Print this document as PDF
Walter Teague, 11/07/2006
? Does it make sense to work on reducing “global
warming,” but ignore the rapidly approaching climate catastrophes?
And how much time do we really have? What it will take to avoid the many
irreversible“tipping
points”? And most important, can we mobilize to do what it will take
before these deadlines? And if we fail, won’t an irreversible
climate catastrophe make our current, best environmental efforts relatively
worthless?
? Don’t you agree that without serious leadership
calling for prevention - clarifying what must be done and by when - our anti
global warming efforts will probably turn out to be too little, too late!
? So why is it, as growing scientific evidence predicts
drastic and irreparable consequences from climate catastrophes, our leaders
talk about everything but prevention? Are we
all in a suicidal
collective State of Denial?
Instead of using the cloudy term "Global Warming," we need a worldwide
focus on preventing coming Catastrophic Climate Changes (C3).
- We need a growing worldwide call to
prevent catastrophic climate change.
- We need to know the deadlines and what is needed
to meet them.
- Based on the best science available, a worldwide
plan must be developed.
- Leaders must speak up, give direction and take
all necessary actions.
- And we the people, will need to know if we are
succeeding!
Finally, mainstream media has admitted we face a climate
“crisis” and that it will take great will and sacrifice to even
reduce the extinction of species from 60% to just 30%!1 On 10/20/06
at the EU summit in Lahti, Finland, Tony Blair warned “that the world
will reach ‘catastrophic tipping points’ on climate change within
15 years, unless serious action is taken to tackle global warming.”2
The growing scientific evidence shows we face not some Teddy Bear like
“global warming” which we could adjust to, but such vast and
prolonged damage to our seas, food supply, world economies and the death
of millions, that it will make irrelevant all our current efforts to maintain
and
improve life. If we ignore the evidence and delay our collective response,
we
face
a
global climate change with unimaginable consequences!
And yet, most world leaders are not making a clear, concerted call for
prevention of these increasingly predicted catastrophes. Few people heard
President Fidel Castro's warning on 10/30/06, referring to the
climate crisis, "I
feel the obligation - as we all should - to make a special effort to avert
a fatal
'catástrofe' for humanity."8 Even now, no leader
or group is making it clear to the world’s people what we must do and
by what deadline if we are to successfully prevent this Catastrophic Climate Change!
Some scientists say it is already too late, but considering even the most
minimal consequences of failure, to continue to ignore prevention is not
a rational option. So then why isn't prevention
the main agenda?
Mother Jones magazine compared the danger to 12 asteroids on collision
course, any one of which could devastate earth. How would we react if even
one of these was going to hit us in 10 years, destroying cities, killing
millions
and threatening our very survival, wouldn't we mobilize the world
to divert it? We need to such a clear targeted threat and deadline to
force us to act in time.10
So can we afford this collective avoidance and denial? Are we, lemming like,
accepting catastrophe as inevitable and because we don’t want to think
about how bad it will be, avoiding even trying to prevent it from happening?
The optimists Al Gore, Clinton, and many citizen’s movements, are
now joined by economists,3-6,9 who focus on the costs and need
for reducing “global warming,” but are still all fuzzy on deadlines
or what we must do to really meet them. And again, they almost never speak
of
prevention. And because Gore, Clinton and most other leaders are still not
calling for a commitment to prevention, nor clarifying what it would take,
most of
the world trails passively behind.
So...
- So while we may still
have a chance, we must all demand that the scientists, politicians,
rational folk and anyone who wants humanity to have a viable future,
commit to and work for prevention of these catastrophes. Anything less
may turn out
to be futile.7
- Imagine how we will
be judged if we could have, but didn't prevent these catastrophes; because
no one pointed out in time, what had to be done – and by when.
And by our ignoring both hindsight and foresight, we were too late with
too
little! Who would be most guilty if we fail to meet this challenge?11
- We must stop using
the cloudy term “Global Warming” and instead make the clear
call for prevention of the coming Catastrophic Climate Changes !
Therefore..
- We need a growing
worldwide call to prevent the catastrophes.
- We need to know the
deadlines and what is needed to meet them.
- Based on the best
science available, a worldwide plan must be developed.
- Leaders must speak
up, give direction and take all necessary actions.
- And we the people,
need to know if we are succeeding.
Also see proposals to CCDS:
Prevent CCC, adopted 12/06/2006.
Need Leadership to prevent Catastrophic Climate Change, adopted 07/24/2009.
Prepared by:
Walter Teague
wteague@verizon.net
Redandgreen.org
11/07/2006, 3/16/08
Some major websites:
http://www.climatecrisiscoalition.org
http://www.globalclimatecampaign.org
http://www.globalwarmingsolution.org
Some Sources:
- Earth warned on 'tipping
points', By Alex Kirby, BBC News Online environment correspondent
reporting on Professor John Schellnhuber, speaking at the EuroScience
Forum in Stockholm, Thursday, 26 August, 2004 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3597584.stm
- Renewable energy technology
exists now that will prevent CCC: http://environment.guardian.co.uk/energy/story/0,,1957908,00.html
And http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-Mediterranean_Renewable_Energy_Cooperation
- It's Hard to Explain Why We
Did So Little to Stop Global Warming; Looking Back From the Year 2046.
Commentary by Madeleine Bunting, The London
Guardian, November 6, 2006. http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1106-22.htm
- Mother Jones, Nov/Dec 2006
“The Thirteenth Tipping Point, 12 global disasters and 1 powerful
antidote,” By Julia Whitty” http://motherjones.com/environment/2006/11/thirteenth-tipping-point?page=1 or a Print Version (She writes that leadership has inspired great change and says we know
the timeline. Unfortunately, we have neither as yet and can’t wait
very long!)
- Climate change fight 'can't
wait, analysis of Stern Review on BBC News. "The world cannot afford
to wait before tackling climate change, the UK prime minister has
warned" BBC News 10/31/2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6096084.stm
- President Fidel Castro calls
for prevention of a "catástrofe for humanity” on 10/30/2006.
President Fidel Castro, speaking from his hospital room and clearly aware
of the climate crisis, warned "I feel the obligation - as we all
should - to make a special effort to avert a fatal 'catástrofe' for
humanity." Reported worldwide in Spanish.
- Spanish: http://www.granma.cu/espanol/2006/octubre/lun30/45fidel.html
- English: http://www.granma.cu/ingles/2006/octubre/lun30/45fidel.html
- Photos & Spanish: http://www.ain.cubaweb.cu/2006/octubre/28egfidel.htm
- Markets, Myths and the
Climate Change Muddle, Alan Simpson, Parliament. Pessimistic assessment of
Stern
Report.10/26/06 http://www.alansimpsonmp.co.uk/pdf/Climate_change/change_muddle.pdf
- The End of the World As We
Know It? By Jane Smiley, HuffingtonPost.com.10/28/2006 http://www.alternet.org/story/43544/
- Rising Tide: UK Stern
Report Sells Climate Short, Paves
Way to Global Warming Catastrophe. http://RisingTideNorthAmerica.org/sternreport.html
- Stern Review on the economics
of climate change. Reported on HM Treasury Cabinet web site. http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/Independent_Reviews/stern_review_economics_climate_change/sternreview_index.cfm
- Google on Blair and
catastrophic tipping points. http://makeashorterlink.com/?S49A2650E
- The full Stern Report
detailed. http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/independent_reviews/stern_review_economics_climate_change/stern_review_report.cfm
- Tony Blair warned “that
the world will reach ‘catastrophic tipping points’ on climate
change within 15 years, unless serious action is taken to tackle global
warming ”at the EU summit in Lahti, Finland 10/20/2006.
Blair’s letter: http://www.pm.gov.uk/files/pdf/Vanhanen.pdf
- Global Warming People of
Color are at Risk, Carl Bloice, The Black Commentator. http://masl.to/?L27A14C4E
- Washington Post, editorial
9/28/2006 and since. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/27/AR2006092701745.html
- UN Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC) - Feb 3, 2007 http://www.ipcc.ch/
- Center for Naval Analysis http://securityandclimate.cna.org/ Comprehensive
assessment of the national security implications of global climate change
for U.S.
policymakers concerned about threats to national security.
- Fidel Castro on Food and Ethanol - March 28, 2007 http://www.juventudrebelde.co.cu/cuba/2007-08-10/more-than-three-billion-people-in-the-world-are-being-condemend-to-a-premature-death-from-hunger-and-thirst/ In "More
than three billion people in the world are being condemned to a premature
death
from
hunger and thirst" Fidel analyzes the dangers of ethanol and other
policies that endanger the people of the world.
- Fidel Castro expanded his analysis and warnings - April 4, 2007
http://www.juventudrebelde.co.cu/cuba/2007-08-10/the-internationalization-of-genocide/ In "The
Internationalization of Genocide" Fidel continues his analysis of
the dangers of transforming food into fuel to the people of the world and
the environment.
---- THE END? ----
PDF version
--------------------------------------------------
Walter Teague wteague@verizon.net
Page Updated:
04/10/2010
More on this
topic!