Earth Day 2022
Since the first Earth Day in 1970, the U.S. national average temperature has risen 2.6 F, while Alaska's average temperature increase is 4.3 F, the highest of all states. Reno, NV has been the fastest warming city in the lower 48 states with a 7.7 F increase in average temperature. In that 52 year period, the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere has risen over 30%. Up until this decade, the rise in global temperatures has generally followed the increase of industrial emissions of greenhouse gases. But now, there appear to be additional sources of CO2 and methane, causing greater warming. These sources are thought to be the melting of permafrost and arctic lakes, and deforestation. These additional sources of greenhouse gases are positive feedbacks from nature that are accelerating global warming beyond that caused by industrial sources. But 30% of Americans still don't worry at all about climate change. Martin Luther King: "He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it."
Sources: The Guardian: 4/6/22; Huffpost: 4/19/22; Axios: 4/22/22

Steve Spigarelli
EcoFaith Network NE MN Team
First Lutheran Church, Aitkin, MN
Northeastern Minnesota Synod