Climate Change news from around the world:

• Since Congress has refused to work on Climate Change, President Obama is moving to reduce the limits on emissions from Coal plants.  This is a very important move and one that needs to become law.  Over time, the limits need to be lowered even further - both here, and around the world.  China is now worse than the US when it comes to coal emissions.
• A recent military report concludes that Climate Change represents a national security risk, that could lead to global "instability and conflict".  In fact for thousands of years, climate issues have led to clashes, wars, and even demise of entire civilizations.   For example, extreme drought around 1200 BC in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean regions led to widespread death, and the displacement of people. Egyptians, Hittites, Canaanites, Cypriots, Minoans, Mycenaeans, Assyrians and Babylonians and 'sea peoples' from the Mediterranean area had conflicts during this time.  Drought and the famine it brings are very destabilizing.  Drought, earthquakes, and other events led to the collapse of civilization in this part of the world, as the Bronze Age was ending.
• You can become a tree!  There is a neat product from Unabios.com that lets you put your ashes into an urn, from which a tree grows - Maple, Oak, Pine, or othre choices.  Its a beautiful idea, and a way for a person to have an enduring legacy.
• Climate models predict increased storms near the poles.  A recent study found that very large ocean waves are accelerating the break of the ice in Antarctica.  This seems to be happening more, than in the Arctic or Greenland.   While the large waves can fracture ice even further inland, they are also behind the process 

• Climate Change leads to health risks.  We are seeing that in California already.   Drought there means that underground water supplies are being used more and more - supplies which can be contaminated by pesticides and herbicides.   Plus, drought leads to a drop in agriculture, which in turn hurts the economy of the entire area.
• The State of Wyoming has rejected new science standards for education because they include education about Climate Change.  This is backwards and hurts our children, and our future.
• Shell oil now says that Climate Change is a serious issue; they are joining Exxon and Mobile in calling for change.
• Cities cannot wait for the federal government to take action.  Cities all around the US, and around the world, are forming sustainability policies, and developing plans for dealing with Climate Change, and rising seas.  Coastal cities cannot ignore this risk - even if Congress is completely ignoring it.  
• A new study says that Climate Change will reduce Biodiversity
• Companies are starting to offer Climate Change Insurance
• The government of Scotland is preparing national standards for dealing with Climate Change; one of the first countries to do so.  We need more countries to follow suit.  Germany has pledged to be completely run by Renewables by 2050.
• Invasive species will invade the arctic, as melting continues.
• On a positive note, Israel no longer has water shortages; they are building desalinization plants.  If this could be run from renewable energy sources, it would be ideal.  Israel has 4  such plants now, and a fifth one is being produced.  Negotiations are underway for more sharing of water resources with Palestinians.  
• How to best reduce emissions in coal plants and other kinds of energy producing plants is not clear; it needs to be cost-effective to be accepted.  Experts do not agree.  Here is a good article in the New York Times.
• Good article in the Huffington post about the *rate* of species extinction; the rate is increasing.  We are killing off species faster than ever before.  Human activities like strip mining, deforestation, and even pollution are being eclipsed by Climate Change as the mechanism of species extinction.  Some are calling this the next "Great Exinction"; there have been 5 of them before, in all fo Earth's history.  We are causing the sixth.

  

Our website, ManMadeClimateChange.com, made its debut today, Earth Day 2014.

Earth Day this year focus's on cities.  About half of the world's populations live in cities, and cities are growing all the time.  The planet now has many cities with over 5,000,000 inhabitants; this overpopulation is creating many burdens. City managers need to include planning for climate change as well. 
  

  
We cannot forget our oceans.  With rising acidification, increasing pollution, and over fishing we are putting more and more stress on our oceans.  Oceans are the life-blood of our planet, so we need to take better care of our oceans.

The essence of Earth Day is individual's getting involved; that is the core of the environmental movement at the start, and is still true today.  We all need to get involved in further reducing pollution, and in fighting global warming.

NASA is creating a global selfie collage; they want people all over the world to take a picture of themselves outside, and send it to NASA; indicate where you were when the picture was taken.  Send it on Twitter or Facebook to #GlobalSelfie.

Companies are making announcements today to show they are trying harder to be sustainable.  For example Apple says that they now use Renewable Energy for 94% of their power needs (up from 35% in 2010) and have set a goal to be 100% powered by renewables soon.   Apple also said they will recycle any old Apple device you have; none of them will go to the landfill anymore.   This makes Apple one of the greener companies in the world!

We have a resource for individuals who want to help the environment.  Check back periodically to our website for the page titled, You Are The Change.

Children around the world are making drawings and engaging in activities to celebrate Earth Day.  We need to find a way to keep this momentum all year, and through all ages in order to fight Climate Change.  In every major city around the world there were many events held today to celebrate Earth day, engage in cleanups, and even drives for memberships in environmental organizations.

The flip side of all this is that we are not doing enough to stop Climate Change, and no one seems to have an answer for how to deal with those who are short-sighted and selfish.  In the US, Republicans have all but abandoned the environment - despite the fact that the EPA was created by a Republican (Richard Nixon).  You can learn more about Republican disinterest in the environment from this article by Jay Bookman.

We here at ManMadeClimateChange.com remain optimists.   There are challenges but people do respond when needed.  Education is the key, and we can all help with that.  We want to end this blog post with a picture of Yosemite with a rainbow, released today by the US Government to honor Earth Day.  Yosemite is beautiful, and the rainbow represents hope for the future: