Climate Change - Fact or Fiction?

Climate Change – Fact or Fiction?

For many people, the fact that the climate is changing is indisputable.  Just last week I was riding in a London black cab (not a very green mode of transportation but a luxury since I am currently  9 months pregnant!) and remarked to the cabbie how mild our London winter has been thus far – in the mid 40’s (7 degrees Celsius).  He responded that when he was a school boy in the mid-1950’s it snowed in London on a regular basis.  Last February, London experienced a “freak” snowstorm that shut the entire city down for the day and was considered anything but a “regular” occurrence!

Although most people agree that there is a change in our climate, when it comes to the reasons behind it, people disagree and debate the causes.  Much to my dismay, I have several family members who feel that the climate change is just part of a natural cycle of climate variation. There are many people that are skeptical about global warming/climate change and will point out that Al Gore’s movie, “An Inconvenient Truth” is filled with misinformation or disputed facts.  However, it is important to note that scientists agree that there is a 90% chance that the heat trapping pollution (CO2- your “carbon footprint”) has been the main factor behind the gradual warming of our planet since the 1950’s.

In the book, “A Good Life- the Guide to Ethical Living” – by Leo Hickman, it is explained that although the details are fiercely debated, there is now little doubt the among the world’s climatologists that the earth’s “carbon cycle” (the balanced cycle by which carbon is repeatedly emitted through, for example – forest fires, and then stored – by plant photosynthesis) has been affected by the CO2 humans emit.  It is estimated that every year humans emit 4 billion excess tons of CO2.   This excess concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere has been enough to tip the delicate balance, thus leading to the famous, “greenhouse effect” and an increase the average global temperatures.

In the early months of 2007 the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), currently the most respected body of climate experts in the world, published several landmark reports which stated that unless current emission trends are not just slowed, but reversed, global temperatures could rise by 4 degrees Celsius or 7 degrees Fahrenheit by 2050 and 6 degrees Celsius or 10 degrees Celsius by 2100.

When I consider these sobering facts, I feel that we can’t wait for governments to work together to make meaningful reductions in CO2 emissions. Each one of us must make their own individual effort to reduce greenhouse gases being emitted as a result of their lifestyle – meaning I will have to get out of the black cab and hit the pavement – for the planet, my soon to be born baby girl, and our future generations.

How can you reduce your carbon footprint?

There are many great sites that will help you calculate your carbon footprint/CO2 emissions and suggest ways to reduce it:

Calculate it:

http://www.mycarbonfootprint.eu/index.cfm?language=en http://whatsmycarbonfootprint.com/calculate.htm http://carboncalculator.direct.gov.uk/carboncalc/html/

Reduce it:

http://whatsmycarbonfootprint.com/reduce.htm

http://www.ecotivity.com/how-to-reduce-your-carbon-footprint-top-10-tips

http://www.zerocarbonfootprint.co.uk/carbon_footprint.htm

Best wishes for a healthy, happy and green 2010!

FAWCO Environment co-chairs

Kris Colluro-Smith & Anne van Oorschot-Warwick

P.S. Just to let you know, Kris is now the proud Mom of baby girl Sloane, who is happy to be a cotton-diaper baby!!