New Global Warming Awareness and Action Campaign

Posted on April 20, 2008 by Toasty

Today marked the beginning of the "We Campaign", one of the largest public advocacy efforts in history. Lead by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and his Alliance for Climate Protection, the campaign objectives are to educate and organize Americans in a drive to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. The $300 million, 3 year campaign will include advertising in the print and electronic media. The campaign hopes to enlist over 10 million volunteers in a drive to influence elected officials and public policy. If you are concerned about the world that our children will inherit, the very least that you can do is visit the We Campaign web site, and add your name to the list of supporters.

Continue reading →

Posted in Overview | Comments Off on New Global Warming Awareness and Action Campaign

Dengue Fever – A Sign of Things to Come?

Posted on April 3, 2008 by Toasty

Last summer the residents of Castiglione di Cervia, a small village in northern Italy, were suddenly stricken by a temporarily debilitating disease that was unknown to local medical authorities.  Following the death of several villagers, and the subsidence of the outbreak, the disease was eventually identified as Chikungunya, a disease with symptoms similar to Dengue fever.   Both Chikungunya and Dengue fever are mosquito borne, viral diseases, previously known to  occur only in the tropics.  Its appearance in Europe is apparently due to Global Warming and the "globalization" of commerce and travel.

Continue reading →

Posted in Health | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Dengue Fever – A Sign of Things to Come?

CFLs – a Potential Health Concern?

Posted on March 31, 2008 by Toasty

On one hand, the introduction of any new technology should be evaluated in terms of potential long-term impacts upon human health.  On the other hand, if we become too timid and paralyzed by fear of the unknown we will never make any progress.  However, there can be no question that wisdom dictates the application of common sense, and that caution is not misplaced when there is substantial reason to suspect negative health implications.

Continue reading →

Posted in Health | Tagged , , | Comments Off on CFLs – a Potential Health Concern?

CFLs – A "Feel Good" Alternative?

Posted on March 29, 2008 by Toasty

If we are concerned about Global Climate Change, and are sincere in attempting to reduce our energy consumption and emissions of greenhouse gases, we must ensure that we compare the total energy consumption and emissions over the entire life cycles of current products and any proposed alternatives rather than just the actual period of usage. We must evaluate and compare the energy consumption and emissions during the total production cycle of the product and its components, the packaging, transportation, distribution and retailing, usage and finally the disposal/recycling at the end of its useful life. To do otherwise can be both misleading, or dishonest, and may result in the adoption/promotion of products that do more harm than good.

Continue reading →

Posted in Energy | Comments Off on CFLs – A "Feel Good" Alternative?

A Woodcutter

Posted on March 25, 2008 by Toasty

Deep within the Brazilian Amazon Forest, we find the find a single, isolated small hut surrounded by smoking mounds constructed of brick and earth. The hut belongs to a poor woodcutter and the charcoal that he is making in his brick ovens is the sole support for his family. Our woodcutter, and thousands like him, account for about 20% of the 1400km2 (540sq. mi.) of the Amazon Forest that is deforested every month. The charcoal that they produce is eventually shipped down the Amazon and used in steel production, primarily in the United States and China.

Continue reading →

Posted in Environment | Comments Off on A Woodcutter

Tipping Points

Posted on March 16, 2008 by Toasty

There are a number of "tipping points", loosely defined as critical thresholds at which small human activities can result in large, uncontrollable, long-term climatic consequences. Not so long ago, the very thought of a tipping point seemed unreasonable, now they appear both real and near. We also have a tendency to believe that there is a smooth relationship between our actions and the environmental responses. We are accustomed to seeing graphs of either a straight line, or a curve. Tipping points, however, will most likely result in an abrupt or disjunctive response.

Continue reading →

Posted in Environment | Comments Off on Tipping Points

The IPCC and Their Reports

Posted on March 12, 2008 by Toasty

Established in 1988 by the United Nations Environment Programme, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is an international scientific body mandated to provide international policy makers, and others, with objective scientific information on Global Climate Change. The IPCC has since provided 4 major “Assessment Reports detailing the state of the scientific knowledge on climate change (1990, 1995, 2001 and 2007), with each assessment including a volume from each of three subject-oriented working groups and a summary for decision makers.

Continue reading →

Posted in Overview | Comments Off on The IPCC and Their Reports