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Life Onboard |
LAST UPDATE
December 15, 2007
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| November 7, 2007 |
Combating Global Warming – How Small Measures Can Save the World: Environmental Educator Rafael Gonzalez |
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| Rafael Gonzalez draws a diagram to explain how global warming occurs |
Rafael Gonzalez is an environmental educator who joined Peace Boat from Barcelona to Las Palmas, Canary Islands. He works for Barcelona's educational eco-center L’Esplai which teaches adults and children about the current state of the environment and what they can do to be more environmentally friendly. Environmental issues such as climate change and global warming have been making international headlines in recent times, signaling that the world must act collectively to combat this growing problem. Although the rise in temperature seems slow and its effects subtly felt by humans, it is having a disastrous impact on the environment and is said to be responsible for 160,000 deaths each year. One major cause of climate change is the increase of 'greenhouse gases' such as CO2 in the atmosphere, which prevent heat escaping from the Earth. Increasing industrialization in the last 200 years has produced huge amounts of greenhouse gases, contributing to a sharp rise (between .6 and .8 degrees Celsius), in the Earth’s temperature. However, it is possible that there will be a change of up to five degrees in the future. The United States, followed by the former Soviet Union and China emit the most gas. |
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Unique flora and fauna from the Canary Islands not found in mainland Spain are under threat from the effects of global warming. Recently a huge fire wiped out 30 percent of the island’s greenery, and the ocean levels are rising |
Mr Gonzalez cited 4 main effects of temperature increase that has impacted, and will continue to impact the environment:
- A slight change in homogeneous sea water temperature will destroy coral leading to its decolonization.
- A reduction of ice in the Arctic due to the melting of ice caps is causing the sea level to rise and arctic animals such as polar bears to lose their homes. It has been predicted that all of the arctic ice will melt by 2040.
- Tropical rainforests will be destroyed because of the rise in temperature and these huge CO2 sinks will lose their capacity to absorb CO2.
- Glaciers are melting at a rapid pace, as evidenced by the melting of the world’s 2000 glaciers. This is where a lot of our precious fresh water comes from and the diminishing of these glaciers will have dire consequences.
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Gas emissions in the Catalonia region, particularly Barcelona, are causing pollution and contributing to Europe’s environmental crisis |
As a case study, Mr Gonzalez discussed the situation in Spain where he cited the rise in temperature as being double that of the rest of the world. The ocean temperature surrounding Spain has risen, and if this continues to increase, it will have a negative impact on the country and its economy, much of which depends on the sea for food sources and tourism. In fact, 50 to 70 percent of industry in Spain relies on the sea. Other effects include the destruction of animals’ ecosystems and confusing the seasonal clocks of animals, plants and trees. |
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Mr Gonzalez liaises with communication coordinators (CCs) who translated his lectures from Spanish into Japanese and English and helped get his message across |
Although the European Union is combating climate change with the Maastricht Treaty and Kyoto Protocol which requires nations to cut their CO2 emissions, there is still a long way to go before we can breathe a sigh of relief. Central to the problem is the fact that 20 percent of the world consumes 80 percent of the resources. To sustain the current lifestyle in the west, the Spanish region of Catalonia, for example, would require an additional 3.26 hectares per person each year, while seven planets would be required to sustain the worlds population if everybody lived at the same standard as the United States. While this imbalance will take a long time to rectify, there are some basic measures we can take to contribute to reducing gas emissions and counter global warming. ‘There are little actions we can take to work to save our environment,’ Mr Gonzalez said. |
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| Participants met outisde on the ship's Top Deck to undertake simulation activities with Mr Gonzalez |
In addition to recycling, which is mandatory in many nations, we can make an effort to walk or ride a bicycle for transport, or when going long distances, take public transport rather than drive. Turn things off and unplug them – don’t leave computers and other appliances on standby because this still consumes a lot of energy. Don’t use the strongest setting on washing machines and dry clothes by hanging them rather than using a dryer. Use warm rather than hot water to wash dishes and clothes. Take showers instead of baths and use a water-conserving head. Install solar panels, which although expensive, are a worthwhile long term investment. It’s also better to eat local produce because it doesn’t have to be transported from far away. Eat organic vegetables and cook them with a pressure cooker which cooks them faster and uses less energy. ‘While we share the problem, we can also share the solution together,’ he concluded. |
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