Category Archives: King Tides

Pale Blue Dot

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Last Thursday Caroline Lewis and the CLEO Institute held its Annual Celebration at Coconut Grove’s The Kampong, the former bayside home of explorer-botanist and Miami pioneer Dr. David Fairchild. The evening was lovely and included a silent auction, live music, food and fun in one of South Florida’s most special places.

And there can be little doubt that the cool, clear weather we enjoyed was influenced by the night’s keynote speaker, my fellow CLEO Board member John Morales, the esteemed, Emmy Award winning Chief Meteorologist for NBC-6 Miami.

John is most certainly one of my climate heroes and frequently helps educate his viewers about what is undeniable to those of us who call South Florida home; our climate is warming and the ocean that’s all around us is rising.

So on this, a weekend of the King Tides, I am honored to share John’s entire speech as a guest blog with you and believe its message is befitting to anyone concerned about our planet’s future and whether places like South Florida will even have one.   

Pale Blue Dot

It’s been 40 years since NASA’s Voyager launched on a mission to encounter and study the giant planets of our solar system, and then head out into interstellar space. On board Voyager is the famed Golden Record with salutations from Earthlings to the universe, international music and images of life on Earth. I’m very fortunate to have attended a “Voyager at 40” celebratory panel at Cornell University – home of the Golden Record and one of its creators, famed but now deceased astronomer, author and TV host Carl Sagan. As I sat at Bailey Hall two weeks ago listening to Sagan’s widow Ann Druyan, I found inspiration for my address to you tonight. Ms. Druyan said that if Carl Sagan were alive today, he’d would still be working, searching, and seeking answers to the one question that was dearest to his heart: “Whether or not we are going to get our act together as a species and protect the life on this world.”

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Perhaps nothing embodies the urgency of what us humans, as the dominant species on the planet, need to do to save Earth than Carl Sagan’s Pale Blue Dot, written after Voyager’s cameras were turned around to look back on Earth from 4 billion miles away. It’s the image you’re seeing [above]. Please, listen, and be inspired by this excerpt of Sagan’s words:

“Look again at that dot. That’s here. That’s home. That’s us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every “superstar,” every “supreme leader,” every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there-on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.”

The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds.

Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves.

The Earth is the only world known so far to harbor life. There is nowhere else, at least in the near future, to which our species could migrate. Visit, yes. Settle, not yet. Like it or not, for the moment the Earth is where we make our stand.” – end quote

But what a challenge that is – making our stand on Earth! That’s why when the Paris Agreement – with all its virtues and flaws – was signed almost 2 years ago, it was celebrated as a monumental achievement! Previous post-Kyoto attempts to reach a global agreement on limiting greenhouse gas emissions had failed, including quite infamously in Copenhagen. One of the biggest flaws cited for the Paris Accord is that the agreement is non-binding. And we have the United States to blame for that, as negotiators at the 21st Conference of Parties or COP21 knew that America would never ratify a binding agreement given the present-day make up of the U.S. Congress. But with carbon dioxide concentrations near 400 parts per million (a value not seen on Earth in 800 thousand years, well above the pre-industrial level of 280 PPM, plus surging at the fastest pace ever evidenced) and the accelerating, palpable changes in climate and weather patterns already occurring around the globe, delegates in Paris knew how urgent the task at hand was. The goal of Paris is to keep the total, call it, unnatural warming to 2 degrees Celsius, or even a degree and a half if possible.

There are some positive signs: nearly 20 countries had their greenhouse gas emissions peak 20 years ago – including Germany, Norway and Russia. Others like the U.K., France and the first Latin American country to do so – Costa Rica – reached peak-carbon in the year 2000 or earlier. Even the U.S. and Canada got there in 2007! In total, about a quarter of the countries around the globe have seen their emissions peak, representing 36 percent of current global emissions. Another 8 countries representing 23 percent of emissions have commitments to peak in the next decade, including Japan and China. If all this happens, global emissions would stay relatively flat through 2100 and the world would STILL warm around 3 degrees C. So we’re not there yet, despite Paris, which is under attack from the administration in Washington – among other things they’re attacking. To have a good chance of avoiding 2C of warming, global emissions need to peak sometime in the next few years and decline rapidly thereafter. THAT is the global, urgent challenge when it comes to mitigating the injection of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

Meanwhile, in this country, standing up for Mother Earth calls for us to be more involved than we’ve ever been! The ability for ALL, not just humans, but the other species that share our space, to breathe unpolluted air and drink or swim in uncontaminated water is under attack. The American public, who struggles with the most elemental science and geography questions, has been duped into believing that no consensus exists regarding global warming, thanks to a decades-long, deliberate, and persistent misinformation campaign by Big Oil, other special interests, and their satellite “think tanks” such as the Heartland Institute, which just this year mailed out hundreds of thousands of packets with misleading literature to American teachers, including a book titled “Why Scientists Disagree on Global Warming”. While there’s been some progress in recent years, thanks in good part to the extreme weather events we’re all witnessing, a significant percentage of Americans still think that funding research or solutions to the climate change problem is a worthless waste of taxpayer money, or that heading down that path will lead to a lower standard of living.

Sadly, my adopted industry – broadcast media and journalism – has been complicit to these special interests, perhaps unknowingly so, but complicit nonetheless, by providing a platform on equal footing for the so-called skeptics – which are better described as science deniers. You see, journalists are trained to present both sides to every news story. They seek to present balanced news (I’ll leave the word FAIR out of this discussion for now). And while that’s the essence of journalism – it simply does not apply when it comes to science! The scientific method leads to unequivocal answers. You observe, you experiment, and you either prove or disprove a hypothesis.

There are no two sides to the gravity story, to the general relativity story, or to the story that smoking cigarettes causes cancer.

There’s no second side to the story of global warming, which as you know has been described by the IPCC as “unequivocal”. The IPCC has also concluded that the human influence on the climate system is “clear”, and that recent climate changes have had widespread impacts on the human and natural systems.

But to this day, I have newsroom managers telling me that if I don’t seek an “alternate viewpoint” to a climate-change related TV report, then it will not air.

This journalistic problem has been well documented, and it has a name: it’s called false balance. Journalists, in their zeal to be fair, presenting each side of a debate as equally credible, even when the factual evidence is stacked heavily on one side. This false equivalency issue has cost us dearly in this country, as American voters have failed to understand the urgency of the climate change challenge.

Climate change falls quite low on the rankings of things voters worry about, and therefore politicians are rarely being judged on their positions regarding global warming.

That’s where CLEO comes in. We are the only non-profit organization in Miami solely dedicated to climate change education, engagement and advocacy. I got hooked on CLEO when I attended one of their training sessions at the University of Miami years ago, and I understood that a grass-roots effort such as this is what we need, not just in Miami but all around the country! We can build climate literacy by educating communities and their leaders on the science of climate change from the bottom up! Once educated on the science, individuals, communities, voters, can embrace the urgency to Act on Climate!

It’s been 21 years since Carl Sagan died, and I believe we have yet to answer his challenge for us to “make our stand” on Earth, or FOR Earth.

What will YOU do?

If we continue down this path and our climate continues to destabilize, and our seas continue to rise, will you be able to tell your grandchildren and great-grandchildren that you tried with all your might to change the course of humankind, from the bottom up!

The times we live in today can generously be described as “challenging”.

To me, this is a time, like no other, to be courageous, and to act!

Thank you John for helping educate countless people about our climate crisis, your service to the CLEO Institute and for allowing me to share your thoughts, and Dr. Sagan’s, in today’s Guest Blog here at The Sink or Swim Project. To learn more about John Morales, please visit https://www.nbcmiami.com/on-air/about-us/John-Morales.html and to learn more about The CLEO Institute, please visit https://www.cleoinstitute.org.

The Seas Are Rising And So Are We!

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As I walked across the street from a parking garage to a lush park in downtown Miami I was overcome with joy at what I saw. An amazing sight of colors and sounds that leads me to know that South Florida cares. More people than I’ve ever seen together in one place, at one time, with the common goal of attacking the serious issues of climate change and sea level rise.

As I wrote last month, it is my belief that the recent budget hearings for Miami-Dade County marked a turning point in our community because of the diversity of citizens who appeared before the Commission demanding that our local governement take action to combat sea level rise. But that turnout was nothing compared to the People’s Climate Movement March that took place last week here in downtown Miami. Over 1,000 people from all over South Florida, young and old and of every color and culture our incredible community enjoys marched together on the night of October 14th on the streets demanding change. And I was proud to be with them.

The night was inspiring and also a whole lot of fun. People chanted for ‘Climate Justice‘, a phrase I’d not heard of before but one that most certainly illustrates that people of all sorts of social backgrounds are being impacted by climate change and that if we do not act, many will be displaced.

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We also chanted that ‘the seas are rising and so are we‘ and the governement could not have helped hearing us because the rally that proceeded the March took place in the park adjacent to the Miami-Dade Government Center building. County leaders including Commissioner Daniella Cava, Chief of MiamiDade County’s Office of Sustainability Nicole Hefty, and the Mayor’s very recently appointed James Murley, Miami Dade’s first ever Chief Resilience Officer, amongst others saw the park overflowing with people demanding change and could clearly hear speaker after speaker asking for solutions. Signs and banners and even costumes helped drive home the point that people want change and we want it to start NOW.

I’ve never walked in a March before, but I must say that it was inspiring. Inspiring to see policitcal leaders from all over our community (Pinecrest’s Mayor Lerner was there, so too, was my friend and South Miami Mayor, Dr. Stoddard), renewoned scientists, business owners, educators, doctors, artists, activists, lawyers, musicians, farmers and farm workers, as well as children of all ages from all over the region came together for a common cause and concern.

It was also inspiring because of the energy that we, together, produced. Energy that I am now certain will result in change. Energy that represents votes and voices that will demand being heard and helped. The issue of climate change, and especially sea level rise in our community, can no longer be overlooked. The future of our community and our environment are at risk, but so too are political leaders who do not take the concerns of people, concerns based on extensive science, to heart.

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To read an article from the Miami Herald on the March, please click here! To read a recent editorial about the March by my friend and mentor, the ever so encouraging and inspiring Caroline Lewis, founder of The CLEO Institute, please click here! On a personal note I want to share that from the look on her face, the happy tears in her eyes, that Caroline, a woman long on the often lonely front lines of our region’s sea level discussion, could also sense that things are changing for the better. She’d be the first to say that we have a long way to go, but that the March was a vivid sign of progress. On behalf of all of us here in South Florida, most certainly the youth that she so eagerly leads as an educator, thank you Caroline for your constant inspiration.

To all of those who marched with me last week, thank you. Thank you for your inspiration. Thank you for your energy. Thank you for giving so many so much hope that, together, we can address sea level rise and, in doing so, protect our environment, economy, lifestyle and each other. There is much work ahead and most of the decisions will be costly ones, but I am confident that we can mitigate this problem while our world seeks solutions to end our dependency on fossil fuels. March on South Florida and, remember, The Seas Are Rising And So Are We’.

“We have the ability to change, but we have to muster the ability to change.” – Vice President Al Gore

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I hope that you won’t mind me sharing news (mainly in pictures) about two events here in Miami that took place last week that, together, illustrate the progress being made in educating people about sea level rise, but also the challenges that our planet and people face from this forthcoming catastrophe…

I was honored to spend three amazing days at the Climate Reality Leadership Training program that was led by Vice President Al Gore, who conducted the majority of the education. Talk about someone with a passion and dedication! The conference was attended by 1,200 people from 86 countries. Highlights for me included meeting tons of amazing people (thanks to each of you!) from around the globe who care about this issue, world leaders on climate change, and not one, but two Noble Peace Prize winners (Al Gore and famed Glaciologist Dr. Eric Rignot from California)!

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France will be hosting the world later this year as the United Nations conducts its Conference of the Parties Framework Convention on Climate Change (known as COP21) in Paris. COP21 is designed to bring the world together to create a new international agreement on the climate with the goal of keeping global warming below 2 degrees.  Last Monday night I was fortunate to attend the French Ameri-Can Climate Talks (FACTS) that were held here in Miami Beach and which are designed as a precursor to COP21 that takes place from November 30th to December 2nd in Paris.

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The FACTS panel was amazing and included Fatou Ndoye, Deputy Regional Director of the United Nations Environmental Program, Philippe Letrilliart, Consul General of France here in Miami,  Dr. Ben Kirtman, Associate Dean of the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science at the University of Miami, Dr. Juliet Pinto, Associate Professor at FIU, Phillip Levine, Mayor of Miami Beach, Dr. Anny Cazenave, Director of Earth Sciences at the International Space Science Institute, Dr. Eric Rignot, Glaciologist and Moderator John Morales, Chief Meteorologist here at NBC 6.

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The panel discussed the science of climate change, what has changed in recent decades and what will happen in the near and long term of our future. The data and research that Dr. Cazenave and, separately, Dr. Rignot presented was alarming and clearly defined the depth of the problem at hand, the damage that has been done and what is very likely to take place within my lifetime and my children’s lives. When I asked Dr. Rignot for his own personal view of how high seas might rise in my lifetime, this based on his life’s work in the world’s artic environments, his answer of “at least 3 meters” (that’s about 9.8 feet) was, well, sobering and sad.  3 meters of water above current levels will present massive problems to our environment, man’s infrastructure and society all over earth.

To learn more about COP21, click here.

All the week’s education and passion aside, the point of these programs was vividly represented all over South Florida by the annual King Tides and with it, rising salt water all over our region. The flooding, the heights of which have never been seen before, included massive coastal salt water flooding, inland flooding, road closures, water rising nearly to people’s knees and together illustrated the reason for these important conferences and training.

The good news is, the passion of the people attending these events and working to solve this problem will not, it is clear to me, be stopped. Together we will overcome politics, social and economic challenges, and all else that stands between where we are today and solving this very real problem. I am sure that we can work together to solve sea rise and global warming because we must take it seriously and change our behaviors. We have no other choice.

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To learn more about Climate Reality, click here, to learn more about FACT, click here. Consider telling someone else about this topic, learning more, and getting involved. Speaking of getting involved, please consider joining others who are concerned about sea rise by attending the People’s Climate Change Movement Miami’s March For REAL Climate Leadership on October 14th in downtown Miami. The March starts at 5 PM and Government Center. To learn more visit www.peoplesclimate.org.

Together we will solve this problem.