Click on this link for an interactive view at a glance of the sea ice changes in the North Pole in the last few years.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Sea Ice in Retreat
Click on this link for an interactive view at a glance of the sea ice changes in the North Pole in the last few years.
Friday, August 31, 2007
After a 3-month hiatus... (Part I)
Yes, i'm back in the US again.
Back from a long summer break in Taiwan, surrounded by people, activities and lively chaos.
This aspect of Asia is most nostalgic to me, and i had indulgently basked myself in it for the past few months.
No sooner was i there that i also realized it is this very freneticism that impedes many people in Asia to think much beyond their everyday lives. The government and its people share a very different relationship from that in Europe and America: while its mostly up to the common folks to work extremely hard to fend for themselves, everything on a national or global basis is left to the business of their government. So if its environmental issues we're talking about, "well, the government will handle it. "
For this reason, environmental awareness was hardly detectable amongst the public of Asian countries, and any news of it or measures to be taken were entirely up to the governing body's discretion. One positive aspect of this however, if executed, is its extent of influence : the Taiwanese government introduced the sale of plastic bags in all grocery and convenience stores several years ago in a bid to cut down on plastics, and recently even banned the use of paper or styrofoam cups in all government related functions.
Without a clear long-term agenda and awareness campaign however, citizens will not fully comprehend its importance (many Taiwanese only saw the conservation efforts as an inconvenient legislative law), and continue to undermine such efforts by other irresponsible actions against the environment. This brings to point that while i could easily access environmental reports in English on the WorldWideWeb, there are far too few translated reports in Chinese or other minor languages for non-English speaking (or other european languages) Asians to read up on as easily. (I'm chagrined to say that i am also ill-equipped to write my blog in Chinese for my Taiwanese counterparts!)
Censorship breeds ignorance, and ignorance breeds complacency.
But this is just one part of the story. In an economy-driven world, it is considered "frivolous" if conservation efforts were to supercede economic strategies, and many developing countries couldn't afford - nor are willing to abide to - the high price...not after their time of progress has finally come. Down to human-scale, what do you do when you tell a tree-cutter to "stop cutting down trees for sale or there won't be trees left tomorrow", and he'd reply that he and his family can only afford to live by the day?
Faced with all these disputes and complexities within and between countries, one has to concede that environmentalism has become just another poker deal for world leaders - all about money and gambling our chances with our only habitat.
However, as individuals, we don't have to judge upon the fairness of the game, nor wait for the outcome. So long as you're in a position to conserve and promote for the environment, do it.
Nothing's fair since the day we were born, why start debating about that now?
Think about it...you're lucky to afford to do so where others can't.
Back from a long summer break in Taiwan, surrounded by people, activities and lively chaos.
This aspect of Asia is most nostalgic to me, and i had indulgently basked myself in it for the past few months.
No sooner was i there that i also realized it is this very freneticism that impedes many people in Asia to think much beyond their everyday lives. The government and its people share a very different relationship from that in Europe and America: while its mostly up to the common folks to work extremely hard to fend for themselves, everything on a national or global basis is left to the business of their government. So if its environmental issues we're talking about, "well, the government will handle it. "
For this reason, environmental awareness was hardly detectable amongst the public of Asian countries, and any news of it or measures to be taken were entirely up to the governing body's discretion. One positive aspect of this however, if executed, is its extent of influence : the Taiwanese government introduced the sale of plastic bags in all grocery and convenience stores several years ago in a bid to cut down on plastics, and recently even banned the use of paper or styrofoam cups in all government related functions.
Without a clear long-term agenda and awareness campaign however, citizens will not fully comprehend its importance (many Taiwanese only saw the conservation efforts as an inconvenient legislative law), and continue to undermine such efforts by other irresponsible actions against the environment. This brings to point that while i could easily access environmental reports in English on the WorldWideWeb, there are far too few translated reports in Chinese or other minor languages for non-English speaking (or other european languages) Asians to read up on as easily. (I'm chagrined to say that i am also ill-equipped to write my blog in Chinese for my Taiwanese counterparts!)
Censorship breeds ignorance, and ignorance breeds complacency.
But this is just one part of the story. In an economy-driven world, it is considered "frivolous" if conservation efforts were to supercede economic strategies, and many developing countries couldn't afford - nor are willing to abide to - the high price...not after their time of progress has finally come. Down to human-scale, what do you do when you tell a tree-cutter to "stop cutting down trees for sale or there won't be trees left tomorrow", and he'd reply that he and his family can only afford to live by the day?
Faced with all these disputes and complexities within and between countries, one has to concede that environmentalism has become just another poker deal for world leaders - all about money and gambling our chances with our only habitat.
However, as individuals, we don't have to judge upon the fairness of the game, nor wait for the outcome. So long as you're in a position to conserve and promote for the environment, do it.
Nothing's fair since the day we were born, why start debating about that now?
Think about it...you're lucky to afford to do so where others can't.
Monday, August 27, 2007
How's the Weather Over There?
I was in the queue waiting to board the bus back to Providence this morning, and I overheard yet again the most popular topic we earthlings pick as a conversation starter:
“So did u have fun in the city while u were here?” a friendly man in the same line started asking another stranger behind him.
“What’s that? Oh, sure… the weather was surprisingly autumn though…I’ve never experienced such cold weather at a time like this in New York…”
“Oh yeah, usually summer temperature can be felt way into October even, easily 80-90 deg Fahrenheit, but this year…” the friendly man concurred, “Where you from by the way, I’m from Newport. You ever been there? It's up north, a beautiful place, with beaches…”
And the conversation gets an extended life.
It’s no wonder why the environment or weather always find its way back into everyday conversations… you may smirk, but this ubiquitous ice-breaker is probably the only common link man share that’s "diplomatic", harmless, yet significant enough to talk about.
But of course, a few countries do fall through the net in terms of significance.
From where i came (mono-season Singapore is blessed without a single natural calamity), chatting about the weather with my fellowmen can be a pretty mundane subject.
In contrast, when I hit upon the typhoon season in Taiwan this summer, the ignorant well-frog in me couldn't help being intrigued by all the hype and fuss an encroaching typhoon would stir up...
With its entitled name, XX Typhoon was just like a new starlet who literally took the town by storm (i couldnt help with the pun, sorry). Locals glued their eyes and ears to the media; some cursed n whined over jeopardized outings, some scrambled to prep their homes against flooding, yet others cheered at the prospect of a "national holiday" declared by the government...
And when she finally arrived, the God-fearing ones would meekly seek shelter n watch her perform her antics, throw her tantrums...ample time to worry about how to pick up the pieces left in her tracks later on.
All this is of course from the incorrigible frog's exhilarated perspective...only a native can truly relate to the havoc and trauma such natural disasters would cause - year after year.
For all the sophisticated scientific gadgets human intelligence could devise, mankind is always a few steps behind predicting forces of nature, much less seeking prevention. To this day, human errors and negligence combined with uncountable unaccountable factors have time and again resulted in cataclysmic tragedies:
The oversight of Boxing Day Tsunami in 2004 due to the lack of tsunami warning systems in the Indian Ocean, and the extensive failures of levee systems during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 are painfully raw reminders that still burn.
Indeed, when Mother Nature decides to unleash her wrath, who can really block her way?
List of Ten Deadliest Natural Disasters
Its not hard to imagine how such catastrophes must have seemed like "Judgment Day" for their victims. Fact is however, such are the natural cycles of the universe, and if our actions show more fear and respect for this planet, to some extent tragedies can be averted. (Points to note: Hurricane Katrina - A man-made disaster? In the Tsunami of 2004, human destruction of coral reefs played a significant role in aggravating the tragedy.)
Personally, i'd worry more about man-induced disasters that could hasten up this day. I found this on the internet:
List of "Causes of hypothetical future disasters",
Natural:
Every catastrophe - man-made or natural - that befell mankind had seemed like "Judgment Day" for the victims, served as a solemn warning for their neighbors, and gone unnoticed or unconcerned for the rest outside its locus of influence. Factor in human resilience, hubris and poor memory, and we'd find ourselves experiencing "dejavu" time and again throughout human history.
Mankind may have set foot on the four corners of the earth, but changes in seasons and weather are the best reminders that human species are extremely vulnerable; we don't dictate this planet...Nature rules, and the rules of survival are simple:
Want Mother Nature to grant us an extension?
Listen and learn from mistakes made.
“So did u have fun in the city while u were here?” a friendly man in the same line started asking another stranger behind him.
“What’s that? Oh, sure… the weather was surprisingly autumn though…I’ve never experienced such cold weather at a time like this in New York…”
“Oh yeah, usually summer temperature can be felt way into October even, easily 80-90 deg Fahrenheit, but this year…” the friendly man concurred, “Where you from by the way, I’m from Newport. You ever been there? It's up north, a beautiful place, with beaches…”
And the conversation gets an extended life.
It’s no wonder why the environment or weather always find its way back into everyday conversations… you may smirk, but this ubiquitous ice-breaker is probably the only common link man share that’s "diplomatic", harmless, yet significant enough to talk about.
But of course, a few countries do fall through the net in terms of significance.
From where i came (mono-season Singapore is blessed without a single natural calamity), chatting about the weather with my fellowmen can be a pretty mundane subject.
In contrast, when I hit upon the typhoon season in Taiwan this summer, the ignorant well-frog in me couldn't help being intrigued by all the hype and fuss an encroaching typhoon would stir up...
With its entitled name, XX Typhoon was just like a new starlet who literally took the town by storm (i couldnt help with the pun, sorry). Locals glued their eyes and ears to the media; some cursed n whined over jeopardized outings, some scrambled to prep their homes against flooding, yet others cheered at the prospect of a "national holiday" declared by the government...
And when she finally arrived, the God-fearing ones would meekly seek shelter n watch her perform her antics, throw her tantrums...ample time to worry about how to pick up the pieces left in her tracks later on.
All this is of course from the incorrigible frog's exhilarated perspective...only a native can truly relate to the havoc and trauma such natural disasters would cause - year after year.
For all the sophisticated scientific gadgets human intelligence could devise, mankind is always a few steps behind predicting forces of nature, much less seeking prevention. To this day, human errors and negligence combined with uncountable unaccountable factors have time and again resulted in cataclysmic tragedies:
The oversight of Boxing Day Tsunami in 2004 due to the lack of tsunami warning systems in the Indian Ocean, and the extensive failures of levee systems during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 are painfully raw reminders that still burn.
Indeed, when Mother Nature decides to unleash her wrath, who can really block her way?
List of Ten Deadliest Natural Disasters
 | Event  | Location | Date | Death Toll (Estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 1931 Yellow River flood | Yellow River, China | 1931 summer | 1,000,000-4,000,000 |
| 2. | 1887 Yellow River flood | Yellow River, China | 1887, September-October | 900,000-2,000,000 |
| 3. | 1970 Bhola cyclone | Ganges Delta, East PakistanBangladesh) (Now | 1970 November 13 | 500,000-1,000,000 |
| 4. | 1938 Yellow River flood | Yellow River, China | 1938 | 500,000-900,000 |
| 5. | 1556 Shaanxi earthquake | Shaanxi Province, China | 1556 January 23 | 830,000 |
| 6. | 1839 India Cyclone | Coringa, India | 1839 November 25 | 300,000+ |
| 7. | 1642 Kaifeng Flood | Kaifeng, Henan Province, China | 1642 | 300,000 |
| 8. | 1976 Tangshan earthquake | Tangshan, China | 1976 July 28 | 242,000* |
| 9. | 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake/tsunami | Indian Ocean | 2004 December 26 | 230,000 |
| 10. | 1138 Aleppo earthquake | Syria | 1138 | 230,000 |
Its not hard to imagine how such catastrophes must have seemed like "Judgment Day" for their victims. Fact is however, such are the natural cycles of the universe, and if our actions show more fear and respect for this planet, to some extent tragedies can be averted. (Points to note: Hurricane Katrina - A man-made disaster? In the Tsunami of 2004, human destruction of coral reefs played a significant role in aggravating the tragedy.)
Personally, i'd worry more about man-induced disasters that could hasten up this day. I found this on the internet:
List of "Causes of hypothetical future disasters",
Natural:
- Famine
- Supervolcano
- Asteroid impact event
- Megatsunami
- Cumbre Vieja
- Cascadia Megathrust earthquake
- Hypernova
- Dysgenics
- Famine
- Overpopulation
- Nuclear warfare
- Pandemic
- Peak Oil
- Gulf Stream shutdown
- Antibiotic resistance
- Global warming
Every catastrophe - man-made or natural - that befell mankind had seemed like "Judgment Day" for the victims, served as a solemn warning for their neighbors, and gone unnoticed or unconcerned for the rest outside its locus of influence. Factor in human resilience, hubris and poor memory, and we'd find ourselves experiencing "dejavu" time and again throughout human history.
Mankind may have set foot on the four corners of the earth, but changes in seasons and weather are the best reminders that human species are extremely vulnerable; we don't dictate this planet...Nature rules, and the rules of survival are simple:
Want Mother Nature to grant us an extension?
Listen and learn from mistakes made.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Condolences to the Goddess of Yangtze River
On Dec 13 2006, Baji, a rare freshwater dolphin species which thrived in the Yangtze River as early as 20 million years ago, was declared functionally extinct.
There are only 6 species of freshwater dolphins and porpoise in the world - 3 in Asia, 2 of which are found exclusive in the Yangtze River in China. Baiji has since disappeared, leaving another one on the brink of extinction.
It was a painful awakening to witness the demise of yet another species from the face of the earth. I had naively thought no news probably meant good news, until today. (fact is the media is just more interested in digging up for news on little bear cubs like Knut.) Really, scrolling down the list of recently extinct animals online just now was like reading through "Planet Earth's Obituaries" column...
Since the classic case of the Dodo bird, we hadn't been able to stop the onset of animals from slipping through our fingers day after day (in fact, according to 365 Ways by Philippe Bourseiller, more than 2 species are disappearing every hour) despite numerous laudable efforts.
Argument that evolution is part of a natural process is redundant here, cos to have large mammals near the end of the food chain disappearing when climate conditions havent yet changed drastically enough is anything BUT normal. It could only be due to human activity.
I shudder to even think about what the combined powers of climate change n man can do.
"Man would die of great loneliness if all the beasts are gone. For what happens to beasts will also happen to man." - anonymous
Friday, May 11, 2007
A 16 yr old's Tribute to the Days...
A Tribute to the Days
Please remember,
When land was rich and trees stood tall.
The plot of arid desert was very small,
Until farmers came and set the place burning;
Then left the forest creatures yearning.
Please remember,
When we could enjoy a clean, fresh breeze
Not mingling with soot or soaked with grease.
In those days there was no need to go high places,
Just to find somewhere devoid of hazes.
Please remember,
When the color of water reflected the sky,
Never too murky or loaded with dye.
We needn’t worry about the fury of fish
Stained with mercury on our dish.
Please remember,
When we hadn’t possessed any greed,
And never took what we didn’t need.
We hadn’t yet created the hunting gun,
Just so we could have a little fun.
Please remember,
What we have sold
To Hell’s creator:
The Days of old.
Please remember,
When land was rich and trees stood tall.
The plot of arid desert was very small,
Until farmers came and set the place burning;
Then left the forest creatures yearning.
Please remember,
When we could enjoy a clean, fresh breeze
Not mingling with soot or soaked with grease.
In those days there was no need to go high places,
Just to find somewhere devoid of hazes.
Please remember,
When the color of water reflected the sky,
Never too murky or loaded with dye.
We needn’t worry about the fury of fish
Stained with mercury on our dish.
Please remember,
When we hadn’t possessed any greed,
And never took what we didn’t need.
We hadn’t yet created the hunting gun,
Just so we could have a little fun.
Please remember,
What we have sold
To Hell’s creator:
The Days of old.
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
"...I underestimated the damage a coward with power can do..."
Words to incumbent US President from a fired newspaper columnist, Dan Guthrie - unminced, unsalted - words of fire. Highly fueling.
Monday, April 23, 2007
A tribute to Earth Day?
Doesn't matter if Earth Day was yesterday - sounds kinda paradoxical to me...aren't we living on Earth everyday??
But if making certain days special spurs sentimentality, and people prefer to label down just one day for the Earth to officially encourage one another to change their habits / schedules as a tribute to our Mother, well...at least that's a start. In Dr. Jane Goodall's words: "Knowledge fosters Compassion, and Compassion leads to Action".
So here's my "special tribute":
A speech by Dr. Jane Goodall that resonates exactly my sentiments towards Mother Nature, Humanity and our Future...
Here's one more: take a few minutes each day to read about one man's tribute to the Earth - all 365 days* of it...
*cnmmnc strives to keep it posted up-to-date, so please be patient if it lags once in a while...
But if making certain days special spurs sentimentality, and people prefer to label down just one day for the Earth to officially encourage one another to change their habits / schedules as a tribute to our Mother, well...at least that's a start. In Dr. Jane Goodall's words: "Knowledge fosters Compassion, and Compassion leads to Action".
So here's my "special tribute":
A speech by Dr. Jane Goodall that resonates exactly my sentiments towards Mother Nature, Humanity and our Future...
Here's one more: take a few minutes each day to read about one man's tribute to the Earth - all 365 days* of it...
*cnmmnc strives to keep it posted up-to-date, so please be patient if it lags once in a while...
TED
Recently, a good friend of mine from singapore introduced TED to me in response to one of my posts.
Just this morning, i came across a message by RISD's acting president (Roger Mandle), who wrote about sustainability, and his participation in TED conference early this year, providing a link to TED's website.
Somehow, good things find their way around to be shared. Now it's my turn to pass it on.
http://www.ted.com/
In Roger Mandle's words,
" I know that when artists and designers join engineers, educators, politicians, public policy-makers and environmental activists then new ground will be broken. Together we will create innovative solutions that will help lead the way for future generations. I encourage everyone to join this critical effort to sustain our environment and planet. In doing so, we honor the profound importance of natural resources to our earth, including its beauty, its people and the creatures who inhabit it"
The TED video below is dedicated to all those mentioned above.
Just this morning, i came across a message by RISD's acting president (Roger Mandle), who wrote about sustainability, and his participation in TED conference early this year, providing a link to TED's website.
Somehow, good things find their way around to be shared. Now it's my turn to pass it on.
http://www.ted.com/
In Roger Mandle's words,
" I know that when artists and designers join engineers, educators, politicians, public policy-makers and environmental activists then new ground will be broken. Together we will create innovative solutions that will help lead the way for future generations. I encourage everyone to join this critical effort to sustain our environment and planet. In doing so, we honor the profound importance of natural resources to our earth, including its beauty, its people and the creatures who inhabit it"
The TED video below is dedicated to all those mentioned above.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
P.S. Are you from the coastal lands?
After watching Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth, i went into digging for my stack of newspaper cuttings i made when i was in India early this year.
What had seemed so far-fetched and incredulously imminent to me from that article suddenly became alot more real to me now...so the source could be from as far away as Greenland?!
All i know is, when this happens, my tiny island of a home situated 1 deg north of the Equator won't stand a chance.
I said this to my european brother-in-law who's thinking of settling down his family in Singapore recently: "Ya, its certainly a great place to live - nice tropics, good food, conducive environment....but hey, there may be a mass migration happening in the near future for us...you might want to take that into account..."
Now...is it just me, or does that conversation sound kinda a crazy to you??
What had seemed so far-fetched and incredulously imminent to me from that article suddenly became alot more real to me now...so the source could be from as far away as Greenland?!
All i know is, when this happens, my tiny island of a home situated 1 deg north of the Equator won't stand a chance.
I said this to my european brother-in-law who's thinking of settling down his family in Singapore recently: "Ya, its certainly a great place to live - nice tropics, good food, conducive environment....but hey, there may be a mass migration happening in the near future for us...you might want to take that into account..."
Now...is it just me, or does that conversation sound kinda a crazy to you??
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
