Utility companies complain when people put a strain on the services that they provide, yet they don't do anything because they want to make money. If they would promote ways for people to be independent of these eco-killers we could make a real impact on environmental recovery. Personally I have a home made water storage system that affords me liberal water usage during drought times. Most importantly is the 12 volt system that I have been building on for quite some time. Small solar panels, deep cycle batteries, power inverters and 12 volt accessories make for a decreased dependency on public utility. The lower utility bills allow me to spend money on other items. I love it when the neighbors come over knocking during a power outage to ask if our power went out because they see all the lights and hear the music or television. The newer LED lighting systems allow for battery longevity and as long as the sun shines we're good to go. On the roof I have a solar powered attic fan that sucks out the heat during the hot summer and has cut the bill down by over 30% which is a lot during the summer months. I try to bicycle around whenever possible and I'm looking into getting a golf cart for local transport. When I see old ladies going to the market in those old 70's model gas guzzlers I realize that there is a real problem with the general populace not realizing that each individual effort can make a huge difference. It is not going to be easy for the whole world to make the "Green" transition and of course there are always going to be those that really don't care about it, or worse, those that may intentionally seek to destroy the environment. What was Saddam thinking when he dumped approximately 300 gallons of oil, 25 times that of the Exxon Valdez, into the Persian Gulf? Plus the lakes of oil dumped in the desert of Kuwait. So point being that other such maniacs may indeed sabotage our world for the sake of their own warped and depraved ego.
On Jan 18, 3:33 pm, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > The Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Forest Service, Department > of Energy, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and > National Science Foundation contributed to a recent report indicating > that small climate change moves may well have devastating impacts. > To view the full report, Synthesis and Assessment Product 4.2: > Thresholds of Climate Change in Ecosystems, visithttp://climatescience.gov. > > The main finding of this report is that once a threshold is passed the > system may go beyond recovery. It seems possible to argue against > global warming, but it really is not. Yet I still feel the real case > has not be made properly, in a really understandable manner. > > On 18 Jan, 21:15, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > > > We have given up our coal powered Aga in the kitchen Orn. Used to > > see that as rather "green", but we could leave three patio heaters > > pointed at the sun on 365/24/7 and cause less carbon loading! We > > still have a PM talking up a doubling in the global economy as a good > > thing. It is almost impossible to be enthusiastic as a UKdian these > > days. Time for a whole new economy - maybe "god" dropped a big hint > > in collapsing the banks? I really do think something like this kind > > of catastrophe is coming - in any case more local, greener economies > > would do us all good, except a few super rich. > > On 18 Jan, 19:31, ornamentalmind <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > guardian.co.uk > > > > President 'has four years to save Earth' > > > > US must take the lead to avert eco-disaster > > > Robin McKie in New York The Observer, Sunday 18 January 2009 > > > > Barack Obama has only four years to save the world. That is the stark > > > assessment of Nasa scientist and leading climate expert Jim Hansen > > > who > > > last week warned only urgent action by the new president could halt > > > the devastating climate change that now threatens Earth. Crucially, > > > that action will have to be taken within Obama's first > > > administration, > > > he added. > > > > Soaring carbon emissions are already causing ice-cap melting and > > > threaten to trigger global flooding, widespread species loss and > > > major > > > disruptions of weather patterns in the near future. "We cannot afford > > > to put off change any longer," said Hansen. "We have to get on a new > > > path within this new administration. We have only four years left for > > > Obama to set an example to the rest of the world. America must take > > > the lead." > > > > Hansen said current carbon levels in the atmosphere were already too > > > high to prevent runaway greenhouse warming. Yet the levels are still > > > rising despite all the efforts of politicians and scientists. > > > > Only the US now had the political muscle to lead the world and halt > > > the rise, Hansen said. Having refused to recognise that global > > > warming > > > posed any risk at all over the past eight years, the US now had to > > > take a lead as the world's greatest carbon emitter and the planet's > > > largest economy. Cap-and-trade schemes, in which emission permits are > > > bought and sold, have failed, he said, and must now be replaced by a > > > carbon tax that will imposed on all producers of fossil fuels. At the > > > same time, there must be a moratorium on new power plants that burn > > > coal - the world's worst carbon emitter. > > > > Hansen - head of the Goddard Institute of Space Studies and winner of > > > the WWF's top conservation award - first warned Earth was in danger > > > from climate change in 1988 and has been the victim of several > > > unsuccessful attempts by the White House administration of George > > > Bush > > > to silence his views. > > > > Hansen's institute monitors temperature fluctuations at thousands of > > > sites round the world, data that has led him to conclude that most > > > estimates of sea level rises triggered by rising atmospheric > > > temperatures are too low and too conservative. For example, the > > > Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says a rise of between 20cm > > > and 60cm can be expected by the end of the century. > > > > However, Hansen said feedbacks in the climate system are already > > > accelerating ice melt and are threatening to lead to the collapse of > > > ice sheets. Sea-level rises will therefore be far greater - a claim > > > backed last week by a group of British, Danish and Finnish scientists > > > who said studies of past variations in climate indicate that a far > > > more likely figure for sea-level rise will be about 1.4 metres, > > > enough > > > to cause devastating flooding of many of the world's major cities and > > > of low-lying areas of Holland, Bangladesh and other nations. > > > > As a result of his fears about sea-level rise, Hansen said he had > > > pressed both Britain's Royal Society and the US National Academy of > > > Sciences to carry out an urgent investigation of the state of the > > > planet's ice-caps. However, nothing had come of his proposals. The > > > first task of Obama's new climate office should therefore be to order > > > such a probe "as a matter of urgency", Hansen added. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Minds-Eye?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
