Earth’s glaciers are shrinking five times faster than they were in the 1960s.
The United States used more energy in 2018 than ever before, partly because Americans drove more: 3.225 trillion miles, 12.2 billion more than 2017.
Wolves return to the Netherlands after an absence of 140 years.
A suspected rhino poacher in South Africa is trampled to death by an elephant, then eaten by lions.
The last time Earth’s atmosphere had as much carbon dioxide as it does today, there were trees growing near the South Pole.
Thawing ice on Alaska’s Denali is exposing the 66 tons of feces left by generations of mountain climbers.
Sea level rise has cost property owners on the East and Gulf Coasts more than $16 billion since 2005.
Senator Mike Lee of Utah says that the solution to climate change is to “fall in love, get married, and have some kids.”
Greta Thunberg, the 16-year-old Swede who inspired the Youth Climate Strike, is nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
The stomachs of dead whales found in the Philippines and Italy are full of plastic trash.
Scientists discover a new species of orca of southern Chile — “The largest undescribed animal left on the planet.”
Trump’s proposed federal budget would cut funding for the Environmental Protection Agency by 31 percent.
Composite photographer Nick Brandt, whose profound works show how nature in the world is quickly dying away due to man’s indifference, says, “My motivation is my anger and despair at what we are losing, that the human race is sleepwalking its way to oblivion.”
Lacewing Insect … Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2019
Staggering and unsettling statistics to say the least. Wake up, World!
A planet is a terrible thing to lose. I am 67, when i was a kid, i had a premonition that the earth would be ruined by humans.
I hope not!
Mr. Brandt (whose name is a species of bird; karma?) sums it up well. Despair is an accurate description. I am looking to see every day as if it were the last. To hear every coyote call and red-winged blackbird song as if they were the last. My philosophy of this perspective had previously been an based on my own timeline and imminent demise, to appreciate all that is before me before my time is up.
Nowadays, it seems I am outliving other species at an alarming rate, and must focus my appreciations on things that will be gone before we know it. Already, I can tell my grandchildren that there were, quite literally, three times as many birds of dozens of species when I was a child.
There has been some awakening, as of late, and there have been small wins and victories for the planet.
I fear it may be too little, too late, and all the science couldn’t possibly understand and predict the exponential effects of one area on another as regards our planetary and atmospheric decline.
In “The Jetsons”, there are no trees or birds.
A cartoon predicts our future.
Take care,
Paz
There is no way that humans are going to survive with the planet going to pieces. Like i said to Pam above, i’m 67, and when i was a kid i had premonitions of people ruining the planet due to indifference. I’m glad that we didn’t have kids.
Thanks for the information, really vital to our existence.
Thanks much, Marie. Too many people just do not realize the precarious situation the globe is in… or they just don’t care.
Reblogged this on Becoming is Superior to Being and commented:
Please take note! — kenne
Thank you much, Ken! I wish that it was something more positive but this is reality these dark and smoggy days.
I fear matters will have to get much worse before “we” wake up to reality and change dramatically our lifestyles and priorities. Good to have a list like this flashed into awareness for some of “we” if not all just yet.
Gorgeous photo!
Thank you, Jazz. Despite what the politicians and others tell us, i am seeing that our “waking up” opportunity-time is pretty much over. We must do everything we can to change things but it may already be too late to stop the snowball effect. The Permafrost is melting like wildfire.
So many things. So sad…
The weather (and many of our inept politicians), Francis, will continue to get more and more insane.
A very telling collection of statistics and pic. But some will not be told…
Yes, too many terrible things happening — due to climate change — to list, unfortunately.
The question is, “How much am I willing to change?”
Jane, there are too many people who won’t give up their long jet plane fossil-fuel vacations, their big trucks, and their museum-sized houses.
Despite this dire info, the beautiful lacewing makes one hopeful for the future.
I deeply hope that you are right, Belinda, but (this year included) there have been far fewer sweet insects, frogs, and other animals than in the distant past.
Thank you😊
🙂
Eye opening, thanks for writing…
Thanks much, MHC. I really wish i could have been writing about how mankind has been doing the right things concerning the environment (but not enough are).
If it weren’t so sad, some of this would be almost funny. We’re all just another Nero – fiddling while the world burns.
Exactly, Eilene, and they say that there is evidence, historically, that Nero wasn’t fiddling… that he went through extreme measures and costs to make things better. Many human beings are the true Neros, and yes, it is truly sad.
Very informative thanks
I appreciate that, R.A.!
“It’s Good News Week!” Climate change in a hand-basket, This needs to be tattooed into our leaders minds.
A lot of leaders here in the U.S. deny that climate change exists, unfortunately.
Hard to believe they’re that unaware, crazy.
Three days ago when this post published we could have disdain for man’s indifference to Mother Earth – today, sadly it is man’s indifference to one another. Thank goodness for this lovely lacewing insect to put things into perspective.
Thank you, Linda. We live in a nutty manmade world.
Yes we do Tom – I turn on the news as soon as I get up every morning and I really should not be shocked or horrified by anything I hear anymore. I heard a sad news story about Greenland that scientists worry and obsess over the climate change on the LAND, but no one worries about the people who lives there. The people are having to euthanize their sled dogs because there is not enough snow to be able to use them through the seasons. No one cares about the impact on the people … made me feel sad to hear that.
Utterly depressing news! It amazes me that so many people don’t seem to care! But I will continue to do my part and hope that it makes a difference.
Yes, Sabine, we must continue to do what is whole and right.
We absolutely must, Tom!