It’s About People, Too
Global warming has in some ways been mischaracterized. It’s often thought about as simply an environmental problem. This “ghettoizes” the issue. Global warming is going to affect each one of us. It’s the biggest societal issue facing our day.
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita left 1,400 dead and displaced 1 million Louisiana residents, with an estimated 200,000 permanently displaced. A study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has found that “major storms spinning in the Atlantic and Pacific since the 1970s have increased in duration and intensity by about 50%.” With global warming, more intense hurricanes are going to become the norm. And as a society we will all feel that impact.
As detailed in a recent CNN article Study: Sudden Sea Level Surges Threaten 1 Billion, up to a billion people could be threatened by sea level rise from global warming. And the Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability: Working Group II Contribution to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fourth Assessment Report released last month indicates that up to 2 billion people could be at risk of serious water shortages due to global warming.
We still have time to act to avert the most devastating effects of climate change. And the steps we take, like changing to energy efficient light bulbs and choosing more fuel efficient cars, will not only help wildlife but we also help relieve some of the burden that others are sure to feel. Whether or not we consider ourselves environmentalists, global warming is about all of us.
Do you spark interest in NWF by quoting all the fear tactics that Al Gore has put in place? Please don't go to CNN for your news people. This article is just as slanted as that propaganda movie, "An Inconvenient Truth".
Posted by: Bleu Bridges | May 02, 2007 at 01:13 PM
Has anyone considered that the human species has just over populated the world?
Posted by: Anna Slawsky | May 02, 2007 at 05:08 PM
The reality of global warming is that many human lives are going to be lost. The effects of global warming are usually discussed by the mainstream media in terms of changes to "the planet", extinction of plant and animal species,or radical weather patterns, with little discussion on the resulting effects these problems are going to have on a mainland American citizen. It seems that many young people do not understand that global warming is going to affect them in their lifetime. It has been the observation of many persons much wiser than I that Mother Nature is all about balance. It seems to me that it is not the number of humans on earth, but the way those humans have elected to conduct themselves that has put nature out of balance. Inevitably, Mother Nature will rebalance. We, as humans and only one of many of earth's living species who are dependent upon nature's elements for survival and sustenance, will pay the price in the rebalance. It is so paradoxical that as humans, we are possessed with the ability to "think" our way out of this problem, but have not done so to date, and probably will not do so unless drastic measures are taken relatively soon, from what I understand of the science. Humans are their own worst enemy in every way, including global warming. We appear to be causing our own ultimate demise as a species, yet cannot accept that fact and correct the problem. The U.S. has a golden opportunity to regain national and international political stature by leading the world in developing clean, safe alternative energy sources, with the goal of halting global warming. This is not only a moral imperative, but it also poses a market opportunity as energy conservation technology is developed. Research today may yield tomorrow's answers. In order to make this "real" to people is to focus on how global warming will effect human populations in various geographic areas. It may just start sinking in if they hear that message. It is worth a shot.
Posted by: Anita Merrigan | May 10, 2007 at 01:43 AM