Isn't there an urgency to act now?

It is interesting to me that climate change is now being viewed from a military perspective, and problems are expected within 20-30 years. It concerns me that this time frame is realistic. It highlights our need to do all we can right now at the individual level, knowing that we still can make a difference and avoid future conflict. We all must broaden our sense of urgency about the potential for catastrophic change that will come politically as well as environmentally due to our own actions. Isn’t it realistic to believe that each one of us can set an example to the world of a commitment (on any level and in any way possible) to the health of the environment?

…change and The Geysers

The Geysers is the largest geothermal development in the world and is located in the United States, just north of San Francisco. Although uncommon, The Geysers is a dry steam field, producing superheated steam created from the heat of a magma chamber that is over 4 miles beneath the earth’s crust.

The Geysers meet 60% of the power demand between San Francisco and Oregon. Their peak production came in 1987, and power generation since has been in decline because the water supply to the steam field is shrinking. (The Geysers produced power for 1.8 million people and now produces for 1.1 million people.)

We all need to help develop awareness about the potential of a dramatic (human caused) shift in the stability of our environmental health. The Geysers plan to boost energy production by pumping grey water to supply the dried up wells.

We need to change patterns in our consumption dramatically, not only to accommodate for future population growth. Man made solutions may not be available for the environmental problems we will face. Our planet isn’t big enough to live without considering our impact on others.

I recently heard in a tribute to George Harrison, “All things must pass”. Daily we get closer to being unable to reverse the effect we are having on our planet. Our climatic problems won’t pass if we think they will heal themselves.