News feed from Princess Elisabeth Antarctica
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Ice melting in Antarctica. SJ Dodgson MJoTA 2015 v9n1 p0401
Antarctic ice is melting bit by bit. So is Arctic ice. The snow on Mount Kilimanjaro is almost gone. Climate change is happening, and everywhere governments are scrambling to slow the damage to their countries caused by rising seas.
Around my town, but not in my town, South Jersey street lights are powered by solar panels. On the train to Manhattan I see solar panel farms. Stockton College has solar panels over parking lots. On an occasional roof, I see solar panels. The collective approach to accessing energy from renewable sources is popping up like crocuses in spring, but until South Jersey has a collective and personal approach, we will continue to dump greenhouse gases into the air so it can float up to the upper atmosphere and sit there.
Personally, I am growing my own food, I consume no animal products, I ride trains and walk whenever possible. A silly health problem has ended my ability to ride a bicycle, otherwise I would be riding everywhere possible, as does my adult son who lives with me. I would change my power source entirely to solar if it was not prohibitively expensive; I am relying on power agencies to switch to renewable energy to supply my house.
Builders need to be made accountable in South Jersey and everywhere, but in a sensible manner. I have read of governments requiring all buildings to be covered in solar panels or plants or both. When we lived in caves, we had plenty of plant growth around us, and the jungle takes back its land when buildings are neglected. I have seen trees growing out of buildings in New Jersey, and in Puerto Rico. Growing plants on buildings can only work if the builder, and the future inhabitant, really knows what they are doing. I managed to destroy part of my house by growing flowers and tomatoes on a balcony.
It is all about drainage, which is why we have rising seas in the first place. When ice melts, it has nowhere else to go. When we burn fossil fuels, or trash, or anything, we release carbon dioxide. And it has nowhere else to go other than up.
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Map, information from Wikipedia
Antarctica, on average, is the coldest, driest, and windiest continent, and is on average the highest of all continents. Antarctica is a desert with annual precipitation of 8 inches along the coast and far less inland. The temperature in Antarctica has reached −89 °C (−129 °F).
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Stuck in pack ice in Antarctica. SJ Dodgson 2013 MJoTA v7n2 p1230
A Russian ship carrying 22 crew members and 53 scientists and tourists has been stuck in ice in Antarctica since Dec 24, 2013, Ice-breaker ships have tried to free it unsuccessfully, now, Dec 30, we are hearing that the passengers are to be helicoptered out to a Chinese ice-breaker, and the crew are staying with the ship. Meanwhile, those on board are posting videos, a lot of videos, and these all are cheerful and explaining that they are having a great time. Wow!
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