11 Comments
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Rocks for Jocks's avatar

Wow that was intense, thanks for sharing. Can you explain a bit more about how heat can change their bodies so much?

“if the nest stays intact, her sons and daughters will dig free and crawl toward the brightest horizon. The warmth of the sand will decide their sex. A few degrees more and almost all will be female”

Luke McMillan's avatar

Sea turtles don’t have male or female babies decided by genes like humans do. Instead, the temperature of the sand where their eggs are buried decides it. If the nest is cooler, more males hatch. If it’s warmer, more females do. Scientists call this “temperature-dependent sex determination.” As the climate gets hotter, many beaches are producing almost all female hatchlings, which could make it harder for turtle populations to survive in the future.

Barbara Upshaw's avatar

You are an amazingly gifted and knowledgeable writer, Luke. Your posts read like stories and yet are filled with much valuable information. I pray that your words reach and touch many people. Thank you for what you do to restore our planet.

Luke McMillan's avatar

Thanks so much for those positive words, Barbara. I really appreciate you taking the time to write that.

Anne Hopkins's avatar

This is beautifully written, very affecting. By sticking to facts in evidence, you have painted a heartbreaking scenario and then it’s joyful antidote. Thank you for caring about our world and its marvelous inhabitants and for all of your energy, thought, and effort that went into this piece.

Luke McMillan's avatar

I really appreciate you taking the time to let me know what you thought of the article. Thanks so much, Anne.

Anne Hopkins's avatar

You are so welcome. You are a force for good at a time when we really need it. And you are an eloquent and compelling advocate for our oceans. I’m grateful for you.

Barbara Upshaw's avatar

One of the best things I did was subscribe to your podcast, Luke. They’re so well written and always fascinating. I look forward t each one!

Luke McMillan's avatar

Thanks always for the ongoing support, Barbara, I’m so glad you find them valuable.

Bob's avatar

Hi Luke, yet another excellent article that holds one's attention and is very informative.

Your solution is great and I wonder whether the oil crises will slow down international trade as countries are forced to become muich more sustainable in food and other materials that are now imported but were once made locally. A reversal of neoliberalism is required and the change will be foced by the drop in the supply of minerals as deposits run out, given that we live on a finite planet and that will force a major change in the way we live.

Great news about more heat tolerant coral as reef tourism makes a great economic contribution.

Stopping, or at least reducing the use of chemcial fertilisers is a hard one politcally and economically but must happen in order to stop the degradation of carbon in the soil. The manufacturers of those agricultural chemicals must be held to account.

Whilst slowing down ships is a great idea, removing them or bringing back modified wind power would be even better.

We can and should reimagine our lives in the world of robots, AI and the need to restoreour natural world to coll it down.

The production of renewable energy in the form of solar panels and wind turbines brings its own inpacts as you have so well pointed-out. Renewable Energy can become an excuse not to take more substantive action. Change is hard

Shan's avatar

Unbelievable ❤️ this was amazing