White Pine Needle, 2020 White Pine Group, Northeast Iowa Sierra Club (Howard, Winneshiek, Allamakee, Fayette, Clayton, Delaware, Dubuque, & Jackson Counties.) Our Needle “prods” us to “Explore, Enjoy and Protect” our Northeast Iowa environment. Volume 40, No. 1 1/16/20 t White Pine Hollow, Luxemburg, Iowa In this 2020 White Pine Needle: (2020 Overview) *EXCOM Election: Vote for 2 (Ballot; write-ins; or at Jan. 28 meeting.) *White Pine 2020 Events Calendar: Program/Meetings & Outings; Other. *Backbone Cabin Outing: Feb. 7-9, 2020. (May be just Sat. Feb. 8.) *2020 Fundraiser Dinner: October 17, Swiss Valley Nature Center *2019 Turkey Dinner Fundraiser REPORT: *2019 Membership Report/Summary; *2019 Outing and Program Reports/Photos.(Zoom emailed one to enlarge.) *2020 Project AWARE, River Clean-Up, July 12-17, 2020. Record events onto your wall, electronic, or other calendars. In that regard: Seven 2020 Sierra Club Wilderness Wall Calendars are available at White Pine, Eagle Watch exhibit, Jan. 18, or 563-582-2580. Participatory Camaraderie inspires and motivates ACTION. As Sierra Club founder John Muir implored, “The battle we have fought, and are still fighting . . . is a part of the eternal conflict between right and wrong, and we cannot expect to see the end of it.” (January, 1896) Join the battle. Needle Publication and Distribution. Only this full-year Needle and an Autumn Update are distributed to ALL members via mail and/or email. Other occasional Updates are distributed only by email. THIS 2020 Needle is to be distributed to all members by mail to help inform everyone of the email option as we are uncertain of who actually receives and opens the emailed, full-color version. Members for whom we have an email address WILL also receive this 2020 Needle by email. Be certain to not have it blocked or check your junk mail. Email delivery is via [email protected].) To be added to email delivery, email to “raworm..” your name and full mailing address including Zip Code). (This mailed issue is late due to a delay in processing the labels order during the holidays. Sorry!) . Dubuque County Energy District The White Pine Group continues to contribute $100 yearly to support the Dubuque County Energy District. Its mission is to have the county be 100% sustainable with renewable energy by 2050 and is the 4 th Iowa state county to set such a goal. Winneshiek County has had such an energy district for over 11 years. White Pine EXCOM Chair, Charlie Winterwood, represents Sierra Club interests on the District’s Board. Global Warming/Climate Change The Sunday, December 22, 2019, Dubuque Telegraph Herald included in Letters to the Editor this headline: ”Predictions exaggerated on global warming.” The writer critiqued an earlier Dec. 6 writer on the subject by saying, “If the Telegraph Herald made sure letters are credible, your letters would never be published.” He went on, THEN, to apparently give credence to a Natural News article, August 30, 2019, that stated that “NASA admits that climate change is due to changes in earth’s solar orbit, and NOT because of SUV’s and fossil fuels.” (Hyperbole!) He also asked readers “to check out: Climate-ScienceNews.com.” So, I googled “Natural News.” Wikipedia: Natural News “is a conspiracy theory and fake news website.” “The site’s founder has been accused of using ‘pseudoscience to sell lies’” and is “seen generally as a quack and a shill by science bloggers.” Uhm, maybe the Telegraph Herald should make sure that the Dec. 22 writer’s letters are credible before publishing THEM! Other link headlines: “YouTube terminated Natural News”; “Facebook bans health and conspiracy site Natural News” (but allows political advertising lies, ed.); “Science supporters condemn Natural News”; “Don’t believe anything you read at Natural News”; etc. I also checked “Climate-ScienceNews.” NASA does understand that “very small variations in Earth’s orbit (does) change the amount of solar energy our planet receives.” Such has been the case over the past 650,000 years resulting in seven cycles of glacial advance and retreat,” ending abruptly 11,700 years ago. A side-bar beside that NASA quote, however, states: “Ninety-seven percent of climate scientists agree that climate- warming trends over the past century (just 100 years, ed.) are extremely likely due to human activities,…” Further on NASA states that “There is no question that increased levels of greenhouse gases must cause the Earth to warm in response.” A long list of examples of the evidence then follows. Another “Climate-ScienceNews” link went to “Climate Science”, a “ Pulitzer Prize-winning, non-profit, non-partisan, news organization dedicated to covering climate change, energy and the environment.” It states, “The scientific community is certain that human-caused global warming is disrupting Earth’s climate and that remedies are urgently needed. But public opinion and political rhetoric do not mirror the prevailing scientific consensus.” (Underlining by ed.) Public OPINION and political RHETORIC are not always based on SCIENCE!! Another NASA link was a graph showing the carbon dioxide level (in parts/million) based on ice core samples dating back 800,000 years. The highest levels shown never exceeded 300 parts/million… UNTIL 1950, after which the graph has risen virtually straight up to the current level of 410 parts/million. To the credit of the Telegraph Herald, the January 4, 2020, “other view”, titled “A decade of confirmation of climate science,” was written by a geophysicist. Check the sources. GO SCIENCE! (White Pine Group newsletter editor, Richard Worm.)
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White Pine Needle, 2020 White Pine Group, Northeast Iowa Sierra Club (Howard, Winneshiek, Allamakee, Fayette, Clayton, Delaware,
Dubuque, & Jackson Counties.) Our Needle “prods” us to
“Explore, Enjoy and Protect” our Northeast Iowa environment.
Volume 40, No. 1 1/16/20
t
White Pine Hollow, Luxemburg, Iowa In this 2020 White Pine Needle: (2020 Overview) *EXCOM Election: Vote for 2 (Ballot; write-ins; or at Jan. 28 meeting.)
*White Pine 2020 Events Calendar: Program/Meetings & Outings; Other.
*Backbone Cabin Outing: Feb. 7-9, 2020. (May be just Sat. Feb. 8.)
*2020 Fundraiser Dinner: October 17, Swiss Valley Nature Center
*2019 Turkey Dinner Fundraiser REPORT:
*2019 Membership Report/Summary;
*2019 Outing and Program Reports/Photos.(Zoom emailed one to enlarge.)
*2020 Project AWARE, River Clean-Up, July 12-17, 2020.
Record events onto your wall, electronic, or other calendars.
In that regard: Seven 2020 Sierra Club Wilderness Wall Calendars are
available at White Pine, Eagle Watch exhibit, Jan. 18, or 563-582-2580. Participatory Camaraderie inspires and motivates ACTION. As Sierra Club
founder John Muir implored, “The battle we have fought, and are still
fighting . . . is a part of the eternal conflict between right and wrong, and
we cannot expect to see the end of it.” (January, 1896) Join the battle. Needle Publication and Distribution. Only this full-year Needle and an Autumn Update are distributed to
ALL members via mail and/or email. Other occasional Updates are
distributed only by email. THIS 2020 Needle is to be distributed to all
members by mail to help inform everyone of the email option as we are
uncertain of who actually receives and opens the emailed, full-color
version. Members for whom we have an email address WILL also
receive this 2020 Needle by email. Be certain to not have it blocked or
check your junk mail. Email delivery is via [email protected].) To be
added to email delivery, email to “raworm..” your name and full
mailing address including Zip Code). (This mailed issue is late due to a
delay in processing the labels order during the holidays. Sorry!)
.
Dubuque County Energy District The White Pine Group continues to contribute $100 yearly to support the Dubuque County Energy District. Its mission is to have the county be 100% sustainable with renewable energy by 2050 and is the 4th Iowa state county to set such a goal. Winneshiek County has had such an energy district for over 11 years. White Pine EXCOM Chair, Charlie Winterwood, represents Sierra Club interests on the District’s Board.
Global Warming/Climate Change The Sunday, December 22, 2019, Dubuque Telegraph Herald included in Letters to the Editor this headline: ”Predictions exaggerated on global warming.” The writer critiqued an earlier Dec. 6 writer on the subject by saying, “If the Telegraph Herald made sure letters are credible, your letters would never be published.” He went on, THEN, to apparently give credence to a Natural News article, August 30, 2019, that stated that “NASA admits that climate change is due to changes in earth’s solar orbit, and NOT because of SUV’s and fossil fuels.” (Hyperbole!) He also asked readers “to check out: Climate-ScienceNews.com.” So, I googled “Natural News.” Wikipedia: Natural News “is a conspiracy theory and fake news website.” “The site’s founder has been accused of using ‘pseudoscience to sell lies’” and is “seen generally as a quack and a shill by science bloggers.” Uhm, maybe the Telegraph Herald should make sure that the Dec. 22 writer’s letters are credible before publishing THEM! Other link headlines: “YouTube terminated Natural News”; “Facebook bans health and conspiracy site Natural News” (but allows political advertising lies, ed.); “Science supporters condemn Natural News”; “Don’t believe anything you read at Natural News”; etc. I also checked “Climate-ScienceNews.” NASA does understand that “very small variations in Earth’s orbit (does) change the amount of solar energy our planet receives.” Such has been the case over the past 650,000 years resulting in seven cycles of glacial advance and retreat,” ending abruptly 11,700 years ago. A side-bar beside that NASA quote, however, states: “Ninety-seven percent of climate scientists agree that climate-warming trends over the past century (just 100 years, ed.) are extremely likely due to human activities,…” Further on NASA states that “There is no question that increased levels of greenhouse gases must cause the Earth to warm in response.” A long list of examples of the evidence then follows. Another “Climate-ScienceNews” link went to “Climate Science”, a “ Pulitzer Prize-winning, non-profit, non-partisan, news organization dedicated to covering climate change, energy and the environment.” It states, “The scientific community is certain that human-caused global warming is disrupting Earth’s climate and that remedies are urgently needed. But public opinion and political rhetoric do not mirror the prevailing scientific consensus.” (Underlining by ed.) Public OPINION and political RHETORIC are not always based on SCIENCE!! Another NASA link was a graph showing the carbon dioxide level (in parts/million) based on ice core samples dating back 800,000 years. The highest levels shown never exceeded 300 parts/million… UNTIL 1950, after which the graph has risen virtually straight up to the current level of 410 parts/million. To the credit of the Telegraph Herald, the January 4, 2020, “other view”, titled “A decade of confirmation of climate science,” was written by a geophysicist. Check the sources. GO SCIENCE! (White Pine Group newsletter editor, Richard Worm.)
Six members including four of the EXCOM attended our October 22, 2019, meeting/program showing the PBS/NOVA movie, “Lethal Seas” as a lead-in to the November 9, Fundraiser Dinner Program, “SCUBA Diving and Coral Bleaching.” The movie, which has been purchased so is available for additional viewing, describes the “deadly recipe” that is threatening “the survival of countless creatures throughout Earth’s oceans.” It has been known for years “that oceans absorb about a quarter of the carbon dioxide”on our planet. Human-caused carbon emissions increase the acidity. As a result, the skeletons and shells of marine creatures that form the foundation of the web of life are dissolving. This silent killer is entering the seas at a staggering rate – raising the oceans acidity’ From notes taken during the movie (total accuracy not guaranteed!):
¼ of the species in the sea live in coral reefs.
Oysters in an oyster farm die as shells are deformed & dissolving.
A 5% increase in ocean acidity each recent decade due to CO2.
Woods Hole research: Limestone reefs are 1 % of ocean floor.
Papua, New Guinea, has “champagne” water due to high volcanic levels of CO2. Could life there adapt? Some, but of a different form and not well enough. Much less diversity. Fewer fish.
Seems to be a 1-2% die-off of coral each year. Ocean changing too rapidly for adaptation. Hundreds of species at risk. Human diet will be impacted.
Cold water absorbs more CO2. Polar areas have tiny plankton, terra pods; sea snails. Bottom of food chain. Dire results if they die-off due to being dissolved by increasing acidity.
Georgia Institute of Technology research: predator/prey balance is upset when high CO2 impacts the prey’s brain chemistry and behavior so it is less able to avoid predators.
Best solution (no pun intended!): Stop adding CO2 to the atmosphere and oceans. Fix the cause.
Posters & 4 Photos of pictures projected: Nov. 9, “SCUBA and Coral Bleaching” Fundraiser Dinner program by local diver, Jim Puls:
Ocean Conservancy
REPORT: Turkey Dinner
Fundraiser, Nov. 9, 2019
Swiss Valley Nature Center Tables were set for 48 members and guests, but another was added as attendance reached 58. Many thanks to the members, the Mississippi Trails Hiking Club, the Larry Troester contingent, and others who made this Fundraiser another success. ALSO, thanks to all who additionally contributed in other ways: Jane Worm (supervisor who also prepared the Kevin Kane turkey dressing recipe and batches of sweet potatoes. Mike Muir who donated, cooked, and mashed additional potatoes provided by Cindy Recker; Linda Schroeder and Winterwood’s (vegetable casseroles); Barb Shaffer and Jane Worm (cranberries); Linda Schroeder (cornbread). Hyvee was the source for the purchase of the turkey, gravy, dinner rolls, apple juice and crackers. And, of course, KNOWN contributors of desserts: Ellen O’Connell, Cinda Welu, Jim Fahrion, and Jane Worm. And, especially, KNOWN donations of cash: Gerald Gordon, Ann Ernst, Bob Carr, Joe Garrity, Mary Waldmeir, Carol McClenahan. Yearly calendar purchases of more than one were also appreciated: at least Natalee Berg, Paul Swartzel, Joe Garrity, Dick Worm. Other calendar purchases before, at, and since the Dinner by other members and friends have also helped the cause. Kitchen help was by Linda Schroeder and then numerous others after the dinner; table and display set-up was by Dick Worm (table setting by Dick & Jane Worm); and table take-down and arrangement by nearly “everyone” saved precious time !
White Pine donated Table set-up Displays of outing and the Greeter Turtle program topic photos. Door prizes included an Ocean Conservancy t-shirt, guest passes to the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium, and several other items also donated by members and guests. Poster Boards of Outings and Program topics:
Autumnal Sunset Backbone Cabin Ocean/Coral topics Also, see www.facebook.com/whitepinegroup Some of these poster boards will also be displayed at the January 18, Bald Eagle Watch, Grand River Center, Dubuque. After net income and expenses, the Dinner and, still continuing, calendar sales will have netted over $1000.00. Our current Group Treasury is at $2,642.20 (before this newsletter!) Suggestions are welcome for projects of benefit to conservation causes.
Puzzle Prizes at Eagle Watch During the Bald Eagle Watch on January 18, the White Pine Group exhibit will include jigsaw puzzles for kids or anyone to put together. Young folks who complete a puzzle or two may add their name and phone #/address to a list for a prize drawing… the prize being a stuffed toy eagle.
2020 White Pine Events Calendar Explore, Enjoy, and Protect with White Pine Group