Sunrise Symphony

Watching the sunrise over the marsh is a treasured moment in my day. The birds sing out, welcoming the light. The great oak trees hide beneath a layer of mist. The sky turns from deep dark gray to amber. Morning dew drips from the marsh grass and rice.

Two years ago, when admiring the majestic beauty of a morning like this, the only sounds were of nature. A woodpecker announced its arrival with a lurching squeal. The eagle screamed out at the young eaglets as hunting lessons began. Finches, cardinals and mockingbirds joined together in an orchestral symphony for the new day. Even the occasional grunt of a wild pig made itself known from deep in the marsh.

Today, all these sounds remain. The only difference is that a litany of man-made sounds has joined in. Even as the sun rises, the sound of automobile traffic invades. Like nails on a chalkboard, the rushing sound of the highways cut to the core.

Why? Coastal Georgia is losing the barrier that protects us from such invasive sounds. Developers keep developing and trees topple by the hundreds. Thick, dense forest becomes open space. The houses that replace the forest do not stand tall enough to protect us. And so the world rushes in to mar the tranquility of a sunrise.

The symphony ends and a noisy world busts in.

Good morning Coastal Georgia. Now wake up!

Political emissions- 2/12/07

Last night, I hunkered down with the family to watch Al Gore’s documentary titled “An Inconvenient Truth.” I have known about the issue of global warming for some time. Every Tom, Dick and George has skirted the issue when votes are at stake.

What I did not know, became glaringly obvious when I saw the extent of warming and glacial melting that has already occurred. The movie brings forward pointed, frightening facts about global warming and the catastrophic results that will come to fruition if human beings choose to ignore it.

The documentary uses poignant before and after photos, cartoons and plain old Powerpoint presentations to point out what most want to forget. Our world population is growing at a staggering rate. In purely lay terms, automobile and fossil fuel emissions are weakening the earth’s ability to “bounce” heat out of the atmosphere.

Guess who is responsible for most of these emissions? America is the biggest culprit with more than 30% of emissions coming from our lackadaisical abundance.

The story is not all doom and gloom though. One point that Gore made really hit home.

We as human beings can change this. We have banded together in the past to make significant changes to atmospheric dangers. Just look at the ozone layer. Banning the chemicals that were found to be the main cause of ozone depletion worked. Global warming can be reversed.

Who will take this on? Gore has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his awareness campaign on global warming. A prize he should be awarded, if only to make take the issue to the next level of intensity and awareness. Politicians need to stop brushing off the reality of the issue and start acting.

The facts are clear and staggering:

· The number of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes has almost doubled in the last 30 years.
Warmer oceans breed more intense storms.

· Mosquito born illnesses like Malaria are growing as climates warm. The disease is inundating places that never saw a Malaria outbreak.

· Global sea levels could rise by more than 20 feet as shelf ice in Greenland and Antarctica melt. Coastal areas worldwide will be devastated.

· Droughts, heat waves and wildfires will grow in frequency and intensity

· More than a million species will be driven to extinction by 2050 if we do nothing.

Source - http://www.climatecrisis.net/thescience/

What can you do? Write letters to congress. Let them know that we are not ready to sit idly by while they laze about waiting for someone else to do the work. Use alternative energy sources, use less energy, make your home more energy efficient. Buy energy efficient appliances. Lobby for emissions testing for automobiles in your state.

I am sickened by the fact that in Georgia, there is no requirement for yearly or bi-yearly auto inspections. Therefore, my home state is adding to global warming. What is happening in your state?

I will take action. Will you?

Learn more at http://www.climatecrisis.net.