Welcome to Gaia! ::

It's not about the planet or life surviving, those will go on no matter what. No, the important thing is how we're making the planet unliveable for OURSELVES. Lung cancer, skin cancer, and various other environmentally-induced illnesses are higher than ever, and the role global warming is having on our climates all over the world is frightening to say the least.

Life will always find a way, humans will not.

I saw an Inconvient Truth! It scared me. There is a lot of environmental changes that I feel are a result of global warming and we need to do something about it. Even if you dont believe its true it would be nice to do the things that would decrease the amount of Carbon Dioxide because it can benefit society too.

The global warming you are referring too is part of the natural changes and cycles you were talking about earlier, not affected by the rapid output of carbon dioxide caused by human industry.

I would just like to state how Global Warming is effecting the climate in New Zealand.

It is not getting warmer, it is getting colder!

This year Wellington (the capital of NZ) recorded the coldest December (which is summer as this is the Southern hemisphere) since records began 70 years ago.

But how can global warming be causing it to be colder you may ask.

Well it's like this, global warming is causing Antartica to melt. Antartica is not that far South of New Zealand. very recently a huge icebergs broke of Antartica and started to make there way towards New Zealand. They will never reach New Zealand but they are causing an el nino weather pattern in New Zealand. We are getting more Southerlies then usual for this time of year, and those Southerlies and cold for the time of year it is. So instead of us all walking around in short shorts and sleveless tops we are going around in several layers of winter clothing.

I have watched "An Inconvient Truth", and other movies called "The Oil Crash","The End of Suburbia" and "Who killed the Electric Car"
The thing that angers me the most is that people started saying these things in the 70's (and some even earlier) since the 70's people have been saying we need to use less oil, oil production is going to peak, CO2 levels have been rising etc etc etc

But only know people are beginning to listen, and it is our generation who have to face the consequences.

It is certainly a scary thought, but if you don't think about it, how will is get fixed?

"Evil only triumphs when the good do nothing"

I have just read all your debates in this thread, and I have decided I want to make several posts on different issues you have brought up.

First THE OZONE HOLE
Now it is debatable as to whether the ozone hole has had any effect on global warming, but it is a good example on how we humans have stuffed up the earth’s natural ecology and how the effects can continue on far after a solution has been reached.
The ozone hole was caused by the release of harmful chemicals called CFC’s into the atmosphere. These chemicals were being produced by factories manufacturing things such as polystyrene cups and air fresheners just to list a few. Once the scientific evidence came out to show the effects these chemicals were having on the ozone layer (and having vial effects on the environment), legislation came out to prevent more of these chemicals from being released into the environment. This forced companies to find alternatives ways to make these products and that they did. This all happened in the seventies.
The ozone hole has not gone away. Sure, it is no longer getting bigger, and some evidence points to the fact that it appears to be repairing itself, but it will still take something like a hundred years to completely repair itself.
And so how is the ozone layer affecting us today. Well, it might not be affecting you much at all, but it is affecting me very much. While many of you have talked about the ozone layer, none of you has actually said where it is. The ozone hole is over the continent of Antarctica (which has no trees on it by the way SlaveToKarma). As I stated in my earlier post, I am from New Zealand and New Zealand is very close to Antarctica. New Zealand is one of the countries underneath the ozone hole. The ozone hole lets in harmful UV rays that are usually blocked by the sun. UV rays cause skin cancer, the worst type melanoma can kill. It should therefore not be surprising to find out that New Zealand has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world.
Now for the girl that argued that the increase in skin cancer is caused by Speedos and bikinis, yes I agree that is a factor. But I do not believe that in New Zealand we wear Speedos and bikinis that much more often then our American and British counterparts.
Every year 200 New Zealanders die from the skin cancer melanoma. Taking population differences into account that is the equivalent of an estimated 15,000 citizens of the United States dying every year or 40 citizens dying a day.
On a more personal level, my mother has several scars on her face from where they have had to cut out skin cancers. My Uncle (Aunties husband) had to have a skin cancer removed that was so close to his eyes it could have blinded him. His father has had several skin cancers removed. One of my mothers close friends father died of Melanoma and her daughter recently had a skin cancer cut out of her leg. Most tragic of all my friends mother was diagnosed with Melanoma about three years ago. The treatment failed and at the end of last year she died.
The ozone hole is such a big factor I New Zealand that I can not tell you who most of my sources are. Much of the knowledge stated above was what I was taught at primary school. Everyone in New Zealand now wears sunscreen and sunhats in order to protect ourselves from the sun. Foreigners are amazed at how easy it is to get sunburnt in New Zealand.

Don't worry about post length, if you want some novels you should check out the beliefs thread. rolleyes