Citizens for Alternatives to Chemical Contamination

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  • Still Denying Climate Change? – opinion
    March 31, 2016

    As of today, those among us who still deny climate change are farther behind the curve than Fox News.

    old-tv-set

    by Wes Raymond – CACC administrator A recent study published by the journal Nature warns that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet could collapse, potentially raising sea levels by 30 feet as soon as 2100, and more than 50 feet over the next 500 years. The authors attribute ice collapse to warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions. For many of us, this information is filed under “things we’ve been trying to tell people about since 1986”, and the real story is how Fox News came out of left field and published an article about climate science that’s…. well… true. Check it out here  Of course, a little ink is still wasted on ridiculous “skepticism”, but it’s relegated to a short paragraph all the way at the bottom. Progress? Maybe. I fear as climate awareness grows, the absence of a debate turned media circus over climate will force the issue to the back burner in the election. (An election that is, of course, monopolizing everyone’s attention and energy.) Also, acceptance of a problem does not preclude actually doing something about a problem. American absurdism could keep the GHG tap on for quite some time if left to its own devices. It’s up to us to keep the reality of humanity’s relationship with the biosphere at the forefront of all discourse, political and otherwise.   [caption id="attachment_433" align="aligncenter" width="300"]west antarctic ice sheet 1 Before[/caption] [caption id="attachment_434" align="aligncenter" width="300"]West_Antarctic_ice_sheet_2 After[/caption]   [caption id="attachment_435" align="aligncenter" width="300"]Antarctic_profile_hg location and size of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet[/caption]
  • The Supreme Court just burned us on climate change
    February 10, 2016
    Oil Pumps
    Tuesday, Republican Supreme Court Justices used their majority to derail what stands to be the most meaningful climate action ever taken by the US.  While Supreme Court Justices are supposedly non-partisan actors, the US Supreme Court is clearly divided along party lines, with five Republicans and four Democrats.
    While the Democrats voted to allow the rules to take effect, the majority Republican group opposed that vote, and issued orders: “the Environmental Protection Agency’s ‘Carbon Pollution Emission Guidelines for Existing Stationary Sources: Electric Utility Generating Units,’ is stayed pending disposition of the applicants’ petitions for review in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and disposition of the applicants’ petition for a writ of certiorari, if such writ is sought.” Because of the Supreme Court’s schedule and the complex nature of this case, Tuesday evening’s order could delay the rules until after President Obama leaves office. In fact the rules may never go into effect because they are now dependent on the outcome of this year’s presidential election.
  • Increase In Antarctic Ice Does NOT Refute Climate Change!
    November 4, 2015
     
    While slight cooling trends sometimes prevail inland, the Antarctic coast is feeling the heat.
    While slight cooling trends sometimes prevail inland, the Antarctic coast is feeling the heat.
    A new study has recently brought the discovery of a slight increase in the Antarctic continental ice pack. Climate change deniers are, of course, implying these findings refute climate science. Nothing could be farther from the truth. [caption id="attachment_314" align="aligncenter" width="408"]An iceberg that calved off Iceberg B-15 caused extensive pack ice buildup in McMurdo Sound, blocking shipping and preventing penguin access to open water An iceberg that calved off Iceberg B-15 caused extensive pack ice buildup in McMurdo Sound, blocking shipping and preventing penguin access to open water[/caption] Nasa reports that despite the reported gains in ice on the continent of Antarctica, global sea ice is still diminishing.

    When sea ice melts, dark waters are exposed. The dark ocean surface absorbs more of the suns warming rays than the white reflective ice surface, and the warming cycle is strengthened. The warming sea temperatures bring more active and warmer weather on land nearby, aggravating land ice loss, the greatest contributor to sea level rise.

    Most of the warming is taking place in the Arctic anyway. But, deniers like to rail on about Antarctica when it’s the end of Summer in the Northern Hemisphere. They say “Look at all the ice down there, global warming is false!”, and hope we forget that in Antarctica, it’s been winter for the last eight months. [caption id="attachment_316" align="aligncenter" width="408"]While local residents are unable unwilling to comment. The effect on their daily life is clear. For penguins, as for us all, climate change is life threatening. While local residents are unwilling to comment, the effect on their daily life is clear. For penguins, as for us all, climate change is life threatening.[/caption]

    Just to drive it home, here’s Margaret Thatcher warning us all about Climate Change from way back in the 1980’s. Enjoy.