Pastoral scene, c. 55,000,000 BCE, Antarctica. (Aldo Chiappe - Natl. Geographic, via paleocast.com) “just what do you think you’re doing??”
“eatin’ pizza. learnin’ about the paleocene-eocene thermal maximum. “only ↑ 5 c during a ‘geologic blip’ (20k yrs), when spewed forth 2,000-10,00 gigatons of carbon: meant crocodiles at the poles, no ice anywhere (combusting fossilized carbon spewed 1000 gigtons of co2 into the air & sea since 1920s; on track for another 1,000 by 2100) & the ‘natural system took 100k yrs for all that carbon to be taken out through normal processes’ last time around (~55m yrs ago). “moral: there’s always been climate change! back then, they didn’t have any sea ice at the poles. they didn't need any! . . . & here we are today!” it was very good for mammals, apparently -- primates not least -- more hot, humid territory to invade . . . fast forward 55ish million yrs: funny weather, huh? 4 big wildfires in c. arizona: the biggest, 3500 acres more floating cars — this time c. mexico, n.w. colombia, nairobi, guizhou; n. angola flooded out, too: 4k made homeless this past weekend (no floating cars in evidence, but a big-ass truck foundering from a road collapse); death toll from afghan flooding at 78 1m “face starvation” in madagascar, as drought worsens; reservoirs in c. & s. taiwan < 5% cap. earliest tropical storm ever just swirled into life in e. pacific; while family handyman magazine advises on “how to use & when to replace roof tarps” — news you can (will) use! news that stays news, at least for an eon or two
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June 2021
Kristin Prevallet Author/Editor
I'm a writer & teacher in Lawrence, Kansas who actually believes the scientists. I wrote a book of poems called Of Some Sky that seems to have something to do with all this. |