Semente

Emily

Dennis

Arlene

The weather

This morning in Dublin it was sunny and clear and... snowing.

Warning! Resources Limited

The study contains what its authors call "a stark warning" for the entire world. The wetlands, forests, savannahs, estuaries, coastal fisheries and other habitats that recycle air, water and nutrients for all living creatures are being irretrievably damaged. In effect, one species is now a hazard to the other 10 million or so on the planet, and to itself.

Também estas poluem

Matéria orgânica em decomposição no fundo dos lagos cria metano que se dissolve na água e é depois libertado para a atmosfera ao passar pelas turbinas de centrais hidroeléctricas.

On top of Kilimanjaro - Today

On top of Kilimanjaro

As I walked into the hotel restaurant this morning I noticed on the newspaper table a picture of Kilimanjaro in one of the Dutch papers. Oddly enough with very little "white". So I read the title for the picture which said that the snow on the cap of the mountain, which has been there for 11 thousand years, is all but melted away.

These two are from NASA.

Need more evidence on global warming?

Airports, hotels and the environment

It all becomes like a waking nightmare. You arrive at an airport that you've been at four times in the last six months and think: "This is starting to become all too familiar..."

The bed in the hotel isn't strange anymore and you comfortably fall asleep in no time. In the bathroom all the usual array of little things from soaps to shampoo.

You know the message about the environment by heart.

"Please help us save the environment. By placing your used towel on the floor we will remove and wash it. If you leave it on the counter or hang it up we will assume you want to reuse it. By reusing your towels you are saving water and using less detergentes which are harmful to the environment."

Water trouble

Yet more evidence that things are heating up. A friend sent me this link which is a great message and is pertinent in warning us to start piling up on the sunscreen... (it's 12meg long so careful if you have a slow connection).

Kyoto. Today.

The Kyoto Protocol goes into effect today. A very small step towards avoiding catastrophic cllimate change, but a first step none-the-less. Unfortunately, not everyone has adhered to this initiative, especially the US, being the most polluting country today, but also China, India and Brazil (among others).

Kyoto. Tomorrow.

Kyoto 2

"Despite the arrival of Kyoto, the debate and dissent of recent weeks suggests that the treaty has not produced the world of self-confident greens and smothered critics"

The kyoto Protocol is meant to be a first step. There is no reason to be jubilant about it comming into effect when the US has not joined and also due to the fact that it is way too little compared to what really needs to be done.

Ok Coral? Not!

Not only is climate change affecting the surface environment but the increase in CO2 levels is also affecting the oceans. The demise of coral reefs is evidence that the planet is undergoing irrevocable changes.

Kyoto

This subject is getting so much attention from my behalf that I’ve had to create a category just for it, even though I still believe it is a part of 1984.

In any case, it appears as though the question of climate change is finally getting the attention it deserves. On the 16th of February, the Kyoto Protocol goes into effect and is binding by international law. I recommend the reading of this article in The Guardian as a summary on this topic.

Regarding the Exeter Conference, I would like to point out that a timetable has been released outlining the consequences of an ever increasing temperature level on a global scale. The scenarios are not comforting.

Meanwhile, the United States – the biggest emitter of greenhouse gasses, refuses to ratify, and thus adhere to, the protocol, for fear of losing its competitiveness to countries like China and India. Is this not also the reason why they have gone into the middle-east?