where over 100 readings were recorded, it is spewing up from within cracks in the Arctic ice in the open seas far from land.

As the NCA report makes clear, during this century several nasty consequences are expected as a result of the changing climate. People will experience increased risk of asthma. The country will undergo widespread power blackouts, similar to third world countries, and mass transit shutdowns. As well, for the first time in living memory, food shortages are likely in America, also similar to third world countries.

The NCA report, which is not due for official adoption until 2014, is meant as a guide for governmental jurisdictions in making long-term plans. And, the report clearly states the steps taken by the Obama administration are “not close to sufficient” to prevent the harmful consequences of climate change.

As mentioned in the NCA report, America is already feeling the effects of climate change, for example, 2012 was by far and away the hottest year on record, “an off-the-charts rate of increase.” In March 2012 winter turned to summer with temperatures into the 80s, overnight, leading to the worst drought in 50 years, a prime example of the effect of the warming Arctic interfering with the jet streams. And, if not for America’s extensive system of aquifers and natural resources, crops would have suffered much more severely.

And, the same report concludes: “Of all the climate-related changes in the US, the rapid decline of Arctic sea ice cover in the past decade may be the most striking of all.”

The Northeast, in particular, is at increasing risk of coastal flooding because of sea-level rise and storm surges. Alas, New York City has already gotten a taste of this. As well, the Northeast is subject to massive river flooding because of heavy downpours. Between 1958 and 2010, the Northeast experienced a 74% increase in heavy downpours.

Asthma, flooding, droughts, power outages, and food shortages, similar to a third world country, should be enough to light a fire within the government of any advanced society, but, and contrarily, an earlier National Climate Assessment report released in 2009 was “swept under the rug,” according to Lou Leonard, director of the climate change programme for the World Wildlife Fund. The response by America’s leading political operatives seemed to be: ‘Who cares?’

This pronounced lackadaisical, carefree attitude ensconced within America’s political establishment is nearly unconscionable. Furthermore, the White House response to the 2013 report is extraordinarily circumspect, as stated: “The draft NCA is a scientific document – not a policy document – and does not make recommendations regarding actions that might be taken in response to climate change.” Implicit in this statement: Nobody’s in a big hurry… no alarm bells are ringing.

Somebody in the White House needs to re-review, re-read, and maybe memorize, the portion of the report that mentions the “most striking of all” climate-related changes is the rapid decline of the sea ice cover in the Arctic, which is setting the stage for an extinction event because of the massive release of methane directly into the atmosphere. Methane is at least 20 times more powerful than CO2. And, the repercussions, down the line, will likely make the 2012 drought in America’s breadbasket seem like a ‘walk in the park’ given a few more years of methane gushing into the atmosphere, as America’s crops are toasted.