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Force-Majeure – the new Normal?

We are experiencing climate-induced changes all around the world. Many people are awakened to this brutal reality in a very harsh way. And it comes in many different shapes.

Drought destroys farmer’s possibility to grow any crops or raise cattle. Barge-owners cannot sail the rivers (i.e. Mississippi) Wildfires burn down properties and business. Storms and high tides destroy shorelines. People, especially in developing countries, lose their lives and relatives etc.

Regardless if you accept climate-change or not, regardless what political colour you are, regardless ethnicity and regardless if you are rich or poor – it is happening!

As this hits us, one issue being more and more discussed is how insurance companies and countries are going to act on damages due to climate related events. Continue reading

How is it going to be – are we getting on with the change or what…

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Looking back at 2012…

During 2012 we broke more heat records around the world than ever. I read somewhere that 11 of the 12 hottest years ever recorded has happened during this century – and we are just starting 2013…

Just before Christmas scientists warned that West Antarctica was warming twice as fast as expected, and three times faster than the average for the planet as a whole. The Arctic summer sea ice fell to its lowest extent ever, way lower than any scientific study or climate simulation, including UN and ICCP, had anticipated.

For the first time ever there was melting on the whole surface of Greenland. Wildfires in the tundra and many other places where more frequent than ever. De-forestation and fires emitting huge quantities of CO2 brought Indonesia to third place among the world’s largest emitters of greenhouse-gasses.
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History is not repeating itself…

We are living in transitional times – thank God for that…

Otherwise we probably would be running around with phones made ​​of bakelite with rotary dials in our pockets – can you imagine the size of your pockets…

We would probably still have teachers with the firm belief that the best way to teach young children anything is to whip or beat it in to them with a cane…

Half of the people would have absolutely no chance to vote – I must sadly admit that on this issue we are still very far from where we should be! The same goes for poverty, food-supply, freedom and a number of other topics. Continue reading

Play-Doha….?

In 1997 the first COP (Conference of the Parties) was held in Rome. Yesterday COP18 in Doha closed. Eighteen meetings in 15 years and we are still nowhere near a solution or even on a pathway to solve the sustainability challenge we are facing – and the clock is ticking.

DOHA2012

It is absolutely incredible and pitiful!

Has the economical market-mantra of quick return on investment, eternal growth and greed, intoxicated also the political agenda to a point of no return?

Have the election-processes with short terms, complicated political structures and bigotry tied the hands of our representatives totally? Is there no more civil courage in this world?

The challenge of a sustainable world is not a political challenge; it is a humanity-challenge!
It has nothing to do with politics – It has to do with survival! Continue reading

Climate-Change and the skeptics!

Although there are less and less skeptics, they still exist and what is even stranger they somehow manage to get more media-space then the research-based realists.

I don’t know, but could there be some “hidden” reason about who owns the media-companies or who is buying the most commercial time…you tell me?

Scientific articles

When James Lawrence Powell* and his colleagues searched the Web of Science for peer-reviewed scientific articles published between 1 January 1991 and 9 November 2012 they came up with 13,950 articles out of which 24 (0,17 %) rejected human-caused global warming. (www.jamespowell.org)

*/ President Reagan and President George H. W. Bush, both appointed Powell to the National Science Board of USA, where he served for 12 years.

 

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350.org – Support a fantastic initiative!

The 350.org was founded in 2008 by U.S. author Bill McKibben, who wrote one of the first books on global warming for the general public, and a team of university friends.

350.org chart“350 means safety from the climate crisis. To preserve our planet, scientists tell us we must reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere from its current level of 392 parts per million (ppm) to below 350 ppm. But 350 is more than a number—it’s a symbol of where we need to head as a planet.”

 

In December 350.org lead by Bill McKibben is launching a road-tour across the USA trying to motivate campuses to divest their funds from the fossil-fuel business. An initiative based on the way campuses once successfully where pursued from investing their money in companies with interest in the, at that time, apartheid country South-Africa. Continue reading

The Human Quest – On the Book Fair…

Today when I visited the “Göteborg Book Fair”, wandering around among thousands of visitors and exhibitors I found it! Somewhere I had read that there was a new Swedish book about sustainability on the market, and there it was.

Standing in a showcase flipping between the pages contemplating whether I should buy the Swedish or the English version, a voice stated in the speakers that Johan and Mattias where just about to start the launch of their new book – 45 seconds later, sitting in the front row I really enjoyed the presentation.

The book I am talking about is of course: Continue reading

My own New site!

Having published posts on various other sites, I have now started up my own page in cyber-space. Thanks to my design- and web-talented sons Marcus and Fredrik, I am now able to share my reflections on life and society in a more orderly way – I hope you will appreciate that, and stay with me.

Sustainability

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It’s about sustainability – isn’t it!

Whatever idea, whatever opinion, whatever cause you have in life, it is very hard, I would even stretch as far as “impossible”, to pursue your goals if there is no liveable planet to do it on.

It is as simple as that!

 

Being an optimist and a “possibilist”, I am confident that we – the people – will face the challenges we are up for and that we will come out “on the other side” as a much better civilization.
Hey! – The stone-age didn’t end because we ran out of stones; it ended because we went for something better.

 “…to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”

“Our Common Future”, UN 1987 (The Brundtland report)

This sentence from the UN report says it all – Stay tuned, there will be more posts to come!