2011: The year of forests for people – and people for the forests

2011   

International

 Year of Forests

Forests are important for a number of reasons - but today it’s their role in helping to prevent climate change that gets the most attention. Simply put, forests store nearly 300 billion tonnes of carbon in their living parts. This is roughly 40 times the annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from fossil fuels. Deforestation accounts for more climate pollution than all the world's cars, trucks, trains planes, and ships combined. 

In international negotiations, primarily at the UNFCCC talks, a  concept of reducing emissions from tropical deforestation and degradation aka “REDD” is being introduced. The concept is fairly simple: rich, developed countries will provide funding to help developing countries protect their forests and invest in clean, green development. In the process, the entire world benefits because forests and the ecosystems they form are beyond doubt essential for the survival of life on Earth

As they say:

"Only after the last tree has been cut down ... you will find that money cannot be eaten."

 Tropical forests are one of the greatest storehouse of nature's diversity on Earth, 98% of all land-based species of plants and animals view the forest as home. Forests regulate water flow and rainfall so we depend on them to grow our crops and food. Loss of a forest in one part of the world can have severe impacts in another part of the globe - scientists have found that loss of forest in Amazonia and Central Africa  may be responsible for shortening of monsoon season in the Indian sub-continent.

  So dont just sit there stand up for the forests that have stood for you since your ancestors started to breathe! 

SOS - SAVE OUR SOULS !!!!!

Hey buddy .. !!

 

wassup !!

Let me ask a question...

Where do you think you belong to??

USA??

Canada ??

India??

china??

EU?? ??

NO man NO, It`s no more about the nation now, it`s all about the planet, and we all belong to this b`ful n ,lively planet, we call " OUR MOTHER EARTH"..!!

So wat`s the BIG DEAL n wat`s the fuss all about??

The raw deal we are getin right now is that we have ruined the planet we live on, and It`s coming back for the revenge !!..

N if we don`t act soon we r goin to loose the battle against the maniac which is produced by our so called "INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT" !!

It`s getting worse day by day,, and we are running late !!

What`s with me ?? Is it really gonna effect me??

I really don't kno why you people cant see stuff goin around you !!

The island country of MALDIVES has started sinking due to an increase in sea level !!

within a couple of years most of the part of the country would be submerged including it`s capital !!

Most of the coastal towns like Chicago, Mumbai and even the island nation "Greenland" is under danger of goin underwater by another decade or so along with !!

The ice @ alps has started melting..

The " Gomukh " glacier from where The Ganga river originates is shrinking and the source of irrigation & drinking water is under threat for several million people, n not to mention the threat to the marine life being supported by that river..

so y`m i writing all this??

during my recent visit to the Gomukh glacier I came across the raw fact that the glacier (which was intact since the Himalaya originated) has melted around THREE MILES What it used to be !!

this literally shook me from inside..

All the empty space u can see in this pic was covered with rock solid ice just a couple of years back !!

Is it Real??

YES IT IS !!

n for all you non-believers here`s some exclusive data-

Average Global Temperature by Decade, 1880-2004
Decade	Average Temperature
	Degrees Celsius
1950-1959	13.98
1960-1969	13.94
1970-1979	14.01
1980-1989	14.26
1990-1999	14.40
2000-2009	14.94

as you can intercept from the data, earth`s getting hotter day by day!!

And may be to you an. inc of approx. '1' degree does`nt sound convincing but for your info it is the AVG. INCREASE (and that includes the winters too !!)

Still think i am joking??

Then ask the farmers in India why is the the monsoon behaving so unfriendly lately??

Ask the people who have lost their houses the cyclones which change their path due to change in pressure areas due to inc. in temperature. @ the west coast of North America !!

- Increase in number and severity of tropical storms and cyclones
- Flooding and erosion of agricultural plots. This damages crops and soils and decreases harvest
- Major shifts in ecosystems and decreasing biodiversity
- Evaporation of water supplies, causing drinking water scarcity
- Saltwater penetration of groundwater zones
- More extreme weather, causing hotter and drier summers and colder winters
- More contagious diseases because the environment is more positive for pathogens and some dangerous insects, such as the malaria mosquito

Although we cannot see all the possible effects, here is the list of some proven possible effects-

• Areas in the Northern Hemisphere, will dry out,
• greater occurrence of forest fires will take place. ,
• Most of the rain forests will be gone by the middle of the century and would be invaded by "man-made deserts"
• Evaporation rates will also increase and water circulation patterns will change.
• Decreased rainfall in some areas will result in increased rainfall in others.
• In some regions, river flow will be reduced or stopped all together completely.
• Other areas will experience sudden downpours that create massive floods.
• If the present arctic ice melting continues, the sea could rise as much as 2 meters by the middle of the next century.
• Large areas of coastal land would disappear
• Plants and other wildlife habitats might not have enough time to adjust to the rapidly changing climate and may EXTINCT .

WHAT ?? ARE YOU STILL WAITING FOR MORE TO COME??

Ok i got it, enough .. Now what could we do about it??

Now that`s what we should be concernd about in right now !!

The simplest mantra to save the planet the peopleis to "GO GREEN "

I`ll show you how..

You don't have to be a revolutionist for this just follow some simple steps

just watch your daily routine there are lot`s of things you can do !!

Protecting The Environment &Amp; Energy Savings

Our most innocent acts - driving a car, heating or cooling our homes – are deeply associated with global warming and climate change. But there are some ways of keeping our homes comfortable without costs.

Think Green

Be Green

Live Green

• Order Green products for your office, residence halls and courses. You can purchase Green paper, pens, electronics and a multitude of other items. These products are those that reduce waste, energy or chemical use.

Reduce Energy

Try to be as energy efficient as possible

• Use renewable sources of energy as far as possible..for eg. solar energy panels etc
• Make your home energy efficient by ensuring these things-

1. Avoid electric heater- consider more radical solutions involving high levels of home insulation, orradiant heating, or environmental choices like solar and geothermal heat pumps

2. Cooling Strategies Without Air-ConditionersThere are several  proven air-conditioning alternatives. Some are inexpensive and very  simple: awnings, venetian shades, blinds or draperies... (see Shading  devices), solar screens and reflective films (see Window  films), ceiling fans and whole-house fans (do not underestimate  them; see Fan basics), natural ventilation, evaporative coolers (in hot  dry-climates and temperate climates), roof cooling coating...

3. Qualified Windows And Doors

Old conventional windows and doors may account for over 25% of the heating and cooling  energy bills in a typical home

4. Indoor And Outdoor Lighting

Lighting is responsible for around 5 to 15% of residential power use - something that can be  reduced by 50% or more using proper indoor and outdoor lighting or through fluorescent lights  and lighting controls like dimmers and sensors.

Skylights

Roof skylights can provide daylighting, natural ventilation and views. But you also should take i nto account possible drawbacks, their different types, their energy-efficiency or their sizing.

5. If Just Half Of Our Homes Used Solar Water Heaters

If most of our homes used solar water heaters, CO2 emissions cuts would equal the emissions  of millions of car.. !!

With a little effort and investment in our homes we all can obtain substantial energy savings and lower energy bills with a smaller carbon footprint.

• Make sure your office computer, printer and copier is off at the end of the day.
• Set your computer to enter hibernate/sleep mode while your are away from your office or residence hall room for more than 30 minutes.
• Turn out the lights when you are away from your office.
• Use compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL) in your houses.
• Turn off powerstrips when not in use. Appliances use energy even when turned off if they are plugged in.
• If you are the last person to leave a classroom, turn off the light.

Reduce Waste

• Use the web and email to publish and distribute documents rather than printing copies.
• Use a coffee mug rather than styrofoam cups.
• Print double-sided.
• Take only the number of napkins you need when dining in the Food Court or Cafe.
• Recycle printer cartridges.
• Only print emails when necessary.
• Recycle as much as you can..
• Don`t dump in the landfills, act as per the best provisions available..

OK all that`s fine, but what can i do alone..?? it won`t make a difference anyway !!

Hey wake up man..

1+1 =11

so, 1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1= ....

Simple maths you see !!!!

still not convinced??

Watch this video-

It`s called "THE EARTH HOUR"

you can also watch this video at you tube click here

So, are you still waiting for the sky to fall ??

Act green act fast

act local act global..

Go spread the word..!!