The death toll at the time of writing is around 33,000 and rising. Some estimates say that number will double at least, and the damage is horrendous as are the sufferings of those injured survivors. Many families in both countries are grief stricken as the suffering continues.
Nine hours after the first quake, measuring at 7.8 on the Richter scale, another terrible earthquake struck measuring at 7.5 on the scale. The Turkish authorities are looking at some of the results of the earthquakes and poorly built housing and apartments by cowboy contractors are being blamed in part. Arrests of some of these fly by nights have taken place, but what about the causes of these quakes and other natural disasters which are happening with increasing rapidity?
In recent decades, in fact over the last century, there have been many disasters which can be in most parts be attributed to climate change. Climate change has happened since the beginning of time but it is the increasing number in short spaces of time which causes most concern in recent epochs. Climate change is playing a major part in adverse weather conditions and geological abnormalities. Flooding due in no small part to the melting of the polar icecaps are regular occurrences across the globe. Ireland is particularly vulnerable to these floods and has been for many years.
In recent decades, in fact over the last century, there have been many disasters which can be in most parts be attributed to climate change. Climate change has happened since the beginning of time but it is the increasing number in short spaces of time which causes most concern in recent epochs. Climate change is playing a major part in adverse weather conditions and geological abnormalities. Flooding due in no small part to the melting of the polar icecaps are regular occurrences across the globe. Ireland is particularly vulnerable to these floods and has been for many years.
As Karl Marx noted, at the height of the first Industrial Revolution:
The centre of Ireland, north and south of the line from Dublin to Galway, forms a wide plain at an average height pf 100-300 feet above sea level. This plain, the ground-plan – as it were – of all Ireland, comprises the massive layer of limestone, which forms the middle stratum of the carboniferous system (carboniferous limestone). Only in a few places is the limestone itself high enough to form mountains. In the centre of the plain, in Queens County (county Laois since 1922) rising to 600 feet, and in the west, on the southern shore of Galway Bay, rising to just over 1,000 feet.
“If Ireland were to sink only 500 feet, the mountain ranges alone would be left, forming two semi-circular groups of islands on either side of a broad sound stretching from Dublin to Galway” (Ireland and the Irish Question Marx and Engels P 253 254 256). By this observation of Karl Marx, we must deduce that if the sea levels rise by a similar distance the net result would be the same. Put bluntly we, as an island, would be almost entirely submerged in sea water! As the icecaps continue to melt, with chunks of ice the size of Wales regularly breaking away from the pack and melting we do not need a diagram do we!!
At the other extreme we are witnessing abnormal fires and ultra-hot temperatures. All these abnormalities are occurring at an increasingly alarming rate, which makes them abnormal. Climate changes has always been with us throughout history and pre-history but what is most alarming in comparatively modern times is the speed of these occurrences.
The earthquakes in Turkey and Syria are the latest of a catalogue of disasters. It may be of note that since industrialisation began back in the late eighteenth century this rate has steadily increased in rapidity. All around the globe on an almost monthly basis we are witnessing some tragedy which can be attributed to climate change. What are the causes? The so-called powers that be, and believe them if you wish, tell us that cattle are to blame. Therefore, farmers must reduce their herds and we must eat less meat! Another bullshit reason given is that we use too many plastic carriers therefore they, in Ireland, placed a levy on plastic carriers, making more profit, to reduce the numbers of these nonbiodegradable items we use. Fair enough, these are factors, no doubt about that in climate change and oceanic vandalism, but in the broader scheme of things they are pretty minor.
We then hear, again in Ireland but not only here, ministers who call themselves “Green” telling us about the need to reduce the time we spend in our motor cars due to fuel emissions. Again, a factor in the climate debate no doubt about it, but then the same minister or ministers boast about the increase in profits aviation travel brings in and the need for even more runways at our airports. So, cars bad, plastic carriers bad, domestic cattle cull the lot of them, but airplanes, Jumbo jets, oh, they’re grand! And we believe this trash!!
Another major contributor to climate change and planetary damage must be the various space exploration programmes going on around the world. Let us take two multi-billionaires, Elon Musk and Richard Branson, who, along with other agencies across the planet are going to commercialise space travel, making it, for the very rich who can afford, space holidays rather like the package holidays we enjoy presently to foreign climes, flying nine out of ten times. So, let us say these two space cowboys bring their programmes to pass what damage will each lift off do to our planet?
Each time one of these space projectiles lifts off it is the equivalent of twenty-eight Jumbo Jets taking off simultaneously. That means if Musk and Branson each bring the first stage off their programmes to fruition it could mean multiple lift offs per week. When the mega wealthy are taking a short mid-summer break from the golf course to Mars, which Musk talks of “recolonising” the planet, it will be twenty-eight earthly take offs at an airport. Let us say each of these space cadets provides four lift offs per week, that would be 224 Jumbo Jets taking off which ordinarily would not be doing so. Add this to the increased domestic aviation travel taking off from the number of new runways being constructed around the globe and the emissions from the fuels are obvious. On an annual basis based of the figure of four lift offs per week it amounts to 11,648 per year extra Jumbo Jets lifting off in the guise of these new holiday modes of transport! That is working on a minimal programme of only four lift offs each and not allowing for more so-called entrepreneurs from the multi nationals jumping in for their share of the market. These holidays will not come cheap and huge profits will be amassed while at the same time accelerating the destruction of the planet. While this planetary vandalism is going on, many of us mere mortals will be saying “what wonderful men Mr Musk and Mr Branson are, how they use their fantastic business abilities to bring us all these nice new holidays in space!” The fact is, apart from destroying our home, the planet, they are not bringing holidays to all of us, just a tiny minority of mega wealthy who have got rich on the backs of the rest of us.
So far, we have looked at the damage the lift offs could do to the planet but it does not stop there. The earth has five atmospheric layers, each one very delicate. They are, the Stratosphere, the Troposphere, the mesosphere, the Thermosphere and the Exosphere The atmosphere is a multi-layered cake. Each layer has a specific role to play in maintaining our environment capable of sustaining all life forms. They also protect us from radioactive rays from the sun: they affect our weather cycles and our seas. In fact without any one of these five layers life on earth would cease to exist. Yet, we continue to send foreign projectiles through this delicate balance and expect no consequences! Are we all fucking mad? Alas, it appears we are! Musk and Branson may have an ulterior motive for these explorations, that being to find another planet for a tiny minority of mega rich folk to live on, the minority who are greatly responsible for ruining this planet now seek another one for them and their offspring to destroy. But the rest of us, who will be left behind on this ball of pollution, if things do not change, must be barmy for not speaking up. It is tantamount to somebody coming with a large can of petrol to experiment with fire on your house, and sitting back letting them do it, even applauding the arsonist!!
Retired astronaut, Scott Kelly, as he ended a one year stint on board the international space station in 2016 told the US news channel, CNN:
Another major contributor to climate change and planetary damage must be the various space exploration programmes going on around the world. Let us take two multi-billionaires, Elon Musk and Richard Branson, who, along with other agencies across the planet are going to commercialise space travel, making it, for the very rich who can afford, space holidays rather like the package holidays we enjoy presently to foreign climes, flying nine out of ten times. So, let us say these two space cowboys bring their programmes to pass what damage will each lift off do to our planet?
Each time one of these space projectiles lifts off it is the equivalent of twenty-eight Jumbo Jets taking off simultaneously. That means if Musk and Branson each bring the first stage off their programmes to fruition it could mean multiple lift offs per week. When the mega wealthy are taking a short mid-summer break from the golf course to Mars, which Musk talks of “recolonising” the planet, it will be twenty-eight earthly take offs at an airport. Let us say each of these space cadets provides four lift offs per week, that would be 224 Jumbo Jets taking off which ordinarily would not be doing so. Add this to the increased domestic aviation travel taking off from the number of new runways being constructed around the globe and the emissions from the fuels are obvious. On an annual basis based of the figure of four lift offs per week it amounts to 11,648 per year extra Jumbo Jets lifting off in the guise of these new holiday modes of transport! That is working on a minimal programme of only four lift offs each and not allowing for more so-called entrepreneurs from the multi nationals jumping in for their share of the market. These holidays will not come cheap and huge profits will be amassed while at the same time accelerating the destruction of the planet. While this planetary vandalism is going on, many of us mere mortals will be saying “what wonderful men Mr Musk and Mr Branson are, how they use their fantastic business abilities to bring us all these nice new holidays in space!” The fact is, apart from destroying our home, the planet, they are not bringing holidays to all of us, just a tiny minority of mega wealthy who have got rich on the backs of the rest of us.
So far, we have looked at the damage the lift offs could do to the planet but it does not stop there. The earth has five atmospheric layers, each one very delicate. They are, the Stratosphere, the Troposphere, the mesosphere, the Thermosphere and the Exosphere The atmosphere is a multi-layered cake. Each layer has a specific role to play in maintaining our environment capable of sustaining all life forms. They also protect us from radioactive rays from the sun: they affect our weather cycles and our seas. In fact without any one of these five layers life on earth would cease to exist. Yet, we continue to send foreign projectiles through this delicate balance and expect no consequences! Are we all fucking mad? Alas, it appears we are! Musk and Branson may have an ulterior motive for these explorations, that being to find another planet for a tiny minority of mega rich folk to live on, the minority who are greatly responsible for ruining this planet now seek another one for them and their offspring to destroy. But the rest of us, who will be left behind on this ball of pollution, if things do not change, must be barmy for not speaking up. It is tantamount to somebody coming with a large can of petrol to experiment with fire on your house, and sitting back letting them do it, even applauding the arsonist!!
Retired astronaut, Scott Kelly, as he ended a one year stint on board the international space station in 2016 told the US news channel, CNN:
when you look at the atmosphere on the limb of the Earth I wouldn’t say it looks unhealthy, but it definitely looks very, very fragile and just, kind of, like thin film, so it looks like something we definitely need to take care of.
I think, reading between the lines Scott has been a little economical with the realities when he says he “wouldn’t say it looks unhealthy” otherwise why the late emphasis on looking after it? Even if he was not being economical with the truth, is sending rockets blasting through this delicate, “very, very fragile” atmosphere the best way of looking after it? Other astronauts have also voiced their concerns about the state of the atmosphere.
Without the atmosphere life as we know it would not exist on this planet. it contains oxygen we all need to breath, it also protects us from ultra-solar radiation. The atmosphere creates the pressure without which water could not exist on Earth. These are minor details, I’m sure we all agree, compared with the good cause of making the Musk’s and Branson’s of this world even richer. After all, what right have the likes of us to breathe and drink?
Moving on from space cowboy bashing and lets look at climate change, the natural variant, over the centuries. Take the north west navigational passage in the Arctic. From 1492, the time of Columbus, until 1903 the passage was unnavigable. In 1850 Irish explorer, Robert McClure discovered an icebound northern route. In 1854 Scottish explorer, John Rae explored a more southern route, which later in 1903 came the first actual navigated passage. This was at the time mid-way through the second Industrial Revolution. So, from 1492 till 1903 the passage was unnavigable. Then between 1854 and 1903 a navigation took place: that is a space of less than fifty years coinciding incidentally with the first and second Industrial Revolutions and all the pollution which went with them. By 1968 the passage was easily navigable and today is regularly travelled. There is nothing we can do to undo the damage past activities have caused, but we can do something about the future. Increased aviation travel and these loony space programmes are not conducive to doing that. People should be moving away from aviation, except where absolutely necessary and on to electric trains. There is nowhere in Europe which cannot be reached by train. Admittedly it takes longer and time is money in the suicidal world of big business, profits which travelling for days instead of hours are hit. Once again, this word profit comes up! Well, as important to some these profits are to the majority, they are meaningless more so without a planet to live on!!
To finish, there is absolutely nothing we can do about natural climate change but there is something we can do to insulate against its worst affects. With all the technology available today we should be using it for constructive, not destructive, means. The problem is, or one of them, while all this technology remains in the private hands of Elon Musk and the likes it will never be used for the benefit of all. Profit and more profit is all these people know, perhaps it may be time to relieve them of this huge responsibility.
Without the atmosphere life as we know it would not exist on this planet. it contains oxygen we all need to breath, it also protects us from ultra-solar radiation. The atmosphere creates the pressure without which water could not exist on Earth. These are minor details, I’m sure we all agree, compared with the good cause of making the Musk’s and Branson’s of this world even richer. After all, what right have the likes of us to breathe and drink?
Moving on from space cowboy bashing and lets look at climate change, the natural variant, over the centuries. Take the north west navigational passage in the Arctic. From 1492, the time of Columbus, until 1903 the passage was unnavigable. In 1850 Irish explorer, Robert McClure discovered an icebound northern route. In 1854 Scottish explorer, John Rae explored a more southern route, which later in 1903 came the first actual navigated passage. This was at the time mid-way through the second Industrial Revolution. So, from 1492 till 1903 the passage was unnavigable. Then between 1854 and 1903 a navigation took place: that is a space of less than fifty years coinciding incidentally with the first and second Industrial Revolutions and all the pollution which went with them. By 1968 the passage was easily navigable and today is regularly travelled. There is nothing we can do to undo the damage past activities have caused, but we can do something about the future. Increased aviation travel and these loony space programmes are not conducive to doing that. People should be moving away from aviation, except where absolutely necessary and on to electric trains. There is nowhere in Europe which cannot be reached by train. Admittedly it takes longer and time is money in the suicidal world of big business, profits which travelling for days instead of hours are hit. Once again, this word profit comes up! Well, as important to some these profits are to the majority, they are meaningless more so without a planet to live on!!
To finish, there is absolutely nothing we can do about natural climate change but there is something we can do to insulate against its worst affects. With all the technology available today we should be using it for constructive, not destructive, means. The problem is, or one of them, while all this technology remains in the private hands of Elon Musk and the likes it will never be used for the benefit of all. Profit and more profit is all these people know, perhaps it may be time to relieve them of this huge responsibility.
The terrible earthquakes to hit Turkey and Syria are just the latest in a long line of natural disasters to hit the planet. I am no Scientist or Geologist and perhaps in the case of the quakes there was nothing which could be done. That said, look at the huge amount of tasks the earths “fragile” atmosphere carries out, could damage to this atmosphere have had something to do with the disaster? I don’t know but the laws of averages say we cannot rule out the possibility.
🐼 Caoimhin O’Muraile is Independent Socialist Republican and Marxist
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