MEMORY LANE. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BEST FRIEND IN HEAVEN!

MEMORY LANE.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BEST FRIEND IN HEAVEN!

FRANK, MY BEST FRIEND, DWELLS IN HEAVEN.

HE CELEBRATES HIS BIRTHDAY WITH THE LORD.

I STILL LOVE & MISS MY BEST DEAREST FRIEND, FRANK.

HE SAVED MY LIFE MANY TIMES.
HE PASSED AWAY IN FEBRUARY OF 2005 AT THE AGE OF 62.
HE WAS A U.S. AIR FORCE VETERAN.
WE USED TO WORK TOGETHER AT ENFORCEMENT 
IN A NEW YORK STATE AGENCY. 
HE WAS AN INVESTIGATOR THERE. THIS IS HOW WE MET LONG AGO...

IF YOU ARE LISTENING TO ME, I COULD SAY TO YOU

THAT I WON'T EVER FORGET YOU, FRANK...

I STILL CRY FOR YOU, MY BEST FRIEND.

I WISH YOU WERE WITH ME AT ALL TIMES.

I STILL WRITE POEMS FOR YOU, FRANK...

WITH MY FOREVER LOVE,

POET STARRY DAWN.

"The Ozone Hole." Data from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. O.N.E.P.

"The Ozone Hole."
Data from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
www.theozonehole.com

"THE OZONE LAYER."

The ozone layer is a layer of gas in the upper atmosphere which protects humans and other living things from the harmful ultraviolet (UV-B) rays of the sun. In the 1970´s scientists discovered that certain man-made chemicals could destroy ozone and deplete the ozone layer. Further research found that the growing production and use of chemicals like chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in aerosol sprays, refrigeration, insulation and air conditioning was contributing to the accumulation of ozone-depleting substances (ODS) in the atmosphere. They also observed that an "ozone hole" was developing above the ANTARCTIC.

A thinning ozone layer leads to a number of serious health risks for humans. It causes greater incidences of skin cancer and eye cataracts, with children being particularly vulnerable. There are also serious impacts for biodiversity. Increased UV-B rays reduce levels of plankton in the oceans and subsequently diminish fish stocks. It can also have adverse effects on plant growth, thus reducing agricultural productivity. A direct negative economic impact is the reduced lifespan of certain materials like plastic.

Severe depletion of the Antarctic ozone layer was first observed in the early 1980´s. The international response embodied in the Montreal Protocol. Today 196 parties worldwide have signed the Montreal Protocol which is widely regarded as the most successful Multinational Environmental Agreement, and it is the first treaty achieving universal ratification. Furthermore, the phasing out of ozone depleting substances (ODS) has helped to fight climate change since many ODS are also powerful greenhouse gases.

Ozone is a gas that occurs naturally in our atmosphere. Most of it is concentrated in the ozone layer, a region located in the stratosphere several miles above the surface of the Earth. Although ozone represents only a small fraction of the gas present in the atmosphere, it plays a vital role by shielding humans and other life from harmful ultraviolet light from the Sun. Human activities in the last several decades have produced chemicals, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which have been released into atmosphere and have contributed to the depletion of this important protective layer. When scientists realized the destructive effect these chemicals could have on the ozone layer, international agreements were put in place to limit such emissions. As a result, it is expected that the ozone layer will recover in the coming decades.

Ozone is also a greenhouse gas in the upper atmosphere and, therefore, plays a role in Earth´s climate. The increases in primary greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, may effect how the ozone layer recovers in coming years. Understanding precisely how ozone abundances will change in a future with diminished chlorofluorocarbon emissions and increased emissions of greenhouse gases remains an important challenge for atmospheric scientists in NOAA and other research centers.

OZONE DEPLETION. ANTARCTICA.

Ozone depletion occurs in many places in the Earth´s ozone layer, most severely in the polar regions. NOAA scientists have traveled to Antarctica to study the ozone hole that has been occurring there since the late 1970s. In 1986, soon after the reported discovery of the ozone hole, Aeronomy Lab (now ESRL) scientist Dr. Susan Solomon led a team of 16 scientists, the National Ozone Expedition

(NOZE I) to Antarctica. The scientists took measurements of various trace gases and physical properties of the atmosphere. The data, along with additional findings from the NOZE II mission the following year, showed conclusively that human-produced trace gases that contain chlorine and bromine were causing the ozone hole. The Global Monitoring Division of ESRL has monitored the yearly Antarctic ozone hole since 1986 by using instruments located on the ground and by launching balloon-borne ozonesondes, onboard aircraft and satellites, from the South Pole station and measuring total column ozone from a ground based Dobson spectrophotometer since 1963. This unique record from the South Pole station clearly shows the annual development of the springtime Antarctic ozone hole over the past two decades.
ABOUT THE NORTH POLE...

Scientists are particularly interested in the North and South Pole because they are expected to show the most dramatic effects of global warming causing further ice melting.
ARCTIC ICE IS STILL MELTING, even though skeptical folks do not believe it.

Beautiful Polar Bears are endangered species in a way to extinction.
The North Pole Environmental Observatory has a shocking photo that it wants you to see. 
They call it, "Melting Polar Ice Cap Creates a Lake on Top of the World."

It is a fact that skyrocketing levels of heat-trapping carbon are being released in the atmosphere, causing less oxygen in the air flow. There are many apocalyptic graphic photos stored in satellite imagery on landscapes round the world, which won't escape the truth that is hidden to the public eye. Are you someone who cares about Our Natural Environment Protection? O.N.E.P.
Factory farming -apart from being a bloody practice- is taking its toll on our planet causing severe pollution in the environment among other things, and this is just one dramatic example out of many.

THANK YOU FOR READING!!

NOTE: I have been reading, researching data and getting acquainted with scientific facts. So, this brief shared information was gathered from the Agency Publication, in order to ALERT the public eye about this environmental problem. 
I hope you understand this writer points of view. I'm trying to help through WARNING.

Poet Starry Dawn.

ESSAY: "THE LAST STRAW."

ESSAY: "THE LAST STRAW."

There are several wise proverbs in connection with this one,

“The last straw breaks the camel’s back.”

 It means the implication that even the most tolerant one will tolerate 
a limited amount of abuse.

“A man may bear ‘till his back break.”

“Too long burden makes weary bones.”

“When the well is full, it will run over.”

“The last drop makes the cup run over.”

“The cord breaks at last by the weakest pull.”

When will the last straw occur –as decay- in our natural environment?

I wonder WHEN the last straw will break the planet’s back, if things won’t change for the better in our natural life.

We can’t deny the existence of our natural environment. We –humans- damaged it a great deal, and nature will eventually pass its bill to us…

The burden that Planet Earth endures is just too heavy to support for much longer time. Future generations might not see what we have left.

A tremendous change occurred with the industrial revolution, whereas it had taken all of human history until around 1800 for world population to reach 1 Billion. During the 20^th Century alone, the population in the world has grown from 1.65 billion to over 7 billion.

Current world population today is over 7,200,000,000 people, and growing more every single day…

China is the most populated country in the world with almost 1,400,000,000 (almost 1.4 Billion) people. It sounds too crowded.

India is the second one with 1,300,000,000 (1.3 Billion) people.

According to the most recent United Nations estimates, the human population of the world is expected to reach 8 Billion people in the Spring of 2024. How will our Planet Earth support these huge numbers?

There are many issues in our world to think about before it’s too late .

There are many to list. So, only some examples will be given.

The Northern Hemisphere is experiencing a time period of increased volcanic activity. The smoke and volcanic matter were forced straight up 60,000 feet into a high part of the atmosphere, the stratosphere.

Eruptions of this type are influencing the Earth’s climate called

GLOBAL WARMING. Because of the particles that are added to the Earth’s stratosphere, the air itself becomes cloudy. This means that the transparency of the atmosphere decreases because less light can pass through. This decrease in light is connected to a drop in the surface temperature of the Earth. This drop in temperature affects the weather patterns for years.

Scientists believe that volcanoes occur where there is a weakness or thin spot in the Earth’s crust. These weak spots occur where the enormous plates of crust rock under the continents meet. There is a meeting of plates all around the Pacific Ocean. This is what creates the “ring of fire,” the circle of volcanoes around the Pacific. There is probably a relationship between the volcanoes and earthquakes. Usually a volcanic eruption follows an earthquake some distance away.

Japan is perhaps the most seismically active country in the world with over 10,000 earthquakes hitting each year. More than any other earthquake-prone country, Japan is prepared for strong earthquakes.

Japanese Scientists have the world’s most extensive and sophisticated earthquake prediction system.

In spite of these numerous preparations, there is still some question about being able to predict earthquakes.

DEFORESTATION.

Deforestation has been recognized as a global problem. Scientists are convinced that the world’s forests must be preserved. Scientific data prove the importance of forests to all people everywhere.

Deforestation is occurring most rapidly in tropical regions of the world. Most forests in other climate areas have already been affected by human beings.

Jungles are the world’s largest and last reserve of timber. Scientists want to convince countries with large stands of tropical trees to manage their forests so that they will continue to produce.

Tropical forests seem to have perfect conditions for producing life. The number and variety of plants give the illusion of endless fertility. However, this fertility is dependent on a very delicate natural balance, an ecosystem. Most of the soil nutrients that are necessary to support plant life come from decaying plants and animals. Keeping the soil rich and productive is the first reason for saving the world’s tropical forests. Soil fertility is quickly exhausted when the cycle of death and decay is interfered with.

A second reason to preserve tropical forests is the abundance of plant and animal life that they support.

A third argument for conserving tropical forests concerns their effect of worldwide climate patterns. All plants give off water vapor that becomes part of the atmosphere. If the tropical forests disappear, there will be less water in the air. It is, therefore, highly probable that destruction of the rain forests will mean wide spread drought.

The probability of drought is increased by the fact that tropical forests also provide the atmosphere with large quantities of oxygen (O2).

Like all forms of vegetation, forests take in carbon dioxide (CO2) and give off oxygen during daylight. If the forests are destroyed, the percentage of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will increase. Because carbon dioxide forms a protective blanket of warm air around the Earth, an increase in this gas could cause a worldwide rise in temperature. A hotter Earth with less rainfall would mean, among other things, more desert and less agricultural land and, therefore, less food to feed the people and living species of the world.  Plus, air with less oxygen will be hard to breathe for living species, making life impossible on Earth.

In spite of the compelling reasons to save the tropical forests, they are disappearing with frightening speed.

HUMAN POVERTY is another cause of deforestation. People who need fuel and land on which to grow food cut a large percentage of the trees.

The problem of poverty is extremely complex. However, the introduction of better food culture practices would increase supply to accomplish these important goals of our natural resources with environmental protection and conservation.

The most important step toward the solution of the problem of deforestation must be taken by all people everywhere. Everyone must recognize DEFORESTATION as a GLOBAL PROBLEM with GLOBAL IMPORTANCE. Everyone will be affected, if the forests are not preserved.

Therefore, a global commitment to solving the problem is necessary.

THE OZONE HOLE (in the Ozone Layer) has been growing lately with alarming numbers and taken the size of the Antarctica.  Do you know the importance of the Ozone Layer?
After WWII, thermal nuclear explosions were undergoing in Antarctica by different highly developed leading nations, until a global prohibition was placed. Unfortunately, the damage was already done in the form of GLOBAL WARMING.

The rising sea level is being captured by satellites in Antarctica after huge pieces of ice melt. The South Pole Map shows the warming areas.

The greenhouse effect is dramatically contributing to global warming.
Do you know what that is? I wonder...

HAVE A BLESSED TIME, DEAR READERS!
UNTIL WE WRITE AGAIN.

POET STARRY DAWN.