“The era of procrastination, of half-measures, of soothing and baffling expedients, of delays, is coming to its close. In its place we are entering a period of consequences.”
~Winston Churchill

Scientific evidence has now proven beyond any shadow of a doubt that Global Warming is a reality. Its consequences are being seen and felt around the world—climate change and disruption of the seasons, bizarre weather patterns with extreme temperatures both high and low, more frequent and more severe storms, floods and droughts coupled with massive forest fires, the melting of the polar icecaps and mountain glaciers, the drying up of vital water sources accompanied by the spread of deserts, and perhaps the most alarming of all—the slowing and temporary shutdown of the ‘North Atlantic Ocean Conveyor Current’ or ‘Gulf Stream’—the ‘engine’ that has driven global weather and kept it stable for the past 10,000 years—that is, for the entire history of human civilization. If this pattern of slowing and temporary shutdowns continues or the Current stops altogether, the consequences for humanity are incalculable. Indeed, among other catastrophes, the world could be plunged into another Ice Age.

In addition, there is now no question that Global Warming is caused by the activities of Man—activities that are literally disrupting the delicate balance in the elements and components that have made ‘Life’ possible on this planet.

Our Fragile Atmosphere

This is especially true with regard to our atmosphere—the most fragile, vulnerable, and important aspect of the Earth’s ecology—fragile because it is so thin, vulnerable because its delicate balance is so easily disturbed, and most important because it is the balance of elements and gases within it—especially oxygen and carbon dioxide—that is the key to life on Earth, as under normal conditions, its gases trap just enough of the Sun’s warmth to allow Life to grow. Too little of these gases, like the atmosphere of planet Mars, and temperatures are too cold for human survival. Too much of these gases, like on planet Venus, and temperatures are far too hot for human life.

The ozone holes that developed in the atmosphere a few decades ago demonstrate just how fragile this balance is and how easily it can be disturbed by our activities. Our use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) as the propellant in aerosol cans and as cooling agents in refrigerators and air conditioners was the cause. Discharged into the atmosphere, CFCs were broken down into their molecular components by the Sun, releasing chlorine gas, which ate away at the delicate layer of ozone in the upper stratosphere, causing the holes. Harmful ultraviolet radiation flooded the Earth through these holes with disastrous effects in both plant and animal life, including dramatic increases of eye problems and skin cancer in humans.