In his column
this week author and enviromentalist Jim Conrad talks about
the accelerating pace of climate range that could in just a few
years have devastating effects on much of the world. In the past
3 years the Bush administration has eliminated and relaxed every
environmental statute they could which is causing the environment
to be destroyed much more rapidly than ever before. Conrad cites how
some experts now think serious effects of global warming could be
seen in some areas in as little as 3 to 4 years. When that
happens and major cities of the world become unlivable an exodus
of millions and millions of refugees will take place in a world
where there are already hundreds of millions lacking food,
shelter, clean drinking water, and a sustainable economy.
The Gulf Stream is just one small component of something
called the Global Thermohaline Conveyor Belt. Gradients in water
temperature and water salinity power the Belt. Basically, the
Belt sinks the world's warm surface water in the North Atlantic,
this cooled water then flows at great depths to oceans all over
the world, where it rises, and begins working its way back to the
North Atlantic, rewarming as it goes. This is all illustrated by
an "animated GIF" near the page top at http://www.cru.uea.ac.uk/cru/info/thc/
If the Belt should stop running, computer models show that
northern Europe's average winter temperatures would drop
10°-20° F. Europe would become, literally, like locations of
similar latitude in Siberia. Agriculture would become impossible.
You can imagine the social, political and economic impacts. Some
say the change could take place during just three or four years
while others say a hundred years would be needed. There's
evidence that the Belt has "broken" before, and many
scientists claim that conditions seem right for it to happen
within this century, or even now...Increased carbon dioxide in
the atmosphere would cause it (the Chinese are just entering
their Industrial Revolution). Freshwater from the melting poles
might also break the belt. At the bottom of http://www.cru.uea.ac.uk/cru/info/thc/
you can see a world map showing how temperatures are projected to
change worldwide, if the Belt breaks. Worst hit would be the
North Atlantic and northern Europe. Antarctica would actually
warm up (Water from its melting glaciers would raise sea level
enough to flood many of the planet's major cities. According to
that particular map, the Natchez area might get by with less
change than most of the world, at least with regard to AVERAGE
temperatures. No one can say what will happen with storms,
hurricanes and the like. With the millions and millions who will
flee Europe, a goodly number of refugees can be expected to end
up here. There's a Washington Post article on this matter at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/inatl/longterm/climate/stories/sci120197.htm
This is not hysterical science fiction or something thought up by
conspiracy-minded people. Most of the world's leading
climatologists agree that it is at least a "low probability,
high impact" possibility, and some claim that it is
practically inevitable. I invite you to make a Web search
yourself using the keywords "THERMOHALINE CONVEYOR
BELT," to learn about the issue from a variety of sources.
What can be said of a government who, in the face of such a real
threat to all the people on Earth, and to the planetary
ecosystem, not only ignores the predictions, but actively
promotes policies that
reduce air pollution standards, and encourage greater production
and use of polluting energy sources?
In 1980, author William S. Burrough delivered a
speech at the
Planet Earth Conference in which he talked about the four
horsemen of the apocalypse Famine, Plague, War, and Death as
being the human inventions of our modern age. As we destroy our
environment and ourselves we set the stage for our own
apocalypse, our own self fulfilling prophecy.
Burroughs sees the future breaking into the present, and this
world being replaced by a new order. In addition to this,
Burroughs envisions a post-apocalyptic world in which
socio-political systems are totalitarian
In a world where the sky is torn and democracy hangs by a
thread, what we do each day will determine our future.
Millions of faces look up at the torn sky. Off the track! Off
the track! The planet is pulling loose from its moorings,
careening off into space spilling mountains and cities and seas
into the void, faster and faster. Skyscrapers scrape shards of
blue and white paint from the sky. The rivers swirl with color.
Nitrous okras and reds eat through the bridges, falling into the
rivers. Splashing colors across warehouses and piers & roads
& buildings. Amocart floods in organic molds, stirring
passions of metal & glass. Steel girders writhing in mineral
lust, burst from their concrete covers. Walls of glass melt and
burn with madness of a million crazed eyes. Bridges buck cars and
trucks into the rivers. The sidewalks run ahead faster and faster
and faster . . . energy ground down into sidewalks and streets by
billions of feet and tires. Erupts from manholes and tunnels,
breaks out with volcanic force. Let it come down. Caught in New
York, meet the animals of the village. THE PIPER PULLED THE SKY.
Apocalypse by
William S. Burroughs
Rob is the
founder and editor of the news site robwire.com and is a
frequent contributor to rob.dailykos.com
and robnotes.blogspot.com