October 25, 2013. We videoed a conversation with Alex Smith of Radio EcoShock. It went both ways. I interviewed him primarily about climate change and Fukushima, because he’s watching them very closely. He interviewed me about Peak Moment TV guests’ “local solutions.” These two-way interviews are on both Radio EcoShock and Peak Moment TV.
Peak Moment TV: Climate Change and Fukushima — Radio Ecoshock Paints the Big Picture (episode 251).
The Radio EcoShock show is online in high and low quality. The show also includes an interview with a researcher studying U.S. economic vulnerabilities to peak oil. Alex also sent a video clip with David Suzuki on Fukushima—as emphatic as we’ve heard him.
Climate change
Alex summarized the latest reports as well as what’s predicted:
More extreme weather events—storms, flooding, hurricanes, tornadoes
Ocean dead zones—huge areas where there is no oxygen. Since we depend on oxygen, this also affects life on land
Melting of polar ice sheets, which is not accounted for in IPCC reports, nor the interrelated positive feedback loops (making things worse)
Methane coming up from melting permafrost—and methane is far worse than carbon dioxide in warming the atmosphere
Savings in US carbon (driving less, more efficient vehicles) is totally overshadowed by increases in China. China wants to be an industrial power, and is using dirty coal (whose pollution comes right back to North America) as well as heating up the atmosphere.
The primary big worry is sea level rise. Florida will be below water by 2050.
NASA climate scientist Jim Hansen’s big worry is that humans may destroy the atmosphere, leaving Earth lifeless, like Venus and Mars.
Fukushima
By 2014 certainly the radioactive contaminants from the March 2011 tsunami and reactor damage will be on the North American west coast
There will be a rise of airborne radioactivity all thru northern hemisphere within a very short time
Japan doesn’t know what to do. No one seems to.
Alex says: “Watch this short 2 minute video from respected Canadian scientist and broadcaster Dr. David Suzuki. He says if Building 4 falls over “Japan is toast” and the West Coast would probably have to be evacuated. Suzuki has Japanese ancestry. He knows.”
Click here to view the embedded video.
What We Can Do
When I opined that we can’t affect these huge events, Alex exclaimed, “Not so!” Citizens in the US can get the government to shut down all the other General Electric reactors built like Fukushima with design flaws. Good reminder, Alex!
We closed on a positive note: our biggest leverage for action is local. We can drive less, purchase more efficient cars, produce local food, build community with our neighbors. I talked about some of the inspiring local responses we’re cross-pollinating in Peak Moment TV. We’re noticing that responses at the family or household level are expanding to streets and neighborhoods, like McCaskill Street in Victoria.
Links
CD quality is a larger file and Lo-Fi (mono 32 kbps, often better for posting links on the Net and social media due to faster download/playing speed).
Ecoshock Entire Program 131106, CD quality and Lo-Fi
Peak oil? A joint study between the University of Maryland and a Barcelona University digs deep into our energy future. From Berlin, guest Christian Kerschner. Janaia Donaldson of Peak Moment TV interviews Alex Smith. Radio Ecoshock 131106.
Christian Kerschner interview, CD quality only
Janaia interviews Alex (37 min), CD quality and Lo-Fi
Alex interviews Janaia (8 min), CD quality and Lo-Fi
This University of Maryland/Barcelona study addresses U.S. Economic Vulnerability to Peak Oil.
Radio Ecoshock broadcasts on 72 stations in the U.S., Canada, UK, and Australia. I expect you’ll see more collaborations between us in future. Thank you Alex for your dedicated Earth-loving work.