What do the governments do?

( same text as in “What is the climate disturbance?”")

Scientifics (climate specialists) now all agreed: the global warning is ongoing, and at a worrying growth. This means that if we continue like this, the earth will react brutally, with canticles, hurricanes, and storms, stronger and stronger, more and more frequent. There is a risk to have ‘storm seasons’.

All of this is really interesting, but what say the bravest of us all ?

First of all, we need to understand what this is all about. We do not mean going backwards to the old time of cave men. We can talk about pollution but also the impact on nature. Like any activity (animal, vegetal…) the human activity has an impact on nature and leaves a trace.

Finally, we can convey that men can develop activities only up to a certain point where earth could support.

Specialists have determined that earth could absorb 3 billions of t.e.c. (Tons equivalent carbon) per year. Why t.e.c. ? Because there are several green house gases. The carbon equivalent is a common measure to all gases.

What can earth support without promising a climatic deluge within the next 10 years? 3 billions of t.e.c. We currently emit 6 billions of it, which means twice too much.

1. Améliorer le rendement énergétique par tous les moyens et notamment grâce à la recherche, les nouvelles technologies, les énergies alternatives…
   
   
2. But we also need to renounce to the consume some products. It is like a person whose bank account is more and more uncovered. She could try to maintain her life-style by finding things which are less expensive. She could also manage to earn more. But if all of her efforts remain unsuccessful, she would have no other choice but to renounce to some things. And this is clearly the most difficult.

Do we have to count on governments and companies ? This is a very common opinion. A well-adjusted set of rulings would be the solution. But are we ready to accept it? Governments are ready to make themselves unpopular with vigorous measures ?

We could think that a great part of the public will never take any initiative in this, but also we could think that a good part of the population (the one which has a leader role in opinion, pioneer and avant-gardes) could mobilize in a useful way.

Here is a list of proposal. Each one of us has to decide what makes sense for him/her: :

Let’s note first that the origin of the pollution responsible for the green house effect could be spread into 4 big sectors: manufactured products, building constructions, transportation and agriculture

1. To buy the least possible manufactured, which means that products which have passed through a process of classical industrial fabrication (office of study, publicity, marketing, factory, packing…) these products require an important consumption of petrol for the process of making and sale. Consequently they are an important factor for the green house effect. There is there no moral position facing the consuming society, but only the constatation that today the system is not balanced. For example: mineral water. A few cases apart, tap water is drinkable in France, children included. To purchase water in bottles, it implicates trucks on the road..

   No panicking for the economy: it is true that these proposals are not immediately good for the economy. However, it is highly probable that they will be good for the employment. Furthermore, modern economy has a great capacity of adaptation

2. Preferably purchase regional products (which need less transportation). In particular concerning fruits and vegetables (ex: 5 kg of kiwis imported by place = 5 liters of petrol.
   
   
3. To drive as little as possible polluting vehicles, and in particular cars. No more car drives, trips all weekend. Use common transportation. Bus, train, bike… we can also change vehicle for a less polluting vehicle. More recent, smaller, “hybrid” (petrol and electricity, which consume 2 to 3 times less than the others). Very soon in 2005, electrical cars with autonomy of 300 kms will be sold thanks to the progress of research on batteries.
   
   
4. To join an environmental organization which will struggle against the green house effect gases. The most important: WWF (panda symbol): 5 millions of subscribers in the world. WWF-France : 188, rue de la Roquette 75001 Paris. Tel : 01.55.25.84.84. Greenpeace : 22, rue des Rasselins 75020 Paris. Tel : 01.44.64.02.02.
   
   
5. To accept the idea that energies are not fairly paid for today and make this known. The problem is that gasoline, petrol and kerosene destroy today our planet. The less polluting solutions cost today much more. Solutions? to strongly encourage research, sponsoring the purchase of ‘clean’ vehicles and…increase the price of classical petrol so that less polluting solutions become rentable and develop.
   

   We are then going to live a phase where motor vehicle will be more and more expensive (price of sale and maintenance). Professionals and individuals must prepare themselves to see their costs of transportation increase. This is inevitable. Therefore, our elected people have the duty to develop the most possible public transportation: more and more people will use it. If they are comfortable, well organized, this will be for us all a progress: in this case, one could rest, even read, and work.

   
   www.univ-ubs.fr/ecologie/gazcarbonique.html
   

6. To accept, encourage the developing of new energies. It is not the easiest. One must inform himself very well to avoid impasses or excessive and even abusive expenses. And first, a good joke: do you know what is the less polluting energy? Wood! With an insert or other modern process such as a wood boiler with an endless screw for a continuous controlled alimentation, you have the less polluting and most economical (wood is neutral for the green house effect, in France one cut tree = one planted tree.
   
   Wind: did you know that 600 wind pumps = 1 nuclear central or a thermal central with petrol ? Which means that there is a need to inhesitantly develop wind pumps parks.
   
   Solar panels on roofs: to be studied. Electricity production has increased a lot and made it interesting..
   
   Geothermic heating. At the country, in particular for a new house. More expensive when installed, it almost cost nothing once installed. It used the heat of ground to heat your entire house! Unbelievable, but true. For more information, contact a professional.
   
   
7. There are always the usual recommendations on economy of energies: isolation, economical use of water…
   
   
8. For people who do not fear a little bit solemnly and very citizen formalities, please go to the parliamentary permanence of your deputy to ask him if he knows the subjects and if he can encourage it through the parliament and the government, the acceleration of European measures in favor of a fight against the climate heating.
   
   
9. To think about the ‘American problem’: the United States which represent only 5% of the world population, are responsible for 25% of the Green house effect pollution. In fact, it is the only country, which did not sign the Kyoto agreement, which means refusal to bring back the pollution to a viable level. What can be done? At least a dialog with them and try to convince them to take up the challenge with us.
   
   
10. Avoid taking the plane with this is not indispensable. A plane trip by person is the equivalent of a car ride with the same distance… for each passenger of the aircraft !
    
    
11. Make copies of this document and distribute it around you.
    
    

• Sources and references :

  IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – UN & WMO – World Meteorological Organization ). Site : www.ipcc.ch

  www.manicore.com : exceptional (J.M. JANCOVICI, consultant).

  In french only : " l'Effet de serre ", livre de poche de LE TREUT & JANCOVICI (Scientists specialists of green house effect), collection Flammarion, Paris, 2004.

  World Wild Fund is well informed. See http://www.worldwildlife.org/

  See governmental french web site : MIES (Mission interministérielle sur l'Effet de Serre): www.effet-de-serre.gouv.fr

  See french web site Ademe agency (Agence de l'environnement et de la maîtrise de l'énergie): www.ademe.fr

• I] To accelerate the awareness of the problem
  
  
  • a) General information. To spread the information and make people understand the very big danger of the green house effects for the humanity.
    
    
  • b) To evaluate the changes in consuming and organizing which are needed to avoid the danger of the climate change.
    
    
  • c) To make known the necessary changes.
    
    
• II] To contribute to the adoption of these solutions.
  The consumption of energies, which are responsible for the greenhouse gas emission, should be discouraged with all legal means until it has reached a level which preserves the balance of the planet and the people.
  
  
  • a) To speak with the main local responsible politicians to ask them that :
    
    • - At the European level, the consumption of energies which are responsible for the climate change should be limited and brought back to an acceptable level.
      
      
    • - To anticipate the consequences of this limitation, in particular in the transportation field, but also at the social and economical level in general.
      
      
  • b) To arouse the adoption of performing energetic solutions, with the public, companies, collectivities and public enterprises. It is understood that the consuming of energy is done directly (ex: transportation, heating) or indirectly (purchase of manufactured products, food choices, impacts of infrastructures…) the principle of exemplarity will be put forward.
    
    
  [ c) To encourage to the reduction of consuming of energy which are strongly emitting gas of green house effect until a level of reference estimated neutral for the climate ]

  Nota bene : ces actions et ces buts ne peuvent en aucun cas être utilisés pour substituer ou servir des causes politiques, des mouvements religieux ou des sectes.

• Juin 2005 Exposition " Le réchauffement climatique et l'homme ",
  
  
• du mardi 31 mai au dimanche 5 juin 2005, dans le cadre de la Semaine du Développement Durable. Partenariat avec L'Ademe, la Diren et l'Arehn. Lieu : cafétaria de l'Arehn, au cloître des Pénitents, 8, allée Daniel Lavallée à Rouen.
  
  
• Mai 2005 Passage radio : Beur FM 98.7.
  
  
• Juin 2005 Passage radio à l'occasion de la semaine du DD : Chérie FM 97.5. Interview Paris-Normandie parue dans l'édition du mercredi 1er juin.
  
  
• Juillet 2005 Passage radio 29 juillet : HDR (Hauts de Rouen) 99.1 FM.
  
  
• Septembre 2005 En projet Participation (stand) au forum du colloque de l'Arehn sur les transports durables le 22 septembre à la Maison de l'université (Mont Saint Aignan).
  
  
• Automne 2005. En projet :
  1. Lancement du site web
  2. Lancement des " cafés climat "
  3. Aller à la rencontre des élèves de collèges et de lycées

Do not hesitate to join us ! Bulletin d'adhésion ici

There is also the economical increase dogma. A tricky subject. Some begin talking about the necessity to schedule a decrease. Besides all ideological debates (if it is possible!), we can understand the difficulty to go from thousands of years of technical and quantitative progress to a period of decrease.

Third, all of us can see that countries are in an economical war, or in a strong competition. This means that positions and intentions are most of the time antagonist between economical needs and requirements for keeping the environment clean (this is only valid for short-term, all of us may understand).

Then, there is a purely political problem. The exercise of power most of the time is based on the short term challenges. The global warning is an actual long-term problem (30, 40, 50 years or more). This is a good reason why we need to alert people on this essential subject.

In France: see the climate plan of 2004, which follows the national program of fight against global warning..

L'action internationale :

En 1988, l'ONU crée le GIEC www.ipcc.ch (Groupement intergouvernemental d'étude du climat - en anglais IPCC), un rassemblement de 2500 spécialistes du climat chargés d'étudier la réalité et les conséquences d'un éventuel changement climatique. Ils sortent un rapport tous les 5 ans depuis 1991. En 2001, ils ont conclu à l'unanimité qu'un phénomène de réchauffement climatique dû à l'activité humaine mettait en grave danger l'équilibre de la planète. A l'horizon 2100, l'évolution est estimée entre + 1,5° et 6° Celsius. Ils indiquent en outre que si des mesures radicales ne sont pas prises en ce début de siècle, des phénomènes climatiques irréversibles verront le jour.

En 1992, suite au sommet de Rio, l'ONU crée la Convention-Cadre des Nations Unies sur les Changements Climatiques (CCNUCC). En anglais Unfccc.

Décembre 1997 : signature du Protocole de Kyoto.

Février 2005 : entrée en vigueur du protocole.

The Kyoto agreement in French :
http://radio-canada.ca/nouvelles/dossiers/kyoto/reference.html

=The Asia-Pacific agreement of July 28, 2005 (American initiative) :

… On July 28, the United States revealed the existence of an alternative plan to the protocol of Kyoto, on which they were negotiating during five months with Australia, China, India, Japan and South Korea. Called “''Asia-Pacific Partnership for Clean development and Climate”, this project which has been held secrete so far, do not impose reduction of CO2 but would try to focus on technological progress to succeed (…)

(…) Estimating that a mechanism of reduction in green house effect gases would involve the loss of 400 millions dollars and 5 millions of job to the American economy, the Bush administration has always refused any engagement in providing figures on the fight against the global warning. Largely dependent on petrol and carbon, the United States, first polluters of the world, generate against all calculations, between 21 and 25% of world emission is of green house gases and are also the only country of G8 not to have signed the Kyoto agreement. “… On July 28, the United States revealed the existence of an alternative plan to the protocol of Kyoto, on which they were negotiating during five months with Australia, China, India, Japan and South Korea. These 5 countries represent half of the world emissions. These agreements, which include the measures on nuclear energy, wind, pump and solar, focus on the technological progress to promote the economical increase and at the same time, a significative reduction of the insensitivity of green house effects gases. The 5 countries would like to created a favorable context for the development, diffusion, deploying and transfer of practices and efficient, cleaner technologies, now and in the future…

See other institutional references of state and inter-state of the section links. Links.