Earth Society's "I Will If You Will" Challenge

This year, Earth Society decided to participate in WWF Earth Hour’s “I Will IF You WILL” Challenge (IWIYW) to encourage everyone to adopt sustainable actions beyond the hour.

[ More info on IWIYW Challenge: http://earthhour.wwf.sg/iwiyw.php ]

This is our “I Will IF You WILL” Challenge:

“Earth Society will commit to conduct 50 FREE Environment talks for schools

and NGOs IF 800 people will commit to support Veggie Thursday or Go

meatless one day a week.”

To View our IWIYW Challenge, pls visit:

http://www.youtube.com/earthhour?x=%2Fchallenges%2F5958

[ Pls close the pop-up window to view the Challenge.

  Pls consider if you would support Veggie Thursday or go Meatless one day a week to support  the cause.

To accept the Challenge, pls click the “Accept this Challenge” Button.

You would need to sign in with your gmail / youtube account to accept

the Challenge.  :>]

For more info on Veggie Thursdays, please visit : www.veggiethursday.sg

Let’s work together to create a sustainable future for everyone.

Update on Climate change by Mr Al Gore (2011-2012)

Share some updates on Climate change by Mr Al Gore:

1.Highlight: Al Gore at 24hrs of Reality (2011) [10 mins]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SY2sBLKU2x8

In this video, Al Gore explained the "New normal" of “Long periods of Droughts followed by short period of heavy rains”. He also refuted the climate deniers point-by-point.

2. Al Gore's has another updated video in 2012: (44 mins)

http://climaterealityproject.org/video/

[Pls scroll down to watch "Hour 24: New York finale with Al Gore (2012)" Video.

It is up-to-date and expresses the urgency of the situation acutely.]

The following is a summary of the 2012 video:

Record heat events

The world experienced the hottest month in Sep 2012. ( Similar to the hottest month in 2005).

In 2012, NASA director Dr James Hansen and 2 of his colleagues present a powerful statistical evidence of how the Earth is warming up.

Dr James Hansen did a statistical study of the temperature of Earth from 1950 till 2011. He broke up Earth to ‘150 mile sq blocks’ and collected what the temperature has been every where on Earth in every block.

The study shows that:

From 1951 till 1980:

1/3 of the days are cooler than normal, 1/3 of the days are normal, &1/3 hotter than normal.

i.e. 1 day with normal temperature, 1 to 2 days cooler, 1 to 2 days hotter.

In 1980s, everything started to shift. (more hotter days)

From 2001 till 2011, the temp shifted a lot.

Now we have:

1 day with normal temp, 1 day cooler than normal, 4 to 5 days hotter than normal.

(With 1 to 2 days as extremely hot days).

Dr James Hansen also observed that from 1950s to 1980s, Extreme heat events happen on 0.1% of Earth’s surface,  

Now (In 2012) it happens on 10% of Earth’s surface. (That is a 100 times increase.)

…..

US, heat records shows that:

In 1950 – 1999:   1 hot day to 1 cold day,

In 2001 to 2011:  2 hot days to 1 cold day.

In 2012:              10 hot days to 1 cold day !!!

Jul 2012 is the hottest month in US in recorded history.

………

Arctic / Greenland ice melts/ Sea level rise

Arctic ice covers hit the lowest record this year. ( Arctic ice surface area reached a 3.5 million sq km record low in 2012. Arctic ice used to be 8.5 million sq km in the 1980s)

Greenland & Antarctica ice melts affects sea level.

Cities at risk of the sea level rise.

Top 10 cities in danger of sea level rise: (By Population)

Calcutta, Mumbal, Dhaka (Banglah Desh), Ho Chi Minh City, Shang Hai, Bangkok,

Rangoon, Miami, Hai Phong

Top 10 cities in danger of sea level rise: (By Assets at risk: trillions of $US)

Miami, Guangzhou, NY/ New Jersey, Calcutta, Shanghai, Mumbai, Tianjin Tokyo, Hong Kong, Bangkok

…….

Increased ocean temp/ increased water vapor in the air.

For Hurricane Sandy: When Hurricane Sandy turn towards NY, ocean temp is a 5 Deg C (9 Deg F) higher than normal. (Sea Surface temp: SST)

The air now holds more water vapour.

With each additional 1 deg increase in temp, the atmosphere’s capacity to hold water vapor increases by 7%.

Now, there are already 4% more water vapor over the oceans than there was only 30 years ago.

……..

Disasters in 2012

In 2012: 65% of US land has suffered from drought.

Droughts in 2012: Spain/ India/ N & South Korea/ Africa (Senegal)

Floods in 2012:  Pakistan / Beijing Jul./ India/ Taiwan/ N. Korea/ Russia (Jul)

Record drought/ record floods in the same country.

……..

Food Availability

Mr Al Gore shows a Food Surpluses and Deficits graph (1965 – 2010)

Food surpluses are found in North America & South America & Aus.

Occasionally, in E Eu & Russia.

Every where else (Europe/ Central Am/ Western Eu/ Asia/ Middle East & Africa) are all in food deficit.

Crops are sensitive to heat conditions.  By end of century, yield of corn can fall 1/3 just from heat stress alone.

…..

Water Availability

Global Water supply: 11% for domestic use, 19% Industrial use, 70% is for agriculture.

We are drawing water from aquifers at an unsustainable rate.

……..

Tropical disease are spreading with climate change. (e.g West Nile virus, Dengue fever are spreading)

……….

Increase in Clean energy policies

We are putting 90 million tons of global warming pollutants out in the air every 24 hrs.

We currently rely on carbon-based fuels for 85% of energy that we used.

In 2010, Renewable energy Investments exceeded those in Fossil Fuels for the first time

(Fossil Fuels: $157 Billion: Renewables: $187 Billion)

We now have a new wind turbine every 30 mins.

……

We have to act now to protect the planet and future generations.

UNEP 2011 Report “Integrated Assessment of Black Carbon and Tropospheric Ozone"

In Feb 2011, UNEP (UN Environment Program) published a report “Integrated Assessment of Black Carbon and Tropospheric Ozone"

The report shows that:

The projected rise in global temperatures could be cut in half in coming years if world governments focused on reducing emissions of two harmful pollutants - Black Carbon and ground-level ozone, including Methane - rather than carbon dioxide alone.
The study further shows that a fairly aggressive strategy to reduce carbon dioxide emissions under current reduction scenarios "does little to mitigate warming over the next 20 to 30 years". With carbon dioxide reductions alone, global temperatures are still projected to rise by more than 2 degrees Celsius by 2050 over pre-industrial levels.
But reducing black carbon and ground-level ozone reductions would delay the warming for another 20 years, until 2070, according to the study.

The following are additional info on the report:

Washinton Post : "Global warming rate could be halved by controlling 2 pollutants, UN study says"

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/23/AR2011022306885.html

NASA: "Cleaning the air would limit short-term climate warming"

http://climate.nasa.gov/news/index.cfm?FuseAction=ShowNews&NewsID=482&Print=Yes

Summary of the Articles:

1. Limiting Methane & Black Carbon could reduce ½ the warming that we will otherwise face over the next 40 yrs.   [Reduce 0.5 Deg C of warming]

2. Adopting 16 control measures to reduce Black Carbon, Ground level Ozone and Methane would save 2 million lives a yr and save 50 million tons of crops a year.

16 control measures include:

For black carbon, for example, we looked at the impact that replacing traditional cook stoves with cleaner-burning options, putting particle filters on vehicles, or banning the burning of agricultural waste might have. For ozone, we looked at measures like fixing leaky gas pipes, limiting methane emissions from mines, upgrading wastewater treatment systems, and aerating rice paddies.

3. Limiting Black Carbon, Ground level Ozone and Methane could reduce 2/3 of the warming in the Arctic over the next 50 years.

Adopting the 16 control measures could mitigate about two-thirds of the warming we'll likely otherwise see in the Arctic over the next half-century.

4. Reducing black carbon and ground-level ozone reductions would delay the warming for another 20 years

………..

The Full Report [37 pages] can be found in the following link:

UNEP Feb 2011 Report “Integrated Assessment of Black Carbon and Tropospheric Ozone”

http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/Integrated%20Assessment%20of%20Black%20Carbon%20low%20res.pdf

…..

Mr Bill Clinton, former US President, spoke about the report in Apr 2011.

He informs that Methane (from Animal Waste and Urban Garbage dumps) takes 12 years to disperse in the atmosphere while CO2 can take 100 years. He mention about the UN Feb 2011 report and informs that making an aggressive effort to reduce Methane & Black Carbon in the atmosphere would buy the world another 20 years to deal with the CO2 issue.

Mr Bill Clinton on Climate change and Methane (4 mins)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kw8DNf0W27k&list=UUflkkiqtC9JHvnqcXNWFrRA

…..

During Dec 2011 UN Climate Change conference in Durban, Mrs Maneka Gandhi, long time environmental advocate and member of the Indian parliament, also speaks about the importance of reducing Methane to reduce Global Warming:

http://www.examiner.com/article/gandhi-declares-un-cop17-climate-talks-missed-solution-to-global-warming

Maneka Gandhi declares COP17 must deal with Methane: (video) 7 mins

http://www.examiner.com/video/press-conference-with-madame-maneka-gandhi

………..

  

The following is a compiled documentary showing the relation between Animal agriculture and Methane: (5 mins)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcjyn2GFJxk

Animal agriculture causes 36% of Global Methane emissions.

Burning forest caused 40% of black carbon emissions.

Thus, to reduce Methane and Black Carbon, we need to reduce animal industry and reduce the burning of forest.

We can help by reducing meat consumption (to reduce animal industry) and supporting measures that protect the forest. (reduce the burning of forest, plant trees etc)

One way to start is by adopting meatless days to help the planet:
www.veggiethursday.sg
http://www.meatfreemondays.co.uk/

Let’s do all we can to help the planet.

Mr Bill Clinton on reducing Methane to curb climate change

In Apr 2011, former US president Mr Bill Clinton speaks about the effects of Climate change on water and food resources. He also speaks about the advantage of reducing short-term green house gas such as Methane & Black carbon (as compared to reducing Carbon dioxide) in the atmosphere.

He cited a UN Feb 2011 report ('Integrated Assessment of Black Carbon and Tropospheric Ozone') which informs that making an aggressive effort to reduce Methane & Black Carbon in the atmosphere would buy the world another 20 years to deal with the CO2 issue.

Animal agriculture causes 36% of Global Methane emissions.
Burning forest caused 40% of black carbon emissions.

Thus, to reduce Methane and Black Carbon, we need to reduce animal industry and reduce the burning of forest
......

For more info, pls read the following News Article : "Global warming rate could be halved by controlling 2 pollutants, UN study says"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/global-warming-can-be-halved-study-finds/2011/02/23/ABw6CkI_story.html"

Cleaning the air would limit short-term climate warming"
http://climate.nasa.gov/news/index.cfm?FuseAction=ShowNews&NewsID=482&Print=Yes

Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project. [Must-watch]

Al Gore’s group launch the “24 Hours of Reality” Project on Sep 14.
24 presenters in 24 time Zones presented on how climate affected their country.It is broadcasted live online from September 14 to 15, over 24 hours, representing 24 time zones and 13 languages.
.……

Though the event is over, the videos are placed in the Climate Reality Website:
http://climaterealityproject.org/

The following is a list of cities that presented:
Hour 1 : Mexico; Hour 2: Boulder; Hour 3: Victoria4: Kotzebue; 5: French Polynesia 6: Hawaii 7: Toga; 8: Auckland; 9: Solomon Island; 10: Canberra11: Seoul ; 12: BeiJing; 13: Jakarta; 14: New Delhi; 15: Islamabad;16: Dubai; 17: Istanbul; 18: Durban; 19:London; 20:Husavik;21: Cape Verde; 22: Ililissat; 23: Rio De Janeiro; 24: New York

There are lots of videos to watch.
However, Al Gore gives a really nice 1 hour summary during the last hour.
Just watch the 1st video, "Hour 24 : New York" to get the whole picture.
[ In the video, Al Gore speaks of the science behind the climate "new normal"
(long periods of drought followed by short periods of heavy rainfall),
gives an update of the disasters happening around the world and gives a point-to-point rebuttal of the climate deniers. ]

Happy Watching & pass it on.

Be Veg, Go Green to Save the Planet.

Share research website on Global Warming

Hi friends,

Share a Global Warming website with lots of interviews with leading climate scientists:
http://www.suprememastertv.com/sos-global-warming/scientists-on-climate-change.html

The website contains interviews with NASA Scientists, UN IPCC panel scientists and university professors on the issue of climate change. Solutions that are recommended includes organic farming, reafforestation, green energy and a shift to a more environmentally friendly plant- based diet.

Happy researching

National Geographic "Effects of Global temperature rise"

Hi friends,

I came across this series of "Effects of Global Temperature increase - degree by degree "
produced by National Geographic.

Tried to link them in my blog but could only linked the 4/5/6 degrees warmer.

Place the youtube link of 2/3 degrees warmer in this post so that anyone who is
interested could click on the link and watch from youtube.

Attached the 4/5/6 degrees warmer youtube links too :)

National geographic : 2 Degrees Warmer: Ocean life in danger.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-0_gDXqYeQ&NR=1

National geographic : 3 Degrees Warmer: Heat Wave Fatalities: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rdLu7wiZOE&NR=1

National geographic : 4 Degrees Warmer: Great cities washed away:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skFrR3g4BRQ&NR=1

National geographic : 5 Degrees Warmer: Civilization collapse
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nRf2RTqANg&feature=related

National geographic : 6 degrees Warmer: Mass Extinction?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8qmaAMK4cM&feature=related

National Geographics are producing such good films.

They should broadcast it in the media so that the public would understand the urgency
of this issue. : (