The Need for “Planet Protection Pioneer Leadership”
Global Warming and Climate Change (GWCC) is the most pressing issue for mankind today for the simple reason that our continued reliance on fossil fuels is a real and imminent threat to our very existence as a species on this beautiful planet.
Add to this the fact that the world’s Poor are affected earlier and more severely to the devastating impacts of global warming.
Included in the Poor are the 50% who live on less than $2 a day. Included are also another 30% who live on less than $10 a day. In other words, the Poor constitute the greatest majority of people on our planet.
Since the early 20th century, Earth's mean surface temperature has increased by about 0.8 °C (1.4 °F), with about two-thirds of the increase occurring since 1980.
Climate model projections indicate that during the 21st century the global surface temperature is likely to rise a further 1.1 to 2.9 °C (2.0 to 5.2 °F) in the lowest emissions scenario, and 2.4 to 6.4 °C (4.3 to 11.5 °F) in the highest (IPCC’s 2007 Fourth Assessment Report).
Future climate change and associated impacts will vary from region to region around the globe.
The effects of an increase in global temperature include a rise in sea levels and a change in the amount and pattern of precipitation, as well as a probable expansion of subtropical deserts. Warming is expected to be strongest in the Arctic, with the continuing retreat of glaciers, permafrost and sea ice.
Other likely effects of the warming include more frequent extreme weather events including heat waves, droughts and heavy rainfall; ocean acidification; and species extinctions due to shifting temperature regimes.
Effects significant to humans include the threat to food security from decreasing crop yields and the loss of habitat from inundation.
As the oceans and the atmosphere warm, the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere increases, providing fuel for more powerful storms.
In November 2013 the strongest tropical cyclone to make landfall ever recorded, Typhoon Haiyan, claimed thousands of lives and displaced 6 million people in the Philippines. In some areas 90% of structures were destroyed or damaged.
The most devastating impacts of extreme weather, in particular tropical cyclones, are concentrated in poor tropical and sub-tropical zones of the world. Extreme weather becomes a disaster when communities are unprepared or caught off guard.
Floods, storms, and wildfires have claimed an average of 27,000 lives every year over the past 20 years. Climate change is already estimated to contribute over 3,000 deaths to that toll each year. By 2030, climate change is projected to be responsible for over 7,000 such annual deaths if measures are not taken to reduce risks. The deadliest of these impacts today are floods.
As terrible as these disasters are, most of the victims of climate change are silently dying from health disorders.
Hurricane Katrina in 2005, caused more than 1,800 deaths and $81 billion in property damage.
Hurricane Maria in 2017, caused more than 2,900 deaths and more than $95 billion in property damage.
Sadly, a small group of vested and influential interests, who benefit from our continuing reliance on fossil fuels, have so far successfully delayed any meaningful action to mitigate or adapt to climate change.
These climate change deniers will continue to fight for their self-proclaimed right to profit by inflicting lasting and deadly damage to people and environment. Damage that is now threatening our very existence.
We need a movement of Planet Protection Pioneers Leaderships to counter the deniers and speak up, because the special interests of the few deniers are not aligned with the interests in survival of the great majority of people in this world.
The Planet Protection Pioneer Leadership Movement will do actions one day every 14 days on a Saturday, starting 2019.
If you want to join this Movement send us an email at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.