Be aware of how climate is changing

The world climate is changing so fast that we cannot count on it being the same today as it was yesterday. Because there is no guarantee that the climate will provide a habitable place for humans to live, we must be acutely aware of the changes.

The chemical composition of the atmosphere has changed. New atmospheric realities are threatening our existence, regardless of what the Koch Brothers say - they spent $400 million in 2012 to persuade us otherwise.

We cannot continue to pollute the air and expect nothing to change. Soot is doubling the melting speed of Greenland's ice, according to a recent study by the Dark Snow Project. Greenhouse gases are building up and are accelerating Earth's energy imbalance. We are taking on more heat than we are giving off. Most of the heat is going into the oceans.

The warmer oceans and currents are thawing Arctic ice from underneath. Huge amounts of methane hydrates are thawing on the ocean floor. Excessive amounts of methane are escaping into the atmosphere. We are headed toward a Venus climate. We must recognize, accept and deal with climate changes now. Learn more at methanetracker.org and http://arctic-news.blogspot.com/.

Harold Hensel

Cedar Rapids