Klara’s Universe

As the G8 Summit is to start first thing in the morning tomorrow, the question of climate change, although unfortunately (or not so…) removed from the center of the discussion in favor of the upcoming economic crisis, is getting back in the limelight once again.

The United Nations University organised a great conference on the topic last Friday July 4th and I thus had the priviledge of hearing some if not the most prominent scientists in the field giving their knowledge, opinion and hopes about what the world has lying ahead.

The prospects are quite grim. Global warming is now inevitable and there’s a lot of doubts concerning the will and capacity of our political leaders to take up the drastic measures needed to minimize its effect in the years to come.
On a personal level, I have become more and more aware about my wasting habits recently. The food I eat, the garbage I produce, all the plastic bags that are poured on me every day here in Japan, the easines with which I throw away things without questioning their recyclibility, etc.

But as stated at the conference, no matter how much I struggle to improve things in my daily life, this will remain just a symbolic gesture, as the world now accutely needs a wider, more dramatic change. However, this doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t have faith and try and do our best to give our contribution to the struggle for more responsible global measures to decrease carbon emissions, develop inovative technologies and prepare for handling the catastrophic times to come. And the best way to do so is by sustaining our own individual examples of carbon emissions management and transport usage with an effort to raise awareness and press our governments throughout the world to address the issue of climate change more responsibly.

Here are some things you can do in this respect, with just a click:

1. go check the video containing the messages of the leading climate scientists present at the conference to the leaders attending the G8 Summit at
http://www.unu.edu

2. check out Bill McKibben’s original website 350, the most important number at
http://www.350.org