A Warming Planet In Peril?

Everyone has probably seen the Al Gore movie An Inconvenient Truth by now or knows someone who has.  It's chocked full of information about the environment and what drastic changes have happened in the last 100 years (since industrialization began) and what is likely to happen if we continue on the current path.

There are numerous books out there as well, a couple of which are on our Books To Read list.  Some people believe Global Warming is real and there are others who think it's a complete hoax, or at the very least, that it's not caused by man.   Believe it or not, a few people are even welcoming Global Warming.  After all, it'll open up the Arctic Ocean and create a new, shorter route for getting products to the rest of the world!

However, there seems to be enough scientific evidence to support the fact that something is going on and that it isn't good. 

Following are a few key out-takes from Lester R. Brown's book Plan B 3.0 Mobilizing To Save Civilization.  Read on and see if you think we just might have a problem.  If nothing else, perhaps you'll be alarmed enough to learn more.

Fact	Page
The Nile River in Egypt and the Yellow River in China, once tremendous in size, now barely reach the ocean because of human usage, dropping water tables, etc.	Pg 76
Nigeria is losing 351,000 hectares (867,321 acres) of crop and rangeland to desert each year.  In China, 3,600 sq. kilometers (1390 sq. miles) of land is turning into desert each year.	Pg 95 & 96
CO2 is running at 384 ppm - up from 277 ppm at the start of the Industrial Revolution.  The world spews 9+ billion tons of CO2 into the air every year and the annual increase is running four times the rate that existed in the 1950's.  China and India are just getting started!	Pg 50
Arctic ice is melting at record levels.  The Arctic is warming at almost twice the rate of the rest of the planet.	Pg 57
Potable water is dissappearing world-wide at record levels.  Lake Chad in Africa is now 96% of its original size due to expanding populations.	Pg 68
The Dead Sea has dropped 80 meters in 40 years.  It could dissappear by 2050.	Pg 77
There are 296 primate species in the world.  Of that, the World Conservation Union-IUCN indicates that 114 primate species are in danger of extinction.	Pg 102
1.1 Billion people in the world currently don't have access to safe drinking water.	Pg 109
Pollution of all kinds is growing in China.  China's EPA has < 300 employees, while the U.S. EPA has 17,000.  China's rivers, sky and land are at risk and not much is being done to address the problem.	Pg 113

These are but a few tidbits of information available.  When you look at the big picture, it is even more apparent that we have a real problem on our hands. 

With snowfall in the Himalayas shrinking, a major portion of the water source for Asia is being threatened because of reduced Spring runoffs.  With growing populations requiring more water along the world's major rivers, many of these rivers are in danger of disappearing.  Our own mighty Colorado River is but a trickle by the time it reaches the ocean.

Water shortages worldwide, particularly in the under-developed world, will diminish the ability to grow crops, resulting in food shortages of massive proportions.  We're already seeing this in many countries.  If something doesn't change, future wars will be fought over water and food, not political or religous ideologies.

If you doubt that Global Warming is real, at least be open to reading a few books on the subject.  Don't just look at what is projected to happen, look at what has already happened and what is happening today. 

Then try and make some sense of it all.  Ask yourself why.  After all, if we treat the warnings as if they're the paranoid ravings of ultra liberal tree hugging fanatics, then we may miss an opportunity to better understand and take timely action. 

If this is real, it will take massive global cooperation to agree on a plan of action, which could take decades.  It will then take many years and many dollars to implement any agreed-upon plan. 

Ultimately, it will probably take a grass roots movement to get our politicians and those in other countries to take necessary action. 

If you're concerned about our planet, contact your Congressman or woman and let them know how you feel.  See our Books To Read page for more on the subject.  Click here to learn more on the web about environmental issues and click here to obtain the name(s) of your representatives if you're ready to speak with them about this issue!  It can't hurt!

Comments

[DC]

I'm reading the Friedman book right now. We need to get this country moving towards development of a "green" industry. We have the people and skills to lead the world in this area, creating millions of jobs and re-establishing our clear leadership position in the world.