Just keeping your nose above water

These plants (apologies for not knowing the exact name) were almost completely submerged when rainwater filled the trench where they grew. They are managing to barely keep their "noses" just above water, a precarious situation, to be sure, and one too many folks find themselves in these days, with layoffs, cuts in salary, hours, and benefits running rampant.

The waters continue to rise for all of us, both metaphorically and literally. Sea levels worldwide have been rising at a rate of 0.14 inches per year since the early 1990s. This trend, linked to global warming puts thousands and thousands of coastal areas at risk of being claimed by the ocean. Most predictions say the warming of the planet will continue and likely will accelerate. It's no surprise that global warming is melting the world's glaciers and polar ice caps. But few of us expected it to happen so quickly.

Each of us has got to take responsibility and do our part so our children's great grandchildren will have a habitable planet. The simplest starting point is education, learning about the planet and gaining basic scientific literacy (grossly lacking in the USA).

For starters, organizations such as National Geographic provide a wealth of reading material. Here's their list of Ten Things You Can Do to Save the Ocean.