methane – 350orbust

All eyes in the climate change community are going to be on President Obama tonight as he delivers his State of the Union address, which outlines his administration’s vision for the next four years. The clip below, from AP, discusses the urgent need for Obama to address climate change (although one wonders why they chose Bill Gates to weigh in on the connection between the current extreme weather and climate change).

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-pZE6iZQVY]

As Obama prepares his speech, Mother Nature isn’t waiting for humans to act on climate change. I’m hoping to be reassured in the State of the Union speech that we humans aren’t completely suicidal and lazy, but I’m not sure. The latest news on methane release is very alarming:

January 2013 has seen vast amounts of methane rising from the Arctic Ocean. CH4 molecule is 256 times more powerful in trapping sun’s energy than CO2. If summer time phytoplankton devour CO2 and these are then eaten by methane-belching zooplankton as their exhalation product, a very dangerous positive feedback loop is established between photosynthesizing plankton in summer and methanogenic zooplankton that devour them in the winter darkness, effectively setting a course where CO2 is being converted into CH4 by the ocean microbes. It could also be a result of open oceans in winter darkness leaking out as a result of reduction in methane consuming plankton and bacteria in seas. This would allow more deep water methane to escape without being consumed to CO2.

The Eaarth will put up with only so much abuse, and she is starting to send us louder and louder signals that we need to dramatically change the way we treat her – like our lives depend upon it! Looking for ideas to respond? There’s so many great people and organizations doing amazing work out there. Here’s a few of my favourites:

Citizens Climate Lobby

Transition Network

Post Carbon Institute

Every year, in the United States, $54 billion worth of food is thrown away. Ninety-eight percent of the food ends up in landfills instead of compost bins. What does this have to do with climate change?

Global climate change is connected to both how our food is grown and what happens to it when we send it to the landfill. Of course, in many parts of the world no food at all is wasted. But in the industrialized world, we have become a “throw away” society, and that includes food. Landfills produce methane, which is a much more powerful greenhouse gas that carbon dioxide. According to the EPA, landfills are the second–largest human-related source of methane in the U.S., accounting for 23 percent of all methane emissions in 2007. Methane is generated in landfills and open dumps as waste decomposes under anaerobic (without oxygen) conditions.

So, if you have a fridge full of leftovers, don’t let them go to waste! In our house, we love leftovers for lunch, but if you’re not that keen on having what you had last night for supper again the next day, freeze a single-serving container to enjoy for a future hassle-free lunch. And, of course, compost food scraps if you can – everything but meat and dairy. In our corner of the world, people sometimes are opposed to composting because they’re concerned that compost piles attract bears and other wild animals. All I can say is, we have been composting our food scraps for 10 years without a bear ever going near our bin (I did see a mouse once, though).

Here’s a video about food waste and how to avoid it:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwGHlUAj078]

And while we’re on the topic of food, I thought I’d share a picture of the amazing pizza my husband made recently. It tasted as good as it looked!

Mark's homemade veggie and sausage pizza

Remember, today is Meat-Free Monday, so consider ways you can eat vegetarian today. One of our favourite, and fast, meat-free meals is Broccoli Garlic Pasta (click on the title for the recipe).

Dramatic Increase In Arctic Methane Release Requires Dramatic Increase In Political Will To Address Climate Crisis

Curb Your Food Waste – It’s Good For Your Budget, And For Your Grandchildren