Comments on: Two Opposing Views on Climate Action

By: stephen

stephen — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 03:34:01 +0000

Can someone tell me the percentage of green house gasses that are emitted from mankind into the atmosphere, I was told it is .03 percent. The rest is put off by natural means?

By: Adonis

Adonis — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 01:53:56 +0000

If we imagine Atlantis as well as its culture and idea it’s as if it’s the one we all dream or want to dream but we can’t because we are afraid. Afraid because it’s so beautiful and yet so fragile. We wake up, and it vanishes under the waves of our every day life. That is how I feel about our fragile and precious Planet of today. And that the more we delay to take action the more we push things in a motion that it may cannot be undone.
Since I am also a believer!…I would like to emphasize that even though Atlantis went down a part of the idea still remains in every man and every woman of today. All we have to do is dig a bit deeper insight us and we will all find that the higher sense of consciousness that the Atlantians possessed does not fit to our materialistic world of today and thats why we can not grasp it or develop it.So it’s good to know that it’s not only our fault and that there is HOPE.Hope that people are looking into new Universal values again. Values that will be chosen wisely to serve as the beacons of hope, valour and honour for all life and all generations to come.
Many people in the world share that view today but just don’t know what to do about it.
Our old ancestors or demigods eventually went down because they eventually in a much longer period than what we count our Civilization they kept power in alliance with love and wisdom and that helped keep the balance of the elements in harmony. A wisdom we haven’t had the chance to even comprehend. Unfortunately at some point they misused the power and that’s why they were punished to sink under the sea. Whatever the case we found them flowing in our imagination for quite some time now, and many of us feel like they hung in there all this time to help us to make the right choices when the time comes.
We should be great full or even privileged to think that this time is now.
We took the wrong path as our materialistic world has shaded all of our moral and ethical cultural traits, but Greed. We have also broken the line. So what do we do if we realize that …Wait for all our governments to admit that we may have to change our Unprogressive economic and political systems whose foundations were supposed to be build to offer prosperity, harmony and justice? They do not seem to be serving us right today if we think that two billion people live in poverty today. The rest of us are exploiting the natural recourses without giving anything back to nature. Actually we are the only species on the planet that take from nature without giving back and ironically the only ones with the ability to destroy it or to save it.
How do we even dare to expect to find another planet if cannot prove worthy and cabable to maintain our majestic Earth.

The Green house effect, Global warming are among many others, signs that we are definitely doing something wrang.Even though I still feel that a higher sense of consciousness is slowly arising insight us again. Some politicians are also feeling it today, that Greed is far less noble as an idea which we drive our life path upon….NEW UNIVERSAL VALUES are on the horizon all they are doing is waiting for the right opportunity to SPRING. Respect Water as it’s the most vital element for all life. Respect Nature by implementing any laws to stop polluting the planet's oceans and lands, Stop exploiting the animal kingdom in such an unfair and un- noble game ,Respect all natural life and let all countries to contribute willingly and vastly in reforestation and the well being of our oceans and ecosystems .Choose wisely the energy that will help both our environment but also to develop our new economies efficiently and rebuild our Economic and Political systems with a fairer and higher scope in mind. In doing so maybe we will proove to our Gods that we are worthy of creation, to Nature we respect it but also worthy of it,and to the Universe that we are a successful life form. Natural and Universal intelligence may reward us once more for becoming a better species. It may open for us the doors of a higher sense of consciousness and a higher sense of things.

By: Phil

Phil — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 22:21:05 +0000

Economic collapse may lead a reduction in the rate of increase in man made CO2, so a minor 'benefit' to the evironment may occur. However due to recession and hardship even in the West, it may be increasingly difficult to encourage a more environmentaly friendly energy production policy as this does cost more money compared to burning fossil fuels. This debate is therefore far from over. Also it is hard to understand how we can avoid the really, really big issue, the human population explosion – an extra 1/4 of a million of us every day.

I'm afraid if we don't address this then everything else will be futile, and climate change will start to gather pace.

I offer this unpopular opinion to the records. The future will unfold to reveal whether my pessimis, or the above optimism will prevail.

By: Heather Shelby

Heather Shelby — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 20:04:34 +0000

The Quadfather and madmatt of Aussie,

First, Quadfather, we haven't deleted your posts unless they were repeats. I have actually written back to your posts several times.

Secondly, I just wanted to post this pdf document (http://www.edf.org/documents/5279_GlobalwarmingAttributuion.pdf) which counters many of the common arguments against anthropological global warming.

Thanks for posting,

Heather Shelby
Online Membership Associate
Environmental Defense Fund

By: Heather Shelby

Heather Shelby — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 19:53:49 +0000

John Seymoure,

Thanks for sharing your point of view. At EDF, we do agree that international cooperation is key, which is why we had staffers at the recent international climate talks in Poznan, Poland.

However, if you look at this list of countries by carbon dioxide emissions (http://tinyurl.com/yxawra) you will see that the United States is still the top producer of this greenhouse gas. We need to set the standard and reduce our emissions immediately. After all, as the pollution from China has an impact over here, our pollution has an impact over there as well.

Ultimately, international cooperation is key to stopping climate change – but the change needs to start at home.

Heather Shelby
Online Membership Associate
Environmental Defense Fund

By: Marlys

Marlys — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 18:27:25 +0000

I think that the message is clear if we think about it that our economics and our climate are both in such a mess and out of balance at the same time. Any conscious, thinking human being has to consider the possibility that the two are linked, and also that solving the climate crisis will also solve our economic crisis. Everything on this planet is interrelated, to my view, and we cannot separate things from one another without furthering our state of imbalance, and balance in the way we live and work on the planet is the only way we can all live in harmony on this beautiful planet and survive well.

By: rfkmjk

rfkmjk — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 03:07:24 +0000

Zen,
You write like an intellectual person with great ideals. I applaud you for that. The reality is that Brazil is different from the U.S. as follows : Some stats: USA has a Population of approx. 320 million people with a density of 80 people per square mile – registered cars 240 million – with a ratio of 1.25 people per car. Brazil has a Population of 180 million people with a density of 53 people per square mile – registered cars 32 million – with a ratio of 5.6 people per car. You can see the demographics is much different between the two countries. Brazil has fewer cars per people and fewer people per square mile. Ethanol has less of an impact on their food prices compared to our country. If you want an alternative fuel that is environmentally clean it is hydrogen.

People of the world all have different beliefs and ideology. No one will make them as you would like ( one family ). I agree with your statement "Americans have not been engaged beyond their front." I believe that more and more people in America are unaware of important issues. This creates a vacuum for far left and far right ideologies to subvert what our Founding Fathers have established over 200 years ago.
Thank you!
Rich

By: Zen Benefiel

Zen Benefiel — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 16:05:32 +0000

Looking for solutions without the emotional trauma of pointing fingers is essential. Too often it takes us off course. There are valuable actions, considerations and potential solutions available throughout this blog. There indeed are numerous routes we can take depending on our personal/professional environmental impacts at present.

I attended a lecture recently, given by Dr. Robert Zubrin, where some shocking information (oil income/dependence) provided some real substance regarding the Saudi/Islamic dominance and why. Beyond that, though, the case for flex fuel vehicles made far more sense for transitioning from both oil and Saudi/OPEC profiteering.

For instance, Brazil was around 80% dependent on foreign oil. Over the last 15-20 years they are now 0% dependent, manufacture only flex fuel vehicles and actually export ethanol now. The US is supposed to be a technological leader, so let's get with it. We have farmland in fallow, vehicle manufacturers asking for bail out money (result of poor planning) and currently consume 45% of the oil resources with only 5% of the population. That's just wrong.

My Dad gave me some great words of wisdom years ago. If you are going to point fingers at something awry, be aware you've got three fingers pointing back at you. Be prepare with a plan (A, B & C) before you point the fingers. I know how groups can be led to better choices. I do it with road and bridge construction projects as a facilitator for partnering workshops currently.

Stepping back from the situation, asking better questions of procedures and protocols for leading change can do far more good than polarizing. We are all one family on planet earth. Whether we realize it or not, we are all in this together and it may indeed be the focal point that helps us to transcend dogmatic and superstitious religions that have separated people for far too long.

The intricacies of planning, strategic alliances and working with corporate and governmental authorities can make your head spin, but we have the capacity to choose effective leadership to create change for the better. The majority of the American public, for too long, has not been engaged beyond their front doors. It is time we started acting link a community of conscious participants.

Namaste,

Zen

By: John Seymoure

John Seymoure — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 06:15:20 +0000

If countries like Brazil, Nigeria, India, China, Iran and others all over the world would put pollution controls on Manufacturers and other polluters maybe it would reduce the costs against us in the USA who are gouged for everything in every area of production. In China alone the use of coal is so bad that in 11, yes eleven days, the pollution reaches the USA and has an everlasting affect in our country and our air and affects our health. In Greene county in central Illinois it is in a valley and if the pollution in the air is heavier than the air it will settle in the valley and affect the health of all who live there. We have had what many would call a cluster of people who have been getting cancer and I lost both of my parents to cancer and I think it is due to pollution from other countries who have no pollution control. The Chenobyll Incident as it is referred to is affecting the entire world climate because if you go back in the records of what the weather was like before that you will see that we have alot less snowfall and our winters are more like fall than winter. It started the year of the Chenobyll Incident and is still affecting our winters. If you check I guarantee you will see lots of differences since that occurred. Nuclear fallout and other pollutants are causing deaths all over the world and something needs to be done to stop it.

By: Lisa B.

Lisa B. — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 18:08:23 +0000

I would like to see a HUGE campaign of advertising and communications to raise public awareness. Not just give voice to those of us who have cared about this for almost 20 years.

It would need to be a campaign that would rival brand awareness of icons such as: Apple, GE, Verizon etc…And it would need to be branded with a consumer feel.

I would like to see each and every American take this to heart not just when they are forced to by economics. Show some pride and respect for your community, state and nation. We cannot continue to hog natural resources.