Green Tree

Update

So, I guess it was a little too early in the year to plan the ENO Tree Planting Day because we were unable to get it all together in a few weeks, however (THE GOOD NEWS) we WILL be partaking in the event March 21, 2011!!!!!!  My class has decided to grow their own trees and then we will plant them in March.  I have a very smart class!

As for lately, I have been working with family in Iran and might be meeting some of them for the first time, here in Sweden.  I am already crying with happiness!!!  Being the ChangeMaker that I am, I believe in Human Rights and want to help anyone who needs to get away from a country with no rights.  More updates to come……

ENO Tree Planting Day

The official ENO Tree Planting Day is September 21, 2010 so be sure to check out ENO for more information on how to register.  Registration is free!!!!

Greenhouse Effect

What is Climate Change?

What is the difference between weather and climate?

To understand climate change, it’s important to recognise the difference between weather and climate. Weather is the temperature, precipitation (rain, hail, sleet and snow) and wind, which change hour by hour and day by day. Climate is the average weather and the nature of its variations that we experience over time.

What is the greenhouse effect?

The greenhouse effect is the natural process of the atmosphere letting in some of the energy we receive from the Sun (ultraviolet and visible light) and stopping it being transmitted back out into space (infrared radiation or heat). This makes the Earth warm enough for life.

For several thousands of years the atmosphere has been delicately balanced, with levels of greenhouse gases relatively stable. Human influence has now upset that balance and, as a result, we are seeing climate change.

How are we causing climate change?

Human activities, like burning coal, oil and gas, have led to an increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, causing an enhanced greenhouse effect and extra warming.

As a result, over the past century there has been an underlying increase in average temperatures which is continuing. Globally, the ten hottest years on record have all been since 1997.

What will happen if we don’t act to reduce emissions?

If emissions continue to grow at present rates, CO₂ concentration in the atmosphere is likely to reach twice pre-industrial levels by around 2050. Unless we limit emissions, global temperature could rise as much as 7 °C avove pre-industrial temperature by the end of the century and push many of the world’s great ecosystems (such as coral reefs and rainforests) to irreversible decline.

Even if global temperatures rise by only 2 °C, 20–30% of species could face extinction. We can expect to see serious effects on our environment, food and water supplies, and health.

Which gases are causing the most change?

The main greenhouse gas responsible for recent climate change is CO₂. This has been released in huge quantities by our modern way of life. Levels have also increased due to the destruction of rainforests, which play an important role in absorbing CO₂.

Human activities are increasing other greenhouse gases too, such as methane and nitrous oxide. Methane is produced by bacteria that live in places like landfill sites, peat bogs and in the guts of animals like cows and sheep. Nitrous oxide is increased by the use of nitrogen fertiliser in agriculture.

Both these gases have a powerful greenhouse effect and also contribute to climate change. However, they have not been released in such large quantities as CO₂ and methane does not last for as long in the atmosphere. So, while they make a significant contribution to climate change, it is man-made CO₂ which has by far the greatest influence.

Will it get hotter everywhere?

Yes. Even if the concentrations of greenhouse gases and aerosols stabilised at the year 2000 levels then we would still expect temperatures to reach 1.4 °C above pre-industrial levels by 2100 (Source: IPCC).

Even if emissions peak in 2015 and decrease rapidly at around 3% every year after that, there may only be a 50:50 chance of keeping global temperature rise below 2 °C. Every delay of ten years in the peak emissions would add about 0.5 °C of warming.

Which areas are warming the most?

In recent decades the Arctic has been heating twice as fast as the rest of the world, largely because Arctic ice, which reflects sunlight and keeps the surface cool, has decreased. In particular, summer Arctic sea-ice has shrunk by about 10% per decade since 1979. Land-ice and snow-cover have also decreased — a bigger effect in the short-term because land heats up more quickly than the sea.

The Northern Hemisphere is warming more than the Southern Hemisphere. This is because the Northern Hemisphere has more land mass, which heats faster than water.

Why are sea- levels rising?

A warming climate raises sea-levels in two ways:

1. Thermal expansion — as water warms it expands, like liquid in a thermometer. A warming climate will heat oceans, causing sea-levels to rise.
2. Ice-melt — large amounts of water are locked in glaciers, permafrost and ice-caps around the world. Warmer weather is causing these to melt. Water from land-based ice will flow into the oceans, raising sea-levels. Sea-levels around the UK have already risen by 10 cm since 1900 and scientists are still researching how quickly they will continue to rise.

Information courtesy of: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climatechange/guide/quick/evidence.html

Global Warming

China blacklists polluting factories

China — Industries pumping out poisonous substances day after day into rivers that entire communities rely on for their basic water needs – the reality of water pollution in China is one of the country’s biggest tragedies.

In this context even a seemingly small step by the Government to blacklist 20 factories in the Guangdong province for failing to meet water discharge standards, is of great significance. Three of the factories on the blacklist were amongst those found to be releasing hazardous chemicals as part of their wastewater discharge in our Poisoning the Pearl report last year.

In 2009, Greenpeace collected and analysed samples of wastewater discharges and sediments from five industrial sites located throughout the Guangdong province that has the Pearl River running through it and is known as the “world’s factory floor”, accounting for nearly 30 percent of China’s exports in 2007. The subsequent results of the sampling and analysis were released in a scientific paper in October 2009.

Warning for blacklisted companies Out of the five factories that we sampled, three have been put on the government blacklist. The true extent of this pollution is still an unknown. A problem further exacerbated by inadequate water pollution regulation, allowing factories to discharge wastewaters containing complex cocktails of chemicals capable of causing serious damage to China’s rivers and the life in and around them. Detailed report on the Poisoning the Pearl.

 However, being blacklisted means greater scrutiny on these companies and their industrial discharges which could in the future translate to deadlines by the government for the companies to stop polluting the Pearl River Delta. This is a warning to the factories and it may also affect the company’s financial status in terms of ability to launch a stock market listing or apply for a loan.

We welcome the decision The government started publishing these lists in 2006 and the important thing to notice is that factories previously blacklisted have improved their performance. We welcome both the list and the fact that three of the companies we highlighted to the government last year have been included. Those three companies are Qingyuan Top Dragon, Wing Fung P.C. Board, and Techwise Qingyuan Circuit.

However a final note of caution Since China’s pollution regulations focus largely on conventional pollutants and not toxic chemicals, Greenpeace is urging the government to urgently rework this legislation. The blacklisting is a positive first step, but to seriously combat pollution that causes cancer and sickness, China needs to start monitoring and eliminating hazardous chemical discharges into its rivers.

Take Action

• Join our mailing list to get updates about our water campaign and other work which you can join

Support Us

• To preserve our independence, we don’t take funds from governments or corporations. You are the reason we can do what we do

Information provided by: GreenPeace International

Disappointment

It is sad and disappointing to learn that someone of high status at the Swedish Red Cross was caught stuffing his pockets with over 8 million kronor (about a million dollars) of charity money.  This poses a question, why should I (or anyone) donate money to these charities asking for donations?  How do I know that the money I am sending is actually going towards relief and not into some greedy person(s) pocket? 

Confession:  I have never sent in money to any charity….ever.  Not because I don’t have the money or don’t have the will, but I personally believe I can make a difference otherwise.  For example, I can set up volunteer groups and build a house or create awareness of a problem no one knows about or I can develop proposals and submit it to council for new ways of development such as renewable energy.  Regardless, I am sad to be reminded, once more, of how selfish we are as a society and community.  Go out and do something today that might help someone or something in need.  Don’t just talk the talk…..walk the walk.

Haiti

by New York Times World

One of the poorest and least developed countries in the world, Haiti in recent years has struggled with problems ranging from near-constant political upheaval, health crises, severe environmental degradation and an annual barrage of hurricanes, which killed an estimated 800 people and caused vast damage in 2008. On Jan. 12, 2010, a massive earthquake struck Haiti, reducing much of its capital to rubble. It was the worst earthquake in the region in more than 200 years, with as many as 50,000 feared dead. The devastation created serious obstacles to those attempting to deliver promised foreign aid. United States Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton told NBC’s “Today” program that 3 million people – about a third of Haiti’s population – had been affected by the quake, and that “there will be tens of thousands of casualties – we don’t have any exact numbers.” Haiti occupies an area roughly the size of Maryland on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Nearly all of the 8.7 million residents are of African descent and speak Creole and French. The capital is Port-au-Prince. The country is, by a significant margin, the poorest in the Western Hemisphere, with four out of five people living in poverty and more than half in abject poverty. Deforestation and over-farming have left much of Haiti eroded and barren, undermining subsistence farming efforts, driving up food prices and leaving the country even more vulnerable to natural disasters. Its long history of political instability and corruption has added to the turmoil. Read More… During the 18th century the western portion of Hispaniola, called Saint-Domingue, was one of the richest colonies in the French empire, known for its lucrative sugarcane and coffee plantations. (The rest of the island was controlled by Spain.) In 1791 the African slave population revolted, eventually winning independence from Napoleon Bonaparte’s France and becoming the second country in the Americas to free itself from colonial rule and the world’s first black republic. The country was renamed Haiti. Haiti’s history has been marked by many periods of profound political disarray, including frequent changes of governments, military coups and, beginning in 1915, a two-decade occupation by the United States. The most infamous of Haiti’s leaders was François Duvalier, known as Papa Doc, who was elected president in 1957, beginning a long rule known for corruption and human rights abuses that left Haiti increasingly isolated. His son Jean-Claude Duvalier controlled the country from 1971 until he fled in 1986, leading to another period of alternating civilian and military rule. Despite bouts of optimism in recent years brought on by the implementation of a new constitution and the first peaceful transfer of power between two elected presidents in the nation’s history, Haiti’s politics remain as tumultuous as ever. In 1991, Jean-Bertrand Aristide took power after winning 67 percent of the vote in a presidential election, but was overthrown shortly after taking office in a violent coup leading to a three year period of military rule that ended only after the intervention of a United Nations force led by the United States. While the 1995 election of Rene Preval, a prominent political ally of Mr. Aristide, was widely praised, subsequent elections were plagued with allegations of fraud, including the 2000 restoration of Mr. Aristide to his old post. Over the following years violence spread throughout the country as the government cracked down on opposition party leaders, holding power in part with the aid of extra-legal gangs. In February 2004, after groups opposed to the Aristide government seized control of cities and towns throughout Haiti and closed in on the capital, Mr. Aristide resigned and fled to South Africa. U.S.-led armed forces under the authority of the United Nations Security Council were sent to Port-au-Prince to stabilize the situation and to oversee the installation of an interim government. The United Nations has spent some $5 billion on peacekeeping operations since 2004. In 2006, Mr. Preval was again elected president amidst allegations of impropriety. Since 2008, the situation has worsened dramatically, with the nation staggering beneath the double whammy of food riots, government instability and a series of hurricanes that killed hundreds and battered the economy. Hurricanes Gustav, Hanna and Ike and Tropical Storm Fay landed within the space of a month in August and September 2008. Nationally, damages came to a total of $900 million, or nearly 15 percent of the gross domestic product. The national toll was 800 dead, down from 2004 when 3,000 perished. Haiti needs jobs, a particular challenge in the current economic climate. Haitians often seek work in the United States, but that safety valve has been squeezed given the recession. With some 900,000 youths expected to come into the job market in the next five years, dismal prospects are the main threat to stability.

Save Lake Naivasha

It is always sad to hear and learn that we are still destroying precious rainforests, lakes, and all other natural resources for the simple sake of human kind finding their happiness in shiny, store-bought items that bring no actual emotion other than greed.  It is greed that is destroying Lake Naivasha in Kenya and we, the people, are to blame.  Question is, how do we right our wrongs?

One of my colleagues has created a website to save Lake Naivasha in order to create awareness of the destruction and contamination of this lake.  With your help, you can make a difference by spreading the word to your friends, family, and anyone you think may be interested to help save Lake Naivasha.  You may be saving lives, wildlife, and ecosystems, which ultimately affect YOU in the end.  We all live in this world and need to come together in order to save it.  Click on this link and learn how YOU can make a difference. 

Finally, Number 1

1. I will relinquish my title of Most Likely to Acquire Useless Crap I Don’t Wear or Need.
Admit it — your closet is full of had-to-have items that have been punished to a life of hanging unworn. Your have enough notepads, pens, books, magnets, and collectible tchotchkes to fill a mini storage unit. Yes, our purchases keep the economy going, but most of us buy far more than we need. (There are whole TV shows dedicated to demonstrating ways to unclutter!) Remember that packaging, waste, and pollution are created to make these items available to you. If you trash those once-new goodies when you’re no longer interested in them, they will live in a landfill for years and years. It’s time to clean out, and stop the crap collecting.