Our Planet matters - a photo on Flickriver

Our Planet matters

Combating climate change and making the planet greener and cleaner is an issue for everyone. How times have changed since World Environment Day was launched by the United Nations General Assembly 36 years ago. We wonder if they considered then that today climate change and other environmental impacts would have such an impact on world hunger and poverty. The world has yet to figure out how it will deal with global warming, changing rainfall patterns, melting glaciers, rising sea-levels and climate refugees. In many countries defence forces might find themselves torn between humanitarian relief operations and guarding their borders against climate refugees, as climate change and scarce resources, forcing millions of climate refugees across the borders.

Climate change is expected to put an estimated 50 million more people at risk of hunger and water stress by 2020. It poses a serious threat to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), especially during a period of global economic recession, when resources needed to cope with climate change may be reassigned. Agriculture and deforestation account for 30 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions. These two sectors can therefore contribute to reducing emissions if agricultural practices are changed.

Poor people in developing countries are the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. The negative impacts on their crop yields are already being felt and will be increasingly severe. Climate change is likely to affect forest expansion and migration, and exacerbate threats to biodiversity resulting from land use/cover change and population pressure. Marine and coastal ecosystems are likely to be affected by sea level rise and temperature increases. Human health will also be adversely affected. Rising temperatures and rainfall variability had led to more climate-induced diseases and heat stress. Experts predict climate change-related stresses -- including disasters, food and water shortages and conflicts over scarce resources -- could permanently uproot 200 to 250 million people by mid-century.

United Nations demographers estimate that the world’s population will grow from today’s 6.7 billion people to somewhere between 7.8 billion and 10.8 billion by 2050. The solutions of global warming, climate refugees, extreme poverty and high levels of population growth will require entirely new relationships between the world’s human and natural systems.

According to new technique and research our planet's continents were arranged 2.5 billion years ago. We are homo consumens of the earth and very young specie still trying to understand the mysteries of nature and in our ignorance we have destroyed it. Climate change offers humanity no second chances. Only rich countries can break the deadlock crippling international climate negotiations and prevent the world lurching into climate disaster.

You Can Easily Green Your Daily Routine. View Tips “here”.

Your Planet Needs You!
Unite to Combat Climate Change!
Encourage Slower Population Growth!

You can view slide pages from Social Geographic. “here”.

***********************************************************************************************

Photo: Firoz Ahmad Firoz

Taken on: November 3, 2008

Tags:

Our Planet matters

World Environment

monsoons

rain

air

changing rainfall patterns

melting glaciers

rising sea-levels

climate refugees

greenhouse gas emissions

threats to biodiversity

climate-induced diseases

climate change-related stresses

climate disaster

ecosystems

Your Planet Needs You!

Unite to Combat Climate Change!

One billion people go hungry each day

Every day, 50,000 people die as a result of extreme poverty

Make Hunger History

Poverty''

Climate change

MDG

Human Environment

save beautiful earth

Wonderful world

Wilderness

Nature « less

Sets appears in: • Our Planet Matters • Pentax Lenses

Groups appears in: • Fl♥ckr Hearts -- Post 1 & Give 3 Hearts - CLOSED • Voyageurs du monde: Sweeper active ( Post 1 Comment 2). more » • Global Village 2 - CLOSED • "Exemplary Shots - Flickr's BEST! (Post 1 Award 3)" • *Music To My Eyes*~L1 w/7 Levels ~Active Sweeper ! ~ P1 A5 ~ • "Double Dragon Awards" Post 1 Comment 3 SWEEPER!! • **HARMONY**(Post 1-Award 3) • **Heart Awards** (P.1 Award 5) Open - Sweeper present « less

Camera: Pentax K10D, f/19.0, 1/30 sec, 16mm (=24mm), ISO 200 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Pentax K10D
Aperture:	f/19.0
Exposure Time:	0.033 sec (1/30)
Focal Length:	16mm (35mm equivalent: 24mm)
ISO:	200
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Aperture-priority AE
Metering Mode:	Center-weighted average
Color Space:	Unknown (-1)
Software:	Adobe Photoshop CS2 Windows
Show full info

Stats: 8,920 views / 27 comments

Link to this photo view:
Link to this photo large view: