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The environment is a topic of conversation where ever you go these days. In my travels, I see a lot of people just turning away and ignoring it, and others who claim that global warming is a natural phenomenum and therefore "why all the fuss, as it was going to happen anyway".
Well, here are a few reasons why we should be fussing.
The environment isn't just about global warming and CO2. There are many other factors to consider and they need to be looked at with each other. I have listed some of the big issues facing us below.
1. CO2 Emissions (Let's start here)
The interesting thing here that alot of people don't understand is that CO2 emissions have historically never been reduced. They continue to increase. Even now!! And most of the time what you are hearing on the TV is not political parties claiming to "decrease" CO2 emissions, but them claiming to "decrease the increase". However, if we don't actually decrease emissions soon, our planet is going to get hard to live on (see 2 below).
2. Global Warming
Scientists have a term "no point of return" with regard to global warming. At "no point of return" weather turns volatile and our planet would become unstable; floods, typhoons, storms, heat waves, cold snaps, etc. in extreme terms. Right now weather patterns are often strange compared to the past, but they are not volatile, nor unstable. The point of no return, is thought to be where earth's temperature increases by 2 degrees. Current scientific studies show that temperatures have increase by 0.70 so far, and at the current rate, we will reach a 2 degree increase in 2029. That is why we have to decrease CO2 emissions, because our planet will go nuts come 2030 if we don't do something now.
3. Energy
The world's energy is provided mainly by oil, coal, natural gas and nuclear power. While there is much debate, oil is a limited resource, and depending on who's research you look at we are going to run out of it between 2030 and 2050. Oil is what we are most dependent on; 30- 35% of the world's energy. When it runs out, it needs to be replaced by something. There is more than 200 years worth of coal left on the planet, but in order to turn it into energy, it increases CO2 emissions by 1.6 times. Natural gas is not dependable enough yet to fill the energy gap left by oil, so that leaves nuclear power. Right now in the world there are about 450 nuclear power plants. In order to cover the gap left by oil, an additional 2,000 will be required by 2030- 2050. Is that possible?
4. Water
We all take this for granted, but if we continue to use water like we do, it will run out. It takes hundreds of years to make good water, but we use it like maniacs. Nobody has found a way to "make water" yet, so if it does run out, we are stuffed. It is hard to calculate this one, but as 3rd world countries become more affluent, the worlds population will turn from "crop eaters" to "meat eaters". What is interesting is that there is a exponential increase in the amount of water you use when you change from a crop eater to a meat eater; the sooner the poor of the world get richer, the sooner our water reserves are in trouble. By 2030 the worlds population will probably have doubled again......
5. Precious Metals
If you care to look up all the parts that are contained in your mobile phone you will find that many precious metals are involved. By 2030, 10- 20 of the precious metals in your phone, will have been used up. Lithium needed for batteries won't exist any more. Right now there is no alternative to these metals, so some invention is going to be needed soon!
6. Biodiversity
I am an amateur on this one, but this is all about natures cycle and "natural balance". Human behaviour is irrational and is destroying the "balance" of natures cycle on earth. There is a limit to how much nature is going to absorb, before it's broken cycle retaliates.
There are other factors such a food production, food safety and population (all closely related), but I think the 6 points above give you the idea. This is what we are talking about when we talk about the "state of the environment", and as you can see from above, the year 2030 is sticking out as perhaps a very important point in the future. That gives us 20 years to do something.
IF WE DON'T MOVE SOON, WE ARE GOING TO LEAVE A MESS FOR OUR KIDS!
