This is really uplifting .....
In August 2009 over 10,000 people danced for the climate on the Ostend Beach in Belgium.
Wednesday 25 November 2009
Rob Hopkins introduces the Transition Movement
15 minute introduction to the ideas behind the Transition Movement - well worth the time.
Copenhagen diagnosis
This new report has been produced ahead of the Copenhagen climate meeting in December to update politicians and the media on climate science that has been published since the IPCC (AR4) report in 2006. You can download the report here. The most significant recent climate change findings are:
Surging greenhouse gas emissions: Global carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels in 2008 were nearly 40% higher than those in 1990. Even if global emission rates are stabilized at present-day levels, just 20 more years of emissions would give a 25% probability that warming exceeds 2°C, even with zero emissions after 2030. Every year of delayed action increases the
chances of exceeding 2°C warming.
Recent global temperatures demonstrate human-induced warming: Over the past 25 years temperatures have increased at a rate of 0.19°C per decade, in very good agreement with predictions based on greenhouse gas increases. Even over the past ten years, despite a decrease in solar forcing, the trend continues to be one of warming. Natural, short-term fluctuations are
occurring as usual, but there have been no significant changes in the underlying warming trend.
Acceleration of melting of ice-sheets, glaciers and ice-caps: A wide array of satellite and ice measurements now demonstrate beyond doubt that both the Greenland and Antarctic ice-sheets are losing mass at an increasing rate. Melting of glaciers and ice-caps in other parts of the world has also accelerated since 1990.
Rapid Arctic sea-ice decline: Summer-time melting of Arctic sea-ice has accelerated far beyond the expectations of climate models. The area of sea-ice melt during 2007-2009 was about 40% greater than the average prediction from IPCC AR4 climate models.
Current sea-level rise underestimated: Satellites show recent global average sea-level rise (3.4 mm/yr over the past 15 years) to be ~80% above past IPCC predictions. This acceleration in sea-level rise is consistent with a doubling in contribution from melting of glaciers, ice caps, and the Greenland and West-Antarctic ice-sheets.
Sea-level predictions revised: By 2100, global sea-level is likely to rise at least twice as much as projected by Working Group 1 of the IPCC AR4; for unmitigated emissions it may well exceed 1 meter. The upper limit has been estimated as ~ 2 meters sea level rise by 2100. Sea level will continue to rise for centuries after global temperatures have been stabilized, and several meters of sea level rise must be expected over the next few centuries.
Delay in action risks irreversible damage: Several vulnerable elements in the climate system (e.g. continental ice-sheets, Amazon rainforest, West African monsoon and others) could be pushed towards abrupt or irreversible change if warming continues in a business-as-usual way throughout this century. The risk of transgressing critical thresholds (“tipping points”)
increases strongly with ongoing climate change. Thus waiting for higher levels of scientific certainty could mean that some tipping points will be crossed before they are recognized.
The turning point must come soon: If global warming is to be limited to a maximum of 2 °C above pre-industrial values, global emissions need to peak between 2015 and 2020 and then decline rapidly. To stabilize climate, a decarbonized global society – with near-zero emissions of CO2 and other long-lived greenhouse gases – needs to be reached well within this century. More
specifically, the average annual per-capita emissions will have to shrink to well under 1 metric ton CO2 by 2050. This is 80-95% below the per-capita emissions in developed nations in 2000.
Friday 20 November 2009
Tuesday 17 November 2009
Polar bears discuss climate change
FoE cartoon!
Two polar bears muse on whether humans have caused global warming. Call for a strong and fair climate agreement in Copenhagen in December. Take action.
Two polar bears muse on whether humans have caused global warming. Call for a strong and fair climate agreement in Copenhagen in December. Take action.
Friday 13 November 2009
Food futures - strategies for resilient food and farming
Soil Assocation publishes a new report - Food Futures - strategies for resilient food and farming
Our current food systems are precarious and vulnerable to external ‘shocks’. A combination of one or more external factors, such as extreme weather conditions, global conflict or trade disputes could easily disrupt the continuity of food supplies unless we make fundamental changes to the way we farm, process, distribute and eat our food over the next 20 years. That’s the stark message behind this new report from the Soil Association which outlines what it believes should be a blueprint for a more sustainable approach to food and farming
Strategies for a food secure future
A clear vision for food and farming: business-as-usual is unrealistic; a stategic food plan is needed across all levels of UK governments and wide ranging partnership is required to form a solution.
Climate change: higher mandatory targets required for agriculture to cut emissions; make the minimisation of soil carbon losses a condition of subsidy and incentivise carbon storage.
Energy use and resource-use efficiency: increase R&D funding for sustainable farming practices; farmers advisory programme for reducing oil, gas and phosphate-derived inputs and declare the British Isles a GM-free zone.
Healthy and sustainable diets: link healthy diets with a sustainable food system; support our 'Food for Life' catering standards and establish studies on the benefits of healthier food.
Build resilience through re-localising staple food production: planning policy to help increase self-sufficiency and reduce food miles; regional and local authorities need strategies on food security and UK and EU barriers to localisation need removing.
Re-skilling: training and apprenticeship programmes in sustainable agriculture; Local Authority provision for community 'growing belts' and allotments and give every school child experience of food growing and production through the Food for Life Partnership.
International trade and development: work with the WTO and international governments on food secure trade policy and encourage international implementation of the principles in the 2008 IAASTD report on food security and climate change.
Download the full report here
Our current food systems are precarious and vulnerable to external ‘shocks’. A combination of one or more external factors, such as extreme weather conditions, global conflict or trade disputes could easily disrupt the continuity of food supplies unless we make fundamental changes to the way we farm, process, distribute and eat our food over the next 20 years. That’s the stark message behind this new report from the Soil Association which outlines what it believes should be a blueprint for a more sustainable approach to food and farming
Strategies for a food secure future
A clear vision for food and farming: business-as-usual is unrealistic; a stategic food plan is needed across all levels of UK governments and wide ranging partnership is required to form a solution.
Climate change: higher mandatory targets required for agriculture to cut emissions; make the minimisation of soil carbon losses a condition of subsidy and incentivise carbon storage.
Energy use and resource-use efficiency: increase R&D funding for sustainable farming practices; farmers advisory programme for reducing oil, gas and phosphate-derived inputs and declare the British Isles a GM-free zone.
Healthy and sustainable diets: link healthy diets with a sustainable food system; support our 'Food for Life' catering standards and establish studies on the benefits of healthier food.
Build resilience through re-localising staple food production: planning policy to help increase self-sufficiency and reduce food miles; regional and local authorities need strategies on food security and UK and EU barriers to localisation need removing.
Re-skilling: training and apprenticeship programmes in sustainable agriculture; Local Authority provision for community 'growing belts' and allotments and give every school child experience of food growing and production through the Food for Life Partnership.
International trade and development: work with the WTO and international governments on food secure trade policy and encourage international implementation of the principles in the 2008 IAASTD report on food security and climate change.
Download the full report here
Sunday 1 November 2009
Meat under fire
Two reports have emerged this week encouraging us to eat less meat as a way of reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and thereby mitigating the effects of climate change.
First came Lord Stern, the climate change guru economist urging us to reduce the amount of meat in our diets.
Then in a paper published by a respected US thinktank, the Worldwatch Institute, two World Bank environmental advisers claim that instead of 18 per cent of global emissions being caused by meat, the true figure is 51 per cent.
A consensus is perhaps beginning to build - elsewhere for example Simon Fairlie writing in The Land magazine has concluded that Britain can feed itself as long as we reduce substantially the amount of meat in our diet.
Environmental arguments backing health arguments.
However meat production will never completely disappear - I work on Dartmoor, and the uplands of the country along with thousands of miles of marginal land along our coasts are only suitable for grazing animals. So farming in these areas will inevitably be livestock based thereby conserving ecological habitats, much loved landscapes and the cultural way of life of those who farm these areas.
In other parts of the country a switch to a more vegetable / cereal based diet should improve our health and also reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Expect a huge row of vested interests to erupt over the coming months.
First came Lord Stern, the climate change guru economist urging us to reduce the amount of meat in our diets.
Then in a paper published by a respected US thinktank, the Worldwatch Institute, two World Bank environmental advisers claim that instead of 18 per cent of global emissions being caused by meat, the true figure is 51 per cent.
A consensus is perhaps beginning to build - elsewhere for example Simon Fairlie writing in The Land magazine has concluded that Britain can feed itself as long as we reduce substantially the amount of meat in our diet.
Environmental arguments backing health arguments.
However meat production will never completely disappear - I work on Dartmoor, and the uplands of the country along with thousands of miles of marginal land along our coasts are only suitable for grazing animals. So farming in these areas will inevitably be livestock based thereby conserving ecological habitats, much loved landscapes and the cultural way of life of those who farm these areas.
In other parts of the country a switch to a more vegetable / cereal based diet should improve our health and also reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Expect a huge row of vested interests to erupt over the coming months.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
