Dominica |
DOMINICA and our GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT Global Warming |
Our
atmosphere is made up of several layers of various
gases, predominantly nitrogen (78%) and oxygen (21%), held in place by
the earth's gravity. It supports life and protects us from meteors and
harmful elements of the sun's rays.  Immediately above the earth's surface is the Troposphere, which varies in depth from around just 7km at the poles to a maximum of 17km in the tropics. This is a warm, dense, moist and turbulent layer containing more than 90% of our atmosphere's mass. Immediately above this is the Stratosphere, a dry, thin, stable band approx 40 km deep, where the temperature is around −60°C. At the top of this is the ozone layer. Ozone is a rich, unstable form of oxygen which at ground level is a pollutant, harmful to breathe, but at high altitude provides a protective layer which filters out much of what would otherwise be harmful ultraviolet light. Above this is the Mesosphere, a band approx. 35km deep in which most meteors burn up as what we see at night as shooting stars. Temperature at the top is around −100°C. In the Thermosphere above, which is several hundred km deep, temperature rises with height. It is in this region that auroras occur in the polar regions. They are the result of charged particles of solar wind being deflected by the earth's magnetic field towards the poles. The impact of mankind on our global environment is reaching crisis point. Industrialization, urbanization and the vast areas set aside for raising cattle and for the cultivation of mono crops has destroyed much of the world's ecosystems and the diversity of life they once supported. A significant side effect of all this is the massive amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) being released into the atmosphere from the burning of fossil fuel. We now talk about our 'carbon footprint', i.e. the amount of carbon produced by each of us individuals going about our daily activities - using electricity, driving motor vehicles, flying on passenger jets etc. It has been calculated that an average western family living in a modest home consumes enough power and fuel to release in excess of one ton of carbon into the air each year. It is widely believed in scientific circles that this is causing what is commonly referred to as the 'greenhouse effect', whereby not enough of the heat received by the earth from the sun is able to escape our atmosphere, bringing about a gradual warming of the planet. There are those who argue that oxygen is the principle greenhouse gas and they are quite right. However, the amount of oxygen in our atmosphere remains remarkably constant. Even though the other greenhouse gasses such as methane and carbon dioxide amount to less than 1% of our atmosphere, it is the sudden and rapid increase in the release of these gases in recent decades that appears to be causing an imbalance that could, if not checked, jeopardize mankind's future survival on this planet.  In Sir David Attenborough's recent (2006) documentary - The Truth about Climate Change, he informs us that 'There is more carbon dioxide in our atmosphere today than there has been at any time during the last 650 million years!' Carbon dioxide is evenly spread throughout the atmosphere. Since measurements of the carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere began in 1948, it's concentration has increased by almost 30%... in just 60 years! Under normal conditions gases like carbon dioxide help to stabilize the earth's temperature and climate, maintaining conditions of minimal temperature fluctuation and heat loss necessary for the diversity of life on earth to flourish and evolve. Emission levels over the past few decades are believed to be responsible for a monitored average increase in the global temperature of a little over 0.6°C. This may not sound like a lot, but being the average means that some places may have in fact got colder, whilst others, like for instance the Arctic, have warmed by more than 3°C, as evidenced by melting icebergs and receding glaciers.  Weather systems are becoming larger and more extreme, as we have seen in the severity of recent cyclones and hurricanes battering Japan, Taiwan and the Gulf coast of the U.S.A. When Hurricane Katrina devastated 100 miles of U.S.A.'s southern coastline in 2005, the sea surface temperature in the Gulf of Mexico was at the highest level ever recorded. Even in tiny Dominica, Tropical Storm Erika, the most recent tropical storm to pass over the island in the first week of September 2009, deposited more rain in a short space of time than any previous storm on record. This caused many rivers in the east to flood with a severity not witnessed before. We even had a similar occurrence, though not quite as extreme, in the first week of May - the height of the 'dry season' in Dominica. Apart from these two tropical storms, the weather throughout 2009 was actually much drier than usual. During the first four months of 2010, the whole East Caribbean region endured severe drought conditions. Many islands introduced restrictions on the use of water and even Dominica, which usually generates its own rainfall due to its high mountain peaks and ridges, had rivers running dry, even in the forested highlands. Rising sea temperatures are causing whole coral reefs (and the diversity of marine life they support) to die - a rise of just 2°C for a sustained period is all that is necessary. In the polar regions, the white, reflective surface of the ice caps is receding and giving way to dark, heat absorbent sea surface. Melting permafrost across the Tundra belt is releasing substantial quantities of methane, a greenhouse gas several times more potent than carbon dioxide. All in all, this could well trigger the beginning of a 'domino' effect which, once underway, may prove impossible to arrest. Scientific studies show that even if we completely stopped all CO2 emissions today, the amount of this gas already in the atmosphere will cause the global temperature to continue rising for the next 25 years. These studies also show that if we allow current levels of CO2 emissions to continue, the rise in global temperature will continue to accelerate to a projected 6°C increase in just a few decades! If this is allowed to happen, the effect of the altered climatic conditions on our human habitats and food sources will be one of utter devastation. The frozen waters of the icecaps and glaciers are above sea level. As the melting continues the sea level will also continue to rise, threatening many areas of coastal settlement around the globe. Question - What are we doing about it? Answer - Absolutely nothing! Fiddling whilst Rome burns??? We have witnessed a series of international conferences and conventions on the subject of global warming throughout the last two decades, the most recent of which was staged in Copenhagen in December 2009.  There is, of course, a reason for this. Whilst we look to our democratically elected leaders to chart the course we all want, their masters are not the voters, but the super rich multinational corporations, who's agents patrol the corridors of power at all levels, simply buying the support they need. Predominant among these are the giant oil companies and power generating companies which rely heavily on the continued burning of fossil fuel to maintain their super profits. Politicians and civil servants are in their pockets and scientists are paid to dismiss scientific evidence as mere theory. They orchestrate campaigns of misinformation to frustrate any attempts to make changes. This situation is not going to change. Our only hope is to appeal to those controlling the corporations to see sense and themselves take the initiative, for it is their grandchildren who will inherit the same impoverished planet as our grandchildren. A move away from the burning of fossil fuel in favour of harnessing the vast resources of eco friendly renewable energy available to us is inevitable in the long run. The sooner we begin the process on a global scale, the sooner we can regain some hope of rescuing the earth for the survival and enjoyment of our descendants. Energy companies, aerospace companies and motor car manufacturers are uniquely positioned to take advantage of this trend by acting NOW! The first corporations to mass produce solar powered motor vehicles and passenger jets, to move more rapidly towards solar, wind and hydro generated power plants, will be the ones to corner and monopolize this inevitable future marketplace. When the next climatic catastophy devastates another population centre, just like Katrina did in 2005, maybe the panic reaction of governments will be to take measures that should be in place already - like imposing and enforcing hefty taxes on all carbon emissions, then the competitive edge of those companies that have gone green will pay handsome dividends for their shareholders. All countries, all corporations, should grasp the initiative to kick start the process now, thus positioning themselves for maximum benefit. Even the tiny island nation of Dominica is uniquely placed to take advantage of this 'new world' scenario by becoming a regional leader in the development, showcasing and marketing of renewable energy products and methods appropriate to our georaphic location and climate. Already we produce almost 50% of our power from hydro. A few windmills in the mountain passes or a solar station in the rain shadow part of our mid west coast could easily transform that figure to 100%. Geothermal energy is also a possibility and studies are already underway in the south of the island with a view to harnessing this free power source and possibly even exporting some of it to neighbouring Martinique. Individuals also need encouragement to install private solar and/or wind generating systems by tax concessions and the reverse metering system already being practiced in some European countries and now also being considered in some of our neighbouring islands. Congratulations to our Prime Minister, Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit who, on December 18th 2009, secured an increased majority for his Labour Party Government for the next 5 years. We Dominicans are optimistic that he will recognize the amazing opportunities that exist to move Dominica forward in ways that utilize the free power that mother nature has bestowed on our island, whilst at the same time preserving and protecting our island's inheritance - it's natural beauty and integrity. Achieving this goal will send an important message to the rest of the world - that if a small, poor, independent nation like Dominica can reduce it's CO2 emissions to near zero, illustrating a maturity and commitment not just to Dominicans but to the world as a whole - then they too can achieve the same. Dominica has long been regarded as the 'Nature Island of the Caribbean'. It is truly an emerald gem in a region were tourism and urban expansion are taking their toll on the environment. Today, the issue is about good stewardship, exploiting this wonderful slice of nature whilst at the same time nurturing and protecting it for our future generations of Dominicans and their visitors to enjoy.  |
our atmosphere Arctic meltdown  the melting ice  hurricane - aerial view  Hurricane Ivan damage, Grenada  aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, southern U.S.A. August 2005  tropical storm Erika caused severe flooding in Dominica, Sep 2009  live coral reef  dead (bleached) coral  London in the year 2050?  we are transforming this...  ...into this  global city lights  Dominica's Prime Minister, Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit  |
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