Melting ice cap triggering earthquakes -- Will Prayers help???

[defendandprotect]

Melting ice cap triggering earthquakes
· Estimates of sea-level rise out of date, say scientists
· Religious leaders pray for planet at Greenland glacier
Paul Brown in Ilulissat The Guardian Saturday September 8 2007
The Greenland ice cap is melting so quickly that it is triggering earthquakes as pieces of ice several cubic kilometres in size break off.

Scientists monitoring events this summer say the acceleration could be catastrophic in terms of sea-level rise and make predictions this February by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change far too low.

The glacier at Ilulissat, which supposedly spawned the iceberg that sank the Titantic, is now flowing three times faster into the sea than it was 10 years ago.

Robert Corell, chairman of the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment, said in Ilulissat yesterday: "We have seen a massive acceleration of the speed with which these glaciers are moving into the sea. The ice is moving at 2 metres an hour on a front 5km <3 miles> long and 1,500 metres deep. That means that this one glacier puts enough fresh water into the sea in one year to provide drinking water for a city the size of London for a year."

He is visiting Greenland as part of a symposium of religious, scientific, and political leaders to look at the problems of the island, which has an ice cap 3km thick containing enough water to raise worldwide sea levels by seven metres.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/sep/08/climatechange



* Yesterday Christian, Shia, Sunni, Hindu, Shinto, Buddhist and Jewish religious leaders took a boat to the tongue of the glacier for a silent prayer for the planet. They were invited by Bartholomew I, the spiritual leader of 250 million Orthodox Christians worldwide.

Imagine . . . . how short a time ago this was a pristine planet -- and here, nature respected by the native Indians -- what is there to recommend any more of this distructive course that patriarchy, organized patriarchal religions and capitalism have brought us to --

Private proverty -- ?????

[annabanana]

1. Like Gramma used to say:

"It couldn't hurt".

[defendandprotect]

4. OK, pray fo the stock market, too, please . . . !!!

[Kutjara]

2. Praying for the planet?

I can't see how adding even more hot air to the atmosphere is supposed to help.

[Patchuli]

7. To some of us

prayer is not "hot air." I am heartened to see people of other countries and faith gathering together to pray.

[opihimoimoi]

3. While this goes on Bush dithers about worried for his name/legacy.

[hatrack]

10. Didn't you hear? The APEC summit issued a STATEMENT on climate breakdown!

Of course, it's a non-binding statement, which urges nations to set "aspirational" goals to cut GHG emissions in a voluntary, non-coercive way that doesn't require instituting any international treaties or cutting back on economic growth which (along with technology Technology TECHNOLOGY) is the answer to all of our pesky little problems like melting ice caps and Cat-5 hurricanes and rising sea levels and acidifying oceans and bleaching coral reefs and so on.

Oh, and of course there are no numerical targets dealing with how many tons of GHGs should be cut and so on.

Bit other than that, it was a really impressive diplomatic achievement, don't you think?

[opihimoimoi]

11. Bush and his Boys are inept cronies themselves.Unable to comprehend the real PROBS facing the Planet

[lurky]

5. At least they're spreading their bets

among all the major religions. Better pray to all the gods, just to be on the safe side. :evilgrin:

[kineneb]

6. communication with congregations

I see this as education for the various religious leaders, for them to take home to their various congregations/meditation groups/etc. Sometimes the folks have to hear the message from their religious leader to believe it. This may actually get the climate change message to people who would otherwise never know about it, or to those who have been propagandized by the corporate kleptocracy.

As far as it goes, this is a good idea. Now, they should preach action when they return home.

[ComerPerro]

8. ha! Will prayer help? Good one!

[SidDithers]

9. Some people pray. Some people work...

I wonder who gets more done.

Sid

[rockymountaindem]

13. What about people who do both? n/t

[spoony]

12. It's nice to see that even when religious people are on our side

that some people refuse to fall into that "tolerance" or "respect" bullshit and extend their fists rather than their open hands to their fellow man.

Seriously, some of you should pursue diversity training.