Here is a newspaper article about WWF's report that humans are living beyond the our only spaceship Earth" Humans living FAR beyond planet's means (close new window to get back to this page).
Here is a summary of what the article says:
Humans are stripping nature at a rate that will need 2 planets' worth (which we don't have) of natural resources every year by 2050 at current trends.
We are currently, (my own addition) in serious ecological overshoot, consuming resources faster than the Earth can replace them.
Everyone must change lifestyles like cutting down use of fossil fuels, improving management of farming, fisheries, etc.
In 2003, humans' demand on the planet's annual ability to provide everything from food to energy and recycle all human waste was exceeded by 25%. Obviously, if that is true, it is would be even more serious by now.
United Nation projections shows a surge to 9,000,000,000 people around 2050. What will happen then, I wonder. I just married off 2 daughters, and I am not looking forward to becoming a grandfather. But what can I say to them? Don't have children? What about their needs and desire? Who will look after them in their old age if they don't have children?
humans heat-trapping emissions are blamed for global warming, the fastest growing cause of strain.
Birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals populations had fallen 30% due to factors including loss of habitats to farms, plantations, etc.
What can we do to reverse such trends? Maybe I should put this question in Yahoo Answers and see what answers we will get? In fact, I will. Even better, if you have some idea, do put them down in the comments section.
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Tuesday, October 24, 2006
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4 comments:
Ooooh. Don't get me started. I could write for hours on this one. Here is one quick tip. Get a plumber to take out your "stick shift" mixer faucets and toss them in the recycle bin. I know, it is a waste of all the energy it took to create them, but the amount of energy that they waste in hot water usage is, in my mind, appalling. And most people do not even realize they are hiking up their utility bills every time they turn on the tap with the middle position on these faucets because the water comes out cool for a long time before the hot water can get to the faucet from the tank. Switch to separate hot and cold controls, then use the hot control only if you really need to. Quick rinses from a sink that has not been used in awhile will not have hot water at the ready, but using the 'hot control' still uses hot water, even though what comes out is cold. Every time the hot water tap is turned on, water is drawn from the tank. If it was for just a quick rinse, the hot water just sits in the pipes to cool. Duh!
I am student studying Sustainable Development and Natural Resources for graduate study. I had some suggestions of a few books you might want to read (if you have not already): The Weather Makers, by Tim Flanner, Cradle to Cradle, and The Story of B, by Daniel Quinn. I agree with all that you are saying, but there is so much more to it that I wish we would share. For instance, we are overconsuming, but the estimates are theoretical. So while we are unsustainable, the true problem is that we are substaining at the expense of other species. This is not an "earth" problem. It is a human problem with consequences for all life forms. And maybe it is the next great evolutionary extinction. Did you know that some of the "Associated Press" and many politcians are trying to disprove the forecasted disasters of global warming by saying there was a warming 120 million years ago with the same levels of CO2 in the atmosphere? And they weren't human induced, so we are not a phenomenon, right? Nature will find a way? I know you know this is bull, and I completely agree. But we have to educate ourselves on WHY we are being fed bullshit. What these speculaters fail to mention is that a mass extinction came to a conclusion after this warming that killed every mammal over 75 pounds and life virtually started over. That might be a problem we want to consider for the future of humanity. The world will go one, will we?
"We have lived by the assumption that what was good for us would be good for the world. We have been wrong. We must change our lives, so that it will be possible to live by the contrary assumption that what is good for the world will be good for us. . . We must recover the sense of the majesty of the creation and the ability to be worshipful in its presence. For it is only on the condition of humility and reverence before the world that our species will be able to remain in it."
-- Wendell Berry
We operate under the assumption that the world was created for us and because of that we have the right to do whatever we want to. This dangerous assumption will ultimately lead to the collapse of human civilization unless something is done about it. What can be done? We have to take calculated steps to reduce the population. As soon as we can seriously discuss global population control, we can have a chance to reduce the ecological destruction we cause.
Thanks for the share. We are still not realizing that how we are disturbing the nature's behaviour and we are watching all of it's adverse results. Global warming causes many secondary problems like Hurricane Damage, tornado Damage, Storm Damage and many more.
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