2010
Forum
5
World will end by 2060 unless we take action
J aimie L orenzini
The world will end
by 2060—unless critical
preventive action is
taken. The environment is
destabilizing due to human
activity and ecosystems are
collapsing. Within the next
four decades, the planet is
predicted to be in turmoil
from extreme weather
conditions.
The environment is
nearing a catastrophic
tipping point, according
to the United Nations and
the World Bank. It has been
confirmed that the climate
is changing so rapidly that
unless immediate action is
taken, people everywhere
will be faced with gross
food and water shortages.
It has also been noted
that even if humans •
worldwide stopped all
planet harming activity
today, that the plant will
still see 1/3 of its species
go extinct from global
warming.
"Worst case scenario, the
consensus among scientists
is a 30 percent loss," Jim
Hartmann, Environmental
Science teacher, said.
In a study done by
the United Kingdom's
Department of Energy, the
Copenhagen
Photo by Mark Poppert
A scenic patch of forest in Camassia. Trees absorb carbon dioxide,
lessening the impact of global wanning. Without the trees, the
temperature will rise more rapidly, making deforestation a global
crisis. The Copenhagen accord suggests nations reimburse, countries
that don't cut down their trees.
apocalyptic symptoms
of global warming. The
summit on climate change
was resolved on Dec. 19 by
e q u a to r w ill b e c o m e 4 °C
w a rm e r b y th e y e a r 2 0 6 0 , an
o ffe rin g a p ro p o sa l to cu t
c a rb o n e m issio n s g re a tly by
estimate placing the date 50
years earlier than all other
past predictions. It has been
reported that this shift at
the equator will cause mass
flooding, heat waves and
other weather extremes to
become the norm.
Delegates representing
192 sovereign countries
convened in Copenhagen,
Denmark to discuss what
action may be taken to
prevent the predicted
the year 2020.
Early stages of the
discussions were marked
by proposals attempting to
reduce carbon emissions
by 80 percent by 2050 and
limiting rising temperatures
to a 1.5°C fluctuation. These
proposals were abandoned
due to a nearly unanimous
lack of support from
developed countries.
The prevailing proposal
rested upon the United
States granting developing
countries $30 billion within
the proceeding three years,
limiting temperature
fluxuation to 2°C averages.
To protect trees that absorb
C 02, governments are
promising additional
money to countries that
reduce rates of deforestation
in their respective countries.
This proposal was
primarily supported by
the United States, China,
India, South Africa and
Brazil. Whether support of
this accord is unanimous
amongst the remaining
187 countries still
remains to be decided.
What is your opinion about students posting
photos of illegal actions on Facebook?
"I guess it's not too bad,
but if other people don't
. . IIP
*
v\
I Cameron Minson,
ll ilill
lilll
The environmental
anything incriminating,"
discussion itself had
Hartmann said.
drawn large support
Regardless of legitimacy
globally. The day before the
of the e-mails, the
conference ended, several
conference still delivered a
thousand activists arrived
proposal. Several countries,
in Denmark. They flooded
many in the European
the streets surrounding the
Union, voiced concern over
conference, attempting to
this agreement. A primary
urge delegate to pursue
grievance was founded
a more forceful proposal.
on the proposal not being
Local police were called
legally binding.
and detained roughly 1,000
According to Gordon
activists after a street rally
Brown, Prime Minister of
went awry.
Great Britain, the proposal
However, the
needs to become legally
Copenhagen talks were
binding quickly. Other
brought under scrutiny after government figures, such
a document labeled "Danish as the president of the
Text" was leaked to local
European Union, have
newspapers.
This document
The fa c ts on
shows favor
to developed
countries such as
the United States
•The equator w ill become 4°C
and the United
w arm er by the year 2 0 6 0
Kingdom, but
•1/3 o f species wilt go extinct
undermines
because o f climate change,
developing
even if w e take precautions
countries by
•Proposal reached in Copenh
demanding they
agen w ould grant $ 3 0 billion
meet strenuous
to developing countries and
requirements
limit tem perature fluctua
before receiving
tions to 2°C averages
any financial aid.
•Five countries (US, China, In
The
dia, South A fric a Brazil!
conference was
support proposal
further brought
♦187 countries still need to
into scrutiny
show whether they support
after a series
the proposal
of e-mail were
hacked from a
British server.
voiced similar beliefs.
These e-mails suggested
"The only way they'll
that environmentalists were do it is if there's massive
intentionally skewing data
pressure from the people,"
to make global warming
Hartmann said. "I'm not
appear more pressing than
sure if our governments
it may actually be.
are able to handle this.
"I didn't see
Congress is good at
preparing for the
next election...
not the next
generation."
freshman
"It's bad and they are
just asking to get into
trouble. There is no
point to putting things
like that on there."
—Sarita Hemmady,
sophomore
STUDENTS
speak out
"I think it is just asking
for trouble and nothing
good comes out of it."
—Christian Wilson,
junior
"Kids have the right to
express themselves the
way they like and if
they want to post things
like that let them deal
with the consequences."
—Jeff Bush,
senior