There has been much controversy surrounding ‘global warming’ or ‘climate change’. Many skeptics believe that evidence does not support claims that the planet is warming – so why bother worrying about the ‘what if’s’. What is the extent of the scientific consensus of global warming? It is 95% – could 95% of the scientific community be wrong? I would rather take my chances in believing the scientists and work towards solutions to combat this problem.
Many people figure that there is no big deal if the planet warms by a few degrees – they should. In 1995, Chicago experienced the worst heat wave in decades. Temperatures approached 106 degrees for more than 6 consecutive days, killing 800 people. In Europe in 2003 a heat wave killed 6,000 people in Germany, 14,000 in France and 19,000 in Italy. Why was this not given more media attention? Is it because we are to pre-occupied with materialism and things that will continue to contribute to the global warming epidemic. Heat wave deaths are predicted to double by 2020 if global warming is not curbed.
Global warming is caused when heat is trapped on earth’s surface. Sunlight comes through our atmosphere and gets absorbed by the surface of the earth. The surface heats up but the heat doesn’t escape into space because it is blocked by greenhouse gases (water vapour and carbon dioxide). The concern is not with the natural greenhouse effect but that mankind is changing it with our dependency on burning coal, oil and gas. Scientists are sure that we are changing the climate in the forseeable future, what they are not sure of is if we can live with those changes. Currently, global warming is responsible for the following:
- Oceans becoming warmer (this increases evaporation causing more rain).
- Less moderate rainfalls in the U.S.A. and more increased heavy rainfalls.
- Decrease/depletion of drinking water due to lack of snowpacks (since 1950, spring snowpack has declined by as much as 60%).
- Weather extremes (more hurricanes, tornadoes, droughts, forest fires)
If we do not do anything to curb/stop global warming, we will lose much more of our coral reefs, species will become extinct, there will be no glaciers left and see levels will rise above 150 feet – causing major devastation to many of the major populated areas around the coastline.
Many think that it is too expensive to do anything about global warming – so they do nothing which will transfer the cost to future generations. Are our world governments doing all they can to help our planet in the fight against global warming? NO, THE ARE NOT!!!! Governments cater to the big oil conglomerates and the auto industry the reap the benefits of pushing oil. We must demand action from our government to stop our dependency on oil and other corporations that have no interest in our environment. We need to ensure our governments work towards building a future that relies on sustainable energy, like solar and wind. We need to ask the automobile industry to create more affordable hybrid and electric vehicles. Going green will save the economy – by creating more ‘greener’ jobs and initiatives that will help our planet.
It is imperative that we stand up and fight for this planet – it should be our governments top priority (not spending billions of dollars on starting/fighting wars). We need a healthy and vibrant world – we need to be able to continue to breathe fresh air and have clean water to drink. A more sustainable planet is not only the responsibility of our governments and big corporations, it is also up to us! We must stop the demand of BIGGER televisions, BIGGER cars, BIGGER trucks etc. We must stop using chemicals that pollute our waterways, rivers, lakes and oceans – the better substitutes are available. We have to stop becoming a ‘throw away’ society and focus on creating products that will not harm the planet further.
There are many things you can do to help in the fight against global warming – such as the things I have mentioned above like; buying more fuel-efficient cars (hybrid/electric), stop buying household cleaners that pollute our waters and use greener solutions and recycle. But the most important thing you can do is let you Member of Parliament know that you will not vote for them if their top priority isn’t making our planet the top priority.
The following documentaries are great movies to help you understand the topic of global warming (please watch and share them):
- An Inconvenient Truth
- The Age of Stupid
- Carbon Nation
- Global Warming: The Signs of the Science
- Five Ways to Save the World
Be on the lookout for Chasing Ice – a new documentary following National Geographic photographer James Balog across the Arctic as he deploys time-lapse cameras designed for one purpose: to capture a multi-year record of the world’s changing glaciers and their effects on the planet.
Together, we can make the world a more positive one!
COALITION OF POSITIVE ENERGY 