IPFS
CONNECTING THE DOTS
Frosty Wooldridge
More About: EnvironmentEARTH CANNOT DIE FROM HUMAN OVERPOPULATION: LACK OF OXYGEN IS ANOTHER STORY
In this continuing series on human
overpopulation in, you will be able to keep up on the latest information from top national and
international writers. While much of
what I present proves sobering, this information allows you to take action toward
a sustainable future. Check the websites
and become involved.
“Rely on your own strength of body and soul. Take for your star
self-reliance, faith, honesty and industry. Don't take too much advice — keep
at the helm and steer your own ship, and remember that the great art of
commanding is to take a fair share of the work. Fire above the mark you intend
to hit. Energy, invincible determination with the right motive, are the levers
that move the world.” Noah Porter
Markus Becker wrote about the precipitous decline of plankton in our
oceans. Yesterday, September 16, 2010, I
listened to Neal Conan on NPR as two top
biologists talked about the oceans being damaged beyond repair. One of them talked about creating safe zones
for fish to re-propagate. I called into
the show informing them that the oceans cannot survive with continued injection
of 80,000 chemicals injected into the land, air and water 24/7 around the
planet. Additionally, “Would you please
address the fact that humans add 1.0 billion of themselves every 13 years—which
means the planet can never heal itself.”
Few understand the fact that plankton in the oceans create 80 percent
of Earth’s oxygen. Their dramatic
decline proves troubling for all living creatures.
Markus Becker talks about this condition in July 2010 in, “Phytoplankton's
Dramatic Decline: A Food Chain Crisis in the
World's Oceans”
“It
is the starting point for our oceans' food chain,” said Becker. “But stocks of
phytoplankton have decreased by 40 percent since 1950, potentially as a result
of global warming. It is an astonishing collapse, say researchers, and may have
dramatic consequences for both the oceans and for humans.
“The
forms that marine flora and fauna come in are varied and spectacular. From
bizarre deep sea creatures to elegant predators and
giant marine mammals, the
diversity in our planet's oceans is astounding.
“But it is the microscopic
organisms like diatoms, green algae, dinoflagellates and cayanobacteria that
make it all possible.
Phytoplankton is the first link in the oceanic food
chain. It is eaten by zooplankton which is in turn eaten by other animals,
which are then consumed by yet further sea creatures. Sometimes that chain can
be quite short -- the only thing that separates whales from phytoplankton in
the food chain, for example, is the krill that come in between.
“But
it appears that humans may be in the process of destroying this fundamental
link in the oceanic food chain. Temperatures on the surface of our oceans are
rising because of climate change, resulting in a reduction of the stock of
phytoplankton. Just how severe that reduction is, however, has long been a
mystery.
“Now,
a frightening new study reveals the shocking degree of the die-off. Since 1899,
the average global mass of phytoplankton has shrunk by 1 percent each year, an
international research
team reported in the latest issue
of the journal Nature. Since 1950, phytoplankton has declined globally
by about 40 percent.
“"We
had suspected this for a long time," Boris Worm, the author of the study
for Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada, told
SPIEGEL ONLINE. "But
these figures still surprised us." At this point, he said, one can only
speculate as to what the repercussions might be. "In principal, though, we
should assume that such a massive decline is already having tangible
consequences," said Worm. He said that the lack of research on the food
chain between phytoplankton and larger fish in the open ocean is a hindrance to
knowing the extent of the damage.”
'The
Entire Food Chain Will Contract'
“In
other words, it could be that humans have not yet been affected,” said Becker. “But
Worm fears that will not remain the case for long. If the trend continues and
the phytoplankton mass continues to shrink at a rate of 1 percent per year, the
"entire food chain will contract," he predicts.
“Worm's
research has found that the problem is not merely limited to certain areas of
the world's oceans. "This is global phenomenon that cannot be combated
regionally," Worm said.
“The
data show that the decline is happening in eight of the 10 regions studied. In
one of the other two, the phytoplankton is disappearing even more quickly,
while one region showed an increase. Both of the two exceptions are in the
Indian Ocean. "We suspect other factors are influencing (developments)
there," Worm says.
“The
situation in some coastal waters is different. In the North and Baltic Seas in
Europe, for example, mass quantities of nutrients flow from land into the
ocean. An enormous algae bloom in the Baltic has been the result this summer,
but other microscopic organisms benefit as well. Still, coastal waters make up
only a fraction of the total ocean.
“Worm
and his colleagues Daniel Boyce and
Marion Lewis believe climate change is
responsible for the disappearance of phytoplankton. In contrast to coastal areas,
waters in the open sea are deeply stratified. Phytoplankton is found near the
surface and gets its nourishment when cold and nutrient-rich water rises from
the depths. "But when water on the upper surface gets warmer as a result
of climate change, then it makes this mixing difficult," Worm explained.
As a result, the phytoplankton can no longer get sufficient nutrients.”
'So
Serious It Is almost Unbelievable'
“Other
experts have also said they were struck by the sheer scale of the development,”
said Becker. "A retreat of 40 percent in 60 years, that is so serious that
it is almost unbelievable," says Heinz-Dieter Franke of the Biological
Institute Helgoland, part of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine
Research. He warned, however, against attributing the decline in phytoplankton
solely to temperature increases. Higher temperatures, after all, could also
result in more nutrients being delivered by air, he said. Other influences,
like changes in cloud composition -- and thus changes in sunlight on the oceans'
surface -- complicate the situation.
“The
negative effect warmer surface temperatures have had on phytoplankton has long
been well-documented, says Worm, just not over extended time periods.
Continuous satellite measurements have only been available for the last 12
years or so. The researchers had to collect multiple data sets, including those
taken by Pietro Angelo Secchi in the 19th century. The Italian researcher and
Jesuit priest was ordered by the Papal fleet to measure the translucency of the
Mediterranean Sea.
“The
so-called Secchi disk is still used today to measure water transparency, and
the old data he collected remains enormously valuable for marine biologists.
"There is a direct corollary between the transparency of water and the
density of phytoplankton," said Worm. The scientists also included
measurements of micro-organisms as well as data about the ocean's chlorophyll
content. All phytoplankton organisms create chlorophyll and it is possible to
draw conclusions about the biomass using that data. In total, the
team of
researchers evaluated close to 450,000 data from measurements taken between
1899 and 2008.”
Phytoplankton's
Contribution to Global Warming
“That
humans have done serious damage to the world's oceans is hardly a new finding,”
said Becker. “Over-fishing is an acute problem for several species with beloved
types like blue fin tuna being threatened with extinction. Already, experts are
warning that the world's fisheries could collapse by 2050. But the decline in
phytoplankton could make the situation even worse.
“Franke of the Alfred Wegener
Institute said he fears the decline in phytoplankton will make itself
particularly apparent in fisheries. "If the oceans' total productivity
declines by 40 percent, then the yields of the fisheries must also retreat by
the same amount," Franke told
SPIEGEL ONLINE.
“The
loss of the oceans as a source of nutrients isn't the only threat to humans.
Half of the oxygen produced by plants comes from phytoplankton. For a long
time, scientists have been measuring an extremely small, but also constant
decline in the oxygen content of the atmosphere. "So far, the use of
fossil fuels has been discussed as a reason," said Worm. But it's possible
that the loss of phytoplankton could also be a factor.
“In addition, phytoplankton absorbs
a huge amount of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide each year. The disappearance
of the microscopic organisms could further accelerate warming.”
With this knowledge, you may
become the vanguard of new thinking, proactive choices and a turning point for
humanity. With your ideas and fortitude,
humanity may change course.
“If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be
lost; that is where they should be.
Now put foundations under them.”Henry David Thoreau
Now put foundations under them.”Henry David Thoreau
This full
article may be accessed: See http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,709135,00.html
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If
any of us, no matter what our race, creed or color might be, refuse to engage
our U.S. Congress as we have not for 30 years as to the population/immigration
equation-our children will find themselves living in a terribly degraded
America where the American Dream will be described by the history books as a
'fleeting fantasy' from the era of 1950 to 2010.
These
are several of the top organizations where you can take collective action to
change the course of American history as well as in Canada, the United Kingdom
and Australia. Take collective action at:
This
is the best website to start: www.numbersusa.com
; watch Roy
Beck’s “Immigration by the Numbers” at 14 minutes. Bi-partisan and
very effective. Become a faxer of pre-written letters to your reps to make
positive change.
Also:
www.fairus.org ; www.capsweb.org ; www.thesocialcontract.com ; www.populationmedia.org ; www.worldpopulationbalance.org
; www.populationconnection.org
; www.quinacrine.com ; www.familyplanning.org/ , www.skil.org ; www.growthbusters.com; www.populationpress.org ; www.thinkpopulation.org ; www.carryingcapacity.org ; www.balance.org ; www.controlgrowth.org ; in Canada www.immigrationwatchcanada.org
; in Australia www.population.org.au
andPublicPopForum@yahoogroups.com;
in Great Britain www.optimumpopulation.org
; and dozens of other sites accessed at www.frostywooldridge.com.
Must
see DVD: "Blind Spot" www.snagfilms.com/films/title/blind_spot/
, This movie illustrates America's future without oil, water and other
resources to keep this civilization functioning. It's a brilliant educational
movie! www.blindspotdoc.com
Must
see: Rapid Population Decline, seven minute video by Dr. Jack Alpert-
Must see and funny: www.growthbusters.org ; www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXSTrW_dARc
Dave Gardner's Polar Bear in Bedroom: growthbusters.org/2010/03/save-the-polar-bear-in-your-bedroom ; Dave Gardner, President, Citizen-Powered Media ; Producing the Documentary, GROWTH BUSTERS; presents Hooked on Growth: Our Misguided Quest for Prosperity, Join the cause at www.growthbusters.org ;760 Wycliffe Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80906 USA; +1 719-576-5565
Dave Gardner's Polar Bear in Bedroom: growthbusters.org/2010/03/save-the-polar-bear-in-your-bedroom ; Dave Gardner, President, Citizen-Powered Media ; Producing the Documentary, GROWTH BUSTERS; presents Hooked on Growth: Our Misguided Quest for Prosperity, Join the cause at www.growthbusters.org ;760 Wycliffe Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80906 USA; +1 719-576-5565
Check out this link with
Wooldridge on bicycle and Lester Brown and panel discussion:
Tomorrow's Americaproject on
www.youtube.com/contemporarylearning.
Producer: GEORGE A.
COLBURNwww.tomorrowsamerica.com
DC: 202-258-4887
Email: gac@starbrightmc.com
Link to www.tomorrowsamerica.com for more
discussions on America's predicament.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
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Frosty
Wooldridge has bicycled across six continents - from the Arctic to the South
Pole - as well as six times across the USA, coast to coast and border to
border. In 2005, he bicycled from the Arctic Circle, Norway to Athens, Greece.
He presents "The Coming Population Crisis in America: and what you can do
about it" to civic clubs, church groups, high schools and colleges. He
works to bring about sensible world population balance at www.frostywooldridge.com
He is the author of: America on the Brink: The Next Added 100 Million
Americans. Copies available: 1 888 280 7715