Earth Changes
Earth changes will always be... the choice of how you choose to experience it all is your gift.
Will it be a Earth heaven... or the hells of miscreation?
Only you can bring all back into harmony and choose to love where others choose suffering and spitefulness.
Jean Hudon
Earth Rainbow Network Coordinator
By Christopher Doering, Reuters
WASHINGTON -- The consumption of forests, energy, and land by humans is
exceeding the rate at which Earth can replenish itself, according to
research published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The study, conducted by California-based Redefining Progress, a nonprofit
group concerned with environmental conservation and its economics, warned
that a failure to rein in humanity's overuse of natural resources could
send the planet into "ecological bankruptcy."
Earth's resources "are like a pile of money anyone can grab while they all
close their eyes, but then it's gone," said Mathis Wackernagel, lead author
of the study and a program director at Redefining Progress.
Scientists said humanity's demand for resources had soared during the past
40 years to a level where it would take the planet 1.2 years to regenerate
what people remove each year. The impact by humans on the environment had
inched higher since 1961 when public demand was 70 percent of the planet's
regenerative capacity, the study showed. "If we don't live within the
budget of nature, sustainability becomes futile," Wackernagel said.
The study, which details the population's impact on the Earth with a
quantitative number, measured the "ecological footprint" of human
activities such as marine fishing, harvesting timber, building
infrastructure, and burning fossil fuel that emits carbon dioxide (CO2)
into the atmosphere. Researchers then used government data and various
estimates to determine how much land would be required to meet human demand
for those actions.
For example, Wackernagel and his team found that in 1999, each person
consumed an average of 5.7 acres. The global average was significantly
lower than industrialized countries such as the United States and the
United Kingdom, where 24 acres and 13.3 acres, respectively, were consumed
per person.
'ECOLOGICAL BANKRUPTCY'
In order to develop a formula that measured humanity's consumption with the
Earth's regenerative capacity, the researchers were forced to reach several
assumptions and omit the use of some resources because of insufficient
data. The results, for example, excluded the impact of local freshwater use
and the release of solid, liquid, or gaseous pollutants other than CO2 into the environment.
Even though the findings revealed that human use of resources was far
outstripping Earth's supply, it stopped short of determining how long the
process could continue without detrimental consequences.
"Like any responsible business that keeps track of spending and income to
protect financial assets, we need ecological accounts to protect our
natural assets," Wackernagel said. "And if we don't ... we will prepare for
ecological bankruptcy."
Wackernagel said the study's results could be used to gauge the impact of
new technologies and how they affect the environment. The use of an alternative technology, such as one that produces renewable energy or
replaces natural biological processes, could allow society to live better
without increasing consumption, he said.
Governments could also determine the impact consumers and businesses were
having on depleting area resources and evaluate potential ways to reduce
consumption, Wackernagel said.
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The Eco-portal is the Internet's most comprehensive environmental resource
ever, linking and providing full text search capabilities for the entire
contents of over 3,000 reviewed Internet sites related to environmental
sustainability. The site tracks the latest environmental news stories which
are updated several times daily.
Major New Internet Portal Launched
http://www.EnvironmentalSustainability.info/
The Eco-portal is devoted to global ecological sustainability and
sustainable development. Ecosystem decline, economic disparities and failure to implement policies to achieve environmental sustainability are
the greatest threats ever to human security. The new site takes a holistic,
integrative approach - realizing that global ecological sustainability is
dependent upon progress in conserving air, land, oceans, water and other
ecosystems - while equitably meeting the economic needs of all the Earth's
peoples.
Glen Barry, President of Ecological Enterprises, further explains the
Eco-portal's rationale. "Noting dramatic declines in the World's forests,
fisheries, atmosphere and other ecosystems; it is clear the ecological
fabric of being is unraveling. Without a healthy environment, there can be
no economy, or even survival. Massive efforts by the World's citizens,
governments and corporations are required to establish policies adequate to
achieve global environmental sustainability. Such efforts must be based
upon equity, justice and sustainable development for all."
The Eco-Portal's unveiling is timed to coincide with the Earth Summit 2 in
Johannesburg in late August. The site demonstrates the need to commit to
both preserving the environment and to poverty eradication, providing valuable tools and information for doing so.
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The U.S., which represents 4% of the world population, emits 25% of the carbon dioxide
from fossil fuel, and we
are historically responsible for over 35% of greenhouse gasses presently
trapped in the atmosphere. As the impacts of our emissions become more
clear with time, our reputation may grow from pariah on climate policy to responsible party for the natural disasters that climate change will
entrain. Barring rapid action on our part, events like the submersion of 57% of Bangladesh in 1998 or last month's rapid breakup of Antarctic ice
may increasingly be linked to American energy policy, whether or not these
events are directly connected to climate change.
Global warming is happening right here, right now, and there is no shortage
of impacts on our own people. The elderly trapped in unprecedented urban
heat waves, America's arctic populations facing dwindling fish catches, and
farmers in the South and Southwest dependent on an increasingly volatile
climate are all paying the price of our delay and inaction. All told, the
United Nations Environment Program calculates the worldwide cost of
inaction at $300 billion per year, as coastal property disappears,
buildings are damaged, and species' habitats are irrevocably altered. These
are costs we will now pass on to our children, our children's children, and
the world for generations to come. The President's reversal on climate is
the gift to the fossil fuel industry that keeps on taking from the rest of us.
It is a testament to our democracy that, despite their millions in
contributions, the energy industry still faces significant legal and
political hurdles to getting their way on many other fronts. With its
inaction on climate change the Bush administration has scored a windfall
for an industry with enormous clout. Unfortunately, it has also laid the
groundwork for a human and environmental tragedy of unprecedented
proportion.
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As huge wildfires destroy vast tracks of forest in the U.S. Midwest and
severe droughts affect several African countries threatening millions of
people with starvation and death, notably in Ethiopia and Zimbabwe, extreme floods have recently devastated several parts of the world, mainly in
China, in the south of Russia, and in some U.S. states. Although some of these problems are man-made either because of bad policies and
short-sighted planning and deforestation, it seems that Nature is
increasingly showing signs of imbalance in its global weather patterns, a
problem which may in large part be attributed to global warming. This
imbalance may also be a reflection of the lack of harmony of most humans
with Nature, a situation exacerbated by a lifestyle that has cut many of us from our natural roots and which encourages us to consume natural resources
at an unsustainable rate. As many of us enjoy outdoor activities in this
summer season (in the northern hemisphere), it may be appropriate to spend
some time reflecting on how we may find a better balance with Mother Earth
and foster positive changes around us so as to gradually improve this
situation. We may also act as catalysts through our prayers and meditations
to help inspire a global awakening to our indissociable unity with Nature
and the urgent need to cherish and protect all aspects of Nature as well as
nurture our environment back to its perfect original balance.
Please dedicate your prayers and meditations, as guided by Spirit, in the
coming two weeks - and during this whole season - to contribute in bringing
us all back in harmony with Nature. Envision an opening of the hearts to
the sacredness of all forms of Life and the blossoming of an awareness that
cherish the unique beauty of Nature in all its multitudinous forms.
Reconnecting with Nature at the deepest levels, we will then collectively
assist our beloved living planet in rebalancing its weather patterns so as
to benefit the regions that need rain and avoid flooding again those that
already received too much of it. May we thus be instrumental in bringing
balance and Harmony on Earth, for the Highest Good of All.
In God’s Own Words ~ The Book
~ & ~The Teachings~
Published by Christ Consciousness Publications, Inc.
InGodsOwnWords@aol.com
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www.ChristConsciousnessPub.com
