Alert: Planned Site Outage Tonight: Tue. July 28th, 9pm-Midnight PST
my care2
make a difference

community

shares

share your passions, stories, inspirations, and more

May 12, 2008

DM_350_NP_CIMG3237.jpg



CO2 levels have reached record highs. According to data published by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere now stands at 387 parts per million (ppm). This represents a 35 to 45 per cent increase compared to pre-industrial revolution levels, which are believed to have remained steady at between 260-280 ppm for the preceding ten thousand years.

 

 

This news comes hot on the heels of a report by top NASA climatologist James Hansen, which calls for target CO2 levels to be reduced to 350 ppm in order to avoid the "possibility of seeding irreversible catastrophic effects." The European Union currently has a target ceiling of 550 ppm, which is the world’s most stringent. Hansen, who has repeatedly accused the Kyoto-bashing Bush administration of trying to silence and censor him, fears that unless we take immediate and drastic action, global warming may accelerate at a far higher rate than expected, and life as we know it could end. 

 

 

He theorizes that a mechanism known as "fast-feedback" will mean that radiation reflecting polar ice caps will melt rapidly, and not gradually as previous models have shown, once a 2-3 degree temperature tipping point is reached. As the ice melts, it will raise ocean levels, meaning that even more of the planet will be covered by heat-retaining water, exacerbating the cycle of global warming.

 

 

In the conclusion of a paper submitted to Science magazine last month, Hansen warns that, "If humanity wishes to preserve a planet similar to that on which civilization developed and to which life on Earth is adapted, paleoclimate evidence and ongoing climate change suggest that CO2 will need to be reduced from its current 385 ppm to at most 350 ppm." 

 

 

In order to publicize the 350 ppm bar that Hansen has set, Middlebury College scholar and author Bill McKibben co-founded Project 350. McKibben calls 350 "the red line for human beings" and "the most important number on the planet." 

 

 

"Everyone on earth, from the smallest village to the cushiest corner office, needs to know what 350 means," says McKibben. "The movement to spread that number needs to be beautiful, creative, and unstoppable."

 

 

For more information on the number that will mark our salvation or our doom, go to: www.350.org. To find out how you can become part of the solution, go to: www.wecansolveit.org.

 

 

www.dailymantra.com

Visibility: Everyone
Posted: Monday May 12, 2008, 4:50 pm
Tags: [add/edit tags]

Group Discussions start a discussion
Comments
Or, log in with your
Facebook account:
Compose your comment and submit:




Author

Daily Mantra
Author Tools:
Compose New Share
female, age 40,
Los Angeles, CA, USA
DAILY'S SHARES
May
28
(0 comments  |  discussions )
    Robert F. Kennedy talks eloquently about how the media has failed democracy (click HERE to view video). But has an apathetic democracy also failed the media, by consistently undervaluing it and failing to protect it? I guess it's a...
(0 comments  |  discussions )
According to information just released by the California Environmental Protection Agency's Air Resources Board (ARB) up to 24,000 deaths a year may be attributed to particulate pollution. The figure is triple that of previous official estimates....
May
27
(0 comments  |  discussions )
According to information just released by the California Environmental Protection Agency's Air Resources Board (ARB) up to 24,000 deaths a year may be attributed to particulate pollution. The figure is triple that of previous official estimates....
(0 comments  |  discussions )
Alaska's Republican state governor, Sarah Palin, has announced plans to fight the Bush administration on its decision to place polar bears on the endangered species list. Palin is challenging conservation and environmental data, and sights concern...


SHARES FROM DAILY'S NETWORK
Apr
1
(3 comments  |  discussions )
Sent out via E-Mail from Wal Mart Watch:First of all, let it be known that I'm Debbie Shank's son, and not some random dude putting in his two cents. That being said, here's the skinny...When we sued the trucking company, our lawyer told u...
Mar
31
(0 comments  |  discussions )
Debbie Shank was a Wal-Mart employee when she was left "brain damaged, disabled and penniless" from a car accident seven years ago. But after the Shank family received a settlement from the trucking company at fault, Wal-Mart demanded reimbu...
Mar
27
(0 comments  |  discussions )
http://www.care2.com/news /member/820934955/686388 I just don't understand how WalMart can justify this.  While the law may be on their side, where is their "we're a family" mentality that they supposedly show to their workers?&n...
Mar
26
(0 comments  |  discussions )
The Americans with Disabilities Act has been diluted and warped since its inception by too many lawsuits and various Department of Justice mandates.  Please visit this website to learn more about this vital piece of legislation that would give th...
Mar
21
(0 comments  |  discussions )
2 Great sites that have HUGE lists of Click-To-Give websites:http://www.freew ebs.com/clickforcharity/h ttp://www.freewebs.com/ka t74/freedonationsites.htm I just found these yesterday (3-20-08) and haven't had a chance to compare the lists for duplic...


MORE MEMBER BLOGS
Nov 10
Blog: Vitiligo,Vitiligo in USA, Anti-Leucoderma Herbal Treatment in USA by Vitiligo A.
(0 comments  |  discussions ) — Vitiligois a skin abnormality which result in white patches at any part of body.The  patches can appear due to dysfunctional melanin cells.This vitiligo skin disorder disease equally affects both sexes and peoples of all races without any disc... more
Blog: Birds sing after a storm - by Yvonne E.
(0 comments  |  discussions ) — why shouldn't we? more
Nov 9
Blog: Pasture born... by Rick H.
(0 comments  |  discussions ) — I went out to the farm early this morning, to help Mom and Dad bring the cattle home from the north pasture. We drove up in the truck with some grain to lure the cattle with. Most of the cattle came right away. Only one lame cow stayed back with her... more
Blog: Tungsten Wedding Bands and Tungsten Rings by Combizz C.
(0 comments  |  discussions ) — Tungsten Rings | Tungsten Wedding Bands more
Blog: How to bet on horse racing like the pros by Max B.
(0 comments  |  0 discussions ) —   They say horse racing is the sport of kings, but for some people, it's the sport of big racebook losses. The fact of the matter is that most people lose when they bet on horses. Why does this happen? It's because when these folks bet on horse... more
 
Content and comments expressed here are the opinions of Care2 users and not necessarily that of Care2.com or its affiliates.
Copyright © 2009 Care2.com, inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved