We are seeing and hearing of the worse possible scenario for the effects of anthropologic climate change. Already, it is likely that we can not avoid some of the most damaging effects such as complete melting of the Artic icecaps which when it happens will release their stored carbon to accelerate the process even faster. The scientific community has stated that in order to keep mass destruction on the planet from occurring we must keep the temperature increase to below 2%C That would be the tipping point where we would enter a phase where the the planetary catastrophes would be difficult if not impossible to control. At 3%C increase the damage would be irreversible and in studies done of a possible 4% increase in planetary temperature there would be mass destruction and extinction with the possibility of only about 1/2 billion human inhabitants left on the Earth.
There are solutions being followed and most of them are relying on reducing C02 emissions such as increasing mpg for cars or the use of electric vehicles. Making buildings and homes more energy efficient and in some cases energy neutral. We have to do all these things but they will not solve the immediate problems of Climate Change. C02 remains in the atmosphere for hundreds of years so even if we went completely C02 neutral today, there would still be the damaging remains of the past use of C02 lingering in the atmosphere preventing us from stopping the most damaging effects of Climate Change.
We need fast solutions and we need them NOW! There are some working on these fast solutions and World Preservation Foundation had them meet and focus on fast solutions to our climate change catastrophe. As the scientific basis for these fast solutions has become stronger they have compiled and released this information video to distribute the information.
I will highlight some of their findings for you but I strongly encourage you to view the entire video. From the video:
even by meeting our most ambitious emissions reduction targets by 2020, greenhouse gas emissions will be 30% higher then that needed to keep temperature rise to 2%C
We now know that reducing C02 alone will not produce cooling fast enough. Even with a zero carbon global economy tomorrow existing C02 will continue to heat the planet for hundreds of years to come. Meaning C02 reductions on their own will not prevent runaway climate change.
We need to cool the planet fast and that will require rethinking and changing our consumption patterns. From the video scientists are recommending a rapid reduction in short lived warming gases. Those include Black Carbon, Methane and Ground Level Ozone
BLACK CARBON
NASA scientists say that more than 50% of the accelerated global warming in the Artic is due to Black Carbon. Black Carbon only stays in the atmosphere a few weeks
METHANE
Meat Methane is at least 72 times more potent than C02 over a 20 year period but takes only 12 years to cycle out of atmosphere.
GROUND LEVEL OZONE
which is smog and soot cycles out of the atmosphere in a few days. Methane and N02 help to create ground level ozone
Per the video livestock production is a significant contribution to all of the short term climate forces. The great advantage and opportunity is that these forces all cycle out of the atmosphere fast and can stop global warming fast to buy us the time necessary to reduce C02
We need a short term and a long term solution. The long term is cutting back on C02 emissions. The short term is rapid reduction of Black Carbon, Methane and Ground Level Ozone.
There is a simple solution to reducing these short term warming agents. It tastes good and is healthy for all of us. Changing our eating patterns is something we can all do together with optimism.
Eliminating, replacing or substituding meat and diary with a healthy plant based diet is the fastest way to stop climate change and temperature rising.
We still have time and a choice to bring about the change, I hope we take it.
ACTION I have been writing about this here for three years but the need becomes more urgent. We have power in numbers so for action I am suggesting that you all do what I am doing which is not only eliminating meat and most meat products from my diet but also being a messenger to my family and friends about the urgency. Talking and writing about it on our networks such as our blogs and myspace etc. will get the word out.
Our future and the future of our children depend on it.