These times require us to write the truth. Following the International Panel on Climate Change summary report (www.ipcc.org) there can be no doubt that global warming is altering the climate of Earth, and what will happen is in good part predictable. Literally thousands of scientists from countries across the world contributed to this latest analysis of changing landscapes, living communities in the oceans, forests and polar regions.
The fact that heads turned only briefly to listen to a unified cry from ecologists, from people who ARE paying attention, leaves me more concerned than ever. To lessen the impacts on the living communities on Earth takes massive, coordinated action on the scale of the U.S. when it called upon the nation to support WWII. This time we must call on ourselves to curb our own war upon nature, a war most do not understand or even acknowledge.
As individuals we can do much, starting with our own habits and our inborn ingenuity. There are three major areas on which we can make a difference: 1. driving; home energy use; citizen action. Simply carpooling using public transportation or not driving can save thousands of tons of hydrocarbons from the atmosphere each year per person. By turning down the heat and putting on a sweater, replacing bulbs with compact flourescents and using appliances infrequently (hang your clothes out if you live in the west) you can also help significantly. By far, however, citizens need to push local, state and U.S. govenments to get off their arses and chance policies, invest in alternative energy research, and lead, lead, lead business and citizens to act together.
All these efforts will save you money, but it is really about saving life...yours, mine and all the biota that support the gift of human life on this once beautiful planet. While we go about our daily business as usual, the gorgeous coral reefs are dissolving away from warming of the ocean and human pollution; the ice caps are melting and much of the biodiversity of our once fruited plain is vanishing in the path of unrelenting human development.
The fact that heads turned only briefly to listen to a unified cry from ecologists, from people who ARE paying attention, leaves me more concerned than ever. To lessen the impacts on the living communities on Earth takes massive, coordinated action on the scale of the U.S. when it called upon the nation to support WWII. This time we must call on ourselves to curb our own war upon nature, a war most do not understand or even acknowledge.
As individuals we can do much, starting with our own habits and our inborn ingenuity. There are three major areas on which we can make a difference: 1. driving; home energy use; citizen action. Simply carpooling using public transportation or not driving can save thousands of tons of hydrocarbons from the atmosphere each year per person. By turning down the heat and putting on a sweater, replacing bulbs with compact flourescents and using appliances infrequently (hang your clothes out if you live in the west) you can also help significantly. By far, however, citizens need to push local, state and U.S. govenments to get off their arses and chance policies, invest in alternative energy research, and lead, lead, lead business and citizens to act together.
All these efforts will save you money, but it is really about saving life...yours, mine and all the biota that support the gift of human life on this once beautiful planet. While we go about our daily business as usual, the gorgeous coral reefs are dissolving away from warming of the ocean and human pollution; the ice caps are melting and much of the biodiversity of our once fruited plain is vanishing in the path of unrelenting human development.
“The U.S. emits more greenhouse gasses than any other nation on earth – fully 25 percent – yet we Americans are just 4 percent of the global population. The United States cannot sit on the sidelines any longer. It must take immediate action to establish meaningful and binding limits on CO2 emissions and rejoin international negotiations to secure a long-term solution.” ~ President of the World Wildlife Fund.
There is still time to use our brilliant engineers and designers to create sustainable landscapes and cities, to restore and protect food production, to generate copious energy from renewable sources...but there is not much time. We must act. We must. Or we will surely perish from this Earth in not too many generations, many of whom - our descendents - will eke out a final existence not worth living.
Susan
To learn how you can prepare: fohttp://www.organicconsumers.org:80/articles/article_4407.cfm
To learn what Tucsonans are doing about sustainability:
www.sustainabletucson.org
www.sustainabletucson.org
