We hold this truth to be self evident…
by Sid AndersonJuly 4th, 2006 at 09:38:08
… that global warming is the single most important threat to humanity today. And that we as voting citizens of the United States of America and the state of Oregon have a duty to our fellow humans, our children, grandchildren and those yet to be born to elect leaders who understand this truth and who pledge to act on it. And that we as human beings will take extra measures in our lives to conserve energy.
July 5th, 2006 at 7:13 pm
Reduction of the Greenhouse Effect
By J. D. Adams
An atmospheric time bomb is ticking known as the greenhouse effect, the process by which certain gases absorb and re?radiate energy as it leaves the Earth’s surface. It is a self-sustaining phenomenon that is accelerating as carbon dioxide levels increase. The important greenhouse gases are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone. These gases are responsible for the moderate temperature of the Earth’s lower atmosphere. Human activities since the 1800’s have slowly increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Manmade ozone-killing chlorofluorocarbons complicated the problem, and are now under international control. Many scientists believe that a runaway condition is possible, with the temperature eventually rising to the point that the oceans boil off into the atmosphere. This is the prevalent theory explaining the hot, inhospitable atmosphere of Venus, which is similar in size to Earth.
Technology is available now for scientists to normalize the greenhouse effect, but international cooperation will be necessary. Political and economic barriers would therefore stand in the way. The scale and time frame involved would also make the project challenging, for a global commitment over several generations will be necessary. For such a task to span the tenure of regimes in impoverished or hostile countries will require constant vigilance. The responsibility will fall on the United States and its allies in this struggle against the corruption of our atmosphere. It will be a war that overshadows anything in history, for defeat will mean the eventual end of life on planet Earth.
In its basic form, the plan for saving our atmosphere will consist of engineering a reduction in the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which could be accomplished through bioengineering. Plants naturally remove carbon dioxide and add oxygen to the atmosphere. A minimum percentage of the Earth’s surface would need to be green space, with plant species performing the transformation of atmospheric gases through their biological processes. We must look upon the practices of clear-cutting and paving over of natural areas with a new light of understanding. The cutting of South American rain forests should be challenged because of the environmental consequences of losing areas of high biomass. These places transform oxygen and carbon dioxide in large volumes. All countries have a part to play in this and a stake in the final outcome. Seeding the oceans with plankton, which would contribute to the atmospheric composition by virtue of the large surface area involved, could make major improvements.
Restoring the atmosphere involves healing the Earth and restoring the balance that man has tampered with. It would seem that a reversal of trends that have been a part of the progression of technology are in order. These would include the reduction of emissions associated with transportation and industry. The same knowledge and technology that created these problems must now be called upon to add another level of sophistication. As always, the motivation of economics will become a compelling factor. In viewing the big picture, it will eventually be cheaper to design green and clean.
A hardware approach might also be possible by the widespread application of a neutralizing agent or filter to the Earth’s atmosphere to improve its composition in respect to the profile of greenhouse gases that would be beneficial. This method would be efficient if performed close to the large cities that produce the most smog and CO2. A variety of techniques might prove effective as long as it was a coordinated effort.
Answers may come from beyond our world. The study of Mars and other planets will shed light on Earth’s dilemma by creating a greater understanding of runaway planetary conditions. Experiments are being conducted on the theory that the iron core of a planet can produce an ongoing magnetic field through a positive feedback loop of internal current and magnetic effects. The enveloping magnetic field thus generated has an impact on the composition of the atmosphere.
The greenhouse issue is one that must be addressed as soon as possible. If we wait too long, the greenhouse gas process will ramp itself up to a level where the scale is beyond human intervention. At the moment, the greenhouse issue is being ignored like the issue of overpopulation, which also directly relates to the future level of the greenhouse effect. There are many details to the situation: social, political, economic, and technological. These converge on a problem that gets worse with every breath we take. Awareness of this phenomenon will be our only salvation.
July 24th, 2006 at 8:00 am
The only comment that I recall on these pagesthat might fit the above was mine of a week ago, when I claimed that people in other parts of the world tended to be iof trimmer form than we are. Since Europeans, Asians and Africans were equally specified I shouldn’t supposse that a racist designation would quite fit.
If, on the other hand you weigh 300 pounds and waddle, I offer no apologies.