Happy first week of spring! The sun is setting later, the flowers are blooming, and UNA Greater Seattle Chapter's year is off to a great start! Please take a moment to read about our initiatives and events. 

  

In this three part article I will write about (1)the science of global climate change, (2)the culprits and human impacts, and (3)the essential role of the United Nations and the future beyond.

When the earth first developed an atmosphere it had high levels of carbon dioxide (C02) and almost no oxygen (O2) in it. Over millions of years natural process removed C02 from the atmosphere and broke it down into the two molecules of carbon(C) and oxygen (O2).

These natural processes deposited the carbon into the ground in the form of coal, oil, and natural gasses. All of the carbon in the millions of tons of coal in the US, China, and elsewhere was once in the atmosphere in the form of C02. The same goes for all of the carbon in the millions of barrels of oil that were in Texas, Saudi Arabia, and elsewhere.

And at the same time these natural processes added oxygen (02) into the atmosphere. It was this dual process that enabled our world to become habitable by animals and man.

Thereafter for millions of years the earth was in a state of equilibrium as natural processes produced nearly constant levels of C02 and 02 in the atmosphere. But all of that changed in the early 1800s with the beginning of The Industrial Age.

Scientists developed machines like steam and gas engines to power labor saving devices, provide new modes of travel, and electricity that lead to advances in the standard of living for millions of people. But all of these machines require fuel and we dig up the coal, oil, and natural gasses, burn them for their energy and in the process put carbon dioxide (CO2) back into the air in ever-increasing  amounts.

And in addition, global land use changes are removing vegetation and rain forests that for millions of years helped to maintain sustainable levels of CO2 and O2 in the air.

Scientists have concluded that burning fossil fuels accounts for 60% of the increase in CO2 and land use changes account for 20% of the increase in C02.

CO2 is called a green house gas because it lets in the hot radiation from the sun but blocks the cooler radiation from the earth. As a result the earth's surface, oceans, and the atmosphere are warming up just like inside a greenhouse that grows flowers.

"Global Warming", the initial name given to this new world wide change, has been superseded by "Global Climate Change" in order to emphasize the expected increase in number, severity, and abruptness of extreme weather events such as hurricanes, droughts, and floods.

In addition there is increasing scientific evidence to indicate that a "runaway point" could be reached wherein global warming may become self-sustaining even if man's contributions were eliminated.  As the permafrost continues to melt and release methane, another potent greenhouse gas, this process could become self-sustaining if a tipping point is reached in global warming. A similar process could occur in oceans all over the world if they reach a high enough temperature to release the methane hydrate that has been buried in our ocean floors for thousands of years.

Scientists all around the world worked together to create the 2007 Report on Climate change.  As part of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), scientists from more than 23 research organizations in the US, Canada, Europe, China, Russia, Japan, India, and Australia participated in this world wide effort. This report has become the definitive reference on studying the causes, impacts, and strategies to mitigate and solve the problem.

Next edition - The culprits who got us into this situation and the human impact. 

 

Respectfully submitted by: 

Harvey Garver, Sarasota-Manatee UNA USA chapter

 

Painting via UNEP, by by Ruoyu Gong, age 10, Beijing

 

  

Matthew Metz, President, Greater Seattle UNA USA chapter

SG: Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen,  
I would like to first of all thank the Government of Austria for organizing this very important Forum of UN Alliance of Civilization. 
The Alliance of Civilization is an important United Nations initiative and I am very much encouraged by growing understanding and appreciation of the importance of the Alliance of Civilization.  
Again there is growing understanding that the politics of division, hatred and mis-perceptions, particularly the language of hatred tear the fabric of our society.   
At a time of test for the human family we are living in an era of dramatic transformation in economic, social, political and environmental areas. The last thing the world needs at this time is intolerance and hatred.  
The Alliance is trying to build bridges, speak out against extremism, and promote harmony and human dignity.    
Responsible leadership is the key in addressing all the challenges which we are now having. This will be crucial. That is why the theme of this Global Forum of the Alliance of Civilization meaning responsible leadership in diversity and dialogue is very fitting and appropriate.  
I am glad there are so many distinguished leaders, civil society leaders, and religious leaders are taking part this time in Vienna.  
I was truly inspired by many leaders, the remarkable work and the leadership they had been demonstrating in addressing all these challenges which we are now facing.  
Yesterday, I participated in a very moving event in the Volkstheater where we were able to see many young people, their creative and very determined engagement to promote mutual understanding among diversity. This is what we really want. We have to help this young generation so that they can shape the future, a better future and more tolerant society, where everybody can live in peace and security, with a dignity and in harmony.  
Ladies and gentlemen, at the margins of this meeting I am also meeting many leaders who are participating in this, including leadership of the Austrian Government. I met President Heinz Fischer and I am also looking forward to my meeting with the Vice-Chancellor and Foreign Minister and I am also meeting leaders sitting in this Forum.  
Our agenda this time which has a direct relationship to our discussions today, particularly the situation in Syria, Mali, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Millennium Development Goals, and how to identify and agree on the sustainable development goals, the post-MDG development agenda in a broader sense.    
We are also focusing on deepening our partnership, not only among government leadership but business communities, religious leadership, civil society leadership through this strengthened network and partnership. I am sure that we will be able to promote more effectively, more harmoniously, in a more structured way the goal which we are now promoting to make a better world, more tolerant and more and deeply understanding and appreciating the diversity of this world, forever, and wherever we may be living with whatever background of religious thoughts or belief

Q: (in Turkish) The Secretary General was asked about reform of the Security Council and whether he agreed with the Turkish Prime Minister on this.

 
SG: The Security Council Reform has been an issue which Member States have been very seriously discussing during the last 2 decades, for at least 20 years. 
If we consider the dramatic changes that have taken place since the founding of the United Nations in 1945, I believe that the Security Council needs change in a more representative, more democratic, more transparent way. Members of the Security Council, they have also have been trying to change and improve their way of working. In this regard they have made this certain progress in terms of transparency of their way of working but when it comes to fundamental structural reform of the Security Council, despite such a long and very serious debate among the Member States we have not seen much progress. There is a widely shared almost a consensus of views that the Security Council must be changed but how to change? How many members there should be? What to do about veto powers which Prime Minister mentioned? Who will be represented? How the Member States can be represented? All these critically important issues have not met with satisfactory consensus opinions among the Member States. 
I sincerely hope that the Member States continue to discuss this matter. The ninth intergovernmental negotiation is soon going to take place, the President of the General Assembly together with his facilitator who is Ambassador of Afghanistan, is very actively engaged in this matter. As the Secretary General I will also try to facilitate a political conducive atmosphere so the Member States will accelerate their discussions on this matter.  

 

World Federation of United Nations Associations

 

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Sincerely,

 
United Nations Association - Greater Seattle Chapter