Proposal for Climate Change Study Group

 

Climate Change has been dismissed from the minds of most of the public with comments like:-

·        ‘I don’t understand it! It’s too complicated.’,

·         ‘The scientists disagree!’,

·         ‘I’m not changing my lifestyle’

·         or ‘I’m cutting down on fuel use where I can.’

 

As a result politicians and governments give lip service to policies which have been criticised by a Nobel prize-winner as pathetic.

 

Until a large section of the general public has worked through the issues involved there is little chance of governments agreeing the global action which is needed.

 

Christians feel an added responsibility to put right any damage we may have caused to the world God gave us to care for.

 

It is daunting to find that the best brains in the country do not wholly agree. However this is not surprising, as global solutions require a thorough understanding of so many disciplines that no one person or group can be adequately qualified.

 

On the positive side we have at our fingertips the most accessible knowledge base yet known to man, the internet, which is developing day by day at an incredible rate as advances and initiatives in every field of science, social science and political initiative all over the world are reported as they happen.

 

Starting Point

It is desirable to agree a start point which cannot be disputed. Scientists do disagree on the causes of the temperature and vegetation changes which are observed but the following are not disputed.

  1. Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere is at its highest level for 450,000 years and is steadily rising. The effects are not fully understood but are unpredictable and potentially endanger all civilisation.
  2. Acidity of the oceans is at its highest recorded level. The effects are not fully understood but the balance of life in the sea is threatened.
  3. As the Carbon Dioxide increase in the atmosphere since 1950 equals 50% of the fossil fuels burned during that period it would appear that the earth is not able to combat or absorb pollution on this scale.
  4. It is becoming increasingly certain that the current level of Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere and the oceans is too high and that irreparable damage will be caused.

 

The Study Group

The group will study the many facets of the problem and its potential solutions and build these together on a website to form an ever changing picture of the extent of the problem and the best solutions.

The tool for study will primarily be the internet, and members will be encouraged to choose one subject and research latest developments in it as they happen. This can be done by registering a search on Google so that email summaries are reported daily for sifting for the most significant developments. Members can also participate in Yahoo Groups like Climate Concern and gain a broader picture of developments and the group reaction to them. Members are encouraged to study S199 at Open University and other climate change courses to assist their understanding.

Other means to help like the BBC Climate Change Experiment will be investigated.

The broad subjects which must be tackled are:-

  1. Extent of the problem
    1. Atmospheric evidence
    2. Oceans, Rainfall, Precipitation evidence
    3. Temperature evidence
    4. Vegetation Evidence
    5. Poverty, displacement effects
    6. Sceptic viewpoints
    7. Public awareness
  2. Potential Solutions
    1. Reducing emissions
    2. Nuclear expansion
    3. Ban Fossil Fuels by 2020
    4. Reflect suns energy better
    5. Population Control
    6. Solar Power
    7. Wind power
    8. Wave Power
    9. Bio-fuels from crops
    10. Bio-fuels from algae
    11. Taxing fossil fuels out of use
    12. Stimulating vegetation
    13. Legislation

 Results of your search should be posted as a new page correct subject on U3A Climate Study which is a Yahoo Group set up for the purpose. You can try this out in the SandBox if you are not clear.

 

Solution Impossible?

It appears to many that it is impossible to solve this problem, or at least a solution is unlikely, given the insignificant progress of governments to date. At present an adequate scientific solution has not been proposed. Even if it were, governments would be hard pushed to act in time.

The apparent security in countries like USA makes them slow to react to dangers, until a Pearl Harbour wake up call. However the rapidity of advances in technology between 1939 and 1945, in the face of a common danger, can give great hope that this problem may be tackled effectively.

 

Public Events

The group is expected to have occasional public events at which the progress in each subject may be presented and the overall need assessed by the audience.

 

Participation

Please contact Malcolm Crocker on 01491 412525 and Malcolm@3as.org.uk or access Climate Study for further details or to take part.