Australian PM warned over 'hell to highwater state'

last summer I rode my bike everyday to work 9 miles each way. This summer I plan to do the same. During the rest of the year I live close enough to Kent campus and my work that I always walk or better yet ride my bike. When I do drive of is on the weekends and I drive 55 mph, which by the way saves as much as 20% of your fuel consumption.

last summer I rode my bike everyday to work 9 miles each way. This summer I plan to do the same. During the rest of the year I live close enough to Kent campus and my work that I always walk or better yet ride my bike. When I do drive of is on the weekends and I drive 55 mph, which by the way saves as much as 20% of your fuel consumption.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle needs to become the mantra for all of us NOW. We're all part of this global problem concerning climate change, so it gives us all an opportunity to help with the solution. Using our resources more wisely not only conserves them but also saves money & lowers our carbon footprint. Consciously using less water & electricity is a good way to start to develop an awareness & confidence that each of us is capable of tackling what might seem like an overwhelming problem.

Combine errands & carpool whenever possible. Walk or ride a bike instead of using your car every time you go out if it’s a realistic option. At a bare minimum, almost everybody is capable of recycling now that communities across the country have figured out that this act alone can help balance town budgets that grow tighter each year. Soon you'll be saying NO to plastic bags when you’re shopping when you realize how easy it is to reuse the larger ones made from recycled plastic bags you’ve only used once. Once you go green, the lifestyle itself can be very rewarding.

I will be sure to visit your site and send what I can afford to help the victims. Thank you so much for the work you do to bring awareness of this to others.

And you are so right about government working with old targets. There isn't anyone in the White House who has deviated from the 80% by 2050 line yet, and as this world stands now it isn't good enough. They need to come into the present in order to see the future.

So in answer to the question posed.
My response is to keep doing what I have been doing – working hard to wake people up. The Greenhouse Neutral Foundation’s voice will not be silenced. But the voice to change policy needs to come from those who are asleep, unaware, are apathetic, or ill-informed. The mother who lives next door. The father who thinks that working hard to get things, to amass wealth for his family will ensure a healthy and happy future. Should they realise that all this is inevitably pointless unless they demand tough policy on climate change; my hope is they would / will demand this action.
So every day I will struggle on.
If you visit the Greenhouse Neutral web site at http://www.greenhouseneutral.net you will clearly see my vision for this and coming years.

My job today?
The Foundation is now – today and until the end of February taking donations for the fire ravaged community and victims in Victoria. Can you spare a dollar? Visit the site and think about it.
The Foundation is also donating all royalties from the sale of the book until the end of February to these victims. The books message is strong, it will wake those mentioned above. So I will work this year relentlessly day by day.

For the last decade, I have struggled to have the voice of reason heard. We were told in 1992 by the Union of Concerned Scientists that the world had but a decade or two to change course. A decade and a half later, time is running out.
In early 2007 when I wrote my book the highly respected James Hansen of NASA told policy makers that he believed we would pass the point of no return and catastrophic climate change at 450ppm. A year on and he is now revised his opinion to 350ppm.
Is best available science (the Science community) keeping up? Our policy makers are making climate policy decisions on old science when all they need do is insert a little logic.

From the book:- From whichever standpoint we enter the scientific, social, political, or environmental debate as to the levels needed to tip the balance between liveable and unliveable, were it to be at 400ppm, 450ppm or 500ppm, whether we add to the current total by our collective actions by 28 billion tonnes per year, 10 billion tonnes per year, or even 5 billion tonnes per year, we WILL ultimately and inevitably reach the level that causes our collective extinction.
Whether we lobby as environmentalists for tougher actions by government and industry and assert that reductions are needed, whether we ask this country or that to take the lead and by how much, we are indeed diverting our actions to achieve one thing and one thing only: to delay the inevitable. Only a reduction to ZERO may allow us to survive, and even that, according to some, may not be enough to save us. Whichever model is correct, whichever expert we choose to agree or disagree with, frankly who cares which proves correct? Time will inevitably prove what level was the point of no return. And whether that is in one year, in ten years, or in one hundred years, it will inevitably be reached. We will then be able to say, “So that was the point where we went too far.” That was the point where our choices were not ours to make any longer. That point is inevitable.
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I read Current is going to be starting a "green" channel here. Doesn't look like it will be very popular based on responses to environmental posts here. Hope I'm wrong, but It seems that if you don't post about 'bongs,' sex, religion or sensationalistic 'news' you don't get too far here of late. And if you dare state that opinion you get reemed for it by the Current board police. Sigh.

I'll add this Onechance: I love you too. You are a great example for the younger generation as is my son. And I will also add this: I am going to be UNRELENTING in calling and writing the Obama White House regarding climate change and food policy. I am going to write to state and local govts as well on these topics. And I am going to continue to walk as lightly on this planet as I have for the last twenty plus years and continue to spread information about solar energy and its viability in antithesis to the toxic destructive effects of coal.

POLITICIANS NEED TO FEEL THE HEAT NOW.
Pun absolutely intended. ;-).

I'm doing something alright, LOTS of things.

-I'm writing politicians to DEMAND real change in a big, green way.

-Speaking of the future children will inherit, I'm doing something else, I'm NOT HAVING CHILDREN, but am doing my best to live clean for other ppl's children, and will possibly adopt, like I adopted (rescued) my puppy...(there are already WAY TOO MANY PPL ON THE PLANET)

-I'm bringing reusable bags to the store EVERY TIME, EVERY STORE.

-I'm driving less, riding the bike more

-I'm NOT USING PALM OIL PRODUCTS!!!!!

-I'm speaking out about any and all environmental violations from industrial pollution to the kid who lazily throws his candy wrapper on the ground

-I'm STILL VEGETARIAN AND WILL ALWAYS BE!!

-I'm getting my teaching credential so I can TEACH GREEN to tons of kids who would otherwise never know how to think and live sustainably.

-There's so much more, but I'm busy.

Please add to my list people. GREAT POST JAN, AS ALWAYS.

LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

From the article:

The Rudd Government must call an urgent science summit in Canberra to discuss links between climate change and extreme weather events across Australia, a leading scientist says.

Australian National University climate scientist Andrew Glikson has written to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, urging him to consider new research that shows the rate of global warming is rapidly accelerating.

''It seems science has not been moving as fast as the rate of climate change, and much of the information on which the Rudd Government has made its decisions has been superseded.

''They need to catch up.

''They need to update their policies.''

The new research findings confirmed Australia's greenhouse emission reduction targets of 5 to 15 per cent were ''totally inadequate and outdated,'' Dr Glikson said.

A number of recent studies, including reports by CSIRO atmospheric scientists, show carbon and methane emissions are rising faster than expected and existing greenhouse reduction targets may not be sufficient to prevent a ''catastrophic'' rise in the average temperatures across the globe.

''Unless simultaneous efforts are made to sharply cut carbon emissions and develop the technology for down-draw of atmospheric carbon dioxide, the future of our young and future generations looks grim,'' DrGlikson said

His email to the Prime Minister, urging Mr Rudd to take a stronger leadership stance on climate change, coincides with warnings by scientists preparing to attend next month's global climate science summit in Copenhagen.

Katherine Richardson, a marine biologist at the University of Copenhagen, has said the world's political leaders are being too timid and ''wishy-washy'' in addressing climate change.

A key issue to be discussed at the summit is whether it is still possible to limit the average global temperature rise to 2 degrees Celsius a level which the European Union has defined as ''dangerous climate change''.

Dr Glikson said current atmospheric carbon dioxide levels had reached 387 parts per million and ''are already in the danger zone''.

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