Earth's Vital Signs

NASA,  one of the worlds most famous scientific organisation is most often cited for their study of extraterrestrial objects, for landing men on the moon and sending probes out into the solar system. Part of their research however concerns a planet far closer to home. In fact, it is home. From their satellites NASA collects data on the dynamic processes that govern planet earth. 

NASA's Global Climate Change Website,
Winner of theBest Science Site at the 2011 Webby Awards    

NASA's Climate Change Website, winner of Best Science Site at the 2011 Webby Awards  presents engaging and informative insight into the earth's changing climate. Most important in my eyes are the statistics presented in the header, informing us that todays CO2 concentrations are 391ppm, the current rate of sea level rise is 3.27mm/year, and that temperature has risen so far 1.5F since 1800. For more vital statistics visit the key indicators page, showing graphs of surface temperature, CO2 concentration, Land ice and Sea level. 

Such data is not only valuable to inform ones own understanding of the rate of change caused by anthropogenic carbon emissions, but also serves handy when debating 'skeptics' and 'deniers.' Surely they can not refute the findings of NASA, the scientific organisation that put a man on the moon. Sadly however no amount of science from a credible source is equal to one graph from an non-credible source that validates the belief that climate change is a communist plot. Sadly it seems the only graphs the deniers will accept are those that have been turned upside down. 

Global Land-Ocean Temperature Index

Check it out here! Just dont try showing it to Alan Jones. 

Melting Monuments

Glaciers are majestic rivers of ice that flow and carve valleys out of mountains. Unfortunately they are one of the first of natures great wonders to be negatively affected by anthropogenic warming. Thanks to rises in temperature many glaciers are now in retreat, some kilometers shorter than what they were just 50 years ago. If this trend continues some will soon cease to exist. These are some images taken around the world of retreating ice. A frozen canary in the coal mine sending a message that the world is heating up. 

Helheim Glacier Greenland
Left: May 12, 2001. Middle: July 7, 2003. Right: June 19, 2005

 Okpilak Glacier, Alaska
Left: June 1907. Right: August 5, 2004

 Imja Glacier, Nepal
Left: Autumn, 1956. Right: October 18, 2007. 

Holgate Glacier, Alaska.
 Left: July 24, 1909. Right: August 13, 2004.

McCall Glacier, Alaska.
Left: July 1958. Right: August 14, 2003

A reminder of the rapid pace of change.

East Coast HSR Could Cut Carbon

The Corridor for phase two of the Study. Source:
HIGH SPEED RAIL STUDY – PHASE 1AECOM Australia Pty Ltd 

 Each year 7.88Million trips are made by air between the two most populous cities in Australia, making the Sydney-Melbourne corridor the 5th busiest in the world. Other people travel by car and almost exclusively by car to every town and city in between. Think of how much CO2 that produces. High Speed Rail makes sense, a clean and efficient way to transport people between the CBDs of Sydney,  Canberra, Melbourne, Newcastle and Brisbane. Today the federal government released their report into high speed rail, and it argues a strong case.

By 2056 almost 30million people will live in the corridor between Brisbane and Melbourne. If we are to stop our cities from sprawling out of control and becoming crippled by congestion, more people are going to have to live in regional cities. High speed rail can get them there. If we are to reduce our emissions, we need high speed rail. If we are to keep regional cities like Newcastle alive, we need high speed rail. Potentially it can be powered entirely by renewable energy, reducing the carbon emissions of a trip to Melbourne to 0.  Other nations around the world including China, the USA and even Morocco are building high speed rail to prepare themselves for reductions in emissions and the rising cost of oil.

Think about it: 3 hours from Central and you are in the heart of Melbourne or Brisbane, no airport queues, no take off and landing. 40 minutes and you are home from work in Sydney CBD, except you live in Newcastle. What is clear is; the longer we delay the start of construction, the greater the need will become and the more expensive it will be in the long run.