Polar Oceans in Peril

The UN has named the month of June as ‘World Ocean's Month’ and so this video is titled Our Polar Oceans in Peril. The polar oceans are the Arctic and Southern/Antarctic oceans. This video was recorded on June 18th, 2021 and published on June 30th, 2021, and represents the opinions of the discussion participants.

Dr. Peter Carter, Paul Beckwith and Regina Valdez will discuss why the polar oceans play such a critical role in the climate system of our planet. They focus mainly on the Arctic ocean and various feedback mechanisms leading to further warming, sea level rise, and harm to the ecosystem. Further highlights include:
- The reason we’ve enjoyed a relatively stable climate over the last 10,000 years allowing us to produce an abundance of food to support and build our civilization
- Quantification of the Earth’s ice imbalance leading to a loss of 7.6 trillion tonnes of Arctic sea ice along with 0.9 trillion tonnes of Antarctic sea ice
- The stunning fact that the heat being retained by the climate system has doubled over the last 14 years
- A breakdown of the various feedback mechanisms leading to further warming.
- Some of the major geoengineering ideas on how we can preserve the Arctic sea ice are articulated including the use of micro-beads, marine micro bubbles, and marine cloud brightening
- How the melting of the ice in the arctic doesn’t stay in the arctic but affects the probability of extreme weather such as droughts and flooding
- What recent scientific research is saying about all this
- The need to maintain hope and push for political change leading to action on climate change

Links from Blue slides:
- Review article: Earth's ice imbalance
- Joint NASA, NOAA Study Finds Earth's Energy Imbalance Has Doubled
- What is CERES
- The Arctic Ice Project (Microspheres)
- Microbubbles/Sea Foam
- Marine Cloud Brightening
- Heat from below: How the ocean is wearing down the Arctic sea ice
- Explainer: How ‘Atlantification’ is making the Arctic Ocean saltier and warmer

Panelists:
- Dr. Peter Carter - MD, Expert IPCC Reviewer and the director of the Climate Emergency Institute

- Paul Beckwith - Climate Systems Scientist. Professor at the University of Ottawa's Paleoclimatology Laboratory as well as Carleton University

- Regina Valdez - Program Director, Climate Reality Project, NYC. GreenFaith Fellow and LEED Green Associate

Video Production:
- Charles Gregoire - Electrical Engineer (BSc Electrical Engineering), Webmaster and IT prime for FacingFuture.Earth, Climate Reality Leader

- Heidi Brault – BA (Psychology), Climate Reality Leader, Metadata Technician, video production and website assistant, organizer and convener, COP team lead for FacingFuture.Earth and the Climate Emergency Forum

Attributions
Background Music:
- Title: Through the City II
- Author: Crowander
- Source: Free Music Archive
- License: CC BY-NC 4.0

Image and Video Attributions:

[kirstinstrand]

The fact that so few have taken time to inform themselves, by watching this video speaks volumes!

[nottenvironmental]

Thankyou for the honesty and facing the facts. Your sacrifice is appreciated

[maxwell]

Another feedback factor for you guys - ice melt has an enthalpy of fusion of ~300 kJ/kg. When its gone, that 300 kJ/kg that went into melting the ice is now going into the ocean.

[gerryiannuzzi]

I have been educating myself and my students on this for the past couple of years. Time is getting short. Action required now. Nuclear power with latest technologies can be game changer here.

[kirstinstrand]

On an uncomplicated note, all life forms require insects, worms and bees to source soils, birds and flowers to perpetuate the food cycle of growth. In my region of WA state, almost all insects have disappeared. The birds are vastly thinned. If anyone stops to think about it, the signs are alarming.

[winnyisheindr]

Today we have to stand altogether to counter climate change

[Lyra]

I work as a handyman/landscaper and several months ago was asked by a friend of my partner to go look at her driveway fence panels which she said needed to be replaced. This woman literaly hugs trees when out walking in the woods. She writes and sings songs about mother nature, the gifts of creation and the wonders of the seasons. After inspecting the fence panels I advised her that I could easily repair two of them and that the remaining three as well as the posts were absolutely solid. She wasn't happy and, despite my gentle suggestion that my plan would be more environmentally friendly, asked me to replace ALL the panels and All the posts because she just wanted it to "look better"! We haven't got a hope in hell of saving humanity from its own stupidity, profligacy and recklessness!!

[claudiaperea]

I’m actually concerned tonight (having just spoke with my closest family) that people will not notice the peril until it’s too late.

I am planning a syntropic food forest with my mom only, as my brother & sister-in-law don’t quite yet share the “vision.” We’re thinking about rural upstate NY. What do y’all think?

Ideally: phase one: amend soil and begin syntropic gardens/forests with a house on site.
Phase two: build earthship on south-facing slope.

….And in the meantime do civil disobedience….

I can do it all right?!

[GregoryJWalters]

Awesome Introductory "Hook" by Dr. Carter. You are all awesome. Thank you!

[jonovens]

Q: When do you think the IPCC will be forced to include geologic methane in it's data set - or as it was deliberately left out in the first place, will it be more of a "we had no way of knowing" sort of response.

To be clear, I refer to the methane that is held in clathrates at various depths, and natural seeps that are blocked by permafrost or glaciation. I ask because all of these were known about 30 years ago ( I nearly did my degree on it ) - and the number of known now active large seeps has increased in that time. I just worry that the extra 10 degrees of warming that was estimated from the known seeps 20 years ago - is going to hit us, much like everything else, a lot sooner than is optimal.

[chicoterra]

I just want to stay until the end of the movie

[Jc-msvv]

Anyone paying attention knows the arctic sea ice will go this summer or next. Its thinning soooo fast!

[jb-fpvs]

I love watching Paul Beckwith and his youtube site
he got it with the collapse of the condo in Florida
why do humans not listen to

[vladimir]

For most of humanity it’s a case of sleepwalking into the apocalypse—they just don’t have a clue

[maxfastest]

It's Already too late.
Nothing is going to stop this Train Wreck.

[drawyrral]

I think the planet would be happy to see us gone.

[oliviachipperfield]

The MEER project may be our last grasp at hope.

[jeanturcot]

The first pleasant thing about this forum is the instant gratification of being 'accepted' into the forum without prior screening. While I assume that rude and derogatory statements would eventually find their way to the trash bin, I can only think of one reason to accept any and all subcribers, and for the simple reason that somewhere, somehow, someone out of the blue can inspire humanity to rise out of its umbilical fight-or-flight cords and change the course of human history, assuming we will have one of course.

Perhaps the example of a glass full of ice cubes may be pertinent to an arctic blue ocean condition. As long as ice cubes still exist in the glass, the temperature immediately above the water, inside the glass will remain close to zero C, but when all the ice has melted, the temperature will probably go through the roof.... I have no means to test that theory, but I would bet my bottom dollar (If I can find one), the analogy might be one to consider about a blue-ocean condition. ...

[donhawkins]

Now or never that is a long long time...

[drawyrral]

We are in peril, not the air, not the water, not the planet.