Climate Change in Mountain Ecosystems (CCME) | Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center (NOROCK)

Climate Change in Mountain Ecosystems (CCME) | Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center (NOROCK)

An update on how climate change is affecting our Mountain Ecosystems. 

Hopefully more people are aware that our beautiful and once "perfect" eco-system is/was a system. Water, trees, mountains, oceans, winds and waves all affect life-cycles.

NOROCK - Glacier National Park (liink)

Tomorrow will be the fourth year anniversary of the Deep Water Horizon Disaster, which occurred April 20, 2010. Talking about systems, our globe's largest wetlands were in the Mississippi Embayment, located in Louisiana. Millions of crude oil bleeding from a maw in the ocean floor, thirteen humans killed, and Corexit poured all over the mix damaged our wetlands. 

The oceans waters travel the globe tri-yearly. When the oceans waters pass through the Gulf of Mexico, they used to be cleaned, and eventually became cooled water. That cooling did not happen for three years so far. Last year (2013) was a little cooler for us in the 93000's of the Longitude and Latitude of planet Earth. We have also gotten more rain in the last month, than I can remember in many years.

USGS Glacier National Park - Piegan Glacier - 2009

The shape our Earth is in spells dire circumstances to all living things. We are basically done arguing the validity of Climate Change, but it is my opinion that as a whole we are not seeing how much destruction has been done. 

Piegan Glacier in 1930 - Habitat/Forest Lost from then to 2014

For each large mammal that is lost as a species brings us one step closer to the end of this Geologic Age. 

**What use is it to write about this if things are so bad?

Answer: Knowledge is power, and the universe is made from the same thing we are made of. If enough of us will be determined to see Earth healed, species given respect and us changing the way we inhabit this planet, we can see massive change, and possibly save ourselves.

Our Mountain Ecosystems are affected exponentially. The United States Geological Survey maps and monitors the Earth and all of her systems. 

Here is a small excerpt from the article linked above:  "... in fact, the higher elevations of the Northern Rockies have experienced three times the global average temperature increase over the past century. These same ecosystems provide up to 85% of the water humans depend on as well as a host of other ecosystem services such as snow-based recreation, timber, unique flora and fauna, and critical habitat for rare and endangered species such as bull trout and grizzly bear..."

For a grizzly bear to be called rare and/or endangered is all of the warning I would need to realize the state of being that we are in. 

Please love Earth and intention her healing. Thank you.

ESA - Observing the Earth - Greenland glacier gives birth to giant iceberg

(link) ESA - Observing the Earth - Greenland glacier gives birth to giant iceberg

Send out the announcements! One of the largest glaciers on our planet just recently gave birth to a Giant Iceberg!  In the Glacial Household, this is referred to as Calving. Yes similar to a buffalo giving birth to a calf. For all those who are considered "deniers" of Climate Change and/or Global Warning, this is just a cute story manufactured by Hippies and Tree Huggers, go back to Watching Fox, you may lose the momentum of brainwashing. It would be a shame if you started looking at facts, and were to think for yourself. Hurry, I think Glenn is about to rant and rave that the First Lady was in Spain for a worldwide PETA meeting...

Now, for those of you who are free to evaluate information, please use the Link at the top of the page to see a historic event in Environmental change. To be clear, the Greenland glacier, calving an iceberg, is not an increase in the polar cap. I promise.

The European Space Agency (ESA) has a satellite called Envisat. Envisat is one of many of ESA's satellites orbiting our solar system, and keeping watch over our Universe. The type of system that is used in Envisat is called Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR). ASAR image captures of July 31, 2010, August 4, 2010 and Saturday, the 7th, 2010 showed movement, and the breaking of what is called the glacial tongue.

(The photo on the Right shows cracks and breaking of the glacial tongue on August 4th, 2010.)

Until August of this year, the glacier was moving at about 1km per year. On August 3rd the ice tongue was intact...the next day it separated from the glacier. That was calving, or the Glacier giving birth to the iceberg.

(The photo on the left is a 1991 image of the Petermann Glacier of NW Greenland.)

At this time, ESA in partnership with other agencies are monitoring the Strait of Nares. It's size at 245 square km is enormous...in the U.S. measure it is about 8 square miles big. Perhaps Sara Palin can see it from her backyard.

The Nares Strait connects the Lincoln Sea and Arctic Ocean with the Baffin Bay. The strait is usually navigable by icebreakers during August/September, when sea ice extent is at its minimum after the summer melt period. Envisat ASAR images will be used in the coming days to monitor the movement of the giant iceberg in support of icebreaker navigation.

In conclusion, I would like to thank the ESA for the beautiful imagry, and for monitoring our globe. Perhaps with this warning, and quick dispersal of the Petermann Glacier human beings will wake up and quit taking our plant for granted. This rapid loss of Glacial Ice this quickly is something Earth has not seen in recorded history. What will happen? I don't know.

USGS Release: Media Advisory: Congressional Briefing: Thinking Regionally, Acting Locally (7/19/2010 3:05:05 PM)

USGS Release: Media Advisory: Congressional Briefing: Thinking Regionally, Acting Locally (7/19/2010 3:05:05 PM)

Meeting to be held July 23, 2010

Natural Resources Challenges On a Large Scale

Contacts: Catherine Puckett - 352-278-0165
Alex Demas - 703-648-4421


This U.S.G.S. briefing will focus on Landscape-scale Science & how it can be used to make decisions on impacts. The focus will pay attention to the Wyoming Conservation Land programs to make the world a friendlier place for water, land and sky critters. There will be discussion surrounding optimum land-use. Focus will be given to at-risk and endangered species.


This briefing will be at 1334 Longworth House Office Building, Capitol Hill, Washington, DC

~*~ July 23, 2010 at 10:00 a.m.

Host- The Heinz Center for Science, Economics and the Environment


To Write to the Office of Communication:

U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey   
Office of Communication
119 National Center
Reston, VA 20192


This is specifically being held for the media, minutes and copies of this meeting may be requested. The release by the USGS States that decision makers need ideas to "secure water for cities and wildlife, to adapt to climate change...


Learn how researchers look at the natural world and how their perspective informs public policy.

Quivira' ~ Annual Conference - "The Carbon Ranch: Using Food and Stewardship to Build Soil and Fight Climate Change"

http://www.harvestingrainwater.com/2010/07/01/quivira-coalition%e2%80%99s-9th-annual-conference-november-10-12-2010-albuquerque-nm-2/

November 10-12, 2010- Albuguerque New Mexico - The Quivira Coalition will be sponsoring the 9th Annual - "The Carbon Ranch: Using Food & Stewardship to Build Soil and Fight Climate Change"

The Quivira Coalition's Mission Statement: “to build resilience by fostering ecological, economic and social health on western landscapes through education, innovation, collaboration, and progressive public and private land stewardship.”

There is an exciting line-up of speakers:

• Dr. David Montgomery, geologist and author of Dirt!: The Erosion of Civilizations
• Jeff Moyer, Farm Director for the Rodale Institute, on Organic No-Till
• Dr. Bill Chameides, Dean of the Nichols School of the Environment, Duke University
• Nancy Ranney, Rancher, Ranney Grassfed Beef.

Over the past 20 years or so, many groups are coming together to promote strategies of sustainibility. There are so many areas where there are opportunities to "think outside the grid" and the Quivira group has brought together a solution to what our world is dying for .

A carbon ranch bundles them into an economic whole with the aim of creating climate-friendly landscapes that are both healthy ecologically and the source of healthy food.

Links below are given:
To find out more about the conference: http://quiviracoalition.org/_2010_Conference/index.html

To download the announcement to pass it to interested parties: http://www.harvestingrainwater.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Quivira-2010-Conference-Announcement.pdf

To go ahead, find out costs (very reasonable), and register for this wonderful Conference: http://quiviracoalition.org/_2010_Conference/Online_Registration/index.html

Thank you to all those who are doing the Good Work for our world and habitat. Thank you for every drop of water you seed. Thank you for every dry-land that you turn into prosperous and healthy ground. Peace.

Forest's Take Center Stage at Copenhagen!

"esa Space for Our Climate", European Space Agency; Observing the Earth." December 19, 2009, News; Forest's Take Center Stage at Copenhagen."
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Space_for_our_climate/SEMIW2AK73G_0.html

This is a wonderfully scientifically biased report on a portion of the Copenhagen summit.

Kudos to the European Space Agency for their public service. ESA has been instrumental in expanding my own environmental education. The above link is to their article and web-site. The ESA website has tools and information for those who care about the complete biosphere around them. ESA shares helpful maps and always great photographs.

This article points that there is an agreement during the Copenhagen conference that deforestation is a factor that is doubtless a major contributor to greenhouse gas imbalances. Using wisdom this speaks of planning for profiting by keeping the rainforest's growing and not just something remembered.

EPA: Greenhouse Gases Threaten Public Health and the Environment / Science overwhelmingly shows greenhouse gas concentrations at unprecedented levels

http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/08D11A451131BCA585257685005BF252

Finally! The Elephant in the Room has been pointed out...! Woowie.

EPA Top Administrator Lisa Jackson has made the statement that Greenhouse gases must be addressed as a direct threat to human health.

As usual Administrator Jackson has compiled information from sources worldwide, once more she comes to the public after having done her homework.

Kudos to the EPA leadership in considering this one habitat we have...!