General Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability + Cities and Towns + Coastal systems and low-lying areas + Commercial Services + Ecosystems & Species + Food, fiber and forest products + Freshwater resources + Industry + National Security + Utilities and Infrastructure

"I wager," says WWF President and CEO Carter Roberts in this Huffington Post piece, "that like Lincoln, President Obama will be remembered most for what he does to address the existential threat that history has presented on his watch: the breakdown of our planet's natural systems upon which all life depends, and specifically human-caused climate change."

We think of Thanksgiving as an eating holiday, but it really is a "talking holiday" when we slow down and spend the day in conversation.  When the conversation turns to the weather, consider talking about our changing weather patterns and the consequences we are feeling and hearing about.   What if we then spent a little time speaking with each other about steps we can take to prepare for those impacts, and to avoid more serious climate disruption in the future?   If we can pledge to talk turkey with friends and family around the table, we are one step closer to a national conversation about climate change -- and to enduring solutions.

This twelve minute video from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) starts with the biologists describing some of the many endearing qualities of walruses,  explaining how important sea ice is to the animals and why the decline of that ice is so disruptive and threatening -- not just to the walruses but for the people of the region.  The second half of the video shows how USGS biologists use satellite radio tags to track the movement and behavior of the walruses. "The information identifies areas of special importance to walruses during sparse summer sea ice and as human presence increases in the region from oil drilling and activities such as shipping and tourism now possible with less ice," says the USGS. In addition to the video, we provide a transcript.