The Urgency of Addressing Climate Feedback Loops in 2025

    

     As we move into 2025, the reality of climate change is becoming clearer, especially through the concept of feedback loops. These loops can either make climate change worse or help stabilize it. Understanding these loops is crucial for recognizing the urgency of our situation and the actions we need to take.

  Climate feedback loops are processes that can enhance or reduce the effects of climate drive

rs, like greenhouse gas emissions. There are two main types: positive and negative. Negative feedback helps stabilize the climate, while positive feedback speeds up warming and destabilization. A common example of a positive feedback loop is the water vapor cycle. As greenhouse gases warm the atmosphere, more water evaporates, leading to increased water vapor, which traps even more heat. This cycle continues, worsening global warming.

    The Arctic is currently experiencing two significant positive feedback loops that have global consequences. First, thawing permafrost, which contains large amounts of methane and carbon, is melting due to rising temperatures. When this permafrost thaws, it releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, contributing to further warming. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Arctic holds between 1,460 to 1,600 billion tons of carbon—almost double the current levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This release of methane, which is much more potent than CO2 in the short term, creates a dangerous cycle of warming and thawing.

    Second, the loss of Arctic sea ice is another critical feedback loop. Sea ice reflects a lot of solar radiation, helping to keep global temperatures in check. However, as the ice melts, darker ocean water is exposed, which absorbs more heat. This not only warms the ocean further but also leads to more ice loss. Since 1979, Arctic sea ice extent has shrunk by 40%, and researchers warn that we may soon see ice-free summers in the Arctic. A report from Scientific American suggests that with current emission rates, we could see ice-free Septembers in the next 20 to 25 years.

    

These feedback loops have effects beyond the Arctic. For example, the Amazon rainforest is at risk of a "dieback" scenario, where further deforestation and climate change could lead to its collapse. Additionally, rising temperatures create conditions for wildfires, which release more greenhouse gases and reduce the number of trees that can absorb CO2, continuing the cycle of warming.

    While the situation may seem bleak, there is still hope. Transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy is essential to reduce the worst impacts of climate change. Everyday activists and community leaders are working on sustainable solutions, and you can join them. Consider participating in initiatives like the Climate Reality Leadership Corps, where you can learn from experts and become an advocate for change.

    In summary, understanding climate feedback loops is vital for recognizing the urgency of the climate crisis. By seeing how these systems are connected, we can better support solutions that will help stabilize our climate and protect our planet for future generations. The time to act is now, and every effort counts in the fight against climate change.

Climate Activists Vs Climate Scientists

 

Recently I have begun to do some research on climate activists versus climate scientists. I was interested to learn that they are not often the same people. In fact, according to an article posted in The Guardian, many climate scientists do not support the climate activist movement because activists are known for saying “misleading and false things around climate science: to be associated with them is to lose credibility.” This is huge! Climate scientists are the ones that find out the real truth about climate issues and change and the people that are doing something about it or at least advocating are not people that these scientists would associate with. It begs the question, to what extent are these activists giving misleading information? 

Thinking about this, it is so hard to distinguish between what is true and what is not, especially with the age of social media and the extreme amount of misinformation that we can see every day. Misinformation comes from those who want to create fear or the opposite, they want people to ignore the truth and get caught up in the chaos. One example of this comes from bigger Oil companies. They post misinformation and propaganda online and people start to believe that they might not be so bad and continue to funnel money their way. These companies will spend a huge amount of money to negate the truths that come from climate advocates or scientists because who is going to believe nobody, when there is a huge billionaire that says their product will “change the world” so to speak. 

Another issue for scientists is the need to remain neutral. If they side with the activists or the opposite then they risk alienating one group of people which could negatively affect their work. On the other hand, some scientists have found that they feel a sense of moral obligation to participate in activism. In other words, scientists are in between two worlds and feel pulled in multiple directions. Many scientists believe that the information that they collect should be acted upon and because they found this they have a “moral duty.” 

All of this in mind, I am beginning to wonder who I should look to for my information regarding climate change. There is so much turmoil and misinformation surrounding the topic of climate change that it may become murky in the next few years to find adequate answers and information. Especially considering the false information that some people feel the need to share on social media and to the public. 

Climate Solutions: Climate Lawsuit Impact

In recent decades, carbon emission mitigation efforts have faced significant challenges in implementing sustainable solutions to the climate crisis. The rapid expansion of large corporations, driven by fossil fuel consumption and other greenhouse gas-emitting practices, demands urgent intervention. However, many existing policies and regulations have failed to bring about meaningful reductions in environmental destruction. Advancing bold climate activism is crucial to promoting large-scale climate restoration before these harmful effects become irreversible. One such approach is climate change litigation, which leverages legal action as a powerful tool in the fight against climate change. 

Climate change affects all aspects of modern society, threatening not only the environment we live in but also the social, political, and economic systems that shape our daily lives. As climate conditions continue to worsen, legal action is essential to holding major carbon emitters accountable and driving systemic change toward sustainability. Viewing climate injustices through this lens enables the law to enforce responsibility and foster broader societal shifts toward a greener, more sustainable future.

Globally, climate litigation is becoming more and more prevalent. Citizens and organizations share a responsibility to use litigation as climate action through court cases, legal or regulatory complaints, and other methods. Both large-scale international commitments such as the Paris Climate Agreement as well as smaller-scale initiatives including local planning and home insulation schemes both play a vital role in advocating systematic change. New laws and policies are being enacted to address opposing aspects of climate destruction, and evolving trends and strategies represent these parallels, three being of the most significance as sourced by ClientEarth Communications: 

• Litigation brought against governments to hold them accountable for climate – including the increasing number of human rights-related claims

• Litigation brought against corporate actors – increasingly this includes banks and companies outside of the oil and gas sector

• Litigation brought on the basis of ‘greenwashing’, or misleading green promises – and increasing concerns of the accountability gap between net zero ambition, or plans for Paris alignment and reality

Implementations of climate lawsuits have been growing in the events of worsening climate conditions. For example, as of September 2024, Zero Carbon Analytics reported that 86 climate lawsuits have been filed against the world’s largest oil, gas, and coal producing corporations – each year nearly tripling the number of lawsuits filed since the Paris Agreement was reached in 2015. More than half of all cases have been brought in the U.S. (58%), with another 24% of cases brought in Europe. The distribution of cases geographically represents a combination of the judicial and legislative frameworks of the countries, the location where the fossil fuel companies are headquartered, and the resources of potential claimants. Similarly, 65% of cases are in the U.S. representing the distribution of all climate cases not limited to those against fossil fuel companies. There is a predicted rise in climate litigation cases, as shown in the figure: 

Recognizing that 122 of the world’s largest oil, gas, coal, and cement producers are responsible for 72% of global fossil fuel and cement emissions since the Industrial Revolution, successful lawsuits could lead to significant carbon reductions. The growing number of climate-related cases seeking compensation presents major financial risks for these companies and their investors, given their direct role in driving extreme weather events. The potential liabilities for fossil fuel companies are substantial—Climate Analytics estimates that the climate damages attributable to the 25 largest oil and gas companies as of 2018 amount to $20 trillion. While no oil or gas company has yet been held financially accountable for climate change damages, the increasing number of lawsuits and claimants signals a shift toward greater accountability and a more sustainable future.

The Use of Geosynthetics in Modern Infrastructure

 What are Geosynthetics:

Geosynthetics are materials made from different types of plastic polymer materials, the most prevalent include high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), and polyester (PET). The utilization of polymers is chosen because of their ability to withstand geological and chemical breakdown. Most commonly resembling a mesh-like mat, although there are a wide variety of applications depending on the scope of the project in which they are being utilized.

A large reason that the interest in the use of geosynthetics has grown is due to their versatility. They can be integrated into the construction of walls, buried underground, and underwater. Their main purpose is to stabilize the natural topography.

Different Types of Geosynthetics:

Geotextiles are one of the most commonly used applications of geosynthetics that resemble woven cloth. In soil projects, they are used in drainage, reinforcement, filtration, and separating materials.

Geogrids are net-like mats used in soil reinforcement. The geometry allows the soil to integrate within the netting, strengthening weak soils and strengthening a variety of retaining structures.

Geomembranes (pictured to the left) are leak-proof membranes that control the movements of liquids and gases, providing protection to geotechnical engineering developments.  These prevent the leakage of potentially hazardous materials into the soil.

Other types of geosynthetics include geocells, geonets, geopipes, geofoam, and geosynthetic clay liners. Geocomposites are also commonly used and involve incorporating multiple types of geosynthetics into one project. Although these types contain a makeup of different polymers and geometry, they all serve the same intended purpose; to provide protection and strengthen various elements of organic topography.

Application to Climate Change Solutions:

By strengthening the weaker soil that would otherwise be unusable, the various processes that are involved in construction that are environmentally costly are avoided. The transportation of engineered fill to sites and extraction of weak soil are two of the major carbon-costly practices that geosynthetics eliminate. These structures' increasing resilience and sustainability also help avoid frequent repairs and associated carbon costs.

Due to the increase in extreme weather events that a majority of the world will see due to climate change, encompassing geosynthetics into structures can help communities endure and recover from these events. Not only will geosynthetics support the foundations for buildings in communities, but they can also help design roadways along power transmission lines where the soil and terrain would usually be difficult to implement. With roads in these hard-to-reach areas, repair crews will have easier access to fix the power for communities when the power goes out due to hurricane and tornado damage.

With the wide range of functions and the cost-effectiveness of geosynthetics, almost all building procedures can employ them in one way or another.   

8.1 Million Deaths: How it Went Wrong

     2021 was a telling year for the global population to be affected by pollution in a big way. From this class, we have learned that emissions can move around from place to place causing unimaginable damage to environments and wildlife, these are all givens and truths we must deal with. Yet the question after this has to be asked: "What about us?" "What about us who want to know what is going on with reasons of climate change as well as pollution?" Well, here are some uncomfortable truths, 

In 2021 alone 8.1 million people died from ONLY Air pollution that came from various sources from all over the planet. This makes air pollution more of a threat to humans than bad diet and tobacco use, the second leading factor of death. Where is the pollution coming from in the first place? Since we know that pollution has globally taken out millions we must track where it could have come from. For Co2 the top 4 countries in 2021 that are the cause are China, the United States, India, and Australia. Of course, they are not the only ones but they are the biggest when it comes to CO2. CO2 is NOT the only pollutant that has done major damage, Carbon Monoxide is also a huge problem that needs fixing in a big way. In 2021 the countries with the most Carbon Monoxide emissions are China, the USA, India, Russia, and Japan.

 

    The global Burden of Disease study from 2021 shows the severe health impacts pollutants like outdoor fine particulate matter (PM2.5), household air pollution, ozone (O3), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) are having on human health around the world. More than 90 percent of these global air pollution deaths – 7.8 million people – are attributed to PM2.5 air pollution, including from ambient PM2.5 and household air pollution. According to the report, PM2.5 is the most consistent and accurate predictor of poor health outcomes around the world. 

    The next question is, How are we going the change this when we have an administration that seems to want to keep on doing exactly what is wrong and ignore what people are going through with health issues and global warming (CO2 and Carbon Monoxide are major reasons for it as well) and focus on the money which (somehow) puts blinders on to the big major companies who are benefiting off of the evil and pain (eventually death of innocent people in the USA or not) that will continue even in today's time

sources: 

www.unicef.org

www.wri.org/insights/interactive-chart-shows-changes-worlds-top-10-emitters
www.epa.gov/air-trends/carbon-monoxide-trends 

 

Climate Change: Force of Nature

Hurricane? Typhoon? Cyclone? What's the difference? 

The difference is the area in which they form. Both of the terms "typhoon" and "hurricane" are regional names for tropical cyclones. All tropical cyclones are alike because they all draw in heat from warm water from the ocean's surface to power horizontal, rotating winds. These cyclones are different from Synoptic cyclones which draw their energy from weather fronts and jet streams. Tropical cyclones are called hurricanes in the East Pacific and the Atlantic, and typhoons in the West Pacific. In the Indian Ocean and near Australia they just call them cyclones. (Nasa)

Formula for Hurricanes

The perfect recipe for a hurricane includes four main aspects, warm ocean water, excess moisture in the air, a low vertical wind shear, and a pre-existing disturbance such as a thunderstorm. Without these things, a hurricane will not be able to form or hold. Once formed, scientists shift their focus onto where the hurricane is headed and the predicted damage. (Nasa)

Hurricane Metrics

The Saffir-Simpson hazard scale is used to determine the strength and categories of hurricanes based on their wind speeds. These storms can get between category 1-5. Category 1 is the lowest with wind speeds around 74-95 mph whereas a category 5, the highest, has wind speeds above 157 mph. As of recently, scientists are looking for another model to use alongside the Saffir-Simpson scale because wind speeds have not been a reliable predictor of rainfall amounts. Since there is no numeric scale of risk, rain, or damage for hurricanes, studies found that the information in the weather warnings were falling short. Jim Kossin, a co-founder of the new metric system, discovered a pattern in hurricanes called the stalling effect. This is where, regardless of wind speeds, hurricanes move slowly or stall over land and cause devastating impacts. 

ERM

As hurricanes got worse, scientists realized how unreliable the Saffir-Simpson scale was and began looking for a new metric. Several universities applied this new metric, The Extreme Rain Multiplier (ERM) to hurricanes in the past with accurate results. ERM evaluates tropical cyclone rainfall for a region by comparing the potential for rain wit typical events for the area. After testing storms from 1948 to 2017, they found that some storms that would be labeled severe for rainfall and damage would be labeled weak for windspeeds. Hurricane Harvey in the Gulf of Mexico, had the highest tropical cyclone-related rainfall ever recorded in the U.S. but was only ranked a category 4 hurricane. Nederland, Texas received 60 inches of rainfall. (NCIE)

Climate Change Impacts

One of the key ingredients to create a hurricane is warm ocean water. As temperatures rise, the water warms up providing fuel for hurricanes to grow larger and do more damage. In 2024, the Gulf of Mexico's temperatures were at an all-time high creating the perfect environment for a hurricane to form. Warmer temperatures lead to heavier rainfall, more severe flooding and higher sea level leading to more dangerous storm surges. 

While it's not true that hurricanes are increasing frequency due to climate change, the storms have continued to get stronger and more dangerous as the temperatures rise causing billions of dollars' worth of damage per storm. Hurricanes are unavoidable but the strength of them can be assessed by focusing on climate change. 

2024 Hurricanes 

Hurricane Milton: October, Category 5

Hurricane Helene: September, Category 4

Hurricane Francine: September, Category 2

Hurricane Debby: August, Category 1

Hurricane Beryl: June, Category 1

Thought hurricane Beryl was considered a category 1; it was one of the most powerful hurricanes recorded so early in the season causing widespread damage and leaving 2 million people without power. (NPR)

Poetry: A form of climate activism

 Activism - Definition: ‘a policy or action of using vigorous campaigning to bring about political or social change’

Being an activist can also be achieved in many ways, both interacting with our world itself and the people within it to prompt them to further educate themselves and inspire them to take action towards putting an end to the climate crisis. Various artistic and creative mediums have been used as a means of climate change activism for numerous years- we have seen breathtaking art installments, books, and many other creatively inclined means of activism to share one's message with the world. One beautiful art form that perfectly captures the harrowing feelings surrounding the warming of our planet is poetry, with one of its many benefits being its ability to connect and engage both readers and writers in the discourse surrounding topics of interest. In this case, the topic of interest being climate change.

I encourage you to take the time to dive into a notable piece poetry that very subtly calls attention to climate change, analyze it with me, and share your interpretations. I found the poem that I discuss in this blog are featured within the book of poetry titled 'Here: Poems for the Planet’ which was compiled and edited by Elizabeth J. Coleman, Coleman has received various prizes for her poetry and her selections from varying poets throughout the book do not disappoint either. I hope that by sharing this poem and providing my own brief analysis I might provoking some to engage with more poetry centered around the climate crisis.

The first poem that caught my eye within the book was a poem written for a Detriot, titled ‘There Are Birds Here.’ The author Jamaal May grew up in Detriot, and has since published numerous books of poetry and has served as a poetry teacher in Detriot public schools. I personally found this to be a wonderful piece of writing that has many important facets, all of which I wish could discuss in a singular blog post. The most impactful point in the poem for me are the last three lines which read “how lovely the ruins, how ruined the lovely children must be in that birdless city.” The image the end of the poem provides, is of a city in distress, so afflicted that birds fail to grace the skies. This poem drives one to think and truly ponder the author's implications with each line. I am inclined to think about some important statistics that were brought to light upon reading John Vaillant’s Fire Weather when reading this piece, and the vast african american and latinx individuals that deal with living in areas that are already multiple degrees hotter than their slightly wealthier neighbors. The even more unfortunate reality is that these temperatures will only rise, and all human beings will be impacted. 

May states people refer to the birds in the poem as metaphors, and many different interpretations can be drawn from this. One interpretation that I have come to is those citizens of Detroit are in fact the birds he speaks of in the poem. “What I was trying to say…those birds were metaphors for what is trapped between buildings.” Birds are brittle creatures, like us humans and are often used as a symbol to display fragility. Climate change makes us as a species fragile, it makes our planet fragile, and our wildlife. All in all, each and every being on the earth today is a bird trapped between buildings they cannot escape from. Those buildings being the impacts of climate change which will only increase in severity as time passes and impact the most vulnerable communities first. There are many thoughts and questions to raise upon further analyzing this poem, and I am looking forward to reading other interpretations of this text.

Indigenous People's Forced Climate Migration

After the recent COP29 meeting In Baku, Azerbaijan (29th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), conversations surrounding representation, and which voices should be heard circulated. Recent statistics discovered 1,773 fossil fuel lobbyists attended COP29, versus a mere

170 Indigenous people, who had no real authority to make decisions at these official meetings. Their role includes advising those willing to hear them out for their expertise in matters related to climate change. However, it is evident that this expertise is often underestimated, and undervalued despite strong evidence that they hold the key to many climate change solutions

Eco-Tourism and Indigenous Erasure

Eco tourism is defined by environmentally responsible travel which appoints local people to have socio economic involvement, and values low visitor densities in areas desperately needing conservation.

However, there lacks specific guidelines and management deciding which vacations are classified as eco tourism, and many take advantage for profit, which inevitably leads to a fetishization of indigenous customs and culture. Stereotypical representations of indigenous people seep into organized tours, and many leave their world-widening vacation with the wrong impression of the true valuable role of indigenous people in the countries they inhabit worldwide. Often they must clear land in order to make room for tourists, which in turn destroys native housing and displaces native people from their resources. In India, the creation of tiger reserves to attract foreign tourist dollars has resulted in violent clashes and the eviction of scores of Adivasi Indigenous peoples from their homes. 

How Some Climate Change Solutions Cause More Harm Than Good

The investment and support for renewable energy is an essential way to mitigate climate change disasters, and bring a life saving network of power to those who do not have access to it. Yet, many do not realize the cost of this investment for those who have inhabited these lands for thousands of years. Mining for valuable minerals for batteries, solar panels, and electric vehicles is a large reason why many indigenous people are suffering. The mines are often close to tribal lands, more than 75% of lithium, copper, and nickel reserves in the U.S. are located within 25 miles of Indigenous lands. This has had a direct correlation with an increased risk in sexual violence for Native women, contaminated waterways, and leads to large amounts of air pollution that native people deal with every day. That has severe consequences for their livelihoods and maintenance of their practices and languages. The good news is Indigenous people have an International right to free, prior, and informed consent before decisions made about their territories are put into effect such as mining, solar, and hydroelectric projects. 

Indigenous Migration

Indigenous groups make up more than 4,000 of the 7,000 documented languages on Earth, even though they make up a small 6% of the entire population. While climate change is changing the landscape of lands they once loved and understood, vocabularies are are disappearing from dialects. An estimated 476 million Indigenous people dwell on lands that are home to 80 percent of the world’s biodiversity. They understand that they have a large responsibility to conserve and celebrate the beauties of nature in order to maintain their own cultural practices and keep their memories alive in the newer generations. Drought, an increase in nonedible grass for the livestock they raise, salty seawater mixed with the fresh water they rely on, and the quality of groundwater degrading are only some of the issues they face on a daily basis worldwide. We are not conserving land or biodiversity in a way that is equitable to Indigenous people whose culture, language, and way of life is at jeopardy when they leave ancestral lands. If they had access to the land they have owned for centuries, a lot of these issues would be manageable, and they wouldn't have to leave home. Equity is not considered enough when it comes to Indigenous rights, and many people refuse to look at the situation clearly. The forced migration taking place due to climate is not very different from the forced colonial migration Indigenous people have taken over the course of dark histories across the globe. It is essential that all policies take advantage of Indigenous knowledge and passion in order to change the narrative on climate change worldwide.

“There’s less rain, but if at least they had enough water from the rivers, if at least they had the access to the land, then they said they could have dealt with this,” García says. “Climate change itself is not the main worry of people, but its effects are: The changes in water systems, deforestation, increased mining activities, all these things are having a larger impact, which are very subjective to each community.” (2024)

Climate Change Impacts: Mental Health

After reading the few most recent chapters of "The Ministry for the Future", I have been deeply interested by Frank's life after the India Heat Wave. Mental health is a very broad topic, but it is something my interests reside in. I want to take a moment and discuss the impacts that climate change currently has on mental health.  

Stress, anxiety, and trauma are three very real issues that most people experience at some point in their lives. The increasing temperatures and worsened severity and frequency of natural disasters is going to (and already is) take a massive psychological toll on human's mental states. 

Because of climate change, people are losing homes, jobs, and even families. Often times, people are displaced due to severe weather events. An example of this would be, back in 2018, the California Camp Fire, 67% of individuals that were directly exposed experienced trauma PTSD. What is even more shocking is that people who are indirectly exposed to severe weather events can also harbor different types of trauma. 14% of the individuals who were indirectly exposed to the California Camp Fire also suffered trauma exposure.

  

More than two-thirds of US adults have expressed some sort of anxiety related feelings towards even just the subject of climate change. The issue with this is that most people are anxious about climate change, yet only 4 in 10 individuals have not made changes in their behavior to aim to help reduce climate change according to the American Psychological Association. 

In the book, Frank experienced something that most cannot even fathom when he was in India. Because of his experience he sustained a lot of trauma that completely altered his psychological wellbeing. This is real and can happen. Research says that with increased global temperatures, we should expect to see more aggressive and criminal behaviors due to psychological exhaustion. Along with aggression, we could see a disastrous increase in mental health disorders such as mood disorders, anxiety disorders, as well as dementia even. 

One statistic I found interesting yet worrisome, was the correlation between drought and farmer suicide. Economic hardships are costing lives due to these droughts that are only projected to get worse as time goes on. Droughts have unfortunately increased farmer suicide by 19%.  This correlation was found through studies of suicide related deaths of farmers throughout drought season.

 

There is so much more I could dive into about this topic, but I think that this is enough depressing statistics for now. We need to not only worry about how climate change will affect us physically, but also mentally. 

Drill Baby Drill

 Drill Baby Drill

With the start of his new term, President Trump has quickly done everything in his power to reverse as much of climate change and global warming acts as possible. Within days of his initiation, the president-elect withdrew from the Paris Climate Agreement Act and shut down funding for renewable energy resources. Trump has stated in several interviews how he plans to expand fossil fuel production instead of reducing it as we should be as a country. Even with his famous line, “Drill baby, drill” Trump has made it quite clear with his intentions towards oil production and manufacture.

The process of drilling starts off with securing the oil rig to ensure no moving pieces or malfunctions start. The machine then cuts through the ground and dives to the depth where oil is stored. Using seismic machines and geologists, the oil companies can pinpoint pods of oil underneath the ground. While this process may sound relatively simple, it has an extremely dangerous and negative impact on the environment. Oftentimes, explosions and combustion are common on drill sites and responsible for a fraction of wildfires in the areas. The pipelines that carry the oil are also often likely to leak and break, pouring oil straight into water reserves or land masses, polluting and endangering animals all around the sights. 

Not only is the production and maintenance of the drill sites dangerous for the environment and global warming/climate change, but the outcomes of oil production have the same negative warnings. Much of the oil is burned and released into the atmosphere, responsible for part of global warming with greenhouse gases and such. When the oil is burned off, the carbon dioxide stays in the atmosphere, acting as a layer of insulation for the heat of the sun's rays. Overall, this side effect from oil rigs and production causes serious expediting of global warming and climate change. When the weather starts to increase, we tend to see rises in destruction from natural disasters and storms. Scientists have already predicted more intense and concentrated storms occurring in the near future. 

Many activists and global leaders have started defunding and denying money from companies like big oil and coal producers to lean more toward green and renewable energies. Banks have also stopped giving loans to these big mining companies in an attempt to slow down and stop supporting non-renewable resources. "Trump's victory presents a real obstacle in the global fight against climate change," said Alice Hill, senior fellow at an independent think tank, the Council on Foreign Relations. "Under President Trump's leadership, the United States will almost certainly step back from global and domestic efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increasing fossil fuel production." In this quote from Hill, the media has already speculated an increase in global emissions and greenhouse gases. 

Continuing to drill and dig into the earth for limited resources is reckless and nonsustainable. The environment does not have enough wiggle room to allow such quantities of pollution and smog to be created. Trump has made it clear in several interviews and press conferences that he has no plans for green acts and plans to continue investments in big oil and coal companies. Without new policies and changes being made, we can expect to be at an irreversible level of environmental damage that is no longer sustainable for humans, much faster than what could be created if we stopped funding these companies.

Gas Bikes vs E Bikes (And Why It Is Important!)

     When thinking of ways to help reverse the carbon burning that we humans rely on, I have not only found a great and fun alternative to gas and race fuel powered bikes. Since around 2013 is when I started to see E bikes and E carts floating up and down California, Arizona, as well as other places in the west coast through Youtube. Companies like Surron, Talaria, Ronster Rides and even the legendary Harley Davison have come up with fully rechargeable alternatives.

    Why is this important? "Gas and race fuel powered motorcycles can pollute the environment just as much as cars do or even more. The internal-combustion engines of motorcycles are very efficient in converting fuel to energy but produce large amounts of harmful pollutants like hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides. They also emit carbon dioxide and particulate matter, albeit in less quantity compared to larger & heavier vehicles. All these pollutants are harmful to people & the environment." (motorgearexpert.com)

    This next fact also found interesting is the fact that bike are more fuel efficient but on the flip side, the two-wheeler produced 416% more hydrocarbons, 3220% more nitrogen oxide, and whooping 8065% more carbon monoxide. So the safe and best bet is for us who love to ride should consider the switch the the green side when we talk about vehicles so we can bring those percentages to (maybe on day) 0% (hopeful thinking).

    Now, some people don't like Tesla because they are not the prettiest cars in the world (or the fact Elon Musk is a Nazi saluting fool.) For that I would say the market is open for other cars but the E moto bikes, E mini bikes, E dirty bikes, E quads, and E carts are crazy looking vehicles. For example: 

    

The technology to create alternative E bikes and etc. has already caught the kids' attention through videos on Youtube with channels like Sur Ronster who has amassed over 1.7 million subscribers just based on building and riding his E bikes and E carts through out LA on and off road showing off performance and speed and even some practicality. Way too many companies are popping out within the E Rides seen that they are getting more comfortable, more powerful, faster, and some are even getting cheaper to get ($1,000-10,000 less) and very modifiable.

Sources: https://youtu.be/d-NpXc5OUus?si=cG9iVfW2EfA7MdXL

https://motorgearexpert.com/how-much-do-motorcycles-pollute/

https://manofmany.com/rides/motorcycles/best-electric-motorcycles

The "Trump Effect"

Attempts to Hush Climate Change

Over the past couple of weeks, I have followed Trump’s administration and their recent changes. There has been several, but I have particularly been interested in the decisions regarding climate change. Among these are the shutdown of the USAID, withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, and appointing new leadership who get to make further decisions on the environment. A new change to add to this list is the “Trump Effect”. This is an overarching term that describes President Trump’s attempts to breakdown the previously established climate protocols.

Websites Wiped of Climate Change Mentions
The most recent attempt at this “Trump Effect” was seen online where the mere mention of climate change has been pulled from several sites. Trump has been working on ridding federal websites of climate data because such ideals do not align with his plan and brand, so to speak. This brand of his has been known to deny climate facts and not prioritize the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The first websites impacted by this were the Forest Service and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). First, the Forest Service is a site that details land management, wildfire relief, and jobs related to the US’ forests. We have learned from our readings that forests are a huge part of climate change because when they are protected, they are great carbon sinks but when engulfed in flames they are a force to be reckoned with. Forests deserve our respect so disabling an informational website like this is not beneficial. Secondly, the USDA details food, sustainability, and farming practices. I ask the same question, why isolate such an informational site?

Restoration of the Websites
When this first went through, these websites were inaccessible and simply said, “You are not authorized to access this page”. Now, access has been restored after a court ordered it just two days ago. Checks and balances of the government have been helpful through some of these radical changes Trump has tried. Still, the temporarily successfully attempt to just wipe an entire website containing information about sustainability and climate change is scary. Within weeks of a presidency, one can just manipulate the nation’s access to certain information.

Call to Action
It is surprising to see how much national things can be changed or shut down as the result of one administration. The courts have been reviewing so much of Trump’s choices, and many have been denied and restored, while some have stood and gone through. The citizens must keep an eye on the news and not let these drastic changes slip under their nose. Have trust in the courts to review these decisions, even if it takes a couple days or week to be realigned with the Constitution and what a president is truly allowed to change.