(reposted from MNN Daily Brief, e-Newsletter, September 24, 2009) POLAR MELTDOWN: Ice sheets in Greenland and western Antarctica are melting faster than scientists previously thought, and some places are experiencing “a runaway effect,” according to a team of British scientists who analyzed laser readings taken by NASA satellites. Some Antarctic ice sheets have been losing 30 feet of thickness annually since 2003, and while many areas are up to a mile thick to begin with, the melting is speeding up - the rate of Antarctic thinning was 50 percent higher between 2003 and 2007 than it was from 1995 to 2003. The problem isn’t warmer air, but warmer water, which wears down the ice from the outside in. “To some extent it’s a runaway effect,” says the lead author of the study, which was published online today in the journal Nature. “The question is how far will it run?” (Sources: Associated Press, USA Today, San Francisco Chronicle)

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I wanted to share the link to this article from Van Jones, who is the Obama Administration’s lead cheer-leader on pushing the “green collar” economy: Selling Americans on a Green Collar Economy.

It’s summer time, so we haven’t posted much to this blog.  Our on campus activites are sort of slow, as we are gearing up for the fall semester.  BUT, there are a couple of things to pass along.

1.  Report: Climate Change Already Affecting U.S.This is a Washington Post article about a recent government study that says that climate change is happening now, and it is already having negative affects on our ecnomy and lives.
2. The Elusive Green EconomyThis is an Atlantic article that compares our situation today to 1977.  In both cases, we come to a fork in the road where we can act to have a more stable energy future.  In 1977, we chose the dirty, coal-laden path.  Will we do the same today?

With the high heat these last few days, sitting in a movie theatre is nice to cool off. Tonight, for a mere $5, see the 11th Hour by hottie eco-actor Leonardo DeCaprio compliments of Insight Awareness - A Center for Healing & Self Discovery (18112 Martin Ave., Homewood, IL 60430, 708-957-1284) www.InsightAwareness.com. Arrive by 6:45pm because the show starts promptly at 7:00. Take a peek at the movie trailer.

Here’s one for the students out there. Trying to figure tomorrow’s hot careers? How about something in the developing “green” world? This NPR piece, Green Jobs Seek Entry Level Workers, discusses the problems that some employers are having in finding workers ready to work in the green economy. The Environmental Science courses here at MVCC would be a great starting point.

This story from Chicago Public Radio’s 848 discusses the recent movement to connect the country’s need for energy with the country’s need to create jobs.  California is leading the way, and there are people in the Chicagoland area interested in seeing this take shape here.