We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Thursday, August 8, 2013

State Of The Climate Report Reveals A World On The Brink

Click here to access article from CounterCurrents.
Worldwide, 2012 was among the 10 warmest years on record according to the 2012 State of the Climate report, which has been compiled by 384 scientists from 52 countries. The peer-reviewed report, with scientists from NOAA's National Climatic Data Center in Asheville , N.C. , serving as lead editors, has been released on August 6, 2013 by the American Meteorological Society.
The report continues by providing a summary of the findings. Although quite disturbing, I don't think this summary supports the dramatic headline. If you are perplexed as I was by the data which indicated that Antarctic sea ice is growing, see this.