People are just not getting it. We must Stop acting like nothing is going on and take responsibility

Recently the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Synthesis Report was released.
The report was conducted by 1,300 experts from 95 countries. The report warns of many abrupt changes that will seriously affect human well-being.

We are talking about:
emergence of new diseases
changes in water quality
creation of dead zones along the coasts
the collapse of fisheries
shifts in regional climate

In the last 50 years Humans have changed ecosystems more rapidly and extensively than in any other period.
Much of this is only caused by our increasing population. Our growing population has high demands for food, fresh water, timber, and fuel.
Of coarse we can do little to regulate our growing population. The Worlds death rate is 8.86 deaths/1,000 population. This is mostly caused by our strives in medical knowledge. Preservation of Human life is very important. We can't just start letting people die to control the population. So what can we do?

There are all sorts of things we can do. An Individual can make a difference!
Don't use pesticides.
Eat meat-free meals one day a week.
Buy locally grown and produced food.
Choose a fuel-efficient vehicle or Walk, bike, carpool or take transit.
Install a ceiling fan, it will help you conserve energy in the winter by keeping hot air down.
Keep blinds, curtains and windows closed during the day in summer. Then you wont need to use so much Air conditioning.

There is so much we can do, these are only a few examples. I'm sure other ATS members will have more to add.

If you are up to it you can take action.
Write letters to politicians. Mailed letters make a better presentation rather than e-mail or faxing. One letter represents more than a 1,000 opinions at the federal level. Make the letter a good representation.
Phone politicians too.
Deny the spread of ignorance. There are organizations in operation to push junk science and continue polluting. When you see people quote these groups point out that they are funded by the likes of Exxon. Provide links for them.

Every action counts and is important. If I as an individual can not change my ways how will I expect the whole world to do something to aid our planet?
Are you up to the challenge?


web links
www.conservation.org...
home.businesswire.com...
www.millenniumassessment.org...
www.odci.gov...
www.davidsuzuki.org...
www.birdlife.org...

ATS links
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Claims Earth Has Suffered Irreversible Changes.
Global Warming, Who Cares.
Backgrounds of Scientists and Organizations Who are Skeptic of Global Warming
Top Climatologist In Britain Backs Global Warming Claims
www.abovetopsecret.com...'" target="_blank" class="postlink">NEWS: U.N. Study: Earth's Health Deteriorating
NEWS: Global Warming Skeptic Changes His Mind After Examining Soil

This issue will have a louder voice in the near future, when there are no more trees to cut down and we cant even see the sun come up cause the smog is so thick.

One persons actions may or may not send the biggest message to everybody who inhabits earth, but it allows the people around them to follow such examples. And if you have children, and they grow up with this kind of message, could you imagine the difference these "soon to be adults who vote and make daily decisions for themselves" will make!!!

I refuse to accept ingnorant excuses, and Industries such as those named will make us pay dearly for thier actions.

Originally posted by Umbrax
Eat meat-free meals one day a week.

Did you mean DON'T eat meat? And what do you mean by free meals?

Meat-free, meaning not containing meat. At least that's how I interpreted it.

--Don't use pesticides. yes pesticides may be overused but they are needed to protect crops. i notice you fail to remember to not use fertalizers that cause our waterways to become choked with weeds and upset the animal balance in them.

--Eat meat-free meals one day a week. i am sure we have more than enough vegans out there to compensate for those of us that like to continue to eat a natural diet that includes the meat we are desighned to eat as omnivours.

--Buy locally grown and produced food. would be nice but all the good farmland has become parts of the city. and what local areas are left can not support us. it would also be nice if we didn't have to pay preinium prices for them.

--Choose a fuel-efficient vehicle or Walk, bike, carpool or take transit. if they were big enough and built stronger so you didn't become road pizza in an accident more people would love to own a fuel efficiant vehicle. would also help if they were priced so people who can only afford CHEAP used cars could afford to get one. yet again only the rich can afford to conseve. and as for transit if it wasn't for the fact that transit was so time consumeing (a trip on transit tends to take 5 times longer than by car), and the fact it costs more than driveing a inefficant truck for one transit fair, it would be nice to take transit. i tried carpooling for awile too bad it took the same ammount of gas as both driveing as we wern't liveing next to each other or worked at the same place. as for walking or rideing 40 km good luck.

--Install a ceiling fan, it will help you conserve energy in the winter by keeping hot air down. good idea but we are continuasly asked to conseve electricity by not useing frivolus things. not to mention heating in my place is not under my controll anyway. and to be honest it sucks anyways.

--Keep blinds, curtains and windows closed during the day in summer. Then you wont need to use so much Air conditioning. too bad this acomplishes nothing but to make a place even hotter and stuffy. personaly i wish i had an airconditioner.

you also mention the fact that we are changeing the landscape more drasticaly then ever before. what about all that desert in and around isrial, it was at one time a lush area "flowing with milk and honey" mabe we should try to restore areas like these and just perhapse some of our problems wii disapate. eteopia used to be a fertile area as well but not anymore. no humans have always been bad for the enviroment.

yes we do need to try to improve but unfortunatly it seems that only the rich can afford to buy things that are more efficiant. and somehow you have to get the government and corperations to change. as we know the government pays more attention to big business and not the people. we need to deal with the government but no matter who from a major party you elect they all do the same thing anyway. and that is where the problem lies untill you can deal with that it is almost impossible to effect meaningfull change.

[edit on 6-4-2005 by drogo]