Canadian Astronaut, Bob Thirsk, made some interesting observations from the International Space Station on Sunday, July 26, 2009.
Thirsk had not seen the glaciers from space for twelve years and he was taken by surprise at the difference he observed—and he felt sad. He saw signs of human destruction as he gazed down at the planet, through a fragile, thin layer of Earth’s atmosphere that protects all life.
This jives with the release of photographs declassified in July, 2009, by the Obama administration, showing striking images of extreme changes in Artic ice near the borders of Alaska.
The U. S. Military had thousands of photographs that were kept secret by the Bush administration. This particular set of photographs emphasizes the dramatic reduction in sea ice along Port of Barrow, Alaska, taken from satellites in July, 2006. Photographs from the same position at the site were taken again in July, 2007. The difference was astonishing. Photographic evidence for 2008 and 2009 don’t give reason to be optimistic about a reversal in the damage.
The pictures are proof of more than 1 million kilometers of vanishing sea ice in 2007 as compared .jpg)
to the previous year is a jaw-dropping loss. Polar bears, seals, and wildlife are already being nudged closer to extinction by melting sea ice, dwindling habitat, and reduced food source.
“These are one-metre resolution images, which give you a big picture of the summer time Arctic”, said Thorsten Markus of Nasa’s Goddard Space Flight Centre.
This new discovery has the head of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Jane Lubchenco very concerned, because there have been no funds to replace aging eye-in-the sky satellite fleet, which has hindered the agency’s ability to keep comprehensive tracking records of climate change.
“Our primary focus is maintaining the continuity of climate observations, and those are at great risk right now, because we don’t have the recourses to have satellites at the ready and taking the kinds of information that we need,” said Luchenco, who was appointed by Obama. “We are playing catch-up.”
In February, 2009, a NASA satellite carrying the first carbon mapping technology crashed three minutes after take-off somewhere near Antarctica.
Steps to rejuvenate America’s scientific climate watching ability has already been undertaken by the Obama administration, with the allotment of $170m to upgrade climate modeling ability at NOAA.
“Playing catch-up” is appropriate after eight years of climate change complacency by President George W. Bush, who spent most of his time in office denying that global warming was a problem. His administration damaged relationships with many countries dedicated to climate change regulation, by refusing to sign the Kyoto Accord, in early 2001, claiming it was too expensive and would hurt the U.S. Economy.
The Obama administration has been the best hope we have to restore a leadership position in climate urgency. It is imperative that the climate billed passed by congress, also be passed by the senate, so the president can go to the climate change summit this December in Copenhagen and take a leadership role at the table.
These previously classified photographs, locked away from the American public, illustrate not only the urgency of the vanishing Arctic, but the smugness and apathy of an administration that knowingly placed greed, big oil, and cronyism, above the need to protect a planet, whose entire population could be at risk.
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For photo credit run cursor over photograph * Copyright Jean Williams 2009 * Author also writes under pen name DelilahStarling. Permission to reprint up to three paragraphs with a direct “read full story” back to this page. Contact creatinggreenpiece@juno.com
Comments
Wow...that is really scary. If the global warming deniers can't even believe their own eyes, they are truly a bunch of lunatics.
The photos may prove a warming period, but they don't prove the alarmists' claims about the extent of human influence.
So how after 4.5 billion years does warming prove it was caused by any other manner? Warming does not prove what caused it.
Wow! Relax Dud! It’s not the crisis you think it is. Show me the crisis.
We have come a long way since the smoggy 70's when a river caught fire in Ohio so don't be so keen on jumping on the "oh my god what are we doing to our poor little planet" bull$hit.
Rachel Carson's revolution taught us lessons, thus all of the protections, laws, standards and improved air we now enjoy. But once one buys into the CO2 theory deeming plant food and catalytic gas as pollution, all of a sudden it's doomsday. Chill! History will curse this irresponsible era of environMENTAL ism.
We are living longer now than at any time in history despite our so called polluted planet and access to quality health care. THAT tells me this is the best time in history to be alive. When paid consultants in lab coats, PR firms, pandering politicians and hysterical corporate media ALL agree on the s
OH my God. The IcE is melting. And that is new? Mother Nature is laughing and you sick enviros will be remembered for being the modern day witch burners determined to scare the crap out of our children.
Al Gore is the Burnie Madoff of climate change.
Preserve, not SAVE and RESCUE our poor little helpless planet. Nature is in charge Plato, not us.
Global warmers look like pathetic losers who just bought platform shoes and bell-bottom slacks just as disco was dying out. David Suzuki is the Bernie Madoff of climate change.
-Carl Sagon predicted a nuclear winter from the gulf war oil fires.
Thanks for this, Jeanne, but I continue to be confused as to why you put any hope for the environment in Barack Obama, a proponent of both the coal and nuclear industries, who has also expanded the War on Terror, which is the greatest cause of global warming and environmental destruction.
If the photographs are so innocuous and only prove a period of warming, then why were they classified?
The Canadian astranaut said things had changed dramatically since his last ride into space twelve years ago.
Smells like proof to me. Certainly, it should give a reason to look more closely at the issue, instead of stubbornly holding tight to a dogmatic opinion.
Good lord, Ann Garrison, what are you talking about? Are you high on something?
I can't speak for Jeanne, but I support Obama, because he is light years better for the advancement of our country and global issues than Bush ever had a flash-thought of being.
How, even in the most twisted concept, did Obama expand the war on terror?
People like you and Meme Mine should NEVER go off your meds.
You should see the pictures taken in the 1940's. They were scary. Does no one remember the picture of the submarines all surfacing in the Ice free Arctic? We have done this before and not that long ago. It is a pity we do not have any pictures of the Arctic in the Medieval Warm Period. That would be scarier. We do have paintings though of the Vikings sailing the ice free Arctic.
Surprisingly after all this warming and cooling, the planet and most of it's inhabitants are still here. Except insects. It is so cold this summer all the insects are gone.
Eve, sorry to hear about your cold weather. Atlanta is also unusually cool this summer. But other areas of the U.S. are experiencing record breaking heat. Just heard that Seattle is on the brink of 105 plus degrees over the next few days. It's called climate change as a result of global warming.
Evidently, the pictures you are talking about were public domain and not classied by the government, as Bush did. Why do you suppose that is? Maybe Bush was being guided by the viking pictures of sailing in ice free arctic and he figured no one would take him seriously?!
Great article Jean! The pictures are alarming and just further confirm how corrupt the last Administration was.
And to Ann Garrison- Our President is not a wizard. Did you expect him to cure all the ills of the world in six months? The climate bill that just passed was huge! Don’t you remember were we were for eight years under Bush?
This President has done more to further our standing in the world than anyone could have imagined! If you want someone to bash, why don’t you rant on Dick Cheney and similar criminals that invented the “war on terror”!
I agree with Peter T’s comment! And by the way Ann, you spelt the authors name wrong.
This article is a joke right?
Interesting choice of data point, choosing 2007 to look at arctic ice, since the ice made its biggest recovery in recent history later that same year.
Also, there is ZERO evidence that any animals, particularly polar bears are being pushed toward extinction. The polar bear population has been robust and steady for decades and remains so.
Another error is your assumption that humans, or "greed" or "cronyism" have something to do with massive planetary climatic changes which have occurred for millennia. The planet has been both warmer and cooler than this and will be both again.
We have cleaner air and water than ever before. Pollution levels in the developed world are very low and China will have to start dealing with its pollution issues -- but that is a luxury for the rich.
As far as NOAA, don't forget that they can increase their funding much more by claiming there's a problem than by being honest.
Global Warming, Bwah-hahaha, man give it up, tell that to the people of Chicago who have had the coldest temps in July ever. The temps in Chi-town haven't averaged even 70 this July, and not once have the temperatures went above 90. The only thing true about this fairy-tale called Global Warming is that it fattens Al Snore's bank account.
Rossputin--you say polar bear populations are robust and not declining and that we have cleaner air and water than ever before?
Dude, what are you smokin'?
GregerT: she no not what she talketh about.... ice caps are melting, many others are growing, a couple populations of polar bears are getting smaller , many more population areas(of polar bears) are growing....polar bear numbers are way up from 30 years ago, so on and so on... ever wonder why al gore absolutely will NOT debate anyone on GW ?? don't be emotional, search answers on all sides, then decide, we have to all quit being partisan...on both sides! our country can't continue down this path....read a good article written by Richard S. Lindzen..MIT Professor, on Quadrant online......there are many scientists, many more, than al gore's "consensus"...who disagree with him and they aren't all working for "big oil"
"The Obama administration has been the best hope we have to restore a leadership position in climate urgency. It is imperative that the climate billed passed by congress, also be passed by the senate, so the president can go to the climate change summit this December in Copenhagen and take a leadership role at the table." Seems they need fast action as the religion becomes less popular and less people are taking the koolade. These people are like the mullahs in Iran. Living in the 3rd Century with their Global Warming religion wanting to burn the rest of us at the stake should we question their blind, syupid faith.
al snore, well, your pen name certainly reveals your position.
Using the colder temperatures in Chicago to scoff at global warming shows the level of your ignorance on the subject.
Global warming is what drives climate change. And changing it is--very rapidly every where. Chicago has the coolest temperatures it has seen in 67 years. Where as, Seattle has the hottest temperatures, (estimated to top out at 103 degrees) it has seen in 118 years.
Texas and California have been in the grips of a servere drought for months.
I have no doubt that Bush and Halliburton crony Dick Cheney would not want evidence of global warming revealed, while they were busy trying to drill for oil in every corner of America.
Jean -
Do you know anything about Arctic ice levels in the 1930s and 40s when records show temperatures were similar? No, because we've only been keeping ice records since the late 1970s. Do you think that might be worth mentioning in a conspiracy piece like this?
Might it also be worth mentioning that sea ice levels in the Antarctic are at record high amounts?
Frankly, the intellectual dishonesty surrounding this issue is appalling.
what bothers me is why are so many people so venomous about denying the possibility of climate change/global warming. It just seems common sense that 6 billion people releasing millions of tons of toxic waste into the environment will eventually have consequences. The Earth is really not that big and there has to be a point where we just totally overwhelm it with to much. Why is that so hard to accept?
Your two pictures of the ice sheets surrounding Barrow harbor are highly misleading. Rather than a Bush conspiracy it seems that this was a short-term phenomenon in Alaska called Ivus -- ice tsunamis. You can read more about it -- just do a google search.
You could also call the Barrow, Alaska harbormaster to confirm. It has nothing to do with global warming.
Please do your due diligence before you print something as controversial as this. Do your job!
Cordially,
derekcrane
data giss nasa gov/gistemp/maps/ disproves you if you search 1934-1937 mean vs 2006-2009 mean
being that 1936 and 2007 are the hottest years and show a significant increase in asian and equatorial temps
face it roads and rooftops cause heat almost burning your feet, youve been there.. hmm any correlation?? especially with the ocean temp Hadl selected..... sorry republobrats disproven again by a smart person.
data giss nasa gov/work/gistemp/NMAPS/tmp_GHCN_GISS_HR2SST_1200km_Anom06_2006_2009_1934_1937/GHCN_GISS_HR2SST_1200km_Anom06_2006_2009_1934_1937 gif
that link shows that now is warmer by far!!!!!!!!!!!!
that 1930-1940 warming thing is a lie according to what i am reading with this data!!! do your research
I can't believe you can't mention global warming without blaming a president. I thought it had to do with eveyone. I thought we all cause global warming and cooling?
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