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Nature loss 'dwarfs bank crisis'
The current banking crisis is losing the global economy billions of pounds but the disappearance of our forrest dwarfs that amount.
The annual loss of forest loss is estimated to be between $2 and $5 tillion!!!
The figure comes from adding the value of the various services that forests perform, such as providing clean water and absorbing carbon dioxide.
Speaking to BBC News on the fringes of the congress, study leader Pavan Sukhdev states
"It's not only greater but it's also continuous, it's been happening every year, year after year," he told BBC News.
"So whereas Wall Street by various calculations has to date lost, within the financial sector, $1-$1.5 trillion, the reality is that at today's rate we are losing natural capital at least between $2-$5 trillion every year." The current banking crisis is losing the global economy billions of pounds but the disappearance of our forrest dwarfs that amount. ... more -
Glaciers of British Columbia could be gone in 150 years
Climate experts are warning that if carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions aren't reduced, most of B.C's glaciers will be melted within 150 years.
"If the current projections for the increasing levels of CO2 are accurate then most of the glaciers in B.C. and Alberta will be gone in 150 years," said Brian Menounos, an associate professor of geography at University of Northern B.C.
Menounos is part of a team of scientists carrying out a $2.1 million study on behalf of the Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences to see what effects global warming is having on glaciers in the Pacific Northwest. The study is expected to be completed in 2010.
"Of course we don't know what will happen in the next 150 years and what humans are going to do about CO2 emissions, but if current trends are maintained the only ice fields left will be some remnants in the St. Elias Mountains," he said.
The St. Elias Mountain range straddles Alaska, Yukon and the far northern part of B.C.
Menounos said scientists are monitoring glaciers to determine what's being accumulated in the winter when it snows against what melts in the summer heat.
"We know CO2 emissions will change both the total snowfall and summer temperatures. The majority of climate scientists claim that human activity has a role in climate change," he said.
One of the most important aspects of the study is to determine what will happen if the glaciers continue melting and the effects this will have on available water resources.
"Land managers need to know how much of that water resource is still there. In 2014 the water treaty between the U.S. and Canada will have to be negotiated again and both parties will have to come to the table and say 'based on this information we're going to have to agree on how the water is allocated.'
"Canada can't say we're going to take it all because a lot of it flows into Washington state," he said.
Menounos said the 1990s were "not good years for glaciers" and there was significant melting but this decade temperatures have been cooler on average, he said.
"But we know the melting of the large ice masses in the coastal mountains is contributing substantially to the rise in sea levels," he said.
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Gone in 150 years, with people feeling the effects of it until that time especially regarding the availability of water. That is unless the people of the world wake up this next year. We are not taking this seriously enough on a global scale even with all of the evidence coming forward. I just do not understand why the most crucial and important crises of our world are constantly being tucked away as if they can be gotten to another day. In the grand scheme of this world 150 years is not that long. Climate experts are warning that if carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions aren't reduced, most of B.C's glaciers will be melted wit... more -
How Green Gasoline Could Power the Future
Fossil fuels don't all come from fossils. Scientists now are developing gasoline that is synthesized from plants that are not so old.
This so-called green gasoline is chemically derived from sugars in corn and other grains or from cellulose found in the tough, woody parts of plants. Unlike the most common biofuel, ethanol, this new fuel requires no tweaks to a car's engine.
"It is virtually the same as gasoline from crude oil," said John Regalbuto, director of the Catalysis and Biocatalysis Program at the National Science Foundation (NSF). "It is a drop-in replacement for what you get at the pump." Fossil fuels don't all come from fossils. Scientists now are developing gasoline that is synthesized from plants that are not so ... more -
Climate Change: Rising Temps May Be Too Hot for Tropical Species
"Climate change is warming the tropics, too. Average temperatures have increased by 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit (0.78 degree Celsius) in the last 30 years, making them as warm as at any point in the past 2 million years. That increased warmth, however, is not good news for tropical plants and insects, according to a new study in Science.
Ecologist Robert Colwell of the University of Connecticut and his colleagues surveyed more than 1,900 species of plants and insects from sea level to nearly 10,000 feet (3,050 meters) above, along the forested slopes of a volcano near the La Selva Biological Station in northern Costa Rica. The goal was to determine the ranges of currently extant species.
Based on these ranges—and potential further warming of as much as 5.4 degrees F (3 degrees C)—more than half of these plants and insects would need to relocate 2,000 feet (610 meters) farther up the mountainside to maintain the temperatures they enjoy in their present range. And for those species—ranging from trees and epiphytes (rootless plants) to predatory ants and leaf-chewing moths currently thriving in the lowland—such a migration could leave a vacuum in its wake.
"Because lowland tropical forests are already the warmest forests on Earth, there are no replacement species waiting in the wings to replace these lowland species, as there are for many places at higher latitudes," Colwell explains.
In the absence of mountainsides to serve as a cool refuge, those plants and insects that cannot face higher temperatures may disappear as it would require migrations of hundreds or even thousands of miles to find a suitable cooler climate—crossing habitats utterly changed by human impacts. "For lowland tropical species whose geographical range lies far from mountains, for example in the middle of the Amazon," Colwell says, "the prospect for extinction cannot be dismissed." "Climate change is warming the tropics, too. Average temperatures have increased by 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit (0.78 degree Celsius) ... more -
Eco-Video: This human-powered Car drives 60 miles an hour!!
video clip: A fully-manual 4-people-powered: HumanCar -- check out this CNN News video clip on the -- ‘geometry prototype,’ which has been so successful that no changes have been required.
It features a bi-lateral human power interface and front passenger body-steering capabilities. The vehicle is also designed to go up to 60 miles and hour...'we'll take two please: video clip: A fully-manual 4-people-powered: HumanCar -- check out this CNN News video clip on the -- ‘geometry prototype,’ which has ... more -
Saving Mother Earth
“In searching for a new enemy to unite us, we came up with the idea that pollution, the threat of global warming, water shortages, famine and the like would fit the bill. All these dangers are caused by human intervention, and it is only through changed attitudes and behavior that they can be overcome. The real enemy then, is humanity itself.”
Chapter V - The Vacuum
First Global Revolution
Club of Rome (1991)
http://www.archive.org/details/TheFirstGlobalRevolution “In searching for a new enemy to unite us, we came up with the idea that pollution, the threat of global warming, water shortages, fam... more -
Pollution-sucking sculptures debut in Minnesota
"Two statues have debuted on Minnesota's new Interstate 35W Bridge that are shaped to look like the international cartographic symbol for water. Why? Besides mimicking the look of the Mississippi River as it passes through Minneapolis, the new sculptures are made from a type of concrete that is photocatalytic, meaning they will be able to convert gases like carbon monoxide, nitrous oxides and sulfur dioxide to higher oxidized states, making them less damaging to the environment. Another benefit of the new concrete mixture is that it never looks old as it maintains a white oxidized color on its outer skin. " "Two statues have debuted on Minnesota's new Interstate 35W Bridge that are shaped to look like the international cartograph... more
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We want green jobs now
The sooner we become self sufficient as a nation the sooner we can 'buy' our country back from it's lenders (foreign natioins).
We need 'Green Jobs' now. Wind energy, solar energy and natural gas will help end the massive outflow of money overseas and keep it here on our soil.
Vote for the candidate that stimulates the economy with wind energy, solar energy and natural gas. The sooner we become self sufficient as a nation the sooner we can 'buy' our country back from it's lenders (foreign na... more -
How local governments are 'standing in the way of clean energy'
Too often people who want to install clean, efficient solar and wind systems can find themselves drowning in a sea of red tape.
With the federal government's failure to address climate change, close to 900 U.S. cities and towns have agreed to reduce greenhouse gases in their communities by at least 7 percent by 2012. Support for small-scale solar and wind electricity generators would go a long way toward meeting those goals, especially as large-scale systems continue to get bogged down by opposition in many communities.
States nationwide are implementing or expanding programs that serve as an important economic incentive; people who generate their own clean energy can send the excess to the grid, dramatically lowering their electric bills, while also reducing demand on non-renewable, over-stressed electric systems. However, many towns, counties and cities are still making it difficult and expensive for people who want to generate their own renewable energy.
Small-scale solar and wind generation systems can promote green jobs at this time of economic turmoil, skyrocketing energy costs, widespread desire for energy independence, and increasing public concern about air quality and climate change. Local officials must do their part by removing unnecessary barriers to installation of these systems that exist in local building codes and permit and inspection requirements.
In Virginia, renewable energy contractor Jim Madden calls local permit and planning processes a major obstacle. "The biggest problems," he said, "are the length of time required and lack of knowledge about renewable energy systems at the county government level." In New York, solar contractor Steve Englemann says that local permit requirements cause "by far the greatest delay in the industry, requiring so much time and energy, and delaying jobs to the extent that we have a hard time financially with our business because of it. Every town and village has very different requirements from one another, which is a huge burden on our business."
According to Curt Bradley in California, "Contra Costa County will issue a permit for a small wind generator if the site is zoned for agricultural use, but not if it is zoned commercial or industrial." Recently, a church that is ideally located in the San Francisco Bay wind corridor asked Bradley to install two small wind turbines, 10 kilowatts or less, to provide energy for their sanctuary, school and offices. Because the church is located on property that is zoned commercial, the county planning department would not entertain their proposal.
It is particularly striking that this is happening in California, which has some of the nation's strongest laws and policies to encourage the adoption of small-scale solar and wind, but stories like these are repeated from state to state. In Arizona, where the state is upgrading its net metering program, solar and wind contractors cite barriers that include local government disorganization, inconsistent permit requirements and wide variations in fees.
The more than 40 states that have adopted net metering should take the next step by mandating that towns adopt consistent and appropriate permit requirements and uniform standards. For example, New Hampshire's legislature recently passed a law that prevents local governments in the state from applying building height limits to wind turbines and sets a statewide standard for how much sound they can emit. The states could also smooth the process by educating building and electrical inspectors about the proper installation of common renewable systems.*******CONTINUES**************** Too often people who want to install clean, efficient solar and wind systems can find themselves drowning in a sea of red tape. ... more -
Corporations Have Big Plans to Profit from Global Warming
A bunch of multinationals have figured out how to make their pollution-based businesses seem like the solution to the climate crisis.
With the world's leading scientists in agreement on the science behind global warming, how are multinational corporations preparing for climate change? Some, like Exxon Mobile, continue to squeeze the last drops of profit out of any oil field they get their hands on while paying scientists to deny climate change. Some see profitability in adapting to a more energy-efficient world. And then there's the third group: the greenwashers -- those hoping to come off as enviro-friendly while they make a buck (or a few million) off our global crisis.
Greenwashing is nothing new, but there's a huge difference between covering up environmentally damaging activities with an eco-friendly gesture or two and touting your pollution-based business as the solution to the climate crisis.
An example of the former would be Wal-Mart patting itself on the back for selling millions of energy-efficient lightbulbs while simultaneously selling cheap junk from China by the truckload. Nobody will be fooled by a few compact fluorescents into believing that Wal-Mart is up there with the Sierra Club in defending our planet.
But how about companies like Bayer, which is currently working to produce drought-resistant plants to help farmers face a post-global warming reality? And then there's corn ethanol, a fuel that requires so much oil to produce that it hardly represents a move away from petroleum products at all, and yet it is the darling of politicians on both sides of the aisle. To many, these products are undetectable as greenwashing. And that's not by accident.
During a conversation on climate change at this month's Slow Food Nation festival, author and activist Anna Lappé said, "What scares me about this historic moment is that as we collectively raise the consciousness about the connection between the food system and climate change -- that there is one, that we need to do something about it -- at the very same time what we're seeing is some of the biggest agribusiness companies and also the biggest biotech companies taking advantage of that consciousness-raising to present themselves as the solution, and that I think is very dangerous."
For example, proponents of recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH), an artificial hormone that boosts a cow's milk production, now cite a study published at Cornell University "proving" that using rBGH is green. When the study came out, newspapers wrote clever headlines about reducing cows' carbon "hoofprint." Yet the basis of the study (that cows treated with rBGH eat the same amount as cows not treated with the hormone) was flawed, and the study was written by a group including Dale Bauman (who has received funding from Monsanto, the company then behind rBGH, in the past) and a Monsanto consultant. (Monsanto owned rBGH and marketed it under the brand name Posilac until it sold the product to Eli Lilly and Company last month.)
In reality, the way to reduce a dairy cow's carbon hoofprint is to allow her to graze on pasture to reduce the amount of grain in her diet. As a perennial, grass does not require annual planting. Nor does it require fertilizer (beyond the manure fertilizer the cows apply to the pasture themselves). The cows also replace the machinery to harvest, process and transport their food that would be required for a diet of grain. But a cow receiving rBGH cannot enjoy a diet of mostly grass; she simply cannot take in enough calories a day via grazing to support increased milk production. Only a higher-calorie grain diet -- one that makes cows sick -- can support the metabolism of a cow on drugs.
************CONTINUES A bunch of multinationals have figured out how to make their pollution-based businesses seem like the solution to the climate crisis. ... more -
Allarme, cresce il livello del mare in Europa
Riscaldamento globale e inquinamento. I cambiamenti climatici causati dal global warming stanno facendosi sentire anche in Europa, e il livello dei nostri mari sta crescendo più rapidamente rispetto agli altri mari del mondo. Riscaldamento globale e inquinamento. I cambiamenti climatici causati dal global warming stanno facendosi sentire anche in Europa, e i... more
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Researchers document world's mammals in crisis
From the report: From majestic African elephants to tiny and often unappreciated rodents, mammals on Earth are in a state of crisis. One in four mammal species on Earth is being pushed to extinction, according to the Global Mammal Assessment, the most comprehensive assessment of the world's mammals.
Writing in the October 10 issue of Science, ("The Status of the World's Land and Marine Mammals: Diversity, Threat, and Knowledge") and unveiling a "Red List" of endangered mammal species (at the International Union for Conservation of Nature World Conservation Congress in Barcelona, Spain), the researchers who worked on the exhaustive study say that from 25 percent to 36 percent of species may be in danger of extinction.
"It is frightening that after millions and millions of years of evolution that have given rise to the biodiversity of mammals we are perched on a crisis where 25 percent of species are threatened with being lost forever," said Andrew Smith, an Arizona State University professor who played a key role in the mammalian assessment. Smith and his research assistant, Charlotte Johnson, are two of the 103 authors of the Science paper.
The Global Mammal Assessment was conducted by more than 1,800 scientists from more than 130 countries working under the auspices of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. It was made possible by the volunteer help of IUCN Species Survival Commission's specialist groups and collaborations between top institutions and universities, including Arizona State University, Texas A&M University, University of Virginia, Conservation International, Sapienza Università di Roma and the Zoological Society of London.
The mammal assessment is the first comprehensive look at the health of terrestrial and marine mammals across the globe. It is a companion assessment to similar documentation of the world's amphibians, released four years ago by IUCN.
"Mammals are important because they play key roles in ecosystems and provide important benefits to humans," Smith explained. "If you lose a mammal, you often are in danger of losing many other species."
The assessment shows that at least 1,141 of the 5,487 mammals on Earth are known to be threatened with extinction. At least 76 mammals have become extinct since 1500. The real situation could be much worse as 836 mammals are listed as "data deficient."
The culprits driving this precarious position include habitat loss and over exploitation for terrestrial mammals, and pollution, global warming and over exploitation for marine mammals, Smith said.
Follow link for full article. From the report: From majestic African elephants to tiny and often unappreciated rodents, mammals on Earth are in a state of crisis. O... more -
From RealClimate: Sarah Palin on global warming | Environment | guardian.co.uk
Here at RealClimate we understandably have an intense interest in the positions of the presidential and vice-presidential candidates regarding global warming and carbon emissions. What the stance bodes for future action on climate change is consequential in itself, but beyond that the ability to use sound science in this case serves as a bellweather for the candidates' whole approach to science. Whatever else you can say about the candidates, it has been encouraging that both John McCain and Barack Obama favour mandatory action to reduce US carbon emissions.
But, enter governor Sarah Palin, McCain's pick for VP. Palin's position on global warming has been stated quite clearly in this recent interview with the publication Newsmax, where she says: "A changing environment will affect Alaska more than any other state, because of our location. I'm not one though who would attribute it to being man-made." How is this to be reconciled with McCain's position? Do they just agree to differ? What does this bode for future actions if McCain were to win the election, especially in view of the fact that, in a Cheney-esque way, Palin is likely to be put in charge of energy policy? The recent vice-presidential debate sheds some light on the issue. A full transcript of the debate is here.
Palin seems to be attempting to defuse the whole issue by claiming the cause doesn't matter. When the moderator asked her: "What is true and what is false about what we have heard, read, discussed, debated about the causes of climate change," Palin responded as follows:
[read the rest at the website] Here at RealClimate we understandably have an intense interest in the positions of the presidential and vice-presidential candidates r... more -
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Companies 'need green directors'
The president of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature has called for businesses to address more seriously their role in preventing climate change by appointing directors with "green" experience. The president of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature has called for businesses to address more seriously their role... more
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New study: American cause and - and could cure - most US emissions
'It's easy to mock little efforts to save the environment: reusing grocery bags, buying a Prius, putting an energy-efficient refrigerator in an energy-eating mansion,' says the Wall Street Journal.
While most 'arguments' are aimed at - 'big industrial companies that spew millions of tons of heat-trapping gases every year.'
American consumers actually 'have more influence over climate change than they might think.'
'US consumers have direct or indirect control over 65% of the country's greenhouse-gas emissions, according to new statistics tallied by consultant McKinsey & Co. The figure for consumers in the rest of the world is just 43%. Americans, largely because of how they drive and how they build and use their homes and offices, lead some of the most energy-intensive lives in the world.'
'It's hardly surprising that Americans burn more energy than their counterparts elsewhere in the world. With just 5% of the world's population, the U.S. burns 23% of the world's oil. What's striking about the McKinsey numbers is less the size of America's "carbon footprint" than its makeup.' ... 'It's easy to mock little efforts to save the environment: reusing grocery bags, buying a Prius, putting an energy-efficient... more -
The Water Crisis: Every Last Drop Counts
Thanks largely to unsafe drinking water, more than 2 million children die of diarrhea each year. Six hundred million subsistence farmers lack irrigation water and are mired in poverty. Wetlands have been decimated in Europe, North America, and Asia, and fish populations are collapsing. Drought caused a more than 50 percent drop in Australia’s wheat production in 2007 and sparked a ten-year peak in global wheat prices. Thanks largely to unsafe drinking water, more than 2 million children die of diarrhea each year. Six hundred million subsistence farme... more
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A Young Girl Speaks on Saving The World
This powerful speech was from the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development by a young girl from Environmental Children’s Organization in 1992.
Her words will make you stop and think and then cry that not much has been done since she spoke……which was over 15 years ago, and that the world is still in the same situation today that she begged us to change then. This powerful speech was from the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development by a young girl from Environmental Children... more -
how it all ends
i found this video on youtube and it has a great point on what we should do about global warming if you think it true or not
so spread it around tell people
this is all he asks so do it
go to his web site for more
http://www.wonderingmind42.com/?page=1 i found this video on youtube and it has a great point on what we should do about global warming if you think it true or not ... more -
Smoke and CO2 - How to Spin Global Warming
ANP: On the Organized Effort to Cast Doubt on Climate Change.
Recently, it was reported that the rate of carbon dioxide emission during the last seven years exceeded even the IPCC's worst-case scenario. Both Barack Obama and John McCain have offered their support to global warming legislation in the past, but climate legislation continues to stall, as it has for more than a decade. Why? In large part, because of an expensive, prolonged propaganda campaign waged by producers of big oil. And what did they look to for inspiration? Big tobacco.
This story is aired in conjunction with the publication of the Center for Public Integrity's report, Global Warming: Heated Denials, The Organized Effort to Cast Doubt on Climate Change.
( http://www.publicintegrity.org/articles/entry/731/ ) ANP: On the Organized Effort to Cast Doubt on Climate Change. ... more
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