Hell on Earth one day - Christmas the next. Is the Planet done?

The Earth has been exploited and abused by Humans over the past two centuries and especially over the past 70 years. It is fighting back now, trying to rid it self of the Parasite called Human. 

Great story, thanks for posting it!

Indeed the Earth has been exploited an abused, the more because of the silly policies undertaken by most of policymakers:

If we do need to do something serious about carbon CO2 and N20 gasses that most likely contributed to these, the sequestration of carbon after it's burned is the one approach that accepts the growth of carbon emissions as an inescapable fact of the twenty-first century. And it's the one approach that the rest of the world can embrace, too, here and now, because it begins with improving land use, which can lead directly and quickly to greater prosperity. If, on the other hand, we persist in building green bridges to nowhere, we will make things worse, not better. Good intentions aren't enough. Turned into ineffectual action, they can cost the earth and accelerate its ruin at the same time.

In response to albertacowpoke, the greatest threat to mankind are ourselves. We have everything bestowed upon us to make signisficant changes in how we live our lives. We can live of clean, sustianable energy - but we are not. Though, much of this is due government regulations preventing major companies activly pursuing energies such as solar, wind, tidal, and wave energies. Though, thankful it seems things are changing. And that is great. But it will take time.

The same can be said about what we eat. We have the ability to change our diets, and improve our situiation on the planet. It beame very prevelant in 2006 when the United Nations published an article called 'Livestocks Longshadow' - in it, leading scientist report that the llivestock industry is the leading cause of global warming, contributing to 18% (that was back then, this figure today could be larger).

http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2006/1000448/index.html

It comments on how it is the whole process of factory farmed animals that lead to the massive carbon output.

The best thing we can do is to just stop eating meat. Even if it is just one meal a week or one day a week. Your contribution in saving our planet would be a lot more than not driving your car for a year. The implications would be amazing.

Thank you all for such beauitful comments and support. I sincerly appreciate everyone taking the time in reaidng the article, and formulating fascinating discussions. I feel very humbled just to be apart of it.

Thank you once again.

You are right LilHoody, indeed solar, wind, tidal, and wave energies are the cleanest, however it is almost impossible to use those exclusively. Just to give you an example:

Meeting New York City's total energy demand would require 13,000 windmills 50 stories high skyscrapers spinning at top speed, which would require scattering about 50,000 of them across the state, to make sure that you always hit enough windy spots. Looks not too nice! But there are other alternatives shortly to be published under Biofuel or Biofool.

Thank you for this alarming story Lilhoody.  It is amazing that many people can still make up every excuse under the sun to ensure that they do not have to make any adjustments to their own life to save this beautiful Earth.  As you said, it is fact that the livestock industry is a leading contributor to global warming and all of these sudden natural disasters.  If we don't choose to change now, then it seems we will be forced to lead a more simple, natural life in years to come.  If we, and the planet, can survive that long. 

One meat-free day each week can make an enormous difference and is a great start. 

I agree with your comment Uwe, but I still don.t make the connection to meat.  There is no doubt that generating energy with coal, our love affair with the automobile and addiction to oil coupled with the emerging economies in India and China contribute to the overall pollution of the planet. 

Lilhoody, you have great photos with this article.  Please explain the connection to meat.  Weren.t many of those fires also caused by arsenists?

Not sure that the diet is the problem.  I think it may be the large corporate farming practices that are the problem.  All animals in my area are pasture fed, with good rotation of pastures.  It is in the interest of family farms to maintain their environment.

I can see your point with the large feedlots, when you see miles and miles of cows.  The other aspect is tilling, seeding and harvesting.  I agree that a large amount of carbons are emitted by farm machinery and again here, the will to change our technology is needed.  In any case a large % of electricity produced in North America is with coal.  My understanding is that they are working on clean coal technology but that is well in the future.

Thanks for your article on livestock-farming-one-main-menaces-environment. 

PIM Alberta is investing in sequestration technology.  It is well down the road yet.  There have been a few pilot projects, as you are aware.  One of those projects is being tried in Swift Current, Saskatchewan. 

I will be looking forward to your article with interest PIM.  Thanks for this little tidbit.

Factory farms are the feedlots I was speaking of.  Maybe it is the large scale farming practices we must reconsider and change.  Farming is still the mainstay of many locales in the world. 

Thank you PIM of Spain, can not wait to read it!!!

Amazing that you just got snow there... wow..

Halo amyjudd - yeah it is crazy. We get snow in Australia, but in the mountains. Not down so low, and not normally so early.

What a truely insightful and intelligent message M-J.

Thank you for taking the time in reading my story. It is very true, cutting out meat in our diets for just one day a week will make the world of difference.

Most likely we will be forced into a much simpler life, the consumption society we just left will never ever come back in our life time. People will not make any change unless they are forced to by circumstances. Sound environmental policy is politicized before it can be implemented, every interest group needs to have its say, the result is a compromise that doesn't have the original envisioned effect.

I have learned during my student days, when the planet only had 3,5 Billion people that Earth couldn't cope with more than 8 Billion, because of insufficient food, water, and energy. We are getting very close to that point. Nature health itself was told, by disasters and pandemics. Looks very frightening indeed today! Until shortly nobody knew the disastrous effect of N2O gas we emit into the atmosphere.

Nitrous oxide N20 is the worst of all gases in the atmosphere and still very little known about how it does affect climate. Scientist think 300 times worse than CO2.
In this respect I may refer to my yesterday's publication on:
http://my.nowpublic.com/environment/carbon-con