Climate change: In northern Greenland, temperatures have doubled in just a few years. The ice on Greenland is melting with record speed. That is just the first signs of the reality we are facing.
Meanwhile, the fossil fuel industry continues drilling for gas, oil and digging for coal as if nothing was wrong.
Climate activists say the executives in the fossil fuel industry are committing crimes against humanity. Well, if it is a crime to dig and drill for fossil fuels, then many of us are part of that criminal act – as long as we keep allowing our pension funds to establish the financial basis for that drilling and digging they do. And as long as we do nothing to improve our carbon footprint.
We keep flooding more than 31,000,000,000,000 tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere every year, thinking: “This is not something I can change.”
But that is so wrong. You and I, we can all do so many things.
The first step is to begin to talk about this.
Talk with your friends, family, neighbours.
Talk about what? Talk about the facts. Scientists have calculated that all it will take to save the planet from the catastrophe we are heading towards, is around one percent of global Gross National Product. And if we all were prepared to invest just one percent of our income and time, then we could fix this problem overnight. (More about that one percent and the research behind it here).
So, seriously… What is holding us back?
Should we do something? Should we begin to act?
Yes, we should.
We owe it not only to the dying polar bears, and dying species, coral reefs, and plants around the world, but to our own children. And to the future generations.
We can change.
It is not as hard as it seems.
In Australia, activists are starting a hunger strike to make the world aware of a new giant coal mining project which is about to be approved.
We don’t all have to go as far as to go on a hunger strike for the climate. All you need to do is to invest that one percent of your time and money into becoming a part of the solution instead of being a part of the problem.
» Here is a simple pledge test to see whether you are ready to change: Will you join these people who have clicked ‘LIKE’ on www.facebook.com/climatesafety?
“There has been a 100-fold increase in the number of extreme, high-temperature events around the world in the distribution curve. And people have noticed for themselves — the rain storms are bigger, the droughts are deeper and the fires are more destructive.
All of these things have not escaped notice and people are connecting the dots. The cumulative amount of energy trapped by manmade global warming pollution each day in the earth’s atmosphere is now equal to the energy that would be released by 400,000 Hiroshima bombs going off every 24 hours. It’s a big planet, but that’s a lot of energy.
The consequences are now hard to escape. Every night on the news, it’s like a nature hike through the book of revelations. Eleven states today are fighting 35 major fires! People are noticing this. And simultaneously they’re noticing the sharp drop in the cost of carbon-free, greenhouse gas-free energy, and the combination is pushing us over this political tipping point and the trend is unstoppable.”
Al Gore, 21 August 2013 in Washington Post
The good news
Nowadays, it is possible to fly 26 hours in an airplane powered by the sun, and it is possible to buy carbon-neutral olive oil.
Here are just a few examples of the kind of good news that has cropped up on the climate change radar recently:
Germany just broke its monthly solar generation record
by clocking over 5.1 terawatt hours (TWh) in July, according to data from the EEX Transparency Platform. The accomplishment proves once again that a lack of sunshine is no obstacle to scaling up solar energy – and if the Teutons can produce record amounts of solar power under grey skies, then the potential for countries with sunnier weather and more land mass (like the United States) is limitless.
» Source: inhabitat.com
“A 90 percent renewables target would cost no more to consumers. The Australian Energy Market Operator’s 100% renewables scenario estimates wholesale cost of electricity from a system based largely around wind, solar, geothermal and biomass would cost around $110/MWh.”
RenewEconomy – 21 August 2013:
Renewables future no more costly than fossil fuels
A renewables future will be no more costly than the largely fossil fuel alternative. By Giles Parkinson
Greentech Media – 21 August 2013:
Solar ‘Is Going to Overtake Everything’
One of the country’s top regulators explains why he is so bullish on solar. By Herman K. Trabish
The Conversation – 21 August 2013:
The north’s future is electrifying: powering Asia with renewables
Big dreams for the development of northern Australia are back in fashion
“We still have a long road ahead of us to solve climate change once and for all. But together we’re making real progress, and the tide is starting to turn in our favour, both culturally and politically. And that’s reason to be hopeful.”
Al Gore, 21 August 2013 in Washington Post
Washington Post – 21 August 2013
Al Gore explains why he’s optimistic about stopping global warming
By Ezra Klein, editor of Wonkblog and a columnist at the Washington Post
“We need to aim higher”
Glimpses from a 1,500 person youth convergence in Melbourne in July: ‘Power Shift 2013’ — the largest climate summit in Australia’s history.
Encouraging to see: Young people are standing up for their future, saying “Coal based power must be phased out. We want 100% renewables, and we are ready to fight for it.”
“Turn to the persons next to you — they are going to be the ones who will fight this fight along side you. Aim higher on climate.”
Now, if you also think it is time to demand that your local governments or city council starts investing wholeheartedly in your future — and in the planet’s future — by ensuring that the last reserves of oil, gas and coal will stay in the ground, instead of using toxic chemicals to squeeze the last bits out with nasty ‘fracking’ methods — and if you live in Geelong Region, then go here to send them your personal comment: change.org — and if you live anywhere else, then start your own petition similar to this one, and get going with talking to the people next to you about it.
More of the good news