"Greener Than Any Mega-Yacht in Her Class..."

Comment from Fr. Paul R. Bear >>

"You go, girl!!  We ice bears are left to wonder, "what will the humans think of next?"  My you are a clever bunch.  (Smart, but not wise...)    Still, from where I sit, buying an energy-efficient yacht in even the smallest luxury boat class does not excuse you from going to carbon confession."

Motoryacht Ark Angel
By Keith Henderson at March 22, 2011 10:43
Maritime Propulsion


"...Sauter Carbon Offset Design recently introduced the superyacht Ark Angel with a design claiming to be faster and far greener than any megayacht in her class. The design aspires to achieve 50 to 100 per cent reduction in fuel consumption and GHG emissions.

The 78 m hull and decks are of Carbon/Kevlar composite construction, beam is 10 m and draft 2.4 m (at 50 per cent load): the superstructure is aluminum giving a displacement of 450 tons.

The total propulsive power of the ship is 4,000 kW, split between three electric pods with counter rotating propellers (CRP). A multi-mode solar hybrid propulsion arrangement offers flexibility in the choice of several power sources available to propel the vessel."

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Big Arctic Ice Thaw coming this summer

Big Arctic Ice Thaw coming this summer
By Craig Dillon | February 12th 2011 05:31 PM

Science20.com

"...The Arctic Ice is preparing itself for a large reduction in sea ice area this summer. The summer of 2007 surprised climatologists when a summer low in ice area was set at about 3 million sqkm. To put that in perspective, in the early 1980's, the Arctic sea ice would melt back to an area around 5 mil sqkm.

The current ice coverage is 1.1 mil sq km less than what it should be, and should be setting a record low for winter ice area this winter. More importantly though, the Cryosphere Today website by the University of Illinois shows that the current midwinter ice cap has not completely frozen over its coverage area. The presentation of the ice cap is color coded indicating the percentage of ice coverage in its area. The colors show that 5% and 10% of much of the ice covered area is actually open water.

This means that the ice cap is susceptible to a large reduction in sea ice area when the thawing begins this March..."

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Climate change keenly felt in Alaska's national parks

Climate change keenly felt in Alaska's national parks | Reuters:

By Yereth Rosen
ANCHORAGE, Alaska | Sat Feb 12, 2011 5:43pm GMT

(Reuters)

"...Thawing permafrost is triggering mudslides onto a key road traveled by busloads of sightseers. Tall bushes newly sprouted on the tundra are blocking panoramic views. And glaciers are receding from convenient viewing areas, while their rapid summer melt poses new flood risks.

These are just a few of the ways that a rapidly warming climate is reshaping Denali, Kenai Fjords and other national parks comprising the crown jewels of Alaska's heritage as America's last frontier..."

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With health care 'repealed,' GOP turns to climate change

If I am hungry, that is a material question. If others are hungry, that is a spiritual question. -- Berdyadev

In a little hilltop village, they gamble for my clothes. I'm fighting for salvation and they give me a lethal dose. -- Bob Dylan

Your policy vacillation is destroying my only home. -- Fr. Paul R. Bear

With health care 'repealed,' GOP turns to climate change - Politics Wires - MiamiHerald.com:

Posted on Thursday, 01.20.11
Hard part begins for GOP: Replacing health care law
Planet Washington Blog - Musings from the Capitol
BY RENEE SCHOOF
MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS

"...There is an enormous failure, in my view, to see the ethical and moral dimensions of this issue," said Donald Brown, a professor of environmental ethics at Penn State University. "It's very difficult for people in the United States to see that self-interest is an important consideration, but we also have responsibilities to people in Africa."

Brown argues that farmers facing worsening drought in African countries are the first victims of a changing climate, and that every year of delay in slashing U.S. emissions makes helping them harder.

Politicians give two reasons not to act to restrict emissions — it would cost too much, and there are uncertainties about what the exact effect of climate change will be.

Brown said that skirts a fundamental issue.

"The economic argument has been used to scare people, without reflecting on rights and responsibilities," he said. And uncertainty "requires, ethically, that if the harm is big enough, that the burden of proof should shift to the person who wants to do the dangerous behavior, particularly in cases where if you wait until all the uncertainty is resolved, it's too late."

Politically, it's a tough sell. There aren't the votes in Congress for a broad cap-and-trade approach to cut emissions. Also, there's not much chance that Congress this year will vote on other measures to bring emissions down.

"Here's the thing," said Dale Jamieson, a professor of environmental studies and philosophy at New York University. "So climate change is in some ways an incredibly complex issue. It's slow motion. It has millions of different players. The effects are disaggregated."

But it's also simple, he said. "It really comes down to this — the U.S. and countries like us — we're dumping on others and harming them because of acting in our own interest."

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/01/20/2025840/ethics-of-climate-change-rise.html#ixzz1DnQiVmol

Miranda Kerr Reveals Her Worst Eco-Sin

Miranda Kerr Reveals Her Worst Eco-Sin | ecorazzi.com :: the latest in green gossip:

1/30/11

"...Kerr hasn’t jumped on the vegan bandwagon yet, but that doesn’t mean she won’t someday. And if you think that’s the celeb’s biggest eco faux pas, think again. When asked what her worst eco-sin has been, the 27-year-old replied, “Flying, but it’s a necessity for my job. However, I try to do my best by offsetting my miles.”"

Actualizing the theology of global warming

This is what I'm talking about, people!! Let's get serious about the theology of carbon. This guy totally gets it.

-- Fr. Paul R. Bear

Actualizing the theology of global warming | The Jakarta Post

Ali Sobirin, Jakarta | Fri, 01/28/2011 9:49 AM | Opinion

"...As a nation that believes in God, with Muslims making up the majority of the population, Indonesia has begun to build and manifest a theology of global warming and climate change.

The theology suggests that natural resources, especially energy, have limitations (ajalin musamma), as mentioned in the Koran 46:3, 30:8, 22:32 and 13:2. Therefore, these must be managed wisely and sustainable energy conservation must be promoted.

There are at least three principles laying the foundation for this theology. First, the Earth is a place of ideal life, as stated in the Koran 55:10, 7:24 and 7:74. Second, the sky (atmosphere) is a protector of life as quoted in the Koran 2:22 and 21:32. As a material that serves as both a habitat and guardian of life, the Earth and sky should be managed and utilized properly. Arbitrary treatment could potentially destroy life, both directly and indirectly. Third, global warming is anthropogenic, which means it is a result of erroneous human behavior in managing natural resources and the environment.

As we know, fossil-based energy sources such as coal, oil and natural gas have been used as sources of energy and produce huge emissions, such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and various other toxic gases, into the atmosphere. These various gases are responsible for climate change and global warming, better known as the greenhouse effect. At the same time, deforestation is widespread.

The third principle emphasizes that caring for the Earth and the sky is a religious duty (Koran 7:56 and 28:83) and becomes a prerequisite for realization of the goals of sharia (maqashid shari’ah).

In failing to take care of the Earth and sky, the five basic tenets of the good of human life (al-dlaruriyat al-khamsa), which are to maintain religion (hifdz al-din), keep the soul (hifdz al-nafs), keep the lineage (hifdz al-nasl), keep the mind (hifdz al-‘aql) and maintain property (hifdz al-mal), will not be fulfilled.

According to the World Health Organization, climate change was responsible for 2.4 percent of diarrheal diseases and 6 percent of malaria infections in low-income countries in 2000. Climate change has also caused 150,000 annual deaths, and will double by 2030..."

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