Larry's Blogs
"Larry's Lone Wolf Mini Blog" Facebook posts for Earth Day 50th anniversary 4-18 to 4-24
Earth Week Blog #5 Larry Ryan 4-24-20
Water, the water shortages we face and our hope for the future
The final Blog for Earth Week focuses on one of the most abundant molecules on our planet, water.
Below there are six YouTube videos for your viewing pleasure on the water crisis and its solutions.
Literally, “water is life” since all known forms of life depend on water. Most all human civilization has flourished because of water being nearby and available for crops and the transportation of goods produced. Water is also known as “The universal solvent”. Water, great for cleansing, is also used as a solution in many other liquids. Water is also essential for cooking, bathing and for drinking. A person should have a least one liter of water a day to drink. As the earth moves closer to a population of 8 billion people, clean water has become scarcer for many. Water justice advocates for clean water as a human right! Because of careless use of our limited freshwater resource many people are suffering from a lack of clean water. Many people are denied water because others have made it a commodity to be sold. More and more farmers are being denied water because urban populations can pay more for a limited availability in some regions. In more and more areas water rights have become a source of human conflict. The overuse of underground aquifers soon threatens our ability to grow food in many regions. On a visit to Palm Springs California several years ago, the lands (many are golf courses) making use the abundant underground aquifer for irrigation are dramatically contrasted by the barren desert across the street. These aquifers are drying up all over the planet. Today, water scarcity can be a result of poor/irresponsible management of water and land resources and human or corporate greed. All human religious traditions declare water as a sacred element and is honored in many spiritual practices. If you visit my website to view my series of posts on Earth Week, https://bit.ly/3bBP2u7 also visit my homepage. http://bit.ly/2B7rNYM
There I reference Matthew 25:31-46. https://bit.ly/3ePkjvK
The hope we have for our future can be found in God’s promises and our ability to honor our relationships with God and with one another. Through giving reverence to all the elements of God’s creation, we provide for each other and for future generations.
Learn more, view short videos linked below
Water scarcity explained in a nutshell https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6pjj2gVnWA
The water Crisis: A short introduction https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyzvcrZIuf0
BBC Are we headed towards a water Crisis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrst59O9Q1Q
TED: The Solar Water Project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnTgx11eQ74
Privilege to purpose
Can Sea Water Desalination Save the World? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfr82RB72U8
Why Water: Learn about the water crisis and how you can help: Charity water https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=womIxQqO2tE
Earth Week Blog #4 4-23-20 Larry Ryan
The celebrate the 50th anniversary of “Earth Week” I have been posting one blog and at least one YouTube video link each day (April 20-24) both on my Facebook page and on my website: https://sites.google.com/site/linkstoclimateactionnetworks/home/blog-posts
Yesterday, (the 50th anniversary of Earth Day) since we are still home bound, we watched several impacting videos. The “Story of Plastic” speaks of the reality of how ubiquitous plastic has become on our planet. The fact that most plastics don’t ever really totally break down, in most animals on our planet traces of plastic can be found. Especially Americans who all belong to the largest consumer economy on the planet, we also create the largest waste stream. Today, the day after the 50th Earth Day benchmark, we are now slowly becoming more mindful of the huge impact our waste stream is having worldwide. Since nobody wants a landfill in their backyard, and many of our landfills are now full or nearly so, we must consider those changes we have been urged to embrace that will consider future generations. Begin to do your own research on what behaviors you can adopt that will exemplify those sustainable practices we wish to model for our children. Here are two video links and a link to the document we pass out at the environmental rallies we organize locally: “Your personal Covenant with God’s Creation”: https://bit.ly/3eKOLqS
1. Video “The Story of Stuff”: https://bit.ly/2Vy3IVO
2. 10 Ways to Reduce Waste/Zero Waste for Beginners: https://bit.ly/2xUrQIT
Earth Week Blog #3 4-22-2020 Larry Ryan
Today, (Earth Day) my video blog can be kept short. The video I reference today shows us that the limited resources of our planet are now in conflict with the unstoppable growth coming from the influence of man. We are “out of balance”. Yellowstone national park’s efforts to repair its ecology is giving us a new sense of hope. These winds of hope are beginning to show that we may be able to help repair the complex interdependence of biodiversity on our planet. We are learning that our survival depends on protecting the ecology of the earth's biodiversity.
Today, let us mark the 50th anniversary of Earth Day by making a personal covenant to begin making the changes that we know we need to make that will enable our children to have a healthy future.
A fragile world : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZUc1c3wBco
Look at the difference in NO2 levels from satellite pictures before the Covid-19 response and now.
This is where I was 50 years ago today! Me and some buddies from The Haverford School attended the Earth Day Celebration in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia. Yes, it was also a Wednesday, we left school after baseball practice!
Earth week blog post #2 4-21-20 Larry Ryan
Earth Week Blog #2
Hard choices:
Today I share three videos, one short, two are longer (58 min.) The truth behind the videos reinforces my strong bias and advocacy for the rapid, immediate development of renewable energy. Where I live on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, I am particularly concerned and frustrated by the lack of progress and continuing resistance to the development of wind energy off the Maryland coastline. The long Maryland coastline is one of the most vulnerable areas in the United States to sea level rise. This is obviously a self-interest since my property is just 8 miles from the coast and almost 30 feet above sea level. This may not seem too bad, but my concern for me and my neighbors is more about being able to get to our homes since we must travel through many areas that are less than 10 feet above sea level to get to where we live! Here is what I already know and what my “Earth Day” video series will tell you. Unless we change our behaviors, within 70 years we can anticipate as much as 10 feet of sea level rise which will make large areas of the Delmarva peninsula inaccessible. It is our burning of fossil fuels that is responsible for the alarming amount of greenhouse gasses, CO2 and CH4, (carbon dioxide and methane) that are in our atmosphere. The accelerating rate of increase of these gasses is also very alarming. These are all measurable and very well documented. Science knows very well how this is impacting the very rapid melt of the polar ice on our planet. Unless we change our behaviors and very rapidly develop renewable energy, the business as usual energy source (burning of fossil fuels) will force un-told millions who live in coastal communities to relocate within this century. Many of our leaders, between 50 and 80 years old may not see this, but their children and grandchildren will. Here is the rub. The renewable energy we need is here! What is preventing us from making the decision to protect our children from this future? The money and profits derived from the powerful fossil fuel extraction economy! The millions of dollars this industry is plowing into the denial and delay of the rapid move to the low carbon economy required is the fight we all face. Today we are experiencing some hopeful signs. The Covid-19 pandemic has been able rally the world into a rapid response of actions that are effectively slowing the spread of this virus. The ability of a least some of our leaders to who are enabling this provides hope that this “Dress Rehearsal” for the engagement needed to what seems like insurmountable chores of growth into a “carbon neutral” economy will work! Who knew two months ago that we could shutter the schools, restaurants, movie theaters effectively diminishing our world economy by 30% in a cooperative effort to benefit the health and safety of people? The staggering costs incurred by this virus give us a peek at the hard choices we face in our future. Will we find the political will to overturn the powerful fossil fuel interests and force them to stop poisoning our air and water in order to improve the health of life on the planet? Not only do these videos show this is what we must do, they show that it can be done in a just and sustainable way! “Let’s Roll” (flight 93 battle cry 9-11)
If you don’t like the ads on the YouTube episodes of “Years of Living Dangerously” you can view these with no ads with an Amazon “Prime” membership. Watch on computer, click off the ads in 2 seconds
Years of living dangerously Season 1 ep. 5 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pd2f1rq1I_E&t=57s
“True colors: Christie vs. Inslee”
Years of Living Dangerously Season 1 episode 6 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFbXw2CBunk
“Winds of change”
Chris Hayes MSNBC 4-20-20 Science of denialism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpH03x-kwYI
Earth Week Blog #1 4-20-20 Larry Ryan
Welcome to my Monday “Earth Week” post! A Facebook post each day for 5 days! of Earth Week! Since our local group that together had organized an Environmental Film series for monthly screenings at three of our wonderful Worcester County Maryland Public libraries have been postponed. I respond with this, “Larry’s Lone Wolf Mini Blog” Earth Day related video screenings. I challenge all my family and friends to view the YouTube video I post each day this week. Or at least save the link for later viewing! Each has an important video message related to the 50th anniversary Earth Day Theme: Climate Action.
Coincidentally, I join with the “Class of 1970” celebrating the 50th reunion of our high school graduation. It is amazing to see where we have been, not been, and where we are going. The “Jubilee year” of Earth day can and will provide us all hope to look forward to the coming years. Please check out: Earthday.org
Here is the first YouTube video in Larry’s mini series: “The Cost of Climate Change Wrecking Your City” This video first aired on HBO “VICE” and has over ½ million views on YouTube since June of 2017. It provides well researched current data to provide the most likely anticipated climate related disruptions.
We have been getting “Warning shots” over the bow for over 30 years! Please try to take what we have learned over the past thirty years seriously, so our children and grandchildren can enjoy the life we have known. I invite you to visit my Google site: Links to Climate Action Networks where you can view over 100 climate related videos that I have referenced over the past five years. It is from the Faith based emphasis and my involvement in “Creation Care Ministry” from which I derive my hope for the future.
4-18-20 Blog to family
Hi Family,
In November I attended the Lutherans Restoring Creation retreat in Isle of Palms, South Carolina. The retreat leader, Pastor Kris Litman-Koon from All Saints Lutheran Church the South Carolina Synod, shared this video with all who attended. I am posting links to videos that relate to our warming planet each day on my Facebook page and on "Larry's Blogs" on my website until April 24th 2020. This YouTube video is my post for today:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSUQZj0xOUs click through the ads or watch on Amazon "Prime" with no ads title: "Ice and Brimstone" YEARS OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY Season 1 Episode 4.
this video has had a big impact on Christians and has inspired many to participate in the behavior changes we need to make so that our children will have a livable future. So for the 50th anniversary of Earth Day I urge all my family to honor this "Jubilee" anniversary by making the changes that we know we all need to make. I know there are many more changes that I can make and I know about the comfort we have with the status quo, Change challenges all of us. I hope we all will use this landmark anniversary of Earth Day to begin making these changes. Covid -19 has shown us that we have the ability to do this!
Love to you all
Larry