Did you see 'Rowing to the Pole' on TV last night? It was about six men who took a rowing boat to the magnetic North Pole (to the spot where the magnetic pole had been recorded in 1996 actually) during the summer melt. They got within a few hundred feet before they had to drag the boat over the ice.
How scary is that??
I don't mean the journey - but that was scary! They were miles from anywhere in the freezing fog at times, facing hungry polar bears with Titanic sized icebergs all around them - I couldn't decide if they were very brave or just very stupid! No, what scared me was the fact that there is so little ice in the Arctic now they can row a boat all that way during the summer!
Scientists have discovered the Antarctic ice shelves are disappearing faster than predicted too. The initial estimates had been based on warm air melting the ice but they have discovered an added problem: warm water currents under the ice. Sea levels are rising.
I can't believe there are still people who don't believe in global warming! The evidence is all around us every day. So what are we doing about it? Not enough!
Rob Hopkin's book 'The Transition Handbook' (published about 2008) opened up the debate about the future of the planet. He recognised global warming as a serious threat brought on by our use of fossil fuel. Why do we continue to use fossil fuels? Because we need power to improve our economic growth. Why do we need economic growth? Because it is good for the country and our way of life. He put forward an alternative view. Stop seeking to improve NATIONAL economic growth. Local economic growth would be better for the community and for the environment. Go to the website for more details! It is a very optimistic movement and it is gathering pace with local groups springing up all over the world. There is a group in our small town. It is worth checking to see if there is one near you.
Here is what a group in Hong Kong are up to ...
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