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Climate change & other environmental concerns

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The circle of life

Warning to humanity:

Over three decades ago, James Hansen, a  startled a U.S. Senate committee meeting in 1981 by saying that he was 99% certain that human activities were already warming the climate. Ironically, the speech was given during a stifling heat wave. He coauthored an article in Science during August of that year that begins:

"Atmospheric CO₂ increased from 280 to 300 parts per million in 1880 to 335 to 340 ppm in 1980, mainly due to burning of fossil fuels. Deforestation and changes in biosphere growth may also have contributed, but their net effect is probably limited in magnitude. The CO₂ abundance is expected to reach 600 ppm in the next century, even if growth of fossil fuel use is slow." ₁

On 1992-NOV-18, over 1,500 members of national, regional, and international science academies from 69 nations signed the World Scientists' Warning to Humanity. The introduction to the Warning states:

"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." ₂

Two decades have passed since this warning was issued. The earth's environment has further degenerated during that interval.

The public is becoming increasingly aware about threats to the environment. Air quality is degrading and contributing to the early deaths of tens of thousands of North Americans. Climate change appears to be an established fact. It is having repercussions in the number of high intensity hurricanes, violent storms, erratic weather, etc.

Why does this religious site discuss environmental concerns?

A topic like this might normally be considered a scientific matter, without a significant religious component. It might not be expected to appear on this web site. We have included it because environmental concerns and religion are linked in at least two ways:

Many religious conservatives deny that the problem exists or that it is serious. Some of this belief may be derived from the general distrust that many religious conservatives have towards science and scientists. Another source may be their belief that Jesus Christ will soon return to Earth and instantly correct any pollution problems. Thus, they feel that we need not pay attention to these matters today.

Morality has always been closely associated with religion. A case can be made that leaving a highly polluted world behind for future generations is a profoundly immoral act, to say nothing of the massive loss of life caused by environmental degradation.

About the main author of this section:

Vladimir F.J. Tomek (1922-) donated most of this series of essays because of his concern that "we are sleepwalking into an ecological disaster." He graduated from Charles' University in Prague as 'Doctor of natural science' (chemistry and physics) in 1947. After a most eventful life, he settled in Ireland in 1968. Now in retirement, he writes papers in the fields of religion and the environment.

Topics covered in this section:

• Information about the environment:
  • Pollution data and trends; species extinctions
  • Pollution contribution of land travel, air travel and food transportation
  • Degradation of forests, water & soil; resource consumption; waste problems
  • Some strong evidences for climate change, efforts to deny climate change, and apathy by the public
    
    
• Information about the life forms that make up the ecosphere:
  • Overview; land animals, fish, birds, plants, & water
  • Human activities: war, overpopulation, trade, economy, consumption, diet
  • Current status and outlook
    
    
• Our future:
  • Collapsed and collapsing cultures
  • Predictions, skepticism, victims, trends
  • Homo sapiens’s potential fatal flaw: an essay donated by Dave Wilson
    
    
• Religious activity:
  • The roles of organized religion in the environmental crisis << A big section
    
    
• Secular activity to preserve the environment
  • Groups that are actively involved in preserving the environment
  • Fighting global warming in the courts
    • The Environmental Protection Agency, global warming & the Supreme Court
  • Prospects in 2007 for Congressional harmony on the environment
    
    
• Media items:
  • News concerning global warming, environmental degradation, etc.
  • Links to websites involved in the environment and global warming
    

Useful references:

1. J. Hansen, et al., "Climate Impact of Increasing Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide," Science, 213, 957-966, doi:10.1126/science.213.4511.957, 1981-AUG-28, at: http://pubs.giss.nasa.gov/ This is a PDF file
2. "World scientists' warning to humanity," Union of Concerned Scientists, 1992-NOV-18, at: http://www.ucsusa.org/
3. "Publications," Union of Concerned Scientists, at: http://www.ucsusa.org/
4. The Plurality Calendar is a resource of information about cultural and ecological celebratory times as well as religious/spiritual holidays and national/global events. See: http://www.festaviva.ca
5. Uniblue Research Labs has produced a beta version of a LocalCooling program to help you save energy consumed by your computer. See: http://www.localcooling.com
6. Become a biter! Ideal Bite "offers bite-sized ideas for light green living." You can sign up to receive free easy eco-living tips delivered in a short, sassy email each weekday. See: http://www.idealbite.com/
7.  The Ecological Science Research Institute is a facility dedicated solely to the study and research of ecological sustainability goals and commitments of products and services in the area of Climate Protection; Preservation of Biodiversity; Preservation of Air and Water as well as; Prevention and Management of Waste. See: http://ecological.science.mma.edu.ph/

Available books:

A search of Amazon.com's data base for "climate change" returned the following books. If you receive a generic Amazon ad below, please click on your browser's refresh key.

A search of Amazon.com's data base for "global warming" returned the following books. If you receive a generic Amazon ad below, please click on your browser's refresh key.

Reference used:

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Copyright © 2006 to 2012 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Originally posted: 2006-JUL-02
Latest update: 2012-MAR-11
Author: B.A. Robinson

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