Finally USA Takes Notice on Global Warming
Finally, somebody in the USA government is doing something about emission controls. New York joins California to set regulations to cut automotive emission of green house gases. I am so glad that the world is not blind to the obvious signs of deteoriating conditions.
Yesterday's Straits Times reported scientists have dug out ice columns in the Antartica from 650,000 years ago. Study of gases trapped in the ice columns shows that our CO2 level in the atmosphere now is 25% more than that of 650,000 years ago. At the same time, the number of hurricanes in the Atlantic continues to hit all time record high.
What can I do about this? No much; I try to take public transport when I can, instead of riding my bike; but how much help is that? Only when everyone realises the consequences at stake and take a collective effort, can there be hope.
Have you heard of the story of boilling a frog in a pot of water? If you throw a frog into a pot of boiling water, it will jump out. However, if you put the frog in a pot of cool water, and slowly heat the water to boil, the frog will just remain in the comfort of the warm water. Until it realise the danger, it would be too late for the frog, and it will get cooked in the boiling water.
Our current situation is just like the frog in the heating water. The majority just do not see the urgency of the issue at hand, and continues buying cars, SUVs, burning fuels. Burn, burn, burn.... Slowly but surely heating the atmosphere and 'boiling' themselves in the process.
What will it take for people to understand and have them 'jump out of the boiling water'? Will it be too late by the time they realise?
Yesterday's Straits Times reported scientists have dug out ice columns in the Antartica from 650,000 years ago. Study of gases trapped in the ice columns shows that our CO2 level in the atmosphere now is 25% more than that of 650,000 years ago. At the same time, the number of hurricanes in the Atlantic continues to hit all time record high.
What can I do about this? No much; I try to take public transport when I can, instead of riding my bike; but how much help is that? Only when everyone realises the consequences at stake and take a collective effort, can there be hope.
Have you heard of the story of boilling a frog in a pot of water? If you throw a frog into a pot of boiling water, it will jump out. However, if you put the frog in a pot of cool water, and slowly heat the water to boil, the frog will just remain in the comfort of the warm water. Until it realise the danger, it would be too late for the frog, and it will get cooked in the boiling water.
Our current situation is just like the frog in the heating water. The majority just do not see the urgency of the issue at hand, and continues buying cars, SUVs, burning fuels. Burn, burn, burn.... Slowly but surely heating the atmosphere and 'boiling' themselves in the process.
What will it take for people to understand and have them 'jump out of the boiling water'? Will it be too late by the time they realise?
posted by Cyrus at 4:54 PM
3 Comments:
I think very few will actually bother to take note until the day another substance superior to fossil oil in terms of power output and price is in place.
Hi Ice,
Yes. I agree with you. Sadly, that's just human nature. Hopefully, they find this alternative before we become 'cooked frogs'.
True, George Bush didn't sign up for the Kyoto Protocol. The days are getting hotter. And the weather swings from treetop to topsoil like Tarzan on steriods.
The frog story is apt too. But rather, dark.
Sure we aren't feeling the heat. Maybe someone is blowing down the flame?
156 countries took up the Protocol. Countries in Europe, Russia, Japan and many others. Pity though, USA is not leading the charge.
Look at it this way: The others signed up even though USA did not. Screw big brother.
And what about big businesses? Toyota is chasing the Hybrid car. Petrol companies are pushing hydrogen up the fuel food chain. Hell, there's always air-conditioning.
How about you and me? What can we do?
Not a lot. Global warming is a macro-level problem. The best we can do is press the people on top.
There is no clean solution to this. It will be long and messy. But if you enter the fight, arm yourself with hope. Enough of the doomsday predictions. Tell us more about the points we scored that paved the road to the grand victory.
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