Tag Archives: climate change

Climate Change Threatens the Future and the Past

Climate Change Threatens the Future and the Past

By Halia Ochieng, age 13, Virginia. 

Storms and floods are increasingly common in coastal areas in the United States and around the world. Rising water tables prevent soil from draining, which impacts soil health, plant growth, and other important ecological resources. I traveled to Jamestown, Virginia, home of England’s first permanent colony in North America, to learn more about another impact of rising water levels: the destruction of archeological sites. 

To understand how climate change is threatening these sites, I met with Dave Givens, the Director of Archaeology at Jamestown Rediscovery. Dave explained that rising water levels not only damage artifacts, they also make it harder for archeologists to do their work. Things stand to get worse: Dave estimated that “Jamestown will solidly be underwater by 2050.” 

Archeologists on Dave’s team reported that, as previously dry archaeological features become inundated, they are damaged in ways that reduce the historical clues they offer. DNA, for example, can be lost when bones are submerged for too long. Saltwater causes even greater damage, and Jamestown and many other archeological sites are close to the ocean. Artifacts containing porous materials like bricks, bones, pottery shards, and wood are damaged slowly, but metal artifacts corrode quickly, even in brackish water.

It’s not only Jamestown that’s threatened. According to a study done by researchers from across the country, more than 13,000 U.S. archeological sites are at risk of sinking. 

The same is true of many important heritage sites around the world. Ancient civilizations often developed along river deltas, such as the Tigris, Jordan, Euphrates, Nile, Indus, Huang He and Changjiang. River deltas are particularly threatened by rising water levels because they are flat and close to sea level. This means that our most valuable archaeological sites are often at the highest risk. 

Even a several-inch rise can submerge these sites, and according to the U.S. Global Change Research Program, the “average sea level has risen by more than 8 inches since scientific record keeping began in 1880.” 

New advances in technologies used for archeology, such as ground-penetrating radar, Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) imagery, and portable X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy measurers, offer an unprecedented opportunity to understand the civilizations that shape our societies and enrich our cultures. If archeologists had the time they needed to apply these new technologies in threatened sites, we could unlock a wealth of knowledge about our ancestors and our world. Because these new archaeological tools are less effective under water, rising water levels have created a race against the clock. 

Despite the urgency of their work, archeologists face many climate change-related interruptions. Coastal archeological sites have reported 100-year-storms becoming as frequent as every five years. Also, archeologists need to dig when soil is dry to see discolorations in the soil, which can indicate trenches or other filled-in groundwork. It’s hard for archeologists to race ahead when dry-soil days are becoming rare. 

June 2023. Heavy rains and high tides inundated excavation units with evidence of early expansion of James Fort.

To buy time, archeologists have sought temporary solutions, such as pumps and water retention walls. These are not only costly, but they are also inadequate. To enable archeologists to continue making discoveries, we need to slow climate change, which does more than submerge artifacts. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, “coastal erosion… and more frequent large wildfires are damaging archaeological resources, historic buildings, and cultural landscapes across the nation.” 

Some may argue that climate change has actually helped archeologists. Historic droughts in 2022 revealed sunken Nazi warships in the Danube, dinosaur footprints in the Paluxy riverbed in Texas, and other artifacts. These were often found in rivers, lakes, or reservoirs, instead of coastal areas, and some have since been resubmerged. While archeologists try to make the most of these unpredictable opportunities, these finds cannot compare to what they stand to lose.

As a student who hopes to become an archeologist in the future, I see my career dreams literally sinking at the precise moment when, thanks to technological advances, the field holds so much promise. By the time I enter the workforce, it may be too late to dig in some of my favorite archeological sites. This is particularly sad because archeology has recently made great strides in telling the stories of women and marginalized communities. Whereas history used to focus on the stories of dominant individuals and groups, so many of us are only now learning our histories. 

I wanted to write this article as a way to raise my voice. I am told I am too young to run for office, too young to vote, and too young to do much lobbying. Young people are rarely given the chance to encourage our governments to protect the climate, which is why young people like Greta Thunberg had to resort to school strikes when she was around my age. Similarly, young people are rarely included in discussions about supporting archeology. Both goals are so important, and the current generation of adults has a responsibility to lead the way. Younger generations know that it’s their future at stake, but they need adults’ help to access and raise their voices in adult-led spaces. 

Adults can help by improving climate change education. Young people need to learn more about climate change and its impact on archeology. These topics get little attention in schools, educational resources, or children’s media, but we need to understand what’s at stake and how to reduce our climate footprint to protect historical treasures waiting to be dug up. 

Adults should also increase funding for climate-informed archeological work. “Funding for archaeological research from governmental and philanthropic sources is becoming scarcer,” according to the Digital Archeological Record, just at the time when the field needs to accelerate its work. 

Most importantly however, adults need to reduce their own climate footprint. Protecting the climate today not only safeguards our future, it also allows us to continue learning from our past. 

By Halia Ochieng, age 13, Virginia. Their Climate Conservation Club can be reached at: climateconservationclub.gf@gmail.com. Halia says, “I’ve grown up between Europe, Kenya, and the United States, and I take inspiration from environmental activists like Wangari Maathai and Greta Thunberg. I speak German and English and am currently learning French.”

 

 

 

 

Smoky Skies

Smoky Skies

By Joyce Lazarus, Ph.D., Massachusetts.

Note: This is a fictional story, based on actual events. The names have been changed to protect the identities of the plaintiffs.

Rachel sits down on a riverbank, shaded by a giant cottonwood. Its silvery leaves turn in the breeze, shielding her from the stifling August sun. She stares at sunburnt grasslands and distant blue hills on her ranch in Montana, where her family has been ranching for generations.

Something catches her eye. She looks toward the west and sees plumes of dark smoke rising, reddening in the afternoon sun. Dark, billowing clouds are filling the sky, blotting out sunlight.

“Dad, do you see the smoke?” Rachel calls to her father.

“No. Where is it?”

Rachel starts running toward the smoke. She spots a wildfire in the distant hills, its orange flames devouring the withered forest. With no rain for the past three weeks and a severe heatwave, there is little they can do to stop wildfires from spreading. She already knows of twenty-five other fires this summer, less than fifty miles from their ranch.

How long before one of these wildfires reaches their ranch? How can they stop fires that spread so quickly, whipped up by winds?

The look on Dad’s face tells Rachel how concerned he is.

“Let’s hose down the house and barn,” he says. “We’ll bring in the cattle and horses.”

Rachel learned about climate change when she was eleven and thought it was something she could do nothing about. Now thirteen, she feels her stomach twisting into knots, panic surging. Her whole ranch could be destroyed! How can she stop something so powerful?

Every year there are more storms, droughts, wildfires, heatwaves―every kind of natural disaster. Rachel understands that burning coal and other fossil fuels are a major cause of climate change, but most people she knows do not want to admit this. They shrug their shoulders, saying, “Let nature run its course. We’ll get through this crisis like we always have.”

Many people do not see things as Rachel does. When she learned in science class that humans have only about seven years to act before irreversible harm is done to the Earth, it hit her very hard. She knows the feeling of smoke caught in her throat, of dense gray smog blocking out sunlight. She is just a teenager, but if teens don’t try to solve this climate crisis, who else will?

Rachel has nightmares about fires sweeping across her ranch. She sees herself racing to save her family, horses, cattle, and little dog, Felix. She wakes up covered in sweat.

 ***

She isn’t the only teen in Montana worried about climate change. Since joining a climate action club, Rachel has gotten to know Nora. Nora tells her that every time she hears about wildfires, it feels like getting punched in the stomach. When Nora watched Greta Thunberg on TV, speaking at the United Nations, asking world leaders, “How dare you?” it took her breath away. This was the first time someone close to her age expressed the anger and determination to do something that Nora felt.

Later that month, Nora brings her exciting news.

“There is a law firm, Rachel, “Our Children’s Trust*,” that can help us sue the State of Montana for not protecting us against climate disasters. I plan to join the lawsuit.”

“Really?”

“The state constitution says that all Montanans are entitled to a clean and healthful environment. When fossil fuel companies drill into the land, polluting the air and water, they disregard what science has been telling us for decades about dangers to the environment.”

“What do we need to do?”

“We should sign up as plaintiffs, to explain in court how climate change has harmed us, then talk about our fears for the future. We’ll tell our lawyer, Janet Olsen, what disasters might occur if we don’t act soon.”

“You’ve convinced me, Nora. I’ll join!”

“Your story is much more persuasive than mine, Rachel. Your ranch has come close to being destroyed by wildfires! Why don’t you represent our group and I’ll give interviews to the press? We’ll work together to win this case!”

Rachel, Nora, and fourteen other teens join the lawsuit against the State of Montana.

***

While Janet Olsen prepares arguments for the trial, Nora gives interviews to the press. Articles soon appear in newspapers all over the country. TV news anchors speak of “the kids who are leading the way to save the US from climate catastrophe.”

Rachel Heller gives her name to the lawsuit, “Heller v. Montana,” since her story makes the strongest case for acting quickly.

After three long years, their lawsuit makes it to court―the first time in US history that a kids-led climate lawsuit goes to trial.

***

One hot June day in Helena, Montana, the trial begins.

Teens stand up in court one after another to tell the judge how climate change is harming them.

Sara, sixteen, says that her life as a member of the Diné Tribe is completely tied to nature.

“We tell many stories to our people,” Sara says. “We can only tell a Coyote story if there is snow on the ground. But the time left to share these stories is getting shorter, with so little snow in winter. What will happen to our stories when there is no more snow?”

Lilian, from the Crow Tribe, speaks about a summer tradition, Crow Fair, with its rodeo, traditional dances, and parades. Because of intense heat, the fair was cancelled this year.

“If you miss Crow Fair, you’ve missed something that’s part of your identity,” Lilian says. “We’re taught that we have three mothers: your natural mother, your home, and Mother Earth. Taking care of all three is our responsibility.”

Rachel, Nora and others stand up and talk about the harm caused by climate change.

The judge thanks everyone for their testimony.

***

One day in July, the judge announces that she has reached a verdict. All sixteen plaintiffs file into the court and nervously sit down.

The judge reads: “We find the plaintiffs’ arguments for protecting Montana from the harmful effects of climate change to be convincing. We rule in favor of the sixteen plaintiffs.”

Loud cheers and applause greet the children as they leave the courthouse. Nora and Rachel lift their fists, crying, “We are heard! We are heard!”

Rachel later says to Nora, “We can’t save the planet by ourselves, but we took a first step. Others will follow.”                             

—Joyce Lazarus, Ph.D., Massachusetts. is a retired French professor and an author of a number of books.  A grandmother to three children, Joyce has also published several children’s stories. She adds: “I feel inspired by my three grandchildren, and am concerned about the growing climate crisis that their generation will face.  My hope is that young people, like the characters in this story, will find ways to mitigate the threat of climate change, to protect and preserve our precious Earth… My aim in writing this story is to show young people that they can help make a difference by recognizing that they are stewards of the environment.”

* Our Children’s Trust is a national nonprofit based in Eugene, Oregon. Their mission statement reads: “Our Children’s Trust is a non-profit public interest law firm that provides strategic, campaign-based legal services to youth from diverse backgrounds to secure their legal rights to a safe climate. We work to protect the Earth’s climate system for present and future generations by representing young people in global legal efforts to secure their binding and enforceable legal rights to a healthy atmosphere and stable climate, based on the best available science.
“We support our youth clients and amplify their voices before the third branch of government in a highly strategic legal campaign that includes targeted media, education, and public engagement work to support the youths’ legal actions. Our legal work—guided by constitutional, public trust, human rights laws and the laws of nature—aims to ensure systemic and science-based climate recovery planning and remedies at federal, state, and global levels.”
To learn more about them, please visit: https://www.ourchildrenstrust.org

 

 

We’re Getting Hotter by the Year!

A Happy New Year to all our readers, contributors, subscribers, and supporters, both here and abroad!

Photo of the Emigrant Peak, seen from Paradise Valley, Montana

Emigrant Peak, seen from Paradise Valley, Montana. Photo by Paul Dix.

Did you read that 2023 was the hottest year for as long as human beings have been on the planet? According to research 2023 was the HOTTEST year in at least the last 100,000 years! Don’t get confused just because there are a few regional cold spells—like the upcoming Deep Freeze in much of North America later this week and the recent Arctic Blasts in Scandinavia and Northern Europe!

Common Dreams and other news media reported (on January 9, 2024) that global average temperature in the year 2023 was 14.98°C—that’s 0.17°C warmer than 2016 (the previous warmest year), 0.60°C warmer than the 1991-2020 average, and 1.48°C warmer than the 1850-1900 (pre-industrial) level, according to the scientists at the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. And, the prediction is that this year, 2024, will be warmer than 2023! Why do scientists predict more of the same in 2024?

The global oceans paint a better picture of what is happening in the climate world because the heat gets absorbed in ocean waters. A study published on January 11th in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences states that the upper 2,000 meters of the global ocean was estimated to have an additional 15 zettajoules of energy in 2023 compared to the 2022 amount. The Chinese Academy of Sciences estimates that the world’s economy requires about half a zettajoule of energy to run every year, that means, the oceans gained 30 times the annual energy needs of the world. Fifteen zettajoules would be enough to boil 2.3 billion Olympic-sized swimming pools of water . About 90 % of the energy produced by global fossil fuels use is stored in the world’s oceans. Therefore, the ocean is warming consistently, year over year to new record levels, due to this increase in ocean heat content. The resulting increased ocean water temperatures fuel the weather systems bringing intense heat waves, hurricanes, and big storms—high winds and dump heavy precipitations.

The Paris COP agreement was to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5 °C over the pre-industrial levels. Obviously, most countries will not meet that target because we continue to depend greatly on the use of fossil fuels—coal, oil, natural gas (fracked gas).

Unfortunately, the recent COP 28 international conference (like most of the previous ones) was not much more than a hot air balloon, and the next one—COP 29 is likely to be no different. So disappointing! What can we expect when these climate conferences are dominated by oil producing countries and thousands of black gold lobbyists?

We need hundreds of thousands of nature educators, activists and nature protectors of all ages, like the late Rachel Carson (author and marine biologist, USA), Sir David Attenborough (of UK), Bill McKibben (Co-founder of 350.org, USA), Greta Thunberg (from Sweden), Ilyess El Korbi (from Ukraine, Morocco, and now Germany), Elizabeth Wathuti (of Kenya), Xiuhtezcatl Martinez (Native American from USA), Maria Reyes (of Mexico), Amma (from India), Tahsin Uddin (in Bangladesh) and Leah Namugerwa (of Uganda), people from all over the globe to wake us up from our slumber—to educate us and demand a change in the ways our industries, businesses, systems, people, and governments have been damaging and destroying the planet’s natural systems.

Won’t you become a change maker in your school, community, region or nation—wherever you are?

Presented by Arun N. Toké, editor. Based largely on several news reports published by Common Dreams (Jan. 9 and Jan. 11, 2024)

What Would Our Ancestors Think

Art and Poem by Daniel Liu, age 16, New York.

There is constant talk

Of the world ending in three days

Or is it four years, or five decades, but definitely when

the polar bears start swimming to New York

The sea groans and rumbles

As waves upon waves of human trash clog her up

She sniffles amidst the crushing silence

Sea snot collects on her waves

History starts to crumble

Our oldest trees cut down

Nature groans and shakes

In a futile effort to stop the abuse

The planet prepares itself for destruction

The pain is unlike anything she has ever experienced before

Crops shrivel up in the infernos that run rampant across the landscape           

Such displays are necessary to attract humanity’s short attention span

Animals feel nature’s anguish

They flee North

Until they cannot go any further

More lives snuffed out by humanity’s greed

The most vulnerable of the population suffer

Heat waves overwhelm the wounded, elderly, and sick

Surely we did not mean to wage warfare on the defenseless

But it is only a matter of time before conditions deteriorate further

Schoolchildren sullenly trudge across the parched land

The sky turns black as clouds suddenly gather

They look up, hopeful for the touch of the fabled snowflake

Warm rain drizzles, then the omnipresent sun returns 

In some places floods wash away human remains

Our ancestors disturbed by Nature’s wrath

They weep as they behold the desolate world around them

For the fate of the next generation

Art and Poem by Daniel Liu, age 16, New York.

Daniel Liu adds: “I am a sixteen year old writer that lives in New York. I am very passionate about the issue of climate change, as it is an enduring issue that grows ever larger with each generation and is deserving of attention from all of society. These poems are a testament to the various consequences of climate change in every aspect of society, from agriculture to insurance. To this extent, I hope that these poems are enough to inspire a sense of alarm for the Earth’s future, but just as importantly, hope that humanity can unify in order to reverse the ecological damage that has been done. It is in times of great crisis that innovation and change are at their peak, and humanity’s resilience is shown through our uplifting moments.”

The First Casualties in the War Against Earth

Art and poem by Daniel Liu, age 16, New York.

Wind blows from the four corners of the earth

With the roar of a thousand lions

The house stands in the aftermath

Partially caved in

The family laments their loss

Mother Nature will not be denied

Ink pens scratch on paper

Now their fate is in the hands of companies

Premiums and deductibles

The economic jargon of insurance

When it is time to cover damages

They cringe and make excuses

The desperate family feels the vicious sting of betrayal

When Insurance blacklists the entire zip code

Businessmen reassure themselves of their morality

Accepting this debt will only cause their bankruptcy

But what of

The newborn baby, still fresh from the womb

The elderly grandparents, who have worked decades to afford the house

The first casualties of the consequences of the war humans wage on the planet

How long must the injustice go on

How many icebergs must melt

The gushing stream of the Earth’s blood

Will overwhelm us if change is not forthcoming

Art and poem by Daniel Liu, age 16, New York.

Daniel Liu adds:

“I am a sixteen year old writer that lives in New York. I am very passionate about the issue of climate change, as it is an enduring issue that grows ever larger with each generation and is deserving of attention from all of society. These poems are a testament to the various consequences of climate change in every aspect of society, from agriculture to insurance. To this extent, I hope that these poems are enough to inspire a sense of alarm for the Earth’s future, but just as importantly, hope that humanity can unify in order to reverse the ecological damage that has been done. It is in times of great crisis that innovation and change are at their peak, and humanity’s resilience is shown through our uplifting moments.”

Snap Out of It

By Bella Melardi, Grade 11, Ontario, Cananda

Information is resistance. It will open our eyes. Awareness is change. The first step to solving a problem is acknowledging there is one. Let the existence of the climate crisis sink in. This is a reality check. Get out of your own heads. Snap out of it.

People’s lives are at stake. Climate change doesn’t affect everyone equally. People in power and people with privilege will not feel Mother Nature’s wrath the way minorities do. People will use their wealth and privilege as ‘band aids’ to block out destruction.

You can already see the effect that pollution is having on minorities in Canada. McGill Daily states, “In October 2020, over 250 Neskantaga residents were evacuated and transferred to a hotel in Thunder Bay after “an oily sheen was found in the Neskantaga water reservoir;” “high levels of hydrocarbons” were discovered in the water after testing.” The chemicals we created are destroying communities. They are festering in our waterways like tumors, spreading disease.

This destruction can also be seen through the construction of Line 3. Line 3 is a pipeline expansion that was just completed in September 2021. This pipeline will transport almost a million barrels of toxic tar sand oil per day from Alberta to Wisconsin. An oil spill would mean damage to coastal communities (near Lake Superior) and the wildlife, such as salmon and orca . StopLine3.org states, “Line 3 would violate the treaty rights of Anishinaabe peoples and nations in its path wild rice is a centerpiece of Anishinaabe culture, it grows in numerous watersheds Line 3 seeks to cross. It’s well past time to end the legacy of theft from and destruction of Indigenous peoples and territories.”

It is disgusting that our government allowed this pipeline to be built. They choose oil over preserving life! The people in power have to wake up! We have to find a new renewable resource. We have to act now. Researchers have found that we’ll likely cross the threshold for dangerous warming between 2027 and 2042. In 2042, I will only be 35 years old.

If you leave it up to my generation, it will be too late. We must all do better. Urge your elected officials to remove Line 3. Urge them to create a plan to invest in solar, wind or hydropower. We must switch to a renewable resource now! Increase the carbon tax. Instead of using tax dollars to invest in Line 3, the government should have used them to benefit the future of society. The Canadian government has to make stopping climate change a priority.

I want to help stop this but I feel so powerless. Corporations value making money over the future of their children. They value making money over minorities’ lives. Capitalism has caused people to become so consumed with greed. They are putting lives at stake. Mother Nature is bleeding. Humans are tearing out her skin and cutting her flesh. The earth is coughing up ash and choking on our greed. When will the earth’s heart give out?

This is my final plea to the people in power. You are selfish. You are killing us. You have already ruined the lives of countless Indigenous communities. You may not be affected by climate change right now but Indigenous people are. My generation will be. Our futures will rise up in flames. I don’t understand why you can be so selfish? Was it worth it? I hope you’re happy. You are exchanging lives for dollars. I hope it’s worth it.

We have to end the cycle of greed and suffering. Information is resistance. Open your eyes. Awareness is change. Use this awareness to get out of your own heads. Remove the shackles of greed that are binding you to your destructive choices. Think of the world around you. Here is a reality check.

Snap out of it.

Bibliography

Canada, Environment and Climate Change. “Government of Canada.” Canada.ca, Gouvernement Du Canada, 3 Mar. 2021, https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/environmental-indicators/progress-towards-canada-greenhouse-gas-emissions-reduction-target.html

Board, Editorial, and Editorial Board. “Neskantaga First Nation Still Doesn’t Have Clean Water.” The McGill Daily, 22 Jan. 2021, https://www.mcgilldaily.com/2021/01/neskantaga-first-nation-still-doesnt-have-clean-water/

Global Warming

By Derek Meng, age 10, California.

Glaciers melting, polar bears dying

Sea levels rising, floods occurring

Fire’s spreading, lightning’s striking

Tornadoes and tsunamis ruining houses and killing

More and more natural disasters happening

Virus spreading, people dying

Have you ever thought about who has caused this trouble?

You might say it’s nature, but do you think of us

and our broken relationship with nature?

Carbon dioxide coming out of cars

Trees going down

Thousands of dead, unwanted fish thrown overboard

Tons of unused food discarded

These are few examples of what’s happening in our world

Then how can we help nature?

If you have thought, “How can we help Earth?”

Then here are some things we can do:

Reuse, reduce, recycle

Use reusable bags

Use reusable bottles

Plant trees

Pick up trash

Save electricity by turning off lights

Use renewable energy

These are a few ways we can help

Have you ever thought what a beautiful world it would be

If we could make Earth—our home—clean?

“I am Chinese and I live in California. I am bilingual—I speak both Chinese and English fluently, I can also read and write these two languages.

My Global Warming poem was inspired by climate change. I want people to know that our world may soon be inhabitable if we do not change our ways. 

My vision of the future is the past combined with the present, all the trees should be restored to extract all that extra carbon dioxide [from the atmosphere], our houses should be ecosystem-friendly, and every vehicle should run on electricity. This is because of what I think is important, which is the world, the environment, and my family.”

—Derek Meng, age 10, California.