Jennifer Marohasy

a forum for the discussion of issues concerning the natural environment

Archives for October 2007

NASA: Recent Rapid Decline in Sea Ice Caused by Unusual Winds

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The NASA news release is here.

Write up from AccuWeather:

In a news release from NASA Monday, a group of scientists have determined that unusual winds caused the rapid decline (23% loss) in winter perennial ice over the past two years in the northern hemisphere. This drastic reduction is the primary cause of this summer’s fastest-ever sea ice retreat in recorded history which has lead to the smallest extent of total Arctic coverage on record.

According to the NASA study, the perennial ice shrunk by an area the size of Texas and California combined between the winter of 2005 and the winter of 2007. What they found was the Arctic Ocean north of Siberia and Alaska was dominated by thinner seasonal ice that melts faster compared to the thicker ice confined to the Arctic Ocean north of Canada. The thinner ice is more easily compressed and responds more quickly to being pushed out of the Arctic by winds.

“Unusual atmospheric conditions set up wind patterns that compressed the sea ice, loaded it into the Transpolar Drift Stream and then sped its flow out of the Arctic,” said Son Nghiem of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and leader of the study. When that sea ice reached lower latitudes, it rapidly melted in the warmer waters.

What about these unusual wind patterns. Well, the article does not go into that too much, but I must believe some of this is due to changes in the Arctic Oscillation (AO) and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) which are large atmospheric circulations which have major impacts on the weather in certain parts of the world.

If you look at the two graphics below, you will notice that both the AO and the NAO have been predominately in the positive phase (red) between 1989-1995 and again from 1999 to current. The positive phase of the (AO) typically leads to milder than normal winters over Scandinavia and Siberia, while colder than normal conditions prevail across Greenland. The positive phase of the NAO again leads to colder conditions over Greenland, while much of the eastern U.S. is warmer than normal in general.

Thanks to Marc Morano for sharing this.

The Differential Value of Heritage

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Natural and cultural heritage has differential value; what is priceless and irreplaceable to some is disposable to others. This differentiation is cause for many conflicts and manifests anywhere from highly localised disputes to the very core of sovereign sensitivity.

In an ABC News article Vandal attack on treasured cave, heavy cutting equipment was allegedly used to break into the Kubla Khan cave, regarded as one of Australia’s most pristine underground formations. Within the cave is a huge chamber called Xanadu, containing an 18m high stalagmite known as the Khan. The cave is not open to the general public and permits are restricted to only 12 tour groups each year.

Exclusivity of access to public reserves is contentious. The relationship between the permit-issuing authority and the permit holder is exclusionary to fair trade. Inhabitants local to the area may well perceive their exclusion from their cultural heritage as usurpatory, especially if permit-holders derive income privilege from restricted entry.

When I read the article I was reminded of the seemingly senseless destruction of the Dig Tree, made famous through the ill-fated 1860 Burke & Wills expedition. I must confess that when I heard of this incident of alleged vandalism, Innaminka sprang to mind and the beauty of the approach through the Strezlecki Desert. Nevertheless, there are those amongst us, thankfully small in number, who deliberately damage or destroy heritage as an expression of will.

I have previously written about the Disposal of Our Heritage, but much of my concern reflects the likelihood of collateral damage inflicted against the state and its Parks and Wildlife Service in particular.

It is very frustrating that the environmental mandates and functions of government land management agencies are not considered business activites, as they are relieved of the need to conform with competitive neutrality and fair trade. A national overhaul of environmental compliance is urgently required to protect our heritage from these aggravating practices. Our greatest defense, in the meantime, is the residential vigilance of local people and the importance of protecting that which sustains them, now and hopefully into the future.

Orange-thighed Tree Frogs

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Xanthomera.jpg

Confined to tropical Northern Queensland rainforests, between Cooktown and Townsville, Orange-thighed Tree Frogs (Litoria xanthomera) live in the upper-canopy and descend to the ground only to breed. Emerging only after heavy rains, these beautiful tree frogs can be conveniently observed only four or five nights of the year.

Courting rituals are very noisy and may be heard for hundreds of metres through dense rainforest. Only males vocalize and it would seem to be the smaller males that out-compete for the affections of the females through their higher frequency, more energy-efficient and sustained serenading.

UK Judge: Schools Must Warn of AIT Film Bias

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Reported in the Daily Mail today:

Schools must warn of Gore climate film bias

Schools will have to issue a warning before they show pupils Al Gore’s controversial film about global warming, a judge indicated yesterday.

The move follows a High Court action by a father who accused the Government of ‘brainwashing’ children with propaganda by showing it in the classroom.

Stewart Dimmock said the former U.S. Vice-President’s documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, is unfit for schools because it is politically biased and contains serious scientific inaccuracies and ‘sentimental mush’.

He wants the video banned after it was distributed with four other short films to 3,500 schools in February.

Mr Justice Burton is due to deliver a ruling on the case next week, but yesterday he said he would be saying that Gore’s Oscar-winning film does promote ‘partisan political views’. This means that teachers will have to warn pupils that there are other opinions on global warming and they should not necessarily accept the views of the film.