Last month’s devastating coal ash spill in Tennessee could have been prevented if warning signs were heeded, according to a former coal engineer.  While the utility company argues the previous leaks were unrelated, an appalling lack of safety oversight or government regulation of the toxic sludge are undeniable hazards of the coal industry.   A number of environmental groups including the Sierra Club are planning to sue the utility on behalf of 40 neighboring families.

According to the New York Times, the Tennessee spill is only one of more than 1.300 unmonitored and unregulated coal ash dumps that have occurred across the United States recently. 

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If you happen to be in New York sometime between now and August 16th, go check out the Climate Change exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History. The interactive exhibit illustrates the impact humans have had on our climate throughout history and examines what can be done now to change our destructive course.

I’ve always loved the Museum of Natural History, but I’m glad they’re working to revitalize the dusty dioramas and are drawing more connections between our planet’s history and its potential future.  Don’t get me wrong, I still love the dioramas, I just don’t want us to end up joining the ranks of other extinct species behind that glass.

takepart by learning how you can help solve the climate crisis.

Related:  Inconvenient Truth of the Day

Photo: pablocomotion’s Flickr Photostream (Creative Commons)

For those of you who think kids these days are only concerned with online profiles and illegal downloads, along comes the story of Generation E from the New York Times about innovative young people committed to solving the climate crisis.  Mark wrote a great post yesterday about ways to motivate much needed innovators, green and otherwise, and these are the kids that need that support.

From rockin’ electric motorcycles to power plants fueled with rice husks, teenagers and young adults are finding brilliant ways of addressing a variety of environmental concerns.  Just check out this video from Alex Loorz, the 14 year old who since learning to present Al Gore’s Inconvenient Truth power point went on to found Kids vs Global Warming:

takepart by learning what you can do to help solve the climate crisis and share introduce a young person in your life to Kids-vs-Global Warming.  Although, chances are, they’re way ahead of you.

The disastrous effects of climate change may soon take their toll on corn crops, as warming temperatures will cause sharp increases in corn-hungry insects according to a study at Purdue University.  The United States is the largest producer of corn in the world and large scale crop failure caused by the pests would be both environmentally and economically devastating.

The production of petroleum based fertilizers and pesticides that conventional farms use to increase yields and fight these very pests, is one of the major contributors to climate change, so their attempts to control nature with chemistry could potentially, and not surprisingly, lead to their failure.  It’s a frightening prospect to consider such large-scale crop failure, but one that should encourage major shifts to organic farming practices that combat pests without causing contributing to climate change.

takepart by supporting organic farmers near you with the Eat Well Guide and takepart by learning how you can help solve the climate crisis.

Related: Inconvenient Truth of the Day

Photo: thetrapezium’s Flickr Photostream (Creative Commons)

Alright, so estate planning was a breeze, and mastering AutoCAD was no trouble, well now it’s time to tackle climate change with Global Warming for Dummies.  The latest edition of the how-to series breaks down the facts and fictions surrounding climate science and provides readers with accessible approaches to addressing the climate crisis in their daily lives.  While some people might scoff at a seemingly simplified approach to a complex problem, I think it’s a great way to introduce people to potentially overwhelming concepts that are often diluted by hidden agendas.  There’s certainly nothing simple about the authors, Elizabeth May and Zoe Caron, who are well versed in environmental research or  the 2,000 scientists at the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change who fact-checked the book.  And besides, I’ve learned tons from Gardening for Dummies, and you know what?  The plants don’t care where I learned how to take care of them, just that I do.

takepart by ordering your copy of Global Warming for Dummies and grab a copy for skeptic in your life.

Related: Inconvenient Truth of the Day

Now that the ball has dropped on 2008, it’s time we turn to face the harsh realities of climate change, and according to three independent studies, last year’s trends are not encouraging.  Reports from the United Nations’ World Meteorological Organization, NASA’s Goddard Institute of Space Studies, and the U.S. National Climatic Data Center show that last year was a relatively cool year, but chaotic weather patterns and a general warming trend in recent decades are cause for concern.  Retreating arctic ice, warmer winters, and “exceptionally unusual” weather patterns have come to be disturbingly normal for our planet.  The Wall Street Journal reports:

“I wouldn’t run for the hills,” says glacier analyst Eric Rignot at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. “But it might be time to start walking.”

As the evidence mounts for human influenced climate change, skeptics need to open their eyes or step out of the way.  We should all make a New Year’s resolution to do what we can to reduce our impact on the planet and drastically reduce carbon emissions.

takepart by learning what you can do to help solve the climate crisis in 2009.

Related:  Inconvenient Truth of the Day

Graph: Wall Street Journal

For the past three days scientists have measured 250 small earthquakes in Yellowstone National Park, and are keeping a close watch to see if more activity is on the way.  While sesimic activity is normal for the area and the Park assures there’s no reason to worry, experts are still startled by the sudden increase in rumblings.  I’m certainly going to hold off on my plans to visit the park, at least temporarily.  The AP reports that Robert Smith, a professor of geophysics at the University of Utah remarked:

They’re certainly not normal…we haven’t had earthquakes in this energy or extent in many years.

Hopefully there is no serious cause for alarm, but it is certainly critical that we keep tabs on sudden shifts in the planets rhythyms.

takepart by learning how to keep your pulse on the planet and help solve the climate crisis.

Related: Inconvenient Truth of the Day

Photo:  orkybash’s Flickr Photostream (Creative Commons)

Earlier this week 525 million gallons of coal ash slurry spilled from a Tennessee coal plant, flooding hundreds of acres with toxic sludge, and now it looks like two species of already endangered fish are at risk.  This horribly, massive spill should be a clear indication that “clean coal”  is a complete misnomer, and alternative fuel sources must be more thouroughly pursued instead.  While numerous species are threatened the turquoise shiner and the purple bean mussle are of particular concern:

takepart by learning about alternative energy options that won’t leave these devastating scars.

Related:  Inconvenient Truth of the Day

For the 2nd year in a row, erratic and unseasonal weather is threatening birds, mammals and insects in the United Kingdom: a clear indication of the immediate and disastourous effects of climate change.  These are not some far-fetched predictions of what might happen if we don’t curb our CO2 output, this is evidence that our contribution has already proved desructive.  And while conditions will likely worsen in the years to come we should do everything we can to slow the the potential damage.  Among some of the concerning changes due to abnormal weather, the BBC reports:

• Snowdrops and red admiral butterflies were first spotted in January, earlier than normal.

• Bees were hit hard in April by frost and snow

• Rain in late May caused many birds’ nests to fail, including those of the blue and great tits, because of the lack of insect food

• It was a poor summer for migrant insects - butterflies, moths, hoverflies, ladybirds and dragonflies - because of the wet and cold June

• In July, puffin numbers on the Farne Islands were down 35% on what they had been five years earlier

takepart by helping to solve the climate crisis and protect wildlife everywhere.

Related: Inconvenient Truth of the Day

Photo:  !!sahrizvi!! wishes everyone Season’s Greetings Flickr Photostream (Creative Commons)

In addition to the much needed rain, forecasters predict that residents of Southern California could see snow this Christmas.  And while farmers surely welcome the first Christmas rain since 2003, threats of flash floods and erratic weather should be cause for concern.  I’m no meteorologist, but increasingly fluctuating and extreme weather patterns are strong indicators that we are well into a climate crisis.

takepart by helping to solve the climate crisis.

Related: Inconvenient Truth of the Day

Photo:  slworking2’s Flickr Photostream (Creative Commons)