It seems that I got the attention of one writer for the Village Voice online edition about my stance against “Earth Hour”, compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), and other whacked out greenie ecology totems erected in celebration of earth and man’s salvation through reduced energy consumption. ~buffing my fingernails on my chest~ It seems that human achievement, no matter how monumental, is now to blame for all worldwide disasters and a dawning global apocalypse. We members of the human race are to blame for global warming and by over warming the planet we are shooting ourselves with weapons of our own making, imagination, innovation, discovery, accomplishment and comfort. Of course, the only “facts” listed in opposition by the Village Voice is that I provided no sourcing to support my Geiger counter purchase claims, which clearly is present in link form. They also suggest that participants in earth hour did not wear celebratory loin cloths while dancing under their moon-god. I suppose I’ll have to give them that one.
Of course this blaming of man for disasters created by man’s impact on global warming disregards earlier periods of cyclical global warming that occurred prior to the industrialization of humankind and the destruction that came with those naturally occurring events, such as the explosion of Krakatau or Krakatoa, as you prefer. It exploded as early as 416 AD and the subsequent deaths of thousands in 1883 was brought about by incineration from pyroclastic flows and drowning in tsunami waves raised up to as high as 120 feet, or 37 meters. These waves were created by a combination of precipitation of solids falling out of the pyroclastic flows cooled as they raced over the sea and the sudden fall and rise of water in and out of the collapsing caldera. Both the pyroclastic flow and the tsunami wave moved as speeds between 600 and 700 miles per hour to strike Java and Sumatra.
Significant and not to be discarded, in relation to this discussion is the fact that Krakatau also erupted, as stated above, in 416 AD, and again in 535 AD, and 1680, remodeling the area with each eruption. Didn’t we just cite experts, through preceeding links, who state definitively that global warming is linked to volcanic and earthquake activity and visa versa? I wonder how much energy sources were used and how much pollution was created by man through industrial and social mechanisms in 416, 535 and 1680 AD to influence global warming during those time frames? Let’s not use or consider facts that may keep a good story from evolving, however.
Following the explosion in 1883, it was reported that average global temperatures fell by as much as 1.2 degrees Celsius in the year following the eruption. Weather patterns continued to be chaotic for years and temperatures did not return to normal until 1888.
Volcanic activity is on the rise globally in recent decades and so, it seem, is earthquake activity. Perhaps we are in a normal global heating cycle the encourages the earth to constantly reshape and remake itself as it has done since the continents were joined as a single land mass. But, then again, maybe we humans are accelerating what would normally take more time to occur naturally by transforming oil, gas, and other natural energy sources into pollution while simultaneous removing natural cleaning systems, such as trees and plants to make way for our growing populations worldwide.
Perhaps mankind does scar the earth more so than nature does with its wildfires, hurricanes, tsunamis, earth quakes, solar storms, axis tilts (with attendant precessional wobble) and so on. At best, maybe we are doing just enough damage to tip the balance from an isothermal temperature range to one that is tipping randomly outside of or isothermal norm. It has been reported that the earth’s axis was tilted recently due to the 9.0 earthquake in the Sea of Japan.
Maybe we should all shutter our homes, park our automobiles forever and move back to caves just to be safe. After all, it’s better to life in discomfort than it is to die with your feet up on the leg rest of a lazy boy. I raise my cup of coffee fresh from my Keurig brewer illuminated by incandescent lamps in a warm and comfy room (72 degrees Farenheit) in Billerica, MA where the outside temperature is 26 degrees to the Village Voice and thank your mentioning me in your ~cough~ most respected and open-minded blog.
As an aside, but still on topic, I suppose that not only should we move away from industry and other large users of polluting energy, but we need to move at least 20 miles away from the eastern coastline of the United States. A computer model compiled in collaboration with Steven Ward of the University of California, Santa Cruz, predicts that a tsumani resulting from the explosion of and subsequent collapse of an unstable submarine volcano, Cumbre Vieja, in the Canary Island of La Palma will strike Africa at heights of 100 meters or 330 feet and the entire east coast of America at heights of up to 50 meters or 165 feet. The model shows the Tsunami penetrating inland to a distance of 15 – 25 miles depending upon the shape of the coastline struck.
This computer model predicts that the eruption could occur decades or centuries from now. This is scientific speak for “we don’t know and can’t say that it won’t happen as we speak”.
Turn out the lights and sleep well my friends. Right now, with all of the global warming scare information coupled with real world cyclical activities, it’s a wonder we get anything done at all.
