Global Climate Change:
A Planetary Emergency
"Extinction is the rule. Survival is the exception." -Carl Sagan
Global Climate Change is undountedly the #1 international security threat to Mankind at the beginning of the 21st century.
In all truthfullness, it is a "planetary emergency" of incredible magnitude and scope that not only threatens the survival of human civilization, but, in fact, all sentient life on Earth.
International scientific consensus has concluded that greenhouse gases are the primarly cause of Global Climate Change, otherwise known as 'Global Warming'.
According to the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) rose to roughly 380ppm- {parts per million}- in 2007, compared to pre-industrial levels of 280ppm back in the early 1700's.
Human activity, through the burning and combustion of fossil fuels {oil, natural gas and coal etc}, is the primary cause of this dramatic increase. The hydrocarbon economy is projected to elevate CO2 emissions to between a range of 540-970ppm by the end of the 21st century, in turn, leading to an average global surface temperature rise of between 1.1- 6.4 degrees Celsius (2.0- 11.5 degrees Farenheit). It is known that CO2 levels are substantially higher now than at any time in the last 750,000 years.
Increases in global temperatures are expected to cause massive melting of the polar ice caps, particularily the North Pole and in areas of Greenland, leading to an intensity of extreme weather events on the planet, including significant changes in the amount and pattern of precipitation. Other expected effects include an increase in planetary desertification, changes in agricultural yields, massive glacier melts, species extinction and a proliferation of new insect disease vectors worldwide.
The biggest factor of present concern is the increase in CO2 levels brought on by emissions of fossil fuel combustion. Other factors that have led to an increase in global greenhouse gases include; changing land use patterns, ozone level variations, methane and aerosol releases, animal agriculture and, specifically, deforestation. However, fossil fuel burning has produced approximately 3/4ths of the increase in global CO2 levels from human activity these past 50 years.
On a planetary scale, every one degree increase at the equator brought on by Global Warming translates into a 10 degree increase in temperature at the poles. This leads to progressively warmer heat ranges towards both the northern and southern polar regions, as well as to higher elevations on the continents.
The current so-called "bark beetle" infestation of whole swaths of forest land, particularily in the northern hemisphere, is a direct result of warming temperatures throughout the world brought on for the most part by the burning of fossil fuels -gas guzzling SUV's, airline flights, industrial emissions etc.
Another critical aspect of Global Climate Change concerns the rapidly melting glacial ice coming from Greenland, which will, in turn, affect the thermohaline current of the Gulf Stream responsible for bringing warmer water and temperatures to Europe (particularily the United Kingdom) and the East Coast of the USA.
Such a disruption will most likely plunge these areas of the world into a climate comparable to frozen Siberia in the winter, once this heat belt begins to shut down due to a dissolution of the alkalinity and temperature variations of the ocean water environment, which currently drives the current northward from the equator.
Global Warming will also reduce the albedo effect of the planet, due to decreased snow and ice cover from annual melts at the polar regions, in particular, revealing dark ground and ice/water underneath, resulting in even more absorption of solar radiation. This causes more warming, faster melting and the cycle feeds upon itself ad infinitum...
Global Climate Change represents a supreme planetary "crisis" for the human enterprise on Earth. At the same time, though, it also represents a supreme "opportunity" to evolve our society into an advanced, free, non-polluting and energy abundant world.
Solar, wind and anti-gravity (energy) will replace the current antiquated hydrocarbon/fossil fuel energy economy in all realms of human endeavor. In the critical area of transportation, a radically new paradigm is emerging to help transit our civilization from off the gas and oil spiget: Decentralized solar photovoltaic panels on households are to provide energy to power an emerging fleet of electric cars now beginning to make their debut on the world scene, particularily in the city of San Francisco, California, USA- the purported new electric car capital of the world. The new Tesla Roadster prototype electric car goes from 0-60 mph in just under 4 seconds and has a range of between 200-250 miles per charge.
Anti-gravity, however, is the single free energy source that will revolutionize the entire matrix of human society once it is harnessed, and may very well propell us to the stars and beyond in the fullness of time...
Steve Jones
Global Environmentalist
California, USA
Website: http://oocities.com/oldtoby7/professional.html
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