Once again, I was not sure where to begin this
season’s commentary; then I watched, NOVA’s ~ Dimming the Sun. Though not new, Global Dimming is yet another fact that was dismissed for too long. Now, with the newer and seemingly added revelation of Global Dimming, how much more
overwhelming can this subject matter get? Global Change isn’t the usual
topic of discussion as the grills are uncovered, wheeled out, scraped down and christened for yet another summer of family/neighborhood
bar-b-us,
See: NOVA ~ Dimming the Sun
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sun/about.html
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sun/
Though it can seem a little confusing, when you
take some time to listen and learn more about it, it all boils down to us. It’s
not a matter of our Sun diminishing; it’s simply the clear end-effect of the Greenhouse Affect and Global Warming. And, the unfortunate paradox of Global Dimming is--- if we were to successfully decrease and/or completely eliminate all smog and pollution [that directly affects
our health,] and still NOT address the greenhouse gases, we will end up speeding up the global warming by several degrees. So, it’s not just the Greenhouse Effect or even Global Warming that we need
address—it’s now the paradox of the Dimming of the Sun.
It’s not just a matter of the fact that
the earth IS heating up, it’s also a matter of it could be worse, because the unnatural cloud formations [Even I have
noticed there are times when the clouds ‘look different!’] are reflecting the heat of the sun back upward, meaning
the warming could/would be much worse.
It’s all too much out of our control? The leading scientists say, ‘it’s not.’ Not yet anyway. We can no longer wait to see. We may not have but ten more years before it becomes the Point of No Return.
What can we do?
None of us can sit by any longer and idly do nothing. We each have a responsibility
to do something: whether it is forking out the money for a more fuel efficient/alternative
resource car [Okay, I can’t afford a new ‘regular’ car! I live from paycheck to paycheck; So, I can’t work that one out.], or risk the
ones we already own and hook up with the nearest engine converter/pioneer and fuel up at the local restaurant.
Ted Kennedy stated recently, he was surprised
that the President hadn’t taken the opportunity to address the huge increase in gas prices, huge corporate profits,
and possible price gouging.
See: Meet the Press, 4-23-06 Transcript,
Days later, in the press, now the White House
is looking to do something—what that one-time, $100 rebate thing? And once
again, those They people are talking about exploring the reserves in ANWR ~ Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Still, they are NOT LISTENING. Leave the untapped oil fields alone— move on, toward the research for the alternative
solutions. Maybe the unprecedented quarterly oil profits could help provide the
funding.
"Global warming, together with the cutting and
burning of the forests and the destruction of other critical habitats, is causing the loss of living species at a rate comparable
to that of the extinction of the dinosaurs ... . Most scientists theorize that that event, by the way, was caused by a giant
asteroid colliding with the Earth. This time it is not an asteroid wreaking havoc; it is us."
~Al Gore, The
Moment of Truth, Vanity Fair, The Green Issue, May 2006
It’s not just auto emissions, though, that
need attention; it’s the vapor trails from jet planes and airliners that daily crisscross the sky and country and the
world, helping to create the dirty, manmade cloud formations that further pollute and dim the sun’s heat. How will the airline industry address alternative sources of energy?
For some reason, this administration does not
want to take the super-power initiative and address the crisis of global warming.
See US under fire as climate talks near end
Only very recent did it suggest an interest in
studying/looking for alternative forms of fuel. They already know how to make
tires that will last forever—but “they” wouldn’t let that happen.
How would that affect the industry—how many jobs would be at stake if you only ever had to buy one set of tires
for your car? Better to save the current industry and let the mountain of old
tires continue to pile up. At least they have found a few ways to recycle them:
roofing tiles; etc.
