No, You Never Realized the Ice was Melting this Fast

You already knew ice at our South Pole was melting fast, but you never realized it was going this fast. Through mid June, the melt for 2023 amounted to an area the size of Alaska.

Nor is the North Pole doing well. The rate of melting indicates it might not even have any ice when 2040 arrives.

Blame what forces might be. Is it warm waters from the north mixing in with Antarctic waters, causing them to melt faster?

About 30 percent of the sun's heat is reflected back into space by our ice cover. Take that away and global warming will only increase.

Mankind has little time to act. If we are to save such grave amounts of ice from melting away, we must move on it now. You thought we had another 25 years to respond to climate change.

You were wrong.

(Index -- Climate change info)

This Meme Attacking Wind Farms is Inaccurate

I spotted this meme attacking wind farms on social media today: "Ponder this for a moment. The wind farm in Mt. Pulaski has been running for 3 1/2 years. They have been replacing the generators in all the wind towers. There are 100 of them in this wind farm. So evidently the life span on the generators on these things is about 3 to 4 years. It takes 12 semi trucks and trailers, a 9 axle 50,000 pound crane and 12 pickup trucks to change each generator. That is a huge amount of deisel fuel being used to maintain these wind towers. And the "Green groups" would like You to believe they are all fueled by magic fairy dust." 
To set the record straight:
1) Wind turbines last 20 to 25 years, not 3 to 4 years as the meme indicates.
2) Zero generators had needed to be replaced on the Mt. Pulaski wind farm in its 3 and 1/2 years of operation. Zero. Instead 17 gearboxes were switched out due to defects.
3) Maintenance is required about twice a year, with all important mechanical and electrical assemblies being checked. The oil does, indeed, need to be changed.
4) Wind farms do not release any emissions, and since it is emissions that are causing climate change, wind turbines are not contributing to that. If we want to fight climate change, wind farms are one of our best power alternatives.

(Index -- Climate change info)

This Morning's Attack on Israel Sends Shivers Through the World

 

No less than 22 people have died. Another 500 plus have been injured. This morning's Hamas attack on Israel is the deadliest, most brutal in years.

And, it might only get worse.

The attack was unleashed on the 50th anniversary of the start of the Yom Kipper War.

Rocket after rocket showered upon the Israeli people, more than 2,200 missiles by one count and more than 5,000 by another.

And, as we said, it might get worse. A chief Hamas officer, Mohammed Deif, called on "the resistance fighters in the West Bank" as well as "our Arab and Islamic nations" to join in the assault. "This is the greatest battle to end the last occupation on Earth," Deif said.

"Everyone who has a gun should take it out," Deif said. "The time has come."

"We've decided enough is enough," Deif said. Another Hamas spokesperson said "the international community" has inflicted atrocities on the citizens of Gaza for decades.

In June, Amnesty International suggested Israel committed war crimes in fighting the month before in the Gaza Strip.

Another group, the Human Rights Watch, says there have been more than 50 years of abuses by the Israelis.

If the international community -- specifically the United Nations -- has not ruled on the alleged atrocities in the past, it should hurry to a conclusion. In the meantime, the two sides should cease fire and restrain themselves from warring against each other.

Nor is it justified that war should resume. The verdict of the international court should be accompanied by appropriate punishments. Those penalties -- not war -- should be the result.

What If Our Leaders Never Considered Anything Without Praying

 What if our leaders were praying leaders? What if they approached every vote with a prayer to God, asking what God would have us do? 

These prayers need not be in the meetings. They do not need to take place in the halls of Congress. Prayers in secret and in their homes would be every bit as effective. 

 And, let them pray to whatever God they believed in. Not everyone of our nation's leaders believes in the Christian God. 

   If  there is a God, his power is supreme. His ability to change outcomes for our world is supreme. Yes, we came to earth to learn, and that includes making mistakes. Not everything our leaders decided would lead to positive outscomes.

  But, we would be much ahead of what we are. 

With Trump, No New Sirens, No New Alarms

 No new sirens, no new alarms.

There was that time in 2019, an Armed Services Welcome Ceremony. Disabled Army Captain Luis Avila was invited to sing, to participate. A video shows Trump going over  to Avila to congratulate and embrace Avila after the song. But that was but a public display. The two-faced president then returned to his seat aside Gen. Mark A. Milley and asked,  "Why do you bring people like that here? No one wants to see that, the wounded." Trump then instructed Milley to never let  Avila make a public appearance again. 

This story about Trump was just revealed this week. We are no longer astonished at such revelations -- at least, no longer surprised. We continue to be aghast. We feel abhorance, certainly, but not surprise.  

The Tree Must Remain Tall in Our Fight Against Climate Change

 To the voices springing up to suggest more trees will only hinder the fight against climate change, I ask, How so? To spin the topic in opposition to truth is a damaging thing at a moment climate change imperils our world.

Part of the argument is that when trees fall to the ground, they emit carbon into the atmosphere as they decompose. True, but as they lie on the ground, they also shed seeds that result in seedlings sprouting up in abundance. immediantly sucking more carbon out of the air than is being emitted by the dead logs.

Trees remain vital in the fight against climate change. There are those who would say they are not. There are those who would suggest we need to harvest the Amazon and other forests to fill the world's need for wood and to open up land for mining and agriculture. Don't leave the trees to decompose on the ground, they say, but haul the lumber away where it can do some good.

Such a sly and designing twist of the truth is dangerous in this moment of peril. We must reject the falsehood for what it is. Divers suggestions should not be allowed to parade as truth.

(Index -- Climate change info)

Only One Way to Solve the Gambling Problem

 

   Gambling, the social problem that would be nice to be solved.

   Personal financial loss, family financial loss, bankrupcy, loss of job, homelessness, mental health problems, divorce  -- all are among the negative outcomes of gambling.

  But, how do you end it without changing society? You don't. If you want to solve the gambling problem, you must reach into the hearts of the people.

  And change them.