Monday, February 16, 2009

A bit of geography

Dear Children -

Yesterday I had good conversation with a geographer out on a farm in the interior of Brazil. We talked about global warming and he agreed that it was a serious problem that will affect millions of people, especially in poor communities in Europe, Africa and Asia where they depend on water from melting ice from the mountain tops. If the climate warms up a lot there will be no more ice caps to provide water for drinking and farming.

Then my geographer friend told me something that I'd been thinking might be true: Millions of years ago, in order to keep a steady climate, our planet covered up materials like dead trees that were letting off hot gases. For a long time they remained buried under the surface of the earth where their gases were trapped, and slowly they turned into oil, gas and coal. Not too long ago, humans discovered that they could dig up those materials and burn them to heat their homes, and to make engines work in factories and in cars. We discovered more and more uses for them and kept digging them up faster and faster, burning them more and more. 


Now we are realizing that all those carbon gases are causing our atmosphere to heat up in a way that is changing the climate. All the plants and animals, including human beings, that had gotten used to the planet the way it was, now have to find new ways to exist or they will become extinct. It's not too late to turn things around and keep it from getting too bad. This was the geographer's lesson. 

I think that human beings are very intelligent and creative, and it was amazing that we discovered how to use coal, oil and gas. But now we have to think again about what we're doing. We can just go on using those carbon materials and heating up the atmosphere, or we can cut back on using them, and find other ways to take care of our needs.

Nana Greta

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dear Nana Greta,I am wondering if you were going to pass New Jersey because most of my family lives there thank you,xavier your daurthers student

Anonymous said...

Dear Nana Greta,I am wondering if you were going to pass New Jersey because most of my family lives there? Thank you,Xavier your daughters student

Anonymous said...

Dear Nana Greta,Can you ask your geographer if it is possible to make cars that can run on sea water and it won't make polution?-Giancarlo

Anonymous said...

Dear Nana Greta,my name is Jenna Kelley I am wondering if you are past Brazil yet? I am Ms.Hart's student.

Anonymous said...

Hello Nana Greta this is Kiara from your daughter Sofia Hart's class at the forestdale school. I hope you can come to our class some day. We are looking forword to seeing you in real life insted of the computer.

Anonymous said...

Hello I am Jordan from your daughters class
to day we did a math problem and the boys
name was Guy like your husbend.


- Jordan

Anonymous said...

Dear Nana Greta,
Thank you for trying to save our world. It is a real use to try to help people from polluting. Our world can be a better place. Hope you good luck!
Love,
Jose I.

Greta said...

Jose I. - I really hope today's adults can make the world better for you. I'll do my best.

Jordan - Nice to hear from you.

Kiara - I think I will come and visit your class, maybe very soon.

Jenna Kelley- I got back from Brazil four days ago. It was warm there and now it's cold here. But soon it will start getting warmer.

Giancarlo - That would be really good, cars that could run on sea water. I think people are trying all kinds of new ideas.

Xavier - Sorry, I'm not going through New Jersey on this trip. But I'm coming up to Boston in a few days. Maybe I'll see you then.

Anonymous said...

Dear Nana Greta,
I love how you try to save the world and millions of lives. If could skip school I would join you in Texas and fight global warming.
From Jose C.

Greta said...

Hi Jose - I would love it if you could join me in Texas, and Louisiana, and Mississippi ... But you can fight global warming right where you are, at school and at home.

jenna said...

nanna greta so all that black thinges was paulution?