Is it to Late to Save Mother Earth?

By

Michael Lee-Price

~ The Wayfinder ~

In November 1992, some 1,500 – 1,700 of the world's leading scientists, including the majority of Nobel laureates in the sciences, published a document of appeal titled: “The World Scientists' Warning to Humanity”. It was written and spearheaded by the late Henry Kendall, former chair of UCS's (Union of Concerned Scientists) board of directors.

It began with this introduction:

“Human beings and the natural world are on a collision course. Human activities inflict harsh and often irreversible damage on the environment and on critical resources. If not checked, many of our current practices put at serious risk the future that we wish for human society and the plant and animal kingdoms, and may so alter the living world that it will be unable to sustain life in the manner that we know. Fundamental changes are urgent if we are to avoid the collision our present course will bring about.” [1]

The rather lengthy document went on to list many of the crises in the atmosphere, water, resources, oceans, forests, biodiversity and human population. Following which the document contained a stern and urgent WARNING:

“We the undersigned, senior members of the world's scientific community, hereby warn all humanity of what lies ahead. A great change in our stewardship of the earth and the life on it is required, if vast human misery is to be avoided and our global home on this planet is not to be irretrievably mutilated.” [2]

The document concluded with an extensive list of “WHAT WE MUST DO” to Save Mother Earth.

It can only be deemed as reprehensible that this document was largely ignored by many in the Global Community and Governments of Developed Countries for at least 5 years up until December 1997 when The Kyoto Protocol was introduced, and that a campaign launched by UCS in the same year of the publication to “Urge US Congress to Support New Global Warming Bills” was not acted upon until February 2007.

When you consider that this document was published almost 16 years ago and only resulted in extensive, prolonged debates with little action-taking place

… Are we too LATE?

“The Kyoto Protocol is a protocol to the international Framework Convention on Climate Change with the objective of reducing greenhouse gases in an effort to prevent anthropogenic climate change.

It was adopted on 11 December 1997 by the 3rd Conference of the Parties, which was meeting in Kyoto, and it entered into force on 16 February 2005. As of May 2008, 182 parties have ratified the protocol.[1] Of these, 36 developed cg countries (plus the EU as a party in its own right) are required to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to the levels specified for each of them in the treaty (representing over 61.6% of emissions from Annex I countries),[1][2] with three more countries intending to participate.[3] One hundred thirty-seven (137) developing countries have ratified the protocol, including Brazil, China and India, but have no obligation beyond monitoring and reporting emissions. The United States has not ratified the treaty.” [3]

In December 1997, the U.S. government tentatively agreed at a United Nations meeting in Kyoto, Japan, to reduce nationwide emissions of greenhouse gasses by 7 percent below 1990 levels. This goal would be achieved by reducing the combustion of fossil fuels sufficiently to diminish emission levels in 2010 to 41 percent below where they would end up at current rates of emission growth. Although any estimates of the overall economic effects of the agreement are fraught with uncertainties, economists estimated that abiding by the agreement could reduce U.S. GDP growth by as much as 2.5 percent per year and as a result, President Bush announced in March of 2001 that the U.S. would not sign and ratify the treaty.

The Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, on behalf of the Australian people and the Australian Government, only signed the instrument of ratification of the Kyoto Protocol on 3^rd December 2007 but in Kevin Rudd’s favour, it was one of the first things the in-coming Labor Government did:

“… and on 11 March 2008 Australia's ratification came into effect.

Australia has committed to meeting its Kyoto Protocol target, and has set a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 60 per cent on 2000 levels by 2050.

Australia will participate actively and constructively in the negotiations working towards a post-2012 agreement, which is equitable and effective.

Our position is that any binding commitments need to encompass both developed and developing countries if we are to be successful in tackling climate change.” [4]

It is woeful, that industrial and developed countries like the United States of America, China, and Australia (through the then, Liberal Government) etc. held the world to virtual ransom for such a long period of time.

It is not surprising that the two great Global powers which refuse to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, namely USA and China, are also, the greatest violators of Human Rights and their respective countries house several of the most polluted cities in the world.

However, if you did an Internet Search for such listings, you would find that the calculations for the Top Ten Most Polluted Cities and The Top Twenty Most Polluted Cities are contrary to each other and the statistics do not add up. As most of the agencies and news services, which published these findings are US based, it seems apparent that the US government has manipulated the findings to ensure that the three most heavily polluted US cities [5] are not included in the Top 20 list and that:

“A total of 16 out of the top 20 most polluted cities are in China. #1 on the list is Linfen City in Shanxi Province, China. "The whole city smells and is covered in smoke." [6]

At the time of writing this article and potential white paper, the 2008 Olympics are being held in Beijing, China and International Athletes are risking their future health to win “Gold” for themselves and prestige for their respective countries.

“According to World Bank statistics, outdoor air pollution in China causes 350,000 to 400,000 premature deaths each year. (The World Bank also reports that 16 of the world's 20 most polluted cities are in China.) For a lifelong Beijing resident, to look at a building whose edges are blunted by smog is, in effect, to consider your own mortality.” [7]

Albert Einstein said: “Everything that can be counted does not necessarily count; everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted.” You don’t have to be an Einstein to do the sums. Not everything adds up and it is my non-academic opinion that the governments of the world are manipulating the scientific findings before they are released to the populace.

To quote David Suzuki: “There is a glutz of misinformation on the Internet.” and to research this article and do it justice I had to sift through a great deal of chaff to find the grains of wheat.

According to the Natural Environmental Research Council of the United Kingdom:

“Our planet faces unprecedented change. If we continue on our current path, by the end of this century, or earlier, our environment will be in a state that modern humans have never experienced.” [8]

Available on the NERC’s website is a very informative brochure which presents an “overview of the programme” they have on offer and there are many similar pamphlets, booklets and brochures available at many other environmental organisations’ web sites if people wish to seek them out. [9]

Academic or not, those who do not play ostrich and stick their heads into the sand, like to question the information that is presented us and not take it on trust.

Here in Australia, where I reside, the out-going Liberal Federal Government published and delivered a booklet to all Australian letter boxes titled: “Global Warming – Cool it.” On the inside cover of the booklet, the former Minister for the Environment and Heritage wrote:

"Reducing the amount of greenhouse gas emission is an extremely important part of limiting climate change.

Each year Australians emit, more than 550 million tonnes of greenhouse gases. Through everyday activities such as transport, household energy use and decay of household waste in landfills, Australian households generate about a fifth of Australia's total emissions. This equals about 14 tonnes per household each year." [10]

At the conclusion of his introduction to the booklet, the Minister wrote:

"Everyone - State Governments, Local Governments, the Australian Government, industries, communities and individuals - has to play in reducing climate change. There are things we all can do to make a difference.

As you read this booklet, I encourage you to consider ways you can reduce greenhouse gas emissions in your own home to help save money and the environment. Many of the hints and tips in this booklet are simple things that are practical, cost-effective and easy to do" [11]

Ironically, the Minister who wrote this has since resigned from politics, and the Liberal Government (led by the then Prime Minister John Howard) that he belonged to, did nothing to address the issues other than promise to ‘invest $2 billion dollars to address climate change”. Here we had a government, which refused to sign and ratify the Kyoto Protocol; a government, which approved the Gunns Limited Bell Bay Pulp Mill; a government, which planned to construct Nuclear Power Plants across Australia, suggesting that it is up to the general population to make everyday changes to combat climate change.

It does not matter what country, it is an inarguable fact, that an out-going government always leaves a legacy for an in-coming government to fix whether it be an economical deficit, a human rights violation, a war or police action the government involved itself in or an environmental issue/ disaster.

Certainly the current Federal Labor government led by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has made in-roads to address certain issues such as signing and ratifying the Kyoto Protocol and an apologise to the Australian Indigenous Community and reconciliation, however there are still many golden opportunities when it comes to the Environment that are going begging.

One small area where they have fallen short relates to the Government grants for Solar panels on residential homes. After the most recent Budget the Rudd Government cut grants and made them income tested. The sad consequence of this seemingly minor change is that those families who had chosen to support the environment and install subsidised panels found without grants money they could not afford to do so as the income testing made the grants inaccessible to those who were choosing the environmental option. Families who do fall within the income fields do not have the disposable income to choose this eco-friendly sustainable method of electricity even with grants. A further, equally sad consequence is that due to the cancellation of orders and fewer bookings solar companies are also going out of business.

On an Australian news program, recently there was mentioned new evidence to show that old growth forests have the ability to process twice the Carbon of new plantations that cover the same area. This is due to the diversity and maturity of the forest is much more efficient and effective at cutting our carbon emissions. So when we cut down old growth forests and replant new forests we are effectively increasing our impact on the earth. We would be better off protecting our Old Growth Forests and planting trees purposely to cut down. So that bears a question for the individual, where does the wood you use in your homes come from? Ironically the present Federal Labor Government under Rudd has continued to support the Gunn Limited Bay Bell Pulp Mill in Old Growth Forests. [12]

“So far, over 75% of Tasmanian old-growth forests of these trees have been felled, the majority being made into woodchips for shipment to Asian markets.

Since Tasmania is part of Australia, where only .5% of the landmass consists of rainforest, you would think that they would protect the remaining trees. But like the mega fauna, and trees on Easter Island, on this trendline the forest cover goes to zero.” [13]

In June 2004, The Intergovernmental Agreement on a National Water Initiative was signed. This was an initiative of the John Howard led Liberal Federal Government adopted by the present government. [14]

Currently, in Our State of South Australia, there is a lot of political action taking place to save our major river the River Murray from drying up. This river travels through three states (New South Wales and Victoria) and ends in the South of South Australia, however the mouth is so land locked and saline that the river is dying. There has been a lot of discussion over a vast number of years but no real action. Food Producers in our state have been on zero water allocations for months. There are many arguments as to why it is so bad but unless the damage is rectified the river will dry up, the food producers will close down and we will be stuck importing our food at great expense to the individual.

We, the people, elect governments in the hope that they address important issues of our concern, whether they be National or International. When it comes to urgent and extremely important issues such as pollution, Global Warming and other very sensitive environmental issues it should be paramount that action is taken.

Not wait 16 years after “The World Scientists' Warning to Humanity”, to further debate strategies and develop proposed solutions.

On Thursday 14^th September 2006, I was fortunate enough to be able to attend a Public lecture by Doctor David Suzuki in Adelaide, South Australia. I was also, given the ability to write a review of this lecture for the local (SA) pagan newsletter, The Silver Wheel. [15]

In the article I wrote:

“David Suzuki knows how to engage an audience; he knows how to relate and address the audience as if he is speaking to you personally. He addresses each part of the room with equal courtesy and talks in a fluid and very articulated manner.

He then talked at length about Economists, Globalisation, Global Warming, Pollution and how these pollutions have caused an escalation of asthma world wide. He spoke at length about alternative power supply i.e.: Wind farms and Solar power. He spoke at length about Nuclear power and how expensive nuclear power would be to generate electricity for homes. He covered a great deal of information in a very short time.

He went on to examine the fact that all indigenous people world wide acknowledge the Earth as the Mother; and that we all came from the mother and that all life consist of the four sacred elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water.

To paraphrase his quote:

“We are all Air. Human beings are made of the four elements. Earth, Air, Fire and Water. All four elements are of equal importance … but without air we would not exist … so why do we destroy our air …with chemicals and pollutants … when it is apparent that we are destroying our-selves…”

To emphasise this, Doctor Suzuki then mentioned a colleague of his that measured the argon particles in air. Argon particles are an inert element of air. The number of argon particles in a breath of air which was calculated to be about 2 litres which meant that for every breath of air we breath in approximately 38 billion argon particles and breath out the same amount which then disperse and within five minutes everyone in a room would breath in the same. So technically we are sharing air. This means that we are all inter-linked by the air we breathe.” [15]

Why do we destroy our air … with chemicals and pollutants … when it is so apparent that we are destroying ourselves?

If we stopped and considered how the damage that we have done to the Environment has had such drastic environmental impact upon human beings, let alone the other species on this planet we share, we would of acted upon the warning at least a decade ago.

“In 1990 –1991 it was recognised that Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (now known to be caused by a variety of factors, all of which result in a biochemical cascade/cycle which in turn causes it to be part of an illness complex which includes CFS, fibro myalgia, MCS, and even PTSD) was "growing at a rate 5 times faster than AIDS" -- and the estimate was that "1 in 10 people" had it, and they were starting to worry about the impact on the national economy at that point.

Almost all cancer is caused by environmental factors (an interesting window into that can be seen in the sudden and enormous drop (between 25% to over 66%, if I remember correctly, depending on the type of cancer, with an overall drop between 33%-66%, despite the range of factors which remained unaltered) in the rate of certain forms of breast cancers in Israel when they banned a certain group of pesticides for a few years -- following which those same cancers returned to their previous rates when the pesticides were reintroduced), and that the statistical rate of cancer in men is now predicted at "1 out of 1 men will have cancer in their lifetime" -- and no, that's not a typo, I didn't drop a digit -- it has now approached "statistical certainty" that every man will have some form of cancer in his lifetime.

Bladder cancer is linked by a causal relationship to dry cleaning chemicals. Leukaemia in turn is linked to certain high-temperature petroleum distillates (commonly used in light industry), as are other environmental factors (like the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which caused a world-wide change in levels of childhood leukaemia).

The rates of ADD, ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, etc., which are all environmentally linked as well (see the studies in changes in children where the food additives are removed from the diet, the behaviour changes in children fed the antifungals found in McDonald's hamburger buns, etc.). As for VATER syndrome (a severe and usually life-threatening birth disorder), it's known to be caused by environmental exposure.

Both environmental estrogens and other factors are linked to mental illness -- women given naturally sourced estrogens recovered mostly-fully from late-life forms of mental illness and dementia, where no other aspect of treatment was changed. Aluminium cookware is in turn directly linked to Alzheimer's, in what is known to be a causal relationship (we use none in this house -- food isn't even re-heated in or near aluminium foil, for precisely this reason). Hypoglycaemia (which in turn is a common reaction to chemical contamination of the food -- commonly relieved in MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity) patients who change to an all-organic diet, as it was in Ken) is in turn linked to schizophrenia, by way of a study which showed that 50% of the schizophrenics in the study became symptom-free on an unmedicated regimen, as long as they ate a hypoglycaemia-appropriate diet.

When it comes to Multiple Chemical Sensitivity sufferers:

The LOWEST government-accepted figure is 2% (and that reflects primarily those with the worst and most disabling form of full-blown, diagnosed MCS)
10% is the more common recognised number, in both US and Australia, among the medical professionals and support communities in which the population actually affected are aware of the true numbers of those affected (and often invisible to the larger population)
25% is the number recognised in the Bay Area of the US state of California as "being sensitive to multiple chemicals in a way that impacts upon their health" (not a full-blown MCS diagnosis, but a recognition that various aspects of their medical problems are being caused by this)” [16]

We have opened “Pandora’s Box”. In the last 200 years we have consumed more resources and done more harm to the Earth and our Environment than any other period of time in history.

To once more quote Doctor David Suzuki:

“There is no Environment out there and we have to interact with it. We are the Environment because we are the Earth and we are made by the FOUR Sacred elements. Earth, Air, Fire and Water … and that’s not meant in a metaphoric or poetic way of speaking. They mean that in the most scientific and profound way!”

People continue to buy into the government(s) propaganda released through the various media sources without seeking out and researching statistics and more reliable information. The majority of the population are accepting what they are told without question.

Recently, there have been several news reports and much debate in various on-line forums about the believed apocalypse which, based on the Mayan calendar, will occur on Dec. 21, 2012. Survival groups around the world are gearing up for the event. [17]

Across the United States, Canada and throughout Europe, apocalyptic sects and individuals say that is the day that the world as we know it will end. [18]

Ironically, the next Kyoto conference is schedule for 2012 but are we too late?

If we are to believe the Mayan calendar is it the End of the World and if it isn’t then, what legacy are we leaving our children?

I no longer consider myself a member of the Human Race, because unlike the rest of Humanity I am not Racing towards my own extinction and I no longer consider myself a member of Mankind because Man is NOT kind. I am an Earth Kin; a Child of the Earth.

"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. - Albert Einstein"

Select bibliography and source:

1. http://www.ucsusa.org/ucs/about/1992-world-scientists-warning-to-humanity.html

2. http://www.ucsusa.org/ucs/about/1992-world-scientists-warning-to-humanity.html

3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyoto_Protocol

4. http://www.climatechange.gov.au/international/kyoto/index.html

5. http://www.citymayors.com/environment/polluted_uscities.html

6. http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2006-06/2006-06-28-voa36.cfm

7. http://www.wilsoncenter.org/index.cfm?topic_id=1421&fuseaction=topics.item&news_id=218780

8. http://www.nerc.ac.uk/research/programmes/lwec/

9. http://www.nerc.ac.uk/research/programmes/lwec/documents/lwec-brochure.pdf

10. Global Warming - Cool It!