Feb 01 2009
US Scientists Warned that Climate Destabilization is Irreversible
Source: Sierra Club
An article published this week on the BBC website reported on some grim news: Global warming is irreversible. This news was based on a report by a team of scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Colorado, USA. According to the scientists, if we don’t do something now, if governments around the world do not take action, then the effects of climate destabilization would be detrimental to life on the planet.
The team warned that, if carbon levels in the atmosphere continued to rise, there would be less rainfall in already dry areas of southern Europe, North America, parts of Africa and Australia.
The scientists say the oceans are currently slowing down global warming by absorbing heat, but they will eventually release that heat back into the air.
It’s now up to the governments to implement policy changes to steer our planet from the disastrous course that we’re heading into. It’s no longer a matter of each individual country. We have to work together to prevent this global crisis.
According to the scientists, many of the effects of climate change are irreversible. There are ways that we can stop climate destabilization, but the single most effective and quickest one is to stop greenhouse gas emissions from the raising of livestock. The effect would be immediate, where as everything else takes years for the planet to recover. If we just reduce the greenhouse gas immediately, then that’s already more than half the battle won.
Source: chooseveg.com
More than just polluting the air with greenhouse emissions, factory farms are environmental hazards. The Sierra Club posted this on their site:
America’s drinking water, rivers and lakes are at risk from giant, corporate-owned factory farms. Animal feeding operations, many of which confine thousands of animals in facilities, produce staggering amounts of animal waste — 500 million tons per year. Too often, this waste leaks into our rivers and streams, fouling our air, contaminating our drinking water and spreading disease. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, hog, chicken and cattle waste has polluted 35,000 miles of rivers in 22 states and contaminated groundwater in 17 states.
The governments can help. We can help. We can do this. Choose a more green diet. Try going vegan a few times a week. This is a battle that all of us need to be a part of because each of us can contribute greatly to the mitigation of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide if we choose to be more conscious of what we eat.
Photo by my friend M.N.
