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Many Hands Network joins like-minded, compassionate people who want to help heal our global home. If you are concerned about the state of our world, check out the Many Hand Network pages regularly to stay informed on human rights, animal welfare and environmental issues, and add your voice and effort to those who would make our planet a safer, peaceful and more just world, and home, to all species. |
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Great Mystery Publishing PO BOX 41 ALDERLEY QLD 4051 AUSTRALIA
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“Even a small star shines in the darkness.” - Finnish Proverb |
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“If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in bed with a mosquito.” - Betty Reese |
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GLOBAL WARMING ACTION PAGE & NEWS ARTICLES |
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RETURN TO MANY HANDS NETWORK |
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“Australia is especially vulnerable (to global warming). Your whole country is bordered by the ocean, sea levels are rising, half your country is desert, that desertification is going to continue (if global warming is not addressed).” World renowned ecologist David Suzuki. |
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To help motivate governments and the private sector to meet their responsibility in reducing greenhouse emissions, click on the above link to join the Virtual March.
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Excerpt from “The Source of Life” published in 1992, explaining global warming or the “greenhouse effect”. (It is a shame nothing was really done all those years ago, we wouldn’t be in this mess now!)
`The air is precious...for all things share the same breath.' - Chief Sealth (Seattle) of the Duwamish Tribe 1854
Tackling the Greenhouse Problem `O pardon me thou bleeding piece of Earth that I am meek and gentle with these butchers.' - Shakespeare
The Earth's atmosphere is a very finely balanced system which is designed to protect and sustain life. Unfortunately humankind's destructive activities are causing an imbalance in the function of this gaseous life-support mechanism. The `greenhouse effect' is a natural process in which certain gases in the atmosphere help the Earth retain some of the sun's heat, preventing the planet from becoming too cold to support life. However, this necessary process is fast becoming a serious problem due to the increasing volumes of heat retentive gases being released into our atmosphere as a consequence of our assault on the environment. Carbon dioxide, methane, hydrocarbons, and nitrous oxides from industrial fertilisers all help to contribute to global warming. This process is being aggravated by the clearing of forests which would in their normal operation of photosynthesis store the carbon dioxide gas as solid carbon, thus helping to alleviate the atmospheric overload of this greenhouse gas. Since the change from cottage industries to large scale manufacturing the world's carbon dioxide levels have risen by twenty-five percent or five thousand million tonnes. This gas is discharged into the atmosphere by such activities as the burning of wood and trees - the most catastrophic examples being the destruction of the Amazonian jungle ( and now, the destruction of Indonesian rainforests), modern industrial practices and the use of fossil fuels to meet our (ever-growing) energy requirements.
Global warming does not simply mean there will be an increase in average temperatures. Higher averages will also mean higher extremes, and temperature increases will not be evenly distributed. The most severe warming effects will be felt towards the polar ice caps. If the average global temperature increases by four degrees Celsius, the winter temperature at the poles would be elevated by as much as twelve degrees, melting ice caps and causing ocean water levels to rise. The subsequent change in habitats due to climatic alterations will place a formidable pressure on wildlife, threatening many creatures such as the polar bear with extinction. (Unfortunately, this prediction seems to be already coming to pass.) The warming of our planet will also mean an increase in precipitation with an estimated ten percent more rainfall, but this will not be evenly spread over the globe. Many areas which already suffer from poor rainfall will become even drier. Many trees and plants are expected to die from the onslaught of pests and diseases brought on by the humidity and heat, while others will expire because the soil has insufficient nutrients to support the plant's accelerated growth brought on by high atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide and increased rainfall. Even though temperatures are already on the rise, we have not yet experienced the worst effects of the greenhouse problem because of the ocean's immense capacity to absorb heat. As the oceans become warmer through absorption of the excessive heat burden, the ocean will expand causing sea levels to rise. Sea levels have already risen ten centimetres and it has been calculated that in forty years levels will rise by at least another metre. Some scientists have even estimated that sea levels could rise by an much as five metres, putting the British Houses of Parliament and most major cities of the world (together with substantial portions of the world's continents) underwater. Although some see the later estimation as an exaggeration, recent data retrieved from satellites has revealed that global warming is occurring at a much faster rate than was first thought with the ocean's temperature having risen over a period of just one year by ·4° Celsius. As the oceans swell and the high-tide level continues to rise, beaches will be eroded and those who have built houses close to the shoreline will be seriously affected. More significantly, low lying islands will disappear and their inhabitants will have to be relocated, and with agricultural, industrial and residential development barring the way for landward migration of shoreline ecosystems, much of the tidal wetlands will be lost. Without salt water marshes and mangrove swamps important fish spawning grounds will disappear, and with the disappearance of these valuable regions, crabs, water birds, fish and a host of other precious organisms which depend on these areas for their survival will perish. In addition to these severe problems associated with the greenhouse effect, scientists have also predicted that the escalation in global temperatures will mean an increase in the frequency and severity of such problems as droughts, storms, typhoons, cyclones and floods. (We have already seen many examples of this including Hurricane Katrina in the US and Australia’s persistent drought). The adverse conditions which result from our disturbance of the natural balance of Gaia's life-support mechanisms point to the necessity of an immediate, world-wide commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and reveals how important it is, that each and every one of us adopt a lifestyle which is in harmony with the ecological balance of planet Earth.
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“An Inconvenient Truth” A film on global warming, featuring former US Vice President Al Gore, that tells it like it is. This film is essential viewing. If you have not seen it, get it out on DVD NOW!
(This film is now compulsory viewing in all British schools. Maybe each country, school, organization and office should follow this example! )
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What YOU can do to help slow GLOBAL WARMING
1. Reduce your energy usage. (This is also great if you want to save money!) * Replace your regular light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. These bulbs may cost more than regular ones but last many times longer, and since their wattage is significantly lower, contribute much less to the cost of your regular electricity bill. And contribute much less to our planet’s power bill (ie global warming!). * Don’t leave appliances on standby. Switch appliances off at the wall when not in use, and unplug chargers for mobiles, iPod, laptops and PDA’s - these chargers drain electricity while they are plugged in, even when they are not switched on. * When replacing electrical appliances, choose energy efficient models. * Use air-conditioners and heaters sparingly. If it is cold, try putting on an extra layer of clothes. In hotter climates, consider purchasing home cooling systems that rely on drawing cool air in through the windows and out through vents in the ceiling or roof. Also plant native trees which can shade your house during the hottest hours of the day. Window tinting can also very effective in reducing the amount of heat entering your house or office. * Use a clothes line, rather than a clothes dryer, to dry your clothes. * Reuse and recycle. Purchase recycled products such as paper towels, tissues and toilet paper. (Unfortunately I have found these recycled products extremely hard to come by in local shopping centres. We might need to inform managers and owners of various supermarkets that we want these types of products before they will stock them?) * Bring your own bags to the grocery store instead of relying on plastic bags. According to US figures—one hundred billion petroleum-based plastic bags are made each year and only 1 percent are recycled. Paper bags take use four times the energy to make and only 20 percent are recycled. * Remove your name from the list of as many mail-order catalogues as possible. “These companies send out 17 billion a year, and almost none use post-consumer, recycled paper.” * Whenever possible, wash clothes in cold, rather than hot water, and wash dishes by hand. Use roll-ons, trigger and pump packs rather than spray cans. The propellant in spray cans contribute to global warming.
2. Reduce car emissions * Walk or bike it, instead of drive * Take public transport rather than drive * Carpool * When replacing your car, opt for a more fuel efficient model. * Have your car converted to use non-greenhouse gas producing fuel. However beware - some governments are impounding cars running on vegetable oil because those governments don’t want to miss out on their lucrative fuel levy (Stuff global warming—we want our money!! ) *Or buy a car that relies on energy that produces, little or no greenhouse gases. They DO exist. * When replacing your hot water system, choose a solar system. * Homeowners have the option of converting their house, relying solely on renewable energy technologies then connecting to the power grid—no more power bills, and you can even make money from the energy you do not use by selling it back to the power companies. * Some governments and power companies give you the option of purchasing energy from renewable sources. For example in Queensland, Australia, Energex, has a renewable energy scheme - “Earth’s Choice”. It does cost a little more, but what price is our planet worth?!
3. Employ an ally in our battle against global warming—TREES * Protect remaining rainforests especially in the Amazon, Indonesia and Tasmania. * Plant native trees wherever you can (legally). * Support reforestation programs
4. Educate * Join the Virtual March * Watch “An Inconvenient Truth” * Set up a screening of “An Inconvenient Truth” for students, employees, friends and family, or buy this DVD and give it as a gift. * Inform others and get them involved. By encouraging just one other person to change a single aspect of their lifestyle, to help slow global warming, you are making a real difference— and chances are, that person will let others know, and there you have it - a positive “butterfly effect”. * Inform your government representatives, organizations, and opposition parties of your concerns regarding global warming. Possible topics to include in your email, phone call or letter - 1) the need for immediate constructive action to deal with global warming 2) sign the Kyoto Protocol 3) further develop and employ renewable energy resources - solar, geothermal, wind and wave technologies - not nuclear. (For while there is NO safe way of disposing of this highly hazardous waste generated by the nuclear industry, it is NOT an option. Burying nuclear waste has proven to be highly unsuccessful e.g. in Yucca Mountain, US, and plans to eventually shoot this dangerous waste into space is totally insane—does humankind want to pollute space since we are running out of places on earth to destroy?). 4) encourage the development and use of vehicles that rely on non-greenhouse gas producing fuels and energy sources. 5) improve public transport - making it cheaper or free, and more accessible to a greater proportion of the population. 6) as an enrolled voter, you are prepared to support your concerns with a vote - for or against.
5. Cut down other greenhouse gases * Methane is another gas which contributes to global warming. By reducing, or cutting out, your reliance on animal-derived products, you can help to slow global warming.
“Large scale animal production results in the extensive clearing of forests, loss of habitat and food resources for native species, land degradation, and the expulsion of huge quantities of methane - a significant contributor to global warming.”
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Excerpts from The Source of Life” 1992
For every tonne of coal used, three tonnes of carbon dioxide is discharged into the atmosphere; coal produces thirty percent more carbon dioxide than oil and twice as much as natural gas.
Forty-nine percent of greenhouse gases released into our planet’s atmosphere are the result of burning fossil fuels to meet our energy demands, therefore it is important that we all cut our energy consumption.
A person from a developed nation consumes about 80 times as much energy as an individual in a developing country (Source:Australian Council for Overseas Aid).
`Australia's population of 16 million people has the same impact on world resources and energy as 1280 million Africans.' (Source:`One World or...None')
On a world-wide scale we need to plant an area approximately the size of Australia to absorb the carbon dioxide currently being discharged into our atmosphere each year. (1992 figures)
One wind turbine, placed in a suitable area, produces enough electricity to meet the energy requirements of forty to fifty homes. Since 1987, a `wind farm' erected near Tehachapi by the Southern California Edison Company has been supplying power to the whole of Antelope Valley including the towns of Lancaster, Tehachapi, Palmdale and Mojave, with the surplus being channelled to Los Angeles. The use of highly visible, brightly coloured blades has solved the problem of birds being killed through flying into wind turbines.
Scientists estimate that in two and a half hours the Earth's surface receives enough energy from the sun to meet the Earth's power needs for a whole year, and with the recent development of a solar collector which can deliver energy at a fraction of the cost of diesel-generated power, the way has been laid open for solar energy to become the front runner in the energy stakes. (Unless, of course, NASA has their way and blots out the sun in their unusual bid to stop global warming! Check out the news article link above to find out about NASA’s “mad scientist” approach to global warming.) |
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