Note: Elvidio requested me to send it to you for publishing due to his computer is out of order.
Stephen Dias 6 Nov 2019 ============================== *MIND-BOGGLING* *FACTS & FIGURES* *by Elvidio Miranda* The enormity of the consequences of using fossil fuels such as coal, calcined petroleum coke, petrol, diesel, aviation turbine fuel (ATF) and even the lesser polluting natural gas such as compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) can be gauged from the below elucidated facts and figures due to the use of fossil fuels which spew greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulpher dioxide as well as particulate matter that is causing global warming and consequent climate change which is suffocating the earth. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimated that fossil fuels were subsidized to the extent of US $ 5.2 trillion, much bigger than the entire economy of India, including the cost of pollution to your health in 2017. 110 million tonnes of polluting greenhouse gases are being spewed every day globally. A leading climate scientist estimates that extra heat energy trapped on earth due to man-made global warming is equivalent to 500,000 Hiroshima-type bombs exploding on earth every day. Due to global warming if all the glaciers in Greenland melt, the sea levels will rise by 6 meters and if all the glaciers in Antarctica melt the level of the sea world-wide will rise by 73 meters. Two-thirds of all green house gases are emitted due to generation of electricity from coal and transportation by use of fossil fuels. A few climate change sensitive countries are considering the relatively clean fossil fuel natural gas as a transition fuel which is on the way to being phased out. On the premise that climate does not need awards, but more action Swedish 16-year-old teen green activist sensation Greta Thunberg declined to accept a US $ 52,000 award. In 31 European countries, more and more passengers are now using trains instead of short haul flights so as to opt for the greener option. Specially in Sweden train passengers now account for 80 percent of train users. On Sunday, 3rd November, 2019 the United Nations General Secretary cautioned that the developing countries have to greatly rein in the use of coal as electricity generating fuel so as to contain global warming and its consequent climate change world-wide.
