In Pure Spirit

For open minds

Does this animation from NASA show the Earth dying?

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There’s controversy around this video. Released by NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies the visual shows climate change over 60 years.

You may watch this animation and conclude that it shows some dramatic climate change. Not so, say sceptics, who argue that six decades isn’t long enough to have any meaning in the climate context. Indeed, the video starts at 1950 and concludes at the end of 2013.

In Pure Spirit

What do you think? Does this video show climate change in action… or just random patterns flickering in too short a time to have any meaning?

Exploding iceberg showers tourists with ice shards

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A boat tour by Wilhemina Bay in Antarctica took an interesting turn when a nearby iceberg exploded causing shards of ice to fly towards the tourists.

The video below is loud, watch your speakers but certainly listen as the guide warns that the fear is these icebergs wouldn’t last one more year. One tourist points out that this particular iceberg didn’t seem likely to last the day as large chunks of ice started to drop off.

“Why don’t we just stay here and watch it,”

They do exactly that – but only for a few seconds. The iceberg implodes, crashing down onto icy waters which results in an explosion of shards hurling towards the boat. The captain guns the engine to dodge the bulk of the impact.

In Pure Spirit

Is climate change a real thing – or has it been made up by a liberal media or emerging markets looking to hold back certain western economies?

WWF Moths: Earth Hour

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At 8:30pm on March 26th we’re turning out lights off for Earth Hour. This isn’t the first time the globe has had an Earth Hour. You should know about it by now.

But what if you don’t know about it? What if you’re the only one who doesn’t turn the lights off at 8:30 in order to draw attention to climate change?

In Australia this is the question that ad agency Leo Burnett tried to answer!

In Pure Spirit

What are you planning to do on the 26th and for Earth Hour? Are you planning on turning the lights out?

40 million years later and King Crabs invade Antarctica

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Evolutionary biologist Sven Thatje has made the news with his discovery that King Crabs are returning to Antarctic waters.

I say “returning” but it’s been a long while since the King Crab last stalked in these waters. Scientists calculate that it’s been some 40 million years since the King Crab was able to survive in Antarctic conditions. What’s happened? Climate change has warmed the waters to allow the giant crabs to venture in.

This isn’t entirely good news for creatures like sea stars and sponges which will likely be a target for the King Crabs and will have no defenses against them.

The King Crab is an impressive and somewhat scary beast as these pictures should show.

King Crab

Credit: Pam Pham

King Crab

Credit: QuietDangst

Red King Crab

Credit: NOAA

Spiny King Crab

Credit: ccho

King Crab

Credit: Templarion

Alaskan King Crab

Credit: Alanna Vanlsle

In Pure Spirit

Is the migration of the mighty King Crab just part of the cycle of nature or do you think this is an example of man made climate changing causing a domino reaction in the planet’s ecology.

American Congress denies climate change exists

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U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce of...

Image via Wikipedia

Each and every Republicanin the House Energy and Commerce Committee has voted that the Earth is not warming. This is an American political collective, part of Congress, that works to line up US lawmaking. Currently the Committee had been working on the Energy Tax Prevention Act of 2011. The Act would bar the Enviormental Protection Agency from regulation carbon dioxide emissions.

The vote against climate change occured when all the Republicans voted against the amendment which simply wanted Congress to acknowledge that warming of the climate was happening.

The site Scientific American has a podcast on the episode which is well worth listening to. They also cherry picked this fantastic quote from Ed Markey, the Democract Rep from Massachusetts;

“I rise in opposition to a bill that repeals the scientific finding that pollution is harming our people and our planet. However, I won’t rise physically, because I’m worried that Republicans will overturn the law of gravity, sending us floating.”

In Pure Spirit

Do you have any thoughts on this? Do Republican Americans actually believe there is no climate change and the world’s scientists are wrong? Or are there political reasons behind the vote – such as protecting American commerical interests?

Colourful Lives: Lizzie Gillett

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10:10 is an organisataion that works with companies, schools and people to get them to reduce their carbon emissions by 10%.

I can’t quite untangle the people involved as the 10:10 website says it was founded by Franny Amstrong who was the director of the climate change blockbuster The Age of Stupid. They also work with Lizzie Gillett, featured in this video below, who also worked on The Age of Stupid.

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