SHOCKING! EPA Says Climate Change is Real Problem for U.S.

According to a new and recently released report by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), climate change is in fact to blame for the recent bout of storminess to affect the United States. From those record-breaking blizzards to summer heat waves, and from tropical cyclone development to deadly tornadoes, the EPA is officially defining climate change as a very real problem for our nation.

Surprise, surprise… right!?!? Interestingly, the report releases just as the U.S. Senate debates whether to take up a climate bill before an immigration one.

The report is said to display indisputable evidence that human activities such as electricity production and transportation are adding to the concentrations of greenhouse gases that are already naturally present in the atmosphere, therefore causing more frequent, violent storms and heat waves.

USA Today illustrated that the report's key findings included:

• Greenhouse gas emissions from human activities are increasing. Between 1990 and 2008, there has been about a 14 percent increase in emissions in the United States.


• Average temperatures are rising. Seven of the top 10 warmest years on record for the continental United States have occurred since 1990.


• Tropical cyclone intensity has increased in recent decades. Six of the 10 most active hurricane seasons have occurred since the mid-1990s.


• Sea levels are rising. From 1993 to 2008, sea level rose twice as fast as the long-term trend.


• Glaciers are melting. Loss of glacier volume appears to have accelerated over the last decade.
  
  
• The frequency of heat waves has risen steadily since the 1960s. The percentage of the U.S. population impacted by heat waves has also increased.

So... I'm not quite sure what impact this has on all of us. Carry on, I guess...

Feared Environmental Tragedy of Gulf Oil Spill Slowly Becoming Reality

Estimates of oil leaking from the Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico have risen from 42,000 gallons a day to 210,000 gallons a day, with some indications that the flow may even be much greater. This situation now threatens wide-scale coastal damage for four Gulf Coast states: Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.

Weather Plays a Role

Over the past couple weeks since the spill occurred the weather had been somewhat favorable in containing the oil over open waters, keeping it from making landfall, but with an onshore wind shift and a reversing weather patten, the scale of the oil spill is rapidly multiplying and could very well become an environmental tragedy.

Here are the facts from NOAA:

• Winds are forecast to become strong (20+ kts) and blow from the southeast starting tomorrow and continuing through the weekend, which will continue to push surface oil towards shore.
  
  
• Oil-spill trajectory analyses indicate that oil continues to move towards shore.
  
  
• Oil-containment booms (or floating barriers) have been deployed as a precaution to protect sensitive areas in the Louisiana area.
  
  
• The effects of oil on sensitive habitats and shorelines in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida are being evaluated should oil from the incident make landfall in appreciable quantities.
  
  
• NOAA’s Assessment and Restoration Division is evaluating concerns about potential injuries of oil and dispersants to fish, human use of fisheries, marine mammals, turtles, and sensitive resources.

Tragic Environmental Impacts

Following are some possible impacts on the Gulf environment, commercial fisheries, wildlife and tourism:

• Fisheris – A number of fisheries could suffer as a result of the spill. The northern Gulf of Mexico is a crucial spawning ground at this time of the year for the Atlantic population of Bluefin Tuna, which is critically endangered. Their eggs float near the surface and the larvae stay there after they first hatch. So, the spill has occurred at a critical time in their life-cycle. The spill could dramatically decrease the amount of Bluefin Tuna larvae that are surviving. Losses could also be inflicted on the shrimp and oyster industries in Louisiana. Oysters are filter feeders and cannot swim to escape the slick.
  
  
• Birdlife – Several areas that are important to bird populations could be potentially affected. According to the National Audubon Society, places it has designated as "Important Bird Areas" or IBAs that could be threatened by the slick include, Chandeleur Islands IBA and Gulf Islands National Seashore IBA in Louisiana and Mississippi; also in Louisiana, the Delta National Wildlife Refuge and Pass-a-Loutre Wildlife Management Area. Species at risk include, Louisiana's state bird, the Brown Pelican, which was only removed from the U.S. Endangered Species Act last year. They nest on barrier islands and feed near shore.
  
  
• Tourism – Depending on where the slick goes, a number of beaches could be adversely impacted in areas such as the northwestern part of Florida, which has been running televised ads aimed at attracting tourists to the area.
  
  
• Others - Several species of sea turtles are currently moving through the Gulf, as their spring nesting seasons commences and they need to surface to breathe, so the slick at the water's top could damage their populations.

40th Anniversary of Earth Day

Today marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day!

Dating back to April 22, 1970, this annual day-long event commenced when a chorus of demonstrators around the nation came together to voice their concerns about the environment, specifically about the pollution of air and water, and its affect on our planet.

The grassroots environmental movement led to to a significant amount of federal legislation which was later passed to protect the environment, and ultimately the world we live in. Among many others, those were:

• The Environmental Protection Agency on December 2, 1970
• The Occupational Safety and Health Act on December 29, 1970
• The Clean Air Act of 1970
• The Clean Water Act of 1972

To this day the Earth Day effort continues strong and now more than ever, with climate change on our minds, supporters of the Day work diligently to increase environmental awareness and to promote urgently needed federal legislation to deal with an alarming ecological crisis.

There are countless ways to get involved and show your interest in protecting the planet and making it more sustainable for all. From monetary donations to planting trees in your community, and from purchasing and using green products to attending nationwide climate rallies, the Earth Day Network provides useful tips on ways you can support the movement, so please try and do as little or as much as possible. I am certain Earth will appreciate it...

Do you appreciate Earth?