The Earth Charter

Earth, Our Home

http://thespiritscience.net/2014/11/22/carl-sagan-puts-life-on-earth-in-perspective/

This is our home. We only get this one, so we must do everything in our power to sustain it. Our home is made up of so much diversity and uniqueness that we should take full advantage of it. The resources that we have are essential to living a life here, but the way in which we use those resources may change the direction that our life takes. Our goal should be to strive to live a life full of adventure, opportunities, and relationships, but be concerned with doing it in an ecologically friendly manner. Our home is beautiful and plentiful in all aspects. By recognizing this idea, we should be looking to preserve the beautiful state of our planet for future generations, so that they may flourish and live a life that we all have imagined.

The Challenges Ahead

http://www.esf.org/index.php?id=6198

Yes, our home is an awe striking place, but it is facing its challenges. The choice though is ours. What happens to this world’s environment is reflected upon how we live our lives. The global partnership is to “care for Earth and one another or risk the destruction of ourselves and the diversity of life.” Incorporating the proper education and life-long learning will promote living a sustainable, ecological life in hopes of those practices and ideas to be passed on from generation to generation.

Universal Responsibility

http://www.cwtsavvytraveler.com/2013/05/are-travelers-willing-to-go-green-on-the-road/

This section of the Earth Charter helped me to solidify my understanding that we are a part of more than just ourselves and our immediate surroundings. We are a part of a bigger picture than we can even imagine at times. Whether we realize it or not, things that we do here in America, in Fort Myers, can have an effect on someone else on the other side of the world. We are a linked together with a moral responsibility to take care of the universe that we inhabit. We when internalize that idea, all of humanity will be better off, not just environmentally but socially, economically, and politically. We must care for our communities with passionate love, and be willing to accept the rewards and repercussions that come along with our actions.

Plan B: Climate Change & the Energy Transition

Why is the Arctic warming almost twice as fast as the rest of the world?

http://guardianlv.com/2012/08/arctic-sea-ice-melt-will-polar-bears-survive-the-threat-of-melting-ice/

The warming in areas like the Arctic is causing major damages to the physical environment and those that inhabit it. According to Plan B, over the last half century winter temperatures have risen by 5-7 degrees Fahrenheit (Brown 2009 p. 61). Robert Corell, a chairman for the ACIA, says this region is “experiencing some of the most rapid and severe climate change on Earth.” The melting of the ice and ice sheets is causing rises in sea levels, and is harming the homes and food supplies of humans and animals alike. Polar bears and seals are just two of the many soon to be endangered species effected by this environmental change. Recent evidence has shown that the ice is not recovering like usual during the winter months. Therefore it continues to thin until it is gone completely.

Why do higher temperatures have such a negative effect on crop yields?

http://news.stanford.edu/news/2010/february15/lobell-aaas-climate-022010.html

When I first saw this topic brought up in the Plan B book, I was a little confused as to how warmer temperature effected crop yields. From my little knowledge about farming, I always thought that the warmer the weather, the more crops you were able to grow. Part of that mindset came from me spending my entire life in Florida where it stays relatively warm all year long. An aspect that I never thought about was that crops grow best in a stable climatic environment, not necessarily a warm environment. Although the elevated concentration of carbon dioxide that raise temperature can also raise crop yields, after a certain point the detrimental effect of higher temperatures on yields overrides the carbon dioxide fertilization effect for the crops (Brown 2009 p.69). A common thing I have said throughout my blog posts is that we need to find a balance. I think that applies here also.

What are atmospheric brown clouds?

http://www2.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=14629

Reading through the Plan B chapter on climate change was the first I had ever heard of the atmospheric brown clouds. They are made up of excess particles from burning substances such as coal and gasoline. These clouds are creating harmful effects on the climate. If the burning mannerisms are changed into something more environmentally friendly, such as solar power, these soot clouds will disappear. I think we need to prioritize in where our energy source comes from. We won't be able to get rid of fossil fuels completely, but we can reduce how much we use.

Sources:

Brown, L. (2009). Plan B 4.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company.