Healthcare Newsletter Cliate change simplified!

[Guest guest]



I am giving below, a newsletter from Himalaya Herbal Medicines on climate change. Simple and to the point. Best of all an action plan that reiterates, steps we should follow at our individual levels.

lET US JUST DO IT.

 

ajinder Sandhir

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Customer,

This month the world celebrated environment day on June 5th. We were once again reminded of the challenges facing our planet…global warming, climate change, deforestation, environmental degradation….problems that are staring us in our face and demanding immediate attention.

As citizens of this earth we have a duty to protect it as we would protect our home. Because in many ways, this planet is our home and it is a legacy we will leave behind for our children. This is the first of a two part newsletter that focuses on the looming crisis of climate change. It hopes to remind us all of how important it is for us to act….and act now before it is too late.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- Source: Australian Government - Dept. of Climate Change

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions

 

 

 

Fossil fuels formed by long-dead plants and animals are the single biggest source of humanity’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Burning coal, oil and natural gas releases billions of tons of carbon every year that would otherwise have remained hidden in the Earth’s crust, as well as large amounts of methane and nitrous oxide.

More carbon dioxide is released when trees are cut down and not replaced.

Massive herds of livestock emit methane, as do rice farms and waste dumps. The use of fertilizers produces nitrous oxide.

- UNEP

 

 

Impact of climate change

The United Nations Environment Programme states that ‘climate change is one of the most critical global challenges of our time’. The UNEP warns that this will impact agriculture, threaten food security, lead to droughts, cause rising sea level and erosion of coastal zones, increase intensity of natural disasters, result in species extinction and spread of vector-borne diseases.

If the current rate of GHG emissions continues, the consequences will be devastating-

 

Threat to biodiversity. Increase in environmental refugees. Extinction of species. Submergence of large tracts of land and islands. Increase in the number of people potentially exposed to malaria; this could go up from 45% to 60% of the world population and result in an extra 50-80 million cases a year. Disappearance of forest & increase in desertification. More droughts, famines and natural disasters. Increased food insecurity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How can we help……

 

So, the question we need to ask is not whether climate change is happening but how soon will it begin to threaten our existence. The solution for climate change cannot be grandiose. What is needed is small changes made by each and every one of us…starting now! Here are 10 simple things you can do and how much carbon dioxide you’ll save doing them.

 

 

 

Change a light : Replacing one regular light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb will save 150 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.

Drive less : Walk, bike, carpool or take mass transit more often. You’ll save one pound of carbon dioxide for every mile you don’t drive!

Recycle more : You can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide per year by recycling just half of your household waste.

Check your tyres : Keeping your tyres inflated properly can improve gas mileage by more than 3%. Every gallon of gasoline saved keeps 20 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere!

Use less hot water : It takes a lot of energy to heat water. Use less hot water by installing a low flow showerhead (350 pounds of CO2 saved per yr) and washing your clothes in cold or warm water (500 pounds saved per yr).

 

 

 

 

Avoid products with a lot of packaging : You can save 1,200 pounds of carbon dioxide if you cut down your garbage by 10%.

 

Adjust your thermostat : Moving your thermostat just 2 degrees in winter and up 2 degrees in summer. You could save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple adjustment.

 

Plant a tree : A single tree will absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime.

 

Turn off electronic devices : Simple turning off your television, DVD player, stereos and computer when you’re not using them will save you thousands of pounds of carbon dioxide a year.

 

Be part of the solution : Learn more and act now!

 

 

- Source: www.climatecrisis.net

 

 

 

EXPLAINS

 

Our climate is changing…

Environmental scientists across the world have now given us enough and more information to show us that our climate is changing. Of course, we still encounter the odd skeptic who puts all this data down to scare mongering…but the facts are there for all of us to see and sadly, for many to experience.

According to data published by the United Nations, climate change is very real and is happening as we speak. The evidence is plain to see -

Increased warming : Eleven of the last twelve years rank among the warmest years in global surface temperature since 1850!

There is more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere : Carbon dioxide is the dominant contributor to current climate change and its atmospheric concentration has increased from a pre-industrial value of 278 parts-per million (ppm) to 379 in 2005.

More water, but not everywhere : More precipitation has been observed in certain parts of the world while places like the Mediterranean, southern Africa and parts of southern Asia have experienced drying. The intensity, spread and duration of droughts has increased since the 1970s.

Sea level is rising : The rate of observed sea level rise has increased by 0.17 metre in the 20th century and the average temperature of the global ocean has increased to depths of at least 3,000 metres.

Less snow cover : Snow cover is decreasing in most regions, particularly in spring.

Glaciers are melting: Mountain glaciers and snow cover have declined, on average, in both hemispheres, and have contributed to sea level rise.

Arctic is warming : Average Arctic temperatures increased at almost twice the global average rate in the past 100 years.

What is worse is that new projections from UN indicate faster global warming:

 

 

 

 

 

 

QUICK FACTS

 

 

A natural blanket of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere keeps the planet warm enough for life as we know it — at a comfortable 15°C today.

Human-caused emissions of greenhouse gases have made the blanket thicker, trapping heat and leading to a global warming. Fossil fuels are the single biggest source of human-generated greenhouse gas emissions. - UN Factsheet on Climate Change Degree of warming depends on the degree of emissions: If carbon dioxide concentrations were stabilized at 550 ppm — double the pre-industrial levels — the average warming expected would likely be in the range of 2-4.5°C, with the best estimate of 3°C, or 5.4°F. A warming of 0.2°C per decade is expected for each of the next two decades for a range of scenarios that do not include deliberate reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

 

Other greenhouse gases contribute to warming and if their combined effect were equivalent to a carbon dioxide level of 650 ppm, the global climate would “likely†warm by 3.6°C, while a level of 750 ppm would produce warming of 4.3°C.

The 20 C Barrier in Climate Change!

Research based on computer models show that if global temperatures rise by 2°C above pre-industrial levels, the consequences for the earth wil be disastrous. The World Wide Fund reports:

 

Agriculture based economies will suffer. There will be increased occurrence of droughts, heavy rain, inundation by rising seas and growth in pests that like warmer temperatures will result in severe crop losses. Tourism revenues will fall as rising seas erode beaches and coastal tourist resorts, and as warmer seas damage coral reefs. Intensity of cyclones will increase by between10-20%, causing more damage to already fragile Pacific economies and ecosystems. Sea levels will rise by up to a metre. Mean rainfall intensity will increase by 20-30% over tropical oceans, causing increased flood damage.

Crossing the 2°C barrier will lead to runaway climate change, where one thing will lead to another and it will become difficult for us to do anything to mitigate the effects of climate change.

What is causing climate change… So here comes the big question…what is causing climate change? Basically, increasing levels of green house gas emissions are leading to global warming which is triggering a climate crisis. Green house gases include methane, CO2, Ozone and water vapor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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