Climate Matters. J is for Jellyfish

This if for J in the A-Z Blogging Challenge 2012. Link in the sidebar.

Jellyfish don’t strike me as being the most appetising creature in the sea. In fact, I think they look decidely unpallatable. But I’ve been told that with overfishing and the changing pH levels in our oceans that they will become more abundant and we might need to start finding some tasty recipes as fish stocks plummet and species become extinct.

One indication that ocean pH levels are changing and becoming unbalanced is when Jelly fish “blooms” occur. Pollution and overfishing affect jellyfish – they adapt quickly to take advantage of the changes and breed very quickly creating a bloom or infestation.

Overfishing in oceans worldwide has resulted in less predators. Because there’s less competition for food, jellyfish thrive and can reach plague proportions. The overfished species struggle to recover as the jellyfish feed on fish eggs and small fish.

Image from Wikimedia Commons

As the temperature rises, as is happening with climate change, the ocean chemistry changes. What happens with warming waters and the dilution from arctic and antarctic ice, is a bit similar to when you put cold milk in a cup of coffee, creating currents within and between the different temperature liquids. They mix at different rates. When you add winds, heated land, ocean currents, storms and tides, it enables warm water jellyfish to migrate along with the warming waters and reach new environments. 

At times jellyfish which have adapted and survived in plague proportions become a pest to shipping when they clog ship filters. Beachside holiday locations become undesirable and local economies suffer.

Man-o-war

Algal blooms occur when algae die in vast quantities, stripping oxygen from the water. Jellyfish can survive in these low oxygen dead zones which can also be created by urban pollution and agricultural run-off. The rising levels of carbondioxide in the oceans affects the brains and central nervous systems of fish which increasingly interferes with their ability to survive and evade predators but which doesn't affect jellyfish.

Urban runoff occurs when we put fertilisers and pesticides onto crops, and in our gardens. When it rains, the residues run into waterways, rivers, lakes and eventually into the oceans as a polluted soup - along with garbage, cigarette butts, and litter, affecting the breeding cycles, breeding ability and health of whole fish populations.

Heavy metals get into the oceans, from smog which is absorbed by the water, and from other sources of pollution (think oil spills, run off from mines etc.) This is absorbed by little fish, which is then eaten by bigger fish, which is then eaten by bigger fish again which are then eaten by us. These bigger fish are the Tuna, Salmon, Flake etc. of the oceans. This is a form of bioaccumulation where we essentially eat the fish with the highest density of heavy metals.

The Australian Marine Conservation Foundation has noted that overfishing and destructive fishing practises have led to “An incredible 80% of the world’s fish stocks are now over-exploited or fished right up to their limit. Once considered inexhaustible, our oceans are now in a state of global crisis, and they need our help.”

The Australian Marine Conservation Society has prepared this excellent guide for the many Australians who love seafood but also love their oceans. "it’s not enough to simply buy what is fresh. If we want to keep eating fish we’ll have to learn to buy what is sustainable.” Tim Winton, Australian Author, AMCS Patron.

Last year I wrote about the importance of keeping a Journal for J in my theme of workplace bullying. Here.

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Climate Matters. I is for Insects.

This is for I in the A-Z Blogging Challenge 2012. Link in the sidebar.


Bees are awesome creatures, not only do they produce honey, but along with mosquitoes, dragonflies and other insects, they assist in the pollination of grains as well as fruit trees and vegetables. We’re reliant on them all and they’re vital for the continued health of our ecosystems and crops!

Of concern to bee keepers and agriculturalists is the fact that bee populations are in decline. It’s understood that they’ve been stressed by a combination of factors including pesticides, disease, parasites, and human mismanagement.

Whilst many smaller scale farmers are keenly in touch with their crops and animals, and work the land sustainably, others are of such a vast scale and appear to have little interest in long term sustainable practises. Land that in former times would have supported a variety of crops and then allowed to lie fallow to be enriched with organic matter such as blood and bone is now stripped and forced to produce crops reliant on artificial fertilisers season after season.

Vast tracts of land are planted with a single type of seed which has been impregnated with toxic herbicides and pesticides. As the crops grow, some of the insecticide remains and the bees collect pollen which contains remnants of the initial dose of insecticide as well as toxic sprays. This pollen is then taken back to the hive to feed the larvae and to make honey.

Traditionally, bees would forage from a variety of plants, however, the size of the fields planted with a single crop makes this difficult. It’s an unnatural, unhealthy diet for them and appears to weaken them, it's a bit like us only eating a single type of food day in and day out - it's hard to get all the nutrients for optimal health.

Not only do insects including butterflies and wasps pollinate crops and blossoms, but others help aerate soil when they tunnel, which helps water get to plant roots. They also decompose dead and rotting material as happens in a compost bin or worm farm. Insects play a vital role in enabling life to continue on Earth. Without them, in all their buggy glory, we and many other birds, reptiles and animals wouldn’t be able to survive.

When species by species they become extinct, we are threatening our very survival. Sir David Attenborough says “If we and the rest of the backboned animals were to disappear overnight, the rest of the world would get on pretty well. But if the invertebrates were to disappear, the world’s ecosystems would collapse.’ And when the world’s ecosystmes collapse, we die, it's that simple.

Last year I wrote about International students and others for I in my theme of workplace bullying. Here.


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Climate Matters. H is for Health

This is for H in the A-Z Blogging Challenge 2012. Link in the sidebar.

We instinctively know we function better when we’re healthy, when we have hope for the future. When we feel a sense of control over our lives we show courage in the face of adversity – we feel empowered. The converse is also true, when we feel disempowered, when life feels hopeless, depression increases throughout communities.

Most people think of climate change as a purely environmental issue. But it affects more than the environment. In itself, even without being personally impacted by an extreme climate change event, knowledge about the devastating effects of extreme weather and environmental degradation can lead to depression.

Climate change also affects the fundamental requirements for health – clean air, safe drinking water, sufficient food and secure shelter.

Heat
As people in bushfire prone areas are aware, extreme heat can lead to devastating bushfires, resulting in deaths, higher pollution levels and asthma attacks as well as long term impacts as a result of trauma for those impacted directly and indirectly. Heatwaves affect health in a variety of ways - by triggering heart attacks, strokes, accidents and heat exhaustion – all potentially requiring hospitalisation. Vulnerable people such as the very young and elderly may die. High temperatures can also lead to increased pollutants in the air that afffect those with cardiovascular and respiratory diseases including asthma.

Increasing drought leads to food and water shortages. Rising temperatures and changing rainfall patterns are likely to lead to further malnutrition in many countries.

Floods
Floods can cause drownings and physical injuries, damage homes, businesses and infrastructure and disrupt all services including the supply of medical and health services. The economy is affected by lost work and school days, population displacement and disruption of transportation leading to food and fresh water shortages.

Floods contaminate freshwater supplies. Gastroenteritis and waterborne diseases such as cholera and typhoid outbreaks could also become more common because warmer temperatures would make it easier for bacteria to multiply in food and contaminated water after infrastructure has broken down due to flooding.

Residents in Townsville QLD were warned to preserve drinking water
after the devastation of Cyclone Yasi.

Diseases such as malaria, dengue fever and Ross River virus may become more prevalent as mosquitoes extend their range and flourish in a generally warmer climate and breed in stagnant water after floods. Tick borne diseases such as lyme disease are also expected to increase.

Rising sea levels and increasingly extreme weather events will destroy homes, farms, businesses, medical facilities and other essential services. More than half of the world's population lives within 60 km of the sea. People will be forced to move, which in turn heightens the risk of a range of health effects, from emotional distress to coming into contact with new diseases.

Food prices skyrocket and seaside communities are devastated
after extreme weather events worldwide.

When forests are decimated for timber, agriculture or mining, the native animals are crowded together in fragmented, smaller areas. One ill animal can infect others more easily and because they crowded together, and are closer to settlements, the disease carries far more easily and can transfer to humans easier than would be possible if their habitat was intact.

The health of the world’s people depends on truly sustainable development. This will ideally incorporate all areas of human activity and include our interactions with land, ocean and atmospheric environments to ensure that they, and we, are reslilient in the face of increasing pressure to use them with little regard for the outcomes.

Social, economic, public health and environmental needs must all be addressed in order to fully achieve sustainable progress - at local, national, regional and international levels. Policy makers, scientists, stakeholders, (including big business) and the wider public must learn to work together if we are to transition successfully through this period of climate change.

Last year I wrote about Harassment and Health for H in my theme on workplace bullying. Here.
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Climate Matters. G is for Greenhouse

This post is for G in the A-Z Blogging Challenge 2012. Link in the sidebar.


Burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas, releases ancient carbon dioxide (one of the greenhouse gasses) which has been stored inside the substances for millions of years. Greenhouse gasses create what is often referred to as a kind of blanket around the Earth. The amount of energy flowing out of the atmosphere into space is less than needed to keep our planet at the most desirable temperatures and much of it is reflected back on the earth and oceans, warming both land and seas.

Temperatures gradually increase which is sometimes called global warming or climate change. The more fossil fuels we burn, the more greenhouse gasses are released into the atmosphere, making it harder for heat to escape. This is an excellent 2 minute video explaining how this happens – it’s not boring!

It doesn’t mean that every day, in every location around the globe that it will be warmer than the day before – that is specifically referred to as the weather. Climate is measured over a longer time scale of around 30+ years and takes into account smaller seasonal variations. Local geographical features such as mountains, valleys, lakes and oceans will continue to have an effect on such things as rainfall patterns and wind.

However, because the seas are warming and ice caps are melting, the composition of the water in the oceans is changing. This affects not only the salinity and density of the oceans but the ability of some fish species to survive.

Ocean currents also affect our weather patterns and contribute to climate change. Ocean current patterns are changing bringing warmer waters to new areas and at different times of the year. These waters may have been diluted by melting ice sheets, meaning that they may grow more algae than perviously thus reflect more heat back into the atmosphere, adding another layer of complexity to the predictions. It's an amazingly complex system!

I’ve heard people say global warming is good because their hometown experiences long, bitterly cold winters. However what can be overlooked is that those winters produce ice and snow which provides for their water needs. Without this annual, naturally occurring source, there will be added stress on communities as they draw on lakes, rivers and groundwater to provide for the human, agricultural and infrastructure needs of their communities.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could get all the farting cows to power
the wind turbines on the horizon instead of adding to the greenhouse gasses!

Developing and investing in non-polluting alternative energy supplies as an alternative to fossil fuels is good insurance. They are one direct way to release less greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere support innovation AND create viable, long term jobs.

Last year I wrote about the Guilt associated with bullying for G in my theme of workplace bullying. Here.
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Climate Matters. F is for Fracking and Fossil Fuels

This is the post for F in the A-Z Blogging Challenge 2012. Link in the sidebar.

Fracking is when gas trapped deep underground is released. Superficially is sounds simple, but it involves drilling deep into the earth for up to two miles (a bit over 3km). Millions of litres of water is pumped from natural aquifers, mixed with highly toxic chemicals which is then forcefully injected into the rock to explode it, and release the gas to enable it to be extracted.

The process of blasting rock in this manner is called fracturing or fracking, and can be conducted underneath farmland, water reservoirs, rivers or homes. The sludge is then pumped up and includes a mix of water, chemicals, the gas and other debris from deep underground. Obviously this mixture needs to be filtered and the toxic materials removed so that the water is able to be released back into the environment safely.

There is acknowledgement that this process can trigger earth tremors and earthquakes which is greeted with alarm by those living nearby. The suggestion by one company that communities could implement a seismic early warning system wasn't reassuring. People living in areas where fracking is taking place have reported increased pollution including contaminated drinking water either from the filtering not being rigorous enough or leaks at the drill site. (Here's a post about a recent earthquake in Melbourne. Fracking is carried out in Gippsland which is riddled with fault lines. Edited in 22 June 2012.)

Although the industry claims to have become more efficient and safe, they appear to accept that there will be accidents. Apparently in the US, the industry isn’t well regulated, having gained exemptions from a number of Federal environmental safety laws and requirements that other industries have to follow. Many groups are concerned that while we continue to invest so heavy in dwindling fossil fuel reserves, there will be no real incentive to build long term sustainable energy industries.

Fossil fuels are deposits of ancient material such as plants and minute ocean organisms which have been exposed to heat and pressure under the earth over millions of years and contain high levels of carbon. As the ancient material is used, it releases carbon dioxide which would in the past have been absorbed naturally.

Because we’re consuming fossil fuels so quickly, the natural processes that would in the past have absorbed the carbon-dioxide are only managing to remove about half of the amount we need, so there is a excess in the atmosphere.

Carbon dioxide is one of the greenhouse gases that is known to contribute to global warming which in turn contributes to climate change. Coal, oil and natural gas, are all fossil fuels - they account for around 86% of primary energy consumption in the world. Because they take millions of years to form they’re referred to as non-renewable resources, because once we’ve used them up, they're gone forever.

South Australia. Photos D. Abbott

Demand for fossil fuels is increasing worldwide, in fact, faster than we are funding alternatives. Even with the race to extract the last vestiges of these substances from previously uneconomic parts of the globe (eg deep underground or far under the sea) the best industry experts estimate they will come to an end in the not too distant future.

Last year I wrote about the importance of Friends for F in my theme on workplace bullying. Here. 
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Climate Matters. E is for Eat

This post if for E in the A-Z Blogging Challenge 2012. Link in the sidebar.
(Edited Jan 2020 during the Australian Bushfire Disaster)


Food can represent many things other than simply being a substance to keep us alive. It can be an expression of love, tantalising the senses and bring a sense of wellbeing and belonging. Food can excite the taste-buds, be used to feed emptiness, pacify anger, soften hurts or ease the pain of grief.

Eating can be a supremely enjoyable experience, but is too often rushed, gulped or slurped with little focus or pleasure. Many children have no idea where food comes from, they have no idea how milk could come from a cow or that the meat they eat was once a living animal. Few of us have any idea where our wastes go, whether they are our human waste or what is discarded into a rubbish bin. That creates a massive disconnect from nature, and encourages us to live in a self centred fantasy land where our convenience is often gained at the expense of others.

Many Westerners consume convenience foods of dubious quality and nutritional value - food waste goes to landfill where it releases carbon-dioxide, further contributing to the greenhouse gas emissions in our atmosphere.

It's possible to imagine that animals are magically slaughtered because meat, which bears no resemblance to a real animal, is neatly packaged in plastic and often impregnated with chemicals to increase shelf life. Sick animals don't make good meat, so they're fed antibiotics to prevent illness. In Australia this equates to antibiotics being given to healthy animals. As in humans, this can create super-bugs, and reduces the impact of antibiotics when animals get sick.

Beef and dairy cattle and other ruminants are heavy contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. It’s estimated that it takes more of everything - water, food, fertiliser and fossil fuels to raise the same quantity of beef as wheat. Meat is a dense protein which is easy to over-consume, in contrast, eggs, grains and pulses are an excellent source of protein, and use land and water more efficiently.

Agriculture is understood to be responsible for about 14% of the world’s greenhouse gasses in the form of methane. Cows are ruminants, meaning that they have 4 stomachs to digest their food rather than in their intestines like we do. When a cow chews its cud, it's basically re-chewing its regurgitated food. The stomachs are filled with bacteria to help break the food down the process produces the gas methane which then needs to be expelled. Cows fart and burp methane which is a very potent greenhouse gas, which contributes significantly to climate change.

Given the current difficulty of feeding the world’s population, as well as issues of water scarcity, the depletion of fossil fuels and the increasing stress on farmlands, it’s likely that abundant cheap food will be less available in the future. Our increasingly unpredictable climate is producing greater extremes in weather including storms, floods and heat which will further stress the remaining arable lands.

Economic losses & increased prices due to the bushfires in Australia:

The price of vegetables is expected to jump by up to 50 per cent as catastrophic bushfires destroy crops and shut down highways while growers remain under pressure from ongoing hot and dry conditions. 

The only sealed road connecting Western Australia and South Australia — the Eyre Highway — was closed for 12 days over the New Year period, trapping trucks and travellers on either side of the Nullarbor Plain. (link)

The flow on effect from the bushfires has already had a massive impact, and it will continue for years.

Impact from the Australian bushfires on oyster farming:

"While ash debris is considerable around oyster leases in many South Coast estuaries, it is considered that runoff from fire grounds and mobilised sediments pose more of a risk for oyster health and quality," 

Impact of the Australian bushfires on bees, pollination, honey production.

it could take between five and 20 years for some flowering gums to fully recover, and to produce enough nectar and pollen to feed the bees.
One insurer alone reported beekeepers affected [by one fire] could have lost more than 6,000 hives.South Australia has reported losing 3,000 hives on Kangaroo Island and in the Adelaide Hills fires before Christmas. (note the island reburnt in January)While the beehives can be rebuilt easily, the remaining bees will be weak and hungry.

In some countries vast tracts of land are planted with mono-crops which are turned into biofuels instead of being used for food. In other parts of the world, forests are felled to grow corn and grain for sale to feed chickens, pigs and cattle instead of the local populations.

Fish populations are increasingly stressed due to overfishing and environmentally-destructive fishing methods. This also impacts on the ability of future generations to have reliable, safe seafoods.

The world's food systems need to be sustainable and equitable for all, not skewed unfairly and unethically towards greedy over consumption. How we eat, how often, and what kind of food is not a choice for much of the world’s population.

Last year I wrote about Ethical behaviour for E in my theme of workplace bullying. Here. 
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Climate Matters. D is for Desertification

Post for the letter D in the A-Z Blogging Challenge 2012. Link in the sidebar.
(Edited during the Australian bushfire disaster Jan 2020)

Desertification is when once fertile lands degrade and become extremely dry and unproductive. It is known to be caused by human activities like overgrazing as well as by climate change. It is a huge problem worldwide with many negative consequences.

Vegetation can stabilise sand dunes.

Deserts expand and contract independent of human activities, they can stabilise as vegetation takes root and expand as grasses, shrubs and trees are removed. Desertification has affected civilisations for eons and led to displacement of peoples as lands become uninhabitable, and unable to support human needs.

Dryland ecosystems are extremely fragile. As populations increase and more people need to be fed, communities in dryland areas place increasing demands on the land by overgrazing and over-cultivation – more people need to be fed from less arable land. The soil can become increasingly salty, leading to poorer crop yields – malnutrition is often the outcome. Stressed soil is less able to absorb water, which in turn leads to an increase in erosion, which makes the land even less useful for often already marginalised communities.

In many countries where meat consumption has traditionally been low, there has been a push to increase their meat consumption either by importing cattle or increasing the size of their own herds.
Cattle trample fragile grasslands and the lack of vegetation leads to erosion and further loss of topsoil when there is rain. Cattle also muddy and foul precious drinking water as fencing in many developing nations is often inadequate.

When grasses are inadequate to feed the cattle, grain intended for human consumption is fed to the cattle which represent the families wealth. Land which wasn’t particularly productive at the best of times is degraded even further, leading to subsistence lifestyles or displacement – people move to cities hoping to find work which is increasingly scarce.

Cattle and other ruminants also emit a huge amount of methane (ie they fart) which contributes substantially to the greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere. It’s estimated that cattle emit similar levels of greenhouse gasses as does industry.

Even in wealthy countries like Australia, there are problems with salinity and erosion due to overgrazing and inappropriate farming methods in the past.

We know what the problems are, we know how to address them. Will we?

Splitting paddocks into small sizes and using large mobs of cattle grazing on rotation, Mr Le Feuvre is grazing pasture more intensively while giving it longer to rest, increasing carrying capacity.

The problems in developing countries are even greater due to lack of political interest in marginalised groups and the scale of the problem.

Last year I wrote about Danger, Depression and Doctors for D in my theme of workplace bullying. Here.
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