The recent study on Artic warming published Thursday points not just to climate change but climate catastrophe. Warming four times faster than the rest of the planet, huge ice shelves have thinned out and are breaking apart, not only resulting in rising sea levels but in warming temperatures of the ocean.
It works this way: ice reflects the sun’s heat back and keeps the earth cool; water, dark water absorbs the heat and warms the ocean. Published by the Finnish Meteorological Institute, this study is the latest in a line of wake-up calls for countries like the U.S, the emitter of 40% of greenhouse gasses. What we do impacts others and ourselves.
Beach replenishment along the Jersey and Connecticut shores is only a stop-gap measure. The rising water will not just affect places like Newport, RI, or New York, but Florida as well where a Republican governor uses words like “resilience” while calling concerns about climate change “left-wing stuff.” When South Beach goes under water, we’ll see how “left-wing” it is.
Prayer for the Day
Svalbard, and we have images of polar bears on solid ice packs,
But we see images of ice floes floating in the sea perched by birds;
Our equilibrium becomes shaken, and we long for the old days,
The days before we began to worry about the future of the planet.
O God, shower us with your wisdom, plentiful as the stars
And shake us from our complacency moving us beyond nostalgia.
In the name of the One who was never complacent,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
We suspect that either this [Artic ice melting] is an extremely unlikely event, or the climate models systematically underestimate this Arctic amplification.
- Antti Liponen, Finnish Meteorological Institute
There needs to be an infinite acceleration in frequency of this kind of legislation. I think the planet is sending that message pretty loud and clear.
- Kim Cobb, author of IPCC study on climate change
To the snow, God says, fall on the earth, and the shower of rain, heavy rain
Serves as a sign on everyone’s hand so that all whom God has made.
Then the animals go into their lairs and remain I their dens.
From its chamber comes the whirlwind, and cold from scattering winds.
By the breath of God ice is given, and the broad waters are frozen fast.
Job 37:3-9