Winter Solstice in Alaska. A time definitely worth celebrating, meaning 5-6 minutes more sunlight daily within a few weeks, though the coldest temperatures stay with us through February, most years.
Although the sun is low in the sky at our latitude of 61N, just five degrees above the horizon, when it is out, we get beautiful, gentle lighting, when combined with the snow lacing our boreal forest trees.
The ice in the creeks builds up from the bottom during our colder spells, and makes for interesting colouring.
Our snowpack by this time is at depths perfect for all our winter recreational needs.
Yet we know with certainty that these conditions are changing rapidly, as we have frequently documented for you before.
We sometimes even fall into a funk, thinking about how potentially dire the future of humanity's place on the Earth really is, in light of the changes that are occurring in the atmospheric/oceanic systems (not just global warming, but ocean acidification is/will prove just as harmful to the global web of life), due to the continuing, and escalating emissions of CO2 and methane, from fossil fuel extraction/combustion, and industrial activity. And the lack of any real attempts to stop them, and transition to sustainable and clean sources of energy.
We are certainly not alone in our assessment. We particularly liked Dahr Jamail's article, summing up the latest scientific assessment, of where we are at globally speaking, with respect to global warming, and its impacts. Because he is of a similar age to your lead editor, and seems to have similar interests/outlooks, this article really resonated with us. Here is a highly alarming excerpt, but the whole article is well worth reading, please do.
http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/20686-are-we-falling-off-the-climate-precipice-scientists-consider-extinction"Professor Peter Wadhams, a leading Arctic expert at Cambridge University, has been measuring Arctic ice for 40 years, and his findings underscore McPherson’s fears. “The fall-off in ice volume is so fast it is going to bring us to zero very quickly,” Wadhams told a reporter. According to current data, he estimates “with 95% confidence” that the Arctic will have completely ice-free summers by 2018. (U.S. Navy researchers have predicted an ice-free Arctic even earlier -- by 2016.)
British scientist John Nissen, chairman of the Arctic Methane Emergency Group (of which Wadhams is a member), suggests that if the summer sea ice loss passes “the point of no return,” and “catastrophic Arctic methane feedbacks” kick in, we’ll be in an “instant planetary emergency.”
According to a study just published in Nature Geoscience, twice as much methane as previously thought is being released from the East Siberian Arctic Shelf, a two million square kilometer area off the coast of Northern Siberia. Its researchers found that at least 17 teragrams (one million tons) of methane are being released into the atmosphere each year, whereas a 2010 study had found only seven teragrams heading into the atmosphere.
The day after Nature Geoscience released its study, a group of scientists from Harvard and other leading academic institutions published a report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences showing that the amount of methane being emitted in the U.S. both from oil and agricultural operations could be 50% greater than previous estimates and 1.5 times higher than estimates of the Environmental Protection Agency.
How serious is the potential global methane build-up? Not all scientists think it’s an immediate threat or even the major threat we face, but Ira Leifer, an atmospheric and marine scientist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and one of the authors of the recent Arctic Methane study pointed out to me that “the Permian mass extinction that occurred 250 million years ago is related to methane and thought to be the key to what caused the extinction of most species on the planet.” In that extinction episode, it is estimated that 95% of all species were wiped out.
Also known as “The Great Dying,” it was triggered by a massive lava flow in an area of Siberia that led to an increase in global temperatures of six degrees Celsius. That, in turn, caused the melting of frozen methane deposits under the seas. Released into the atmosphere, it caused temperatures to skyrocket further. All of this occurred over a period of approximately 80,000 years.
We are currently in the midst of what scientists consider the sixth mass extinction in planetary history, with between 150 and 200 species going extinct daily, a pace 1,000 times greater than the “natural” or “background” extinction rate. This event may already be comparable to, or even exceed, both the speed and intensity of the Permian mass extinction. The difference being that ours is human caused, isn’t going to take 80,000 years, has so far lasted just a few centuries, and is now gaining speed in a non-linear fashion.
It is possible that, on top of the vast quantities of carbon dioxide from fossil fuels that continue to enter the atmosphere in record amounts yearly, an increased release of methane could signal the beginning of the sort of process that led to the Great Dying. Some scientists fear that the situation is already so serious and so many self-reinforcing feedback loops are already in play that we are in the process of causing our own extinction. Worse yet, some are convinced that it could happen far more quickly than generally believed possible -- even in the course of just the next few decades."
It doesn't have to be this way though. As we have documented before, and in articles like these, researchers world-wide are developing renewable, "carbon-neutral" methods of producing fuels that could be used in existing road and aerial transportation systems, as well as for power generation, in addition to solar and wind power.
"Algae to Crude Oil: Million-Year Natural Process Takes Minutes in the Lab
Dec. 18, 2013 — Engineers have created a continuous chemical process that produces useful crude oil minutes after they pour in harvested algae -- a verdant green paste with the consistency of pea soup.
The research by engineers at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory was reported recently in the journal Algal Research. A biofuels company, Utah-based Genifuel Corp., has licensed the technology and is working with an industrial partner to build a pilot plant using the technology.
In the PNNL process, a slurry of wet algae is pumped into the front end of a chemical reactor. Once the system is up and running, out comes crude oil in less than an hour, along with water and a byproduct stream of material containing phosphorus that can be recycled to grow more algae.
With additional conventional refining, the crude algae oil is converted into aviation fuel, gasoline or diesel fuel. And the waste water is processed further, yielding burnable gas and substances like potassium and nitrogen, which, along with the cleansed water, can also be recycled to grow more algae.
While algae has long been considered a potential source of biofuel, and several companies have produced algae-based fuels on a research scale, the fuel is projected to be expensive. The PNNL technology harnesses algae's energy potential efficiently and incorporates a number of methods to reduce the cost of producing algae fuel.
"Cost is the big roadblock for algae-based fuel," said Douglas Elliott, the laboratory fellow who led the PNNL team's research. "We believe that the process we've created will help make algae biofuels much more economical."
In the PNNL process, a slurry of wet algae is pumped into the front end of a chemical reactor. Once the system is up and running, out comes crude oil in less than an hour, along with water and a byproduct stream of material containing phosphorus that can be recycled to grow more algae.
With additional conventional refining, the crude algae oil is converted into aviation fuel, gasoline or diesel fuel. And the waste water is processed further, yielding burnable gas and substances like potassium and nitrogen, which, along with the cleansed water, can also be recycled to grow more algae.
While algae has long been considered a potential source of biofuel, and several companies have produced algae-based fuels on a research scale, the fuel is projected to be expensive. The PNNL technology harnesses algae's energy potential efficiently and incorporates a number of methods to reduce the cost of producing algae fuel.
"Cost is the big roadblock for algae-based fuel," said Douglas Elliott, the laboratory fellow who led the PNNL team's research. "We believe that the process we've created will help make algae biofuels much more economical."
In addition, there are also methods under development to actually extract CO2 from the atmosphere using various chemical means, which if implemented on a large scale, could actually reduce levels from the dangerous one of 400 ppm now (or the 550 ppm it will be in 2050 if nothing is done!), to 300-320 ppm, where it was around 1900-1920 in a few decades, if done in concert with renewable/clean energy source development.
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20121004-fake-trees-to-clean-the-skies/all
All of this could be done on a scale massive enough to prevent catastrophic warming effects, just by the US, if a .025 or .050 FTT (Financial Transaction Tax-a small surcharge on stock trades, etc..) were enacted, combined with a massive reduction in the bloated, immoral defense budget, which is 8 times higher than the next highest country's, China's. In addition, in shifting funding to large scale projects such as these, surplus military personnel, defense companies, etc.. could/would all play a part. And large-scale jobs programmes would provide meaningful, gainful employment to all those in need, in this country.
So there is hope, if we can change our socio-political/economic system(s) in this and other countries, to ones that put the needs of people and the maintenance/protection of the environment, for this and future generations, ahead of short-term corporate profit. It's that simple.
PROMISE KEPT?
Your lead editor has lived and worked in Alaska for over 15 years now. And greatly enjoyed the bulk of the time spent here, first in Juneau, then Fairbanks, and now, near Anchorage. Yet, in all these years, in the back of my mind, I never lost sight of where I left before arriving in Alaska, which was Missoula, Montana. This is where your lead editor lived, for the most part, in 1990-98, at a time of great change in that area, and in me personally. It was then, and still is, an oasis of vibrant, progressive culture, in the "Northern Rockies" of the USA, as it contains the University of Montana, nestled in a mountain setting that provides outstanding outdoor and wilderness recreational possibilities. In a gentler, much drier climate, than here in South-Central Alaska.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missoula,_Montana
[view from "Mt. Jumbo", 200m above the valley floor and "Rattlesnake" neighbourhood, where I used to, and will live, again]
With it's interesting history (Ernest Hemingway lived there for a time in the 1930s), and beautiful older (by western USA standards) buildings and neighbourhoods, combined with its relatively pristine mountainous setting, it is a place I instantly fell in love with as soon as I arrived there in 1990, to work in fire weather forecasting. In fact, a very prominent memory of mine is gazing at the fresh October snow in 1992 on 2440m Stuart Peak, and thinking that I'd like to spend the rest of my life there.
After unsuccessfully trying to make a living in the private sector, developing a weather forecast/consulting business (the market just wasn't/isn't big enough there) in 1995-98, I returned to government service by taking a position in Juneau, Alaska. But an opportunity recently arose to apply for a fire-weather forecasting position in Missoula, and I ended up getting offered the position. Thanks in part to the fact that I had worked there before in the 1990s, and took forestry courses at the University of Montana then.
So the entire staff of the Alaska Progressive Review will be re-locating to Missoula in early March. Assistant editor Mattie, and Research Assistant Kluane, being Alaska born and bred and used to the colder, wetter climate here will need some adjustment. But we will have good trail access for our runs, as we do now. For our nordic skiing needs, we will have to drive a little further. But we will have access to good trail systems. And most importantly, we will be able to access wilderness areas within 30 min. to 3 hrs. driving, in all directions, where we will all be able to enjoy skiing, hiking, running, and backpacking at altitudes of 1800-3000m, in the presence of clear, cold streams that rejuvenate us, and will help keep Kluane and Mattie cool.
[Avalanche Crk. in Glacier NP, Montana USA]
http://www.wilderness.net/NWPS/wildView?WID=360
Just as an example of the kind of culture and forward thinking that exists there, and that we feel to be missing, here in Alaska (other than in isolated instances, due to it's domination by the oil industry and large military installations), is this presentation.
http://missoulian.com/presentation-on-city-ownership-of-mountain-water-co/pdf_f8eea62e-3ad3-11e3-b9f5-001a4bcf887a.html#.UrjdVZmPDT8.email
The mayor and city council of Missoula, with the support of the bulk of the population, has come up with a plan to buy back the privately-owned water company that supplies the city with it's water. To make it a municipal utility, and hence, a non-profit source of clean, affordable water for the population. Because they know in the years/decades ahead, with global warming, the climate of the region is becoming much warmer and drier, especially in summer. And that a privately-owned, profit-driven water company would take advantage of this, and not be willing/able to commit to keeping up with necessary upgrades to maintain adequate supplies. Which is going well against the prevailing policies across much of the rest of the country, where governmental functions and property are often facing privitisation (theft) due to corporate pressure. It appears this project by the city of Missoula is well on it's way to succeeding, in no small part due to its more progressive, educated populace supporting policies like these (Missoula also has been a hotbed of environmental activism over the past 40 years).
We will continue to offer our unique blend of wilderness advocacy and environmental/progressive reporting, but from our Montana setting. Hence, we'll have to change our name, and a few ideas so far, are "Montana Progressive Standard" or "Rattlesnake Progressive Record". Any other ideas will be happily entertained. Cheers.
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20121004-fake-trees-to-clean-the-skies/all
All of this could be done on a scale massive enough to prevent catastrophic warming effects, just by the US, if a .025 or .050 FTT (Financial Transaction Tax-a small surcharge on stock trades, etc..) were enacted, combined with a massive reduction in the bloated, immoral defense budget, which is 8 times higher than the next highest country's, China's. In addition, in shifting funding to large scale projects such as these, surplus military personnel, defense companies, etc.. could/would all play a part. And large-scale jobs programmes would provide meaningful, gainful employment to all those in need, in this country.
So there is hope, if we can change our socio-political/economic system(s) in this and other countries, to ones that put the needs of people and the maintenance/protection of the environment, for this and future generations, ahead of short-term corporate profit. It's that simple.
PROMISE KEPT?
Your lead editor has lived and worked in Alaska for over 15 years now. And greatly enjoyed the bulk of the time spent here, first in Juneau, then Fairbanks, and now, near Anchorage. Yet, in all these years, in the back of my mind, I never lost sight of where I left before arriving in Alaska, which was Missoula, Montana. This is where your lead editor lived, for the most part, in 1990-98, at a time of great change in that area, and in me personally. It was then, and still is, an oasis of vibrant, progressive culture, in the "Northern Rockies" of the USA, as it contains the University of Montana, nestled in a mountain setting that provides outstanding outdoor and wilderness recreational possibilities. In a gentler, much drier climate, than here in South-Central Alaska.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missoula,_Montana
[view from "Mt. Jumbo", 200m above the valley floor and "Rattlesnake" neighbourhood, where I used to, and will live, again]
With it's interesting history (Ernest Hemingway lived there for a time in the 1930s), and beautiful older (by western USA standards) buildings and neighbourhoods, combined with its relatively pristine mountainous setting, it is a place I instantly fell in love with as soon as I arrived there in 1990, to work in fire weather forecasting. In fact, a very prominent memory of mine is gazing at the fresh October snow in 1992 on 2440m Stuart Peak, and thinking that I'd like to spend the rest of my life there.
After unsuccessfully trying to make a living in the private sector, developing a weather forecast/consulting business (the market just wasn't/isn't big enough there) in 1995-98, I returned to government service by taking a position in Juneau, Alaska. But an opportunity recently arose to apply for a fire-weather forecasting position in Missoula, and I ended up getting offered the position. Thanks in part to the fact that I had worked there before in the 1990s, and took forestry courses at the University of Montana then.
So the entire staff of the Alaska Progressive Review will be re-locating to Missoula in early March. Assistant editor Mattie, and Research Assistant Kluane, being Alaska born and bred and used to the colder, wetter climate here will need some adjustment. But we will have good trail access for our runs, as we do now. For our nordic skiing needs, we will have to drive a little further. But we will have access to good trail systems. And most importantly, we will be able to access wilderness areas within 30 min. to 3 hrs. driving, in all directions, where we will all be able to enjoy skiing, hiking, running, and backpacking at altitudes of 1800-3000m, in the presence of clear, cold streams that rejuvenate us, and will help keep Kluane and Mattie cool.
[Avalanche Crk. in Glacier NP, Montana USA]
http://www.wilderness.net/NWPS/wildView?WID=360
Just as an example of the kind of culture and forward thinking that exists there, and that we feel to be missing, here in Alaska (other than in isolated instances, due to it's domination by the oil industry and large military installations), is this presentation.
http://missoulian.com/presentation-on-city-ownership-of-mountain-water-co/pdf_f8eea62e-3ad3-11e3-b9f5-001a4bcf887a.html#.UrjdVZmPDT8.email
The mayor and city council of Missoula, with the support of the bulk of the population, has come up with a plan to buy back the privately-owned water company that supplies the city with it's water. To make it a municipal utility, and hence, a non-profit source of clean, affordable water for the population. Because they know in the years/decades ahead, with global warming, the climate of the region is becoming much warmer and drier, especially in summer. And that a privately-owned, profit-driven water company would take advantage of this, and not be willing/able to commit to keeping up with necessary upgrades to maintain adequate supplies. Which is going well against the prevailing policies across much of the rest of the country, where governmental functions and property are often facing privitisation (theft) due to corporate pressure. It appears this project by the city of Missoula is well on it's way to succeeding, in no small part due to its more progressive, educated populace supporting policies like these (Missoula also has been a hotbed of environmental activism over the past 40 years).
We will continue to offer our unique blend of wilderness advocacy and environmental/progressive reporting, but from our Montana setting. Hence, we'll have to change our name, and a few ideas so far, are "Montana Progressive Standard" or "Rattlesnake Progressive Record". Any other ideas will be happily entertained. Cheers.
Smoke from the Mississippi wildfire visible in Alaska in late October.
