A number of threads over the years wander through the issue of climate change, weather, and their impacts on ourselves and our resources.

Recently, Bruce Sanford (known to some here) wrote "Insignificant But Special: The Story of Life on Earth". I recommend it a a very readable story of how the earth and our solar system formed and then the earth moved from a very inhabitable rock to what it is today.

Goes through life from the first "pre-cells" to now. A fascinating aspect is that many of the earlier forms could not survive today because of changes in atmosphere and how our current situation is actually within a narrow band suitability.

Over the billenia there were many changes in "climate" and he describes the drivers in those changes such as asteroids, volcanics, and lots of other things.

I found the book rather easy to read and understand; Bruce writes pretty clearly, simply, and with good humor. Best "History of the Solar System and Life" I have run into.

Better yet, read this fine little account of what really has changed here in this part of the country and the great rivers of eastern Washington, Idaho, and western Montana.

It’s only a little bit of our world’s geological history, but it is relevant, historical, proven, and timely. Sometimes it’s easier to understand geological history when taken in shorter time periods than the billions of years needed to form what we now call home. Besides, a drive or two thru that part of the county actually shows the physical geological proof of what’s happened in the last 50 k years...

“Cataclysms on the Columbia: The Great Missoula Floods”

That was a great read, too. Especially when you consider how recent it was. Took a class and filed trip once that went through a lot of scablands around Othello.

There really has been a whole lot of change here in the PNW since the last glaciers retreated about 15,000 ybp.

Here's just a few that geologists have shared. In no particular order.

When Glacier Peak erupted it sent the Sauk, Suiattle into the Skagit from the Stilly. Before that, the Upper Skagit, Cascade, etc were Stilly tribs.

The S Fork Nooksack was a tributary, or actually the whole thing, of Friday Creek into the Samish. May explain Friday Creek Springs into the 1900s.

The White, of course, was a trip of the Duwamish.

At one time, the White went down South Prairie Creek.

Most of Puget Sound streams, at the peak of the last glaciation through the retreat, went out the Black/Chehalis.

Our streams have naturally moved a lot, mostly in response to our volcanoes. But when folks talk about a particular stock of fish being the end product of millions of years of evolution it just ain't so. They formed separate stocks very very recently.

Ever since I was a kid, back in the Cretaceous, I’ve always been a rock hound, always looking and seeing the stories geology have to tell.

Having Grandparents and Parents from Ole Butte, Montana likely helped that along, hanging around the “Richest Hill on Earth” and all.

Rocks don’t lie and the answers are there for the reading.

I collected rocks as a kid, but just to collect them. Our kids were interested in volcanoes so I got a lot of local geology books and took a crash course in learning it.

The most interesting was when all the stream movement in such recent times caught my eye, especially with all the fish management and stock ID questions arose.

So the ice age was happened due to climate change and still continues to change? Its almost like mother nature doing what she does. If mitigation was such a big deal we would still be having vehicle emissions and wouldn't be covering our timber lands in more concrete and asphalt. Its really not that important to the big wigs and we get fleeced for it.

The earth has always been changing. For the vast majority of history it was toxic to life as we know it. Despite what we humans want, which is consistent stability, it is always changing in response to myriads of forces.

The current problem is rate; the changes that are (initially) human induced are accelerating faster than we and other life forms can adapt. Hence the coral reef deaths in warmer water.

I maybe wrong, but the Great Barrier Reef maybe increasing in size again.

Not too worried about it too much though, maybe even more worried that with all this rain wetting, our south sound Coho will start swimming up the creeks, the boat will need a saltwater cleanup, a complete changeover to Kokanee and mega Trouts , and another change to the angling menu !

After deer hunting perhaps ? No, after some Grouse hunting for sure, or was that chasing wild Phez with the bird dawgs !

So many options to enjoy the fall, and so little time to do it all...

Lots of the Great Barrier, and other reefs are dieing. In other words places, they are probably growing as cool water warms. Since reefs provide protection from storms and waves and such loss of the reefs loses the insurance against storms. Like losing mangroves; the coastline is more vulnerable. Also, the reef-dependent animal life reduces/disappears.

Not "our" problem because we aren't Australia. But losses in the Caribbean will affect the US.

Fall is the best time for outdoor pursuits, I agree.

I luv Australia, so not caring would be incorrect and a bit misleading. As noted by a large community of science like folks that have spent years watching the reef, the Coral cover has bounced back across two thirds of the Great Barrier Reef, and looks to be healing itself - again.

Cycles of life in time always change, be it long term or short term like our pitifully short time here on this earth.

The great barrier reef is growing but most of this growth is to a single species of quick growing Acropora coral species. There is an ongoing boom of crown of thorn starfish, which eat this coral. This coral is also very vulnerable to strong wave action in storms. So at best its now a growing monoculture of coral and at worst between the starfish and the storm waves, it crumbles away. So most of the old growth coral is gone and is not returning along with the reef-dependent animal life CM mentioned.

Human caused climate change is fake. Paying the government more taxes won't fix it. The climate has been changing for longer than we have been around and will keep changing after we are gone.

Human caused climate change is a thing, but certainly not to the degree the political left and climate freaks claim. We also cannot honestly assess to what degree the minor climate change is human induced and what is a part of a natural cycle. I’m more inclined to believe climate change is primarily a part of a larger natural fluctuation, but leftists and climate freaks want you to think it ALL of it is caused by humans and that it is a HUGE problem. Neither are true.

The other certainty is that paying the government more taxes will NOT solve the problem.


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