News
The Sunshine Coast Conservation Association hosted a successful lecture/discussion about Global Warming on Wednesday July 14 at the Arts Centre in Sechelt. The SCCA sponsored Dr. James Pawley from the University of Wisconsin.
Pawley presented many charts and graphs outlining the severity of the problem, including a world map of where pronounced warming will be experienced by just minor overall global increases in temperature. A member of the audience questioned such huge temperature increases, to which Pawley replied that the information presented in the media isbased on global averaged increases, but which are severely amplified in some regions, while in others, there is no increase. In answer to another question about why people do not seem to be aware of how close we are to run-away global warming, a strong possibility, Pawley put up a cartoon of Wile E Coyote who has just run off the cliff. Still in mid-air, Wile E is as yet unaware that he is about to fall.
He pointed out an alarming situation with the world's oceans which provide an insulating effect from global warming by absorbing the excess CO2 building up in the atmosphere. They have absorbed so much CO2 that they are beginning to acidify, which has terrible implications for all of marine life, especially shellfish. Pawley says "We didn't pay any attention to oceanic PH until about 6 years ago. What else have we forgotten?" A concern that we didn't know until recently is the huge amount of methane hydrates on the ocean beds which could be released with ocean warming – but so far, little is known about this potential problem. Methane is a far more potent greenhouse gas than CO2, but so far is a much smaller component of our atmosphere.
Other things that Pawley commented on that resonated with the audience of around 50 people, were the effects of global warming on the poor of the earth, and by way of solutions, the energy efficiencies that can easily be developed and the potential for geo-thermal and solar energy. We were left with the message that much needs to be done, but much can be done. You can read more about Prof. Pawley here.
Dr. Pawley addressing audience at SCCA event photo by Tella Sametz.