Global Challenges for Humanity

15 Global Challenges

1. How can sustainable development be achieved for all while addressing global climate change?
2. How can everyone have sufficient clean water without conflict?
3. How can population growth and resources be brought into balance?
4. How can genuine democracy emerge from authoritarian regimes?
5. How can decisionmaking be enhanced by integrating improved global foresight during unprecedented accelerating change?
6. How can the global convergence of information and communications technologies work for everyone?
7. How can ethical market economies be encouraged to help reduce the gap between rich and poor?
8. How can the threat of new and reemerging diseases and immune micro-organisms be reduced?
9. How can education make humanity more intelligent, knowledgeable, and wise enough to address its global challenges?
10. How can shared values and new security strategies reduce ethnic conflicts, terrorism, and the use of weapons of mass destruction?
11. How can the changing status of women help improve the human condition?
12. How can transnational organized crime networks be stopped from becoming more powerful and sophisticated global enterprises?
13. How can growing energy demands be met safely and efficiently?
14. How can scientific and technological breakthroughs be accelerated to improve the human condition?
15. How can ethical considerations become more routinely incorporated into global decisions?

Earth’s natural greenhouse effect

Earth’s temperature begins with the Sun. Roughly 30 percent of incoming sunlight is reflected back into space by bright surfaces like clouds and ice. Of the remaining 70 percent, most is absorbed by the land and ocean, and the rest is absorbed by the atmosphere. The absorbed solar energy heats our planet.

As the rocks, the air, and the seas warm, they radiate “heat” energy (thermal infrared radiation). From the surface, this energy travels into the atmosphere where much of it is absorbed by water vapor and long-lived greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane.

When they absorb the energy radiating from Earth’s surface, microscopic water or greenhouse gas molecules turn into tiny heaters— like the bricks in a fireplace, they radiate heat even after the fire goes out. They radiate in all directions. The energy that radiates back toward Earth heats both the lower atmosphere and the surface, enhancing the heating they get from direct sunlight.

This absorption and radiation of heat by the atmosphere—the natural greenhouse effect—is beneficial for life on Earth. If there were no greenhouse effect, the Earth’s average surface temperature would be a very chilly -18°C (0°F) instead of the comfortable 15°C (59°F) that it is today.

India should earn carbon credit

Global warming, a fearful thing in itself, can also create new business opportunities for the corporate world as they go about reducing greenhouse gas emissions and earning carbon credits.

But there's a hitch. Environmentalists and experts, who have converged here from various countries to attend a conference on global warming, said on Saturday that though India has a potential of earning $10 billion worth of carbon credits lack of information on this emerging sector is doing it in.

Global Warming In Need of Attention

I cannot understand how some people believe that humanity is not causing global warming, unless they have been fooled by somebody they trust. Every flame we humans light adds to the heat in the earth's atmosphere. And with billions of people lighting flames every day and every minute, there is a lot of heat going into the air that would not be added to our atmosphere if we humans were not here to light those flames.

A little closer to home, most people do not realize that as they drive their car down the road, what powers that motion is the energy generated by tens of thousands of little flames in the engine. Some of the heat that is not powering your vehicle, however, comes out the tail pipe into the air and even more is radiated into the atmosphere by the radiator or by the fins an air-cooled engine.

All of the heat I speak of here is manmade, and it comes from billions of seemingly small sources, but the numbers do add up - along with all the carbon we're adding to our atmosphere.

Considering this, how can any sentient human being deny that humans are adding to global warming, even if we are not the only cause?

Smaller, more fuel-efficient cars will warm the atmosphere slower and add less carbon to our atmosphere.

Is it possible global warming is a scam?

Isn't it funny that most of the media news weather reporting on television and in print about the early warming in the Midwest and East Coast, the winter storms in the Northwest and the recent tornado in Michigan have all completely failed to mention their all-time everlasting favorite cause - global warming?

This glaring gap in continuity, in not voicing their favorite cause, leads one to believe that some of those in the media may be becoming aware of the lack of scientific evidence proving human-caused global warming even exists.

Especially since atmospheric carbon dioxide has increased to a huge 0.0380 percent of our atmosphere but doesn't correlate with any increase in temperatures since world temperatures over the past decade have been leveling off or declining.

Could it be possible that this global warming thing may be a scam?

The Eagle's Eye: 10 Ways to Prevent Global Warming

‎Global warming is an enormous problem caused by us humans and affecting us and wildlife. But, there are a many ways you can help prevent it.

1: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle as much as you can! Doing this, you will make less piles of trash in your house.

2: Use less heat or air conditioning. If you put on the heat or air conditioner ALL the time, it will heat up the earth, causing the icebergs to melt faster.

3: Change your light bulbs to Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) bulbs. Even if it’s more expensive than the regular bulb, this one can help you save $30 from energy consumer bills; they use 2/3 less energy, and last up to 10 times longer. Furthermore, these light bulbs make 70% LESS heat, which helps the environment A LOT. And, for a bonus, these are recyclable!

4: Use your car less. What I mean is, instead of riding in your dad’s or mom’s car all day, try NOT using your car. If you and your friend are going to the same place, why not carpool? That way, you and your friend can arrive at the same time AND you’re helping the earth. Or, if you live close to your school, you can ride your bike or walk there. This form of exercise keeps your body and the earth happy.

5: Remember the “OFF” switch. When you aren’t watching the T.V., turn it off! When you aren’t in a room, turn the light off! Most of the time, we act like the OFF switch is invisible and we become energy hogs. But, that’s okay, because you can change your ways and remember to turn things off. This will save energy and cause fewer blackouts. Also, try to turn off the water while you’re not using it. This can lower your water bill.

6: There are never too many trees. I agree with myself. Trees are very resourceful. Every year, we cut down so many trees. Why not make a difference by planting LOTS of trees! Wherever you can!

7: Use reusable items. This will produce less junk. For example, instead of using a paper bag as your lunch box, why not get a reusable lunch box? Also, instead of a plastic water bottle, how about a reusable one?

8: Buy recycled paper. Doing this will save the amount of trees we humans chop down ever year!

9: Don’t think you have all the resources in the world. Draw or write on both sides of a paper. When using a tissue, use it until there is completely no more room. Be careful about how you use your resources.

10: Encourage others. Get your friends to help you do these things. Your uncles, aunts, cousins, teachers, SOMEONE! Remember, even a something little can make a big difference.

Global warming 'threat to nature's variety'

A third of all flora and fauna will become extinct if global warming continues unchecked, researchers warn.

Scientists say that the impact of climate change has been underestimated, and while species as a whole will survive, variations within them will die out.

The team, from the Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre in Frankfurt, says that by 2080 more than 80 per cent of genetic diversity within certain species will disappear.

Most models on the effects of climate change on flora and fauna focus on species as a whole, but diversity within a species has not been taken into account.

Dr Carsten Nowak investigated nine aquatic insect species in streams around central and northern Europe. If climate change progresses as predicted, they will be pushed back to a few small areas in Scandinavia and the Alps, a computer model suggests.

A rise of two degrees would see at least one species wiped out, and a rise of four degrees at least two. But because of the extinction of local populations, genetic diversity would be much more adversely affected, with as many as 84 per cent of genetic variants dying out by 2080.