Permafrost is Thawing

melting permafrost in Arctic

A dramatic and fundamental shift has occurred in the Earth's climatic system that is not as obvious as torrential floods, crippling droughts or ferocious super storms.  For thousands of years the Arctic has served the planet as a carbon sink, absorbing quantities of carbon dioxide and storing methane.  But now according to the latest research based on data collected between 2003 and 2017, the Arctic region now emits more carbon than it stores because the permafrost, a layer of frozen earth that was until now permanently frozen is thawing and doing so rapidly.  The study showed that the Arctic emitted 1.66 Gtons on an annual basis as opposed to storing 1.03Gtons of carbon. The fundamental shift in an important climate function is not just a one off, but has taken place over the entire Arctic region. This shocking fact bodes ill for the planet and its precious "Goldilocks" climate--an oasis in the vast cosmos for dazzling plethora of life forms.

Ordinary people across the planet are awakening to the existential crisis.  The UN's Climate Conference was forced to move from the planned venue in Chile to Madrid because of climate demonstrations in the streets of Quito.  Amnesty International reports climate demonstrations occurring in Hong Kong, La Paz, Port au Prince, Barcelona, Beirut and Santiago.  People are becoming increasing frustrated with their ruling elite's inability to take concrete action to reduce emissions to avoid a climate catastrophe.  The teenage Swedish activist who has been vilified by the ignorant and corrupt occupant of the Very White House, told the UN people are fed up with clever accounting and unending excuses.  Her accusation is backed up by experts.  Liu Cheng, a world renown labor expert, professor of law and politics at Shanghai Normal University, wrote:

“There is also a growing global recognition that we are in the midst of an unprecedented climate crisis. Ready or not, that crisis is affecting every nation, every locality, and every worker. Its effects are already serious, and unless decisive global action is taken to counter it, they will soon be catastrophic. Neoliberal deregulation, by dismantling the means for public steering of society to meet social needs, has also made it nearly impossible to correct global climate crisis.”

Cheng goes on to say in his critique of neoliberal deregulation, that the forty year consensus known as the "Washington Consensus" has been disastrous for workers all over the world, caught in a relentless race to the bottom.  There is now a growing consensus that the Washington Consensus is a failure.  Until organizations and government break out of its stranglehold, nothing will be done to ameliorate global warming. Just ask Bernie Sanders!