www.meetup.com/GreenjobsRichmond/

I launched a new GreenJobsRichmond Meetup site today

Changed plans

I am reminded each time when well-laid plans are changed, that most things in life are not guaranteed. Indeed if anything can be said about planning, it is that plans are usually, changed to accommodate the whims of fate. That’s not bad on the whole, just the way it is. A wise person once said, “Life happens when you’re not expecting it.” How true that is on many occasions in recent memory. Often plans for travel, visiting friends, or vacations have been dashed due to extenuating circumstances beyond control. I am sure that some friends of mine who hear from me that “ I will come to visit,” year after visit-less year, have grown tired of waiting for me and dismiss the annual proclamation as so many politicians promises for reform when they are trying to garner the plebiscite.

Polar bears, Whales, and puppy dog tails

Here is a cold hard fact. Winter happens, Climate change is happening every century, every decade, every year. We have weather every day. The distinction between climate change and in our weather should be distinct but are not portrayed in the media as being separate, and it is for that reason I believe that folks get the two confused.

How often have you heard folks talk about “Global Warming” in the context of current weather conditions:

“It’s so hot, it must be global warming.”
“Our planet can’t be going into an ice age; my garden has dried up due to lack of rain.”
“How come it’s so cold here, I thought global warming was going to keep us warmer?”

I can’t tell you how frustrating it is as an educator to hear miss-information bandied about like it’s the gospel truth. Take the childhood game of telling secrets where one child is given a phrase to say to their neighbor and then ask the neighbor to pass it on. By the time it reaches the third child it has changed slightly. By the time it reaches the end of the line, it may not resemble in any way what the first child heard. Why is that? I think that everyone knows why that is. Simply put, folks forget, fill in and embellish what they don’t know to sound important or in most cases not to sound dumb. Really, it’s because we are bad at recording data verbally and keeping our facts strait.

Another example is when someone witnesses a crash and has to be debriefed by a police officer. The sooner the officer gets to the witness the more accurate the account. After a while, emotions, personal thoughts, bias, and internalized hidden agenda’s tend to convolute the original experience to fit that person’s “world view,” of what just took place.

Enter Global climatic shifts and weather….

Yes climate change is happening.
Yes our weather on a daily basis has some patterns, those patterns over time we call climate. If our weather changes over time then climate changes over time. However, if we look at small data sets like in all science, our conclusion is not accurate what so ever.

There is a body of evidence showing that recent events (last 100 years) that our climate has been changing from a colder mean temperature (average temperature) to a slightly warmer one. A key point that is missed when the global climatic shift, which is natural, normal and cyclical, is that data, even from some of the oldest dendrochronological studies (The systematic study of tree rings showing yearly weather change, growing season, drought, rain and so on) fails to give a complete picture. Any 9th grader can tell you that the evidence is clear, global warming is happening and that we are the cause of it. I know because I have had 13-14 year old students come into my classroom with gross miss information about the science behind what they espouse to be completely accurate. This worldview is carried on into college with my fellow students. The key understanding global climate change is to not look at it as an emotional issue supercharged with polar bears, whales, and the loss of panda habitat. I will be very sad to see those gene sets parish. But to focus on the changes that are taking place on a biological, ecological, meteorological, and planetary geological level and interpret those findings as a change in the NATURE of the planet. Our focus has been for decades now on how our lives as humans are wrecking havoc on the planet and that we should be removed. Folks, if we are removed we can’t enjoy living on the planet.

I believe we are an integral connected species with mother Earth, not a pustule that needs to be cut and drained before it becomes infected. The very notion that we are parasitically drawing the lifeblood from the planet is a pervasive and popular view, which in many cases is hard to discredit given the global changes in forestland, desertification, and species extinction due to over use, over harvest and down right negligence by humans. I think that we should cooperate with nature, feel that we are part of the natural world, and teach stewardship, conservation, land use, and ultimately responsibility towards our species and our future as a collective organism known as the earth’s biomass.

Just my thoughts…
What are yours?

Past Climate Change

Past Climate Change
Related Links
U.S. Global Change Research Program
USGCP: Product 3.4 - Abrupt Climate Change
NASA: Paleoclimatology Site
NOAA
• Climate Timeline
• Paleoclimatology Program
• Abrupt Climate Change Web site
Causes of Change | Rates of change | The Last 2,000 Years
The Earth's climate has changed throughout history. From glacial periods (or "ice ages") where ice covered significant portions of the Earth to interglacial periods where ice retreated to the poles or melted entirely - the climate has continuously changed.
Scientists have been able to piece together a picture of the Earth's climate dating back decades to millions of years ago by analyzing a number of surrogate, or "proxy," measures of climate such as ice cores, boreholes, tree rings, glacier lengths, pollen remains, and ocean sediments, and by studying changes in the Earth's orbit around the sun.
This page contains information about the causes of climate change throughout the Earth's history, the rates at which the climate has changed, as well as information about climate change during the last 2,000 years.
Causes of Change Prior to the Industrial Era (pre-1780)
Known causes, “drivers” or “forcings” of past climate change include:
• Changes in the Earth's orbit: Changes in the shape of the Earth's orbit (or eccentricity) as well as the Earth's tilt and precession affect the amount of sunlight received on the Earth's surface. These orbital processes -- which function in cycles of 100,000 (eccentricity), 41,000 (tilt), and 19,000 to 23,000 (precession) years -- are thought to be the most significant drivers of ice ages according to the theory of Mulitin Milankovitch, a Serbian mathematician (1879-1958). The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Earth Observatory offers additional information about orbital variations and the Milankovitch Theory.
• Changes in the sun's intensity: Changes occurring within (or inside) the sun can affect the intensity of the sunlight that reaches the Earth's surface. The intensity of the sunlight can cause either warming (for stronger solar intensity) or cooling (for weaker solar intensity). According to NASA research, reduced solar activity from the 1400s to the 1700s was likely a key factor in the “Little Ice Age” which resulted in a slight cooling of North America, Europe and probably other areas around the globe. (See additional discussion under The Last 2,000 Years.)
• Volcanic eruptions: Volcanoes can affect the climate because they can emit aerosols and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
o Aerosol emissions: Volcanic aerosols tend to block sunlight and contribute to short term cooling. Aerosols do not produce long-term change because they leave the atmosphere not long after they are emitted. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the eruption of the Tambora Volcano in Indonesia in 1815 lowered global temperatures by as much as 5ºF and historical accounts in New England describe 1816 as “the year without a summer.”
o Carbon dioxide emissions: Volcanoes also emit carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas, which has a warming effect. For about two-thirds of the last 400 million years, geologic evidence suggests CO2 levels and temperatures were considerably higher than present. One theory is that volcanic eruptions from rapid sea floor spreading elevated CO2 concentrations, enhancing the greenhouse effect and raising temperatures. However, the evidence for this theory is not conclusive and there are alternative explanations for historic CO2 levels (NRC, 2005). While volcanoes may have raised pre-historic CO2 levels and temperatures, according to the USGS Volcano Hazards Program, human activities now emit 150 times as much CO2 as volcanoes (whose emissions are relatively modest compared to some earlier times).
These climate change “drivers” often trigger additional changes or “feedbacks” within the climate system that can amplify or dampen the climate's initial response to them (whether the response is warming or cooling). For example:
• Changes in greenhouse gas concentrations: The heating or cooling of the Earth's surface can cause changes in greenhouse gas concentrations. For example, when global temperatures become warmer, carbon dioxide is released from the oceans. When changes in the Earth's orbit trigger a warm (or interglacial) period, increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide may amplify the warming by enhancing the greenhouse effect. When temperatures become cooler, CO2 enters the ocean and contributes to additional cooling. During at least the last 650,000 years, CO2 levels have tended to track the glacial cycles (IPCC, 2007). That is, during warm interglacial periods, CO2 levels have been high and during cool glacial periods, CO2 levels have been low (see Figure 1).

Figure 1: Fluctuations in temperature (red line) and in the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide (yellow) over the past 649,000 years. The vertical red bar at the end is the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels over the past two centuries and before 2007. Click on thumbnail for a full-size image and references.
• Changes in ocean currents: The heating or cooling of the Earth's surface can cause changes in ocean currents. Because ocean currents play a significant role in distributing heat around the Earth, changes in these currents can bring about significant changes in climate from region to region.
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Rates of Change
Studies of the Earth's previous climate suggest periods of stability as well as periods of rapid change. Recent climate research suggests:
• Interglacial climates (such as the present) tend to be more stable than cooler, glacial climates. For example, the climate during the current and previous interglacials (known as the Holocene and Eemian interglacials) has been more stable than the most recent glacial period (known as the Last Glacial Maximum). This glacial period was characterized by a long string of widespread, large and abrupt climate changes (NRC, 2002).
• Abrupt or rapid climate changes tend to frequently accompany transitions between glacial and interglacial periods (and vice versa). For example, a significant part of the Northern Hemisphere (particularly around Greenland) may have experienced warming rates of 14-28ºF over several decades during and after the most recent ice age (IPCC, 2007).
While abrupt climate changes have occurred throughout the Earth's history, human civilization arose during a period of relative climate stability.
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The Last 2,000 Years
During the last 2,000 years, the climate has been relatively stable. Scientists have identified three departures from this stability, known as the Medieval Climate Anomaly (also referred to as the Medieval Warm Period), the Little Ice Age and the Industrial Era:
• The Medieval Climate Anomaly: Between roughly 900 and 1300 AD, evidence suggests Europe, Greenland and Asia experienced relative warmth. While historical accounts and other evidence document the warmth that occurred in some regions, the geographical extent, magnitude and timing of the warmth during this period is uncertain (NRC, 2006). The American West experienced very dry conditions around this time.
• The Little Ice Age: A wide variety of evidence supports the global existence of a "Little Ice Age" (this was not a true "ice age" since major ice sheets did not develop) between about 1500 and 1850 (NRC, 2006). Average temperatures were possibly up to 2ºF colder than today, but varied by region.
• The Industrial Era: An additional warm period has emerged in the last 100 years, coinciding with substantially increasing emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities (see Recent Climate Change for more information).
Prior to the Industrial Era, the Medieval Climate Anomaly and Little Ice Age had defined the upper and lower boundaries of the climate's recent natural variability and are a reflection of changes in climate drivers (the sun's variability and volcanic activity) and the climate's internal variability (referring to random changes in the circulation of the atmosphere and oceans).
The issue of whether the temperature rise of last 100 years crossed over the warm limit of the boundary defined by the Medieval Climate Anomaly has been a controversial topic in the science community. The National Academy of Sciences recently completed a study to assess the efforts to reconstruct temperatures of the past one to two millennia (see Figure 2) and place the Earth's current warming in historical context (NRC, 2006).

Figure 2: Reconstructions of (Northern Hemisphere average or global average) surface temperature variations from six research teams (in different color shades) along with the instrumental record of global average surface temperature (in black). Each curve illustrates a somewhat different history of temperature changes, with a range of uncertainties that tend to increase backward in time (as indicated by the shading). Reference: NRC, 2006. (Figure reprinted with permission from Surface Temperature Reconstructions© (2006) by the National Academy of Sciences, Courtesy of the National Academies Press , Washington, D.C.)
According to the study (NRC, 2006):
• There is a high level of confidence that the global average temperature during the last few decades was warmer than any comparable period during the last 400 years.
• Present evidence suggests that temperatures at many, but not all, individual locations were higher during the past 25 years than any period of comparable length since A.D. 900. However, uncertainties associated with this statement increase substantially backward in time.
• Very little confidence can be assigned to estimates of hemisphere average or global average temperature prior to A.D. 900 due to limited data coverage and challenges in analyzing older data.
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References
• IPCC, 2007: Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Solomon, S., D. Qin, M. Manning (eds.)].
• National Research Council (NRC), 2002: Abrupt Climate Change, Inevitable Surprises. National Academy Press, Washington, DC. National Academy Press, Washington, DC
• National Research Council (NRC), 2005: Radiative Forcing of Climate Change. National Academy Press, Washington, DC. National Academy Press, Washington, DC
• National Research Council (NRC), 2006. Surface Temperature Reconstructions For the Last 2,000 Years. National Academy Press, Washington, DC.

FISHPHONE

If only eating green were as simple as going to a farmers market, and picking out some organically produced foods, and using that re-usable shopping tote (I have 6) at the grocery store. Something that most folks never think about up until recently is eating locally. It isn’t always possible to do this, especially in the colder months. The fish for example that we eat should be as local as you can get. Granted not everyone will like to eat smelt (pronounced Shmelt) in the dead of Winter, but I like them. Pan friend with salt and pepper and a little corn meal. Oh my mouth is watering now.

Try this handy and fun way of deciding on what fish to buy:

When you’re at the fish counter trying to decide what to buy for dinner, use your cell phone to text seafood conservation group Blue Ocean Institute’s Fishphone sevice. Text 30644 and enter FISH, followed by the name of the fish you want to buy. You’ll receive a text telling you if the variety is good for you and the world.

Smokey butt

Smoking a pork shoulder also known as a pork butt. Curious name, and mostly curious because the cut of meat refered to isnt from the "dairy-aire," of the pig. Its instead of the shoulder blade area. Maybe the term "butt" referes to the shape of the cut, or the something that escapes me right now. But it's not the back end of the pig in any event. This past Saturday with the willing donation of one said pork shoulder I commensed to smoking with soaked Mesquite and Hickory chips. The process is simple really.

Soak that wood chips or chuncks in a bucket of clear water. I usually soak them during the smoking process, but the first round of wood, usually soaks all of an hour or less to get the process going faster. Early smoke does my heart good. Makes me think I am a head of the game. Smoking last depending on the amount of meat and the temperature of the smoker that I am smoking. I like to keep mine between 200 and 240 degrees.

I have not yet met the person who can maintain exactly 220F for 14 hours. If you meet him or her, shake their hand 'cause they have done it skatee 8 million times already, and can smoke meat with one allergy inflamed eye closed. For me, I am lucky that the gall darned thing actually keeps pouring out on a regular basis. Normally, or recently normally I use a remote temperature senser that I stick in the meat. I click the remote to my belt or sit it on the table next to me. An alarm sounds when the meat is at temperature. Very handy. cuts down on the opening of the lid and the subsequent eye blasting. However I do admit its fun to play with fire and smoke...

This time I was without devices so a smoking I 'attended pretty frequently. Below please find the Alton Brown method of brining and seasoning. Now I tweak my seasoning a bit, and like all good BBQ-ers we dont release our exact recipe, unless of course your a regular cook and just feed friends and family, then its just a matter of pride..


Brine:
8 ounces or 3/4 cup molasses
12 ounces pickling salt
2 quarts bottled water
10 pound Boston butt

Rub:
3 teaspoon whole cumin seed
3 teaspoon whole fennel seed
3 teaspoon whole coriander
3 tablespoon chili powder
3 tablespoon onion powder
3 tablespoon paprika

Preperation:
Combine molasses, pickling salt, and water in 6 quart Lexan. Add Boston butt making sure it is completely submerged in brine, cover, and let sit in refrigerator for a minimum of 8 hours. 12 hours is ideal. Place cumin seed, fennel seed, and coriander in food grinder and grind fine. Transfer to a small mixing bowl and stir in chili powder, onion powder, and paprika. Remove Boston butt from brine and pat dry. Sift the rub evenly over the shoulder and then pat onto the meat making sure as much of the rub as possible adheres. More rub will adhere to the meat if you are wearing latex gloves during the application. Preheat smoker to 210 degrees F. Place butt in smoker and cook for 10 to12 hours, maintaining a temperature of 210 degrees F. Begin checking meat for doneness after 10 hours of cooking time. Use fork to check for doneness. Meat is done when it falls apart easily when pulling with a fork. Once done, remove from pot and set aside to rest for at least 1 hour. Pull meat apart with 2 forks and serve as sandwich with coleslaw and dressing as desired.

Now I made my own coleslaw with items from the winter garden, but you can just buy the regular stuff and add things to it. I like a sweet apple, raisens, salt pepper, bread and butter pickle juice, and carrots in mine. You can add what you like. Let it sit for several hours before eating, that gets the juices to mix and then it tastes really yummy on top of the pulled pork. I have added the pulled pork to Ramen noodles and man what a nice asian tasting kick. Skip the coleslaw, please.

Rain rain go away come again another day...

"My house" has been belted with wind gusts and rain since yesterday. Last night and today the winds and rain have exploded. Frankly it's very cool to have this kind wind and rain. Several times my power went out, then powered back up again for a few minutes, then flicker. I would imagine a substation some place was effected by blowing branches or downed trees. This is the first storm of its kind to hit central Virginia since hurricane Gaston in 2004. That was a humdinger for our neck of the woods.

Right now at quarter to 3, I am enjoying the floor show outside the kitchen french doors. There is a field behind the back yard where I have been watching wind, rain, flying leaves, bending trees, and the occasional flying branch.

Fall Paddle on the James River

So here is the scoop. I have been an outdoorsy kind of guy since I was in natural fiber diapers. I don’t think that pampers where invented then. Grew up in the Adirondack Mountains of New York state, and lived in and around the forest prime evil most of my life. If I lived too far from the woods, I would make it a point to re-connect as often as possible. It’s my nature to be engulfed in woods, water, and trees. Fortunately, I have been able to enjoy more of those three items more now, and it is to this end that I am planning an excursion on the mighty James River this Fall. Having never done an overnight paddle run, nor camped in the fall on an island on the James, nor as it happens spent two days on the water, I am a bit wary of my decision to do this kind of thing. Partly because I have never done it before, and partly the whole hypothermia thing has gotten me down.

So I have a clever plan. This clever plan is 50 percent going to drop the idea until combined air and water temperatures are above 110F. (example: water temp 55, air temp 55) I have been hooking up with some experienced cold weather kayakers. We have not spoken yet, but I feel that they have the keeping warm thing solid in. Again, I can do ski weather, but not water weather. That’s a “whole new kettle of fish”, as my great Aunt Hazel would say when describing something totally new.

I appeal Medina…

What do you think is essential?

waterblogged stories: SHROOMS!

waterblogged stories: SHROOMS!

Begin a fresh

I am an experienced blogger that has fallen by the wayside of blogging life. For a good two years plus I was a Yahoo360 member, and enjoyed the experience of writing stories, posting photos of what ever adventure I was on, and generally putting myself “out there,” in a creative framework. Then of course, like many good things Yahoo360 went belly-up. Several other sites stepped up to fill the void, but none of them could. Once I was used to being able to post stories, photos, video clips, and links in one formatting it was hard to adjust to another. I am sure there are some among us who feel the same way. Many of my online followers jumped ship early and others have been lost in the process. I communicate with not a one of them. Which in retrospect doesn’t matter a lick, except I miss the interaction and the intellectual curiosity that comes from folks actually reading what you write. It is for this reason why I have been fallow for several years now. Without an audience their isn’t a reason to write, except for myself.

The focus therefore now is to begin a fresh.

PUNNY

When an algae & a fungus meet & take a likin to each other their marriage will end up -on the rocks-!

Introduction Post

Howdy all,

I am an educator by recent trade, and a career explorer professionally. A neice of mine by the name of Anna sugested that I blog (noun) on this site and see what develops from it.