Life on Earth are in peril

*updated version*

"What are we doing to our world?"

(please take a moment to read this page, if you are concern enough about global warming)

Well, I saw this article in the Astro View magazine (Apr 2009) about global warming and pollution. And it intrigued the awareness in me once again.. I know I am not a good-practitioner of conserving the environment, but I am going to be one cuz I'm concern about this issue.. LOL XD

I remember a few years back when I was still in high school, I used to collect all sort of papers and then my bro will sell them to the recycle factory.. But after sometime, I just dont really collect all sort of papers anymore. Usually I'll just give away my exam papers. LOL XD

However there's just one thing that I really want all the people in the world to stop doing - and that is open burning. Actually I'm really disappointed with the villagers and even my own parent cuz they occasionally do open burning. Well I dont like it one thing because of the smoke, and another is because of the harm it will cause to the environment. And not to mention many other bad effect that it can cause.

Beside that, I saw a canvas bag from FOS with the print on it "Stop Global Warming" and a picture of two penguins on ice. Honestly, I think we all should bring along a canvas bag with us whenever we go shopping. This is so we can stuff everything inside that bag without the need of plastic bags (cuz it will take years or maybe centuries to decompose).

So in conjunction of Earth Hour (28 March) and Earth Day (22 Apr), I'd like to jot down everything from that mag in my blog again, just to raise awareness (kunun2nya la).. After all not everybody got Astro right? Hehehe..

"We may very well be the first generation to create our own apocalypse. Judging from our abusive and lackadaiscal attitude towards the environment, earth will probably be gone sooner than expected. Despite many calls for help, most of us continue to take no beed of the pleas and carry on with our destructive lifestyles. Hence, nature has no choice but to unleash its fury upon us as a warning of the disastrous future we're heading towards:

1. Polar Freeze

Where: Canada and Midwest America

Cause: Change in Arctic winds direction

Real Causes: Daily activities that emits Carbon Dioxide.

While it's scorching in one part of the world, it's freezing in another. In January, a record cold snap gripped both the centuries as temperatures plummeted to lows of minus 34 degrees Celsius. The extreme cold caused flooding in Montreal and left 100,000 people with no electricity and heating system for over 12 hours. Schools were closed, people evicted their homes for warming centers set up by environmental organizations and the homeless risked dying from hypothermia.

2. Melting Glaciers and Ice

Where: Bolivia and Alaska

Cause: Extremely high heat

Real Causes: Illegal oil drilling and a thinning ozone layer.

What used to be a magnificent sight of white mantle on the Andes Mountains is now an eye-sore. No thanks to the increasing temperature, the Chacaltaya Glacier - which used to be the world's highest ski run - has disappeared and is now barren. Ice sheets have begun breaking apart and accelerating towards the oceans at alarming speeds. When they eventually seep into the ocean, it will trigger a series of floods. According to a passage from the historical Dead Sea scrolls, earth will supposedly be hit by a massive flood this year.

3. Unexpected Winter Storm

Where: London

Cause: Arctic blast

Real Cause: Air pollution and climate change

Though the recent London snowy surprise is not technically a natural disaster, it should serve as a tell-tale sign that our weather is screwed up. After 74 years of snow-free Octobers, the city was blanketed with eight inches of snow. Joy turned into frustration when many were left stranded due to a paralyzed transportation system - what was supposed to be a 40-min trip to work for a 28-year-old manager turned out to be a two-hour journey! Elsewhere, thousands were left in the dark when the capital suffered a massive blackout.

4. Tsunami

Where: 55 countries across the globe

Cause: Undersea earthquake

Real Cause: Destruction of coral reefs and mangrove forests December 26, 2004 will go down as one of the worst days in history. When the Indian Ocean experienced an earthquake with a magnitude of between 9.1 to 9.3 on the Richter scale, a tsunami was triggered. Waves as high as 30 metres crashed down on nearby buildings, swept into towns and left 294,743 dead and many more missing. On the local front, fishing villages in Penang and Kedah were destroyed and the country suffered a loss estimated at about RM30million.

5. Landslide

Where: Bukit Antarabangsa, Kuala Lumpur

Cause: Heavy rainfall and unstable soil

Real causes: Hillside property developments

People never learn from their lesson do they? After the shocking landslide that sent Highland Towers and its occupants to the ground almost 15 years ago, the nightmare repeated itself late 2008 when the hillside at Bukit Antarabangsa gave way. Tons of mud and earth slid their way through the neighborhood of Jalan Bukit Mewah and Jalan Mewah Utama while houses and cars were lifted and carried towards their homes. A few deaths, including a new mom, were reported and hundreds of unsuspecting occupants and pets were trapped under the rubbles.

6. Heatwave and Bushfires

Where: Throughout

Cause: Global Warming

Real causes: Open-fire burning, air pollution and climate change

Earlier this year, Australia experienced its worst summer ever in a hundred years. With temperatures up to 45 degrees Celsius, it was literally possible to fry an egg on the ground! Across the country, transport services were halted, homes were left without electricity and bushfires were on the rise. Over 200 heat-related deaths were reported and images of dying kangaroos and thirsty koalas surfaced all over the Internet. To make matters worse, the warm weather brought on a series of mosquito-borne illnesses such as dengue.

In commemoration of Earth Day, which falls on April 22, help to conserve the environment by reducing your carbon footprint. Decreasing your electricity usage by 30 minutes a day may not be able to make any immediate improvement to our world, but a little goes a long way. To calculate your current carbon footprint and learn of simple ways to conserve energy, visit www.carbonfootprint.com

PLANT GREEN IDEAS (for parents and kids)

with all the hysteria surrounding global warming and pollution, it is never too early to get started on saving Mother Earth. Just perform these simple tasks:

1. Reduce the usage of plastic

because they are not biodegradable and some shockingly, arent suitable for recycling! When visiting the candy store, get your kids to bring along a paper or cloth bag to carry their lollipops and snacks in.

2. Recycle dry leaves, pencil shaves and food scraps

by mixing them together and using it as organic compost during a family gardening session. Also, get them to recycle the usual glass bottles, newspapers and cans by dropping them off in the appropriate recycling bins at school.

3. Plant trees

to replenish the millions of trees we chop down every year to make papers. Organise a family get together at a park or even your home garden, and get every child to choose, name, plant and take care of their very own tree.

4. Conserve water and electricity

by using it only when necessary. Advise them to turn the tap off when brushing their teeth instead of letting the water run and not to stand with the refrigerator door open. Not only will it waste electricity, it also contributes to global warming.

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well people, I guess all of you should really switch off your electricity for 60 minutes during Earth Hour. Join it, it wont harm you; it's only 60 minutes ba (8.30pm-9.30pm).. I'll be working, so I cant make sure my family do that. Huhu~ I'm supposed to not working as well, and 1 Borneo should shut down the power for 60 minutes too. LOL XD Everybody should just chill in the dark and enjoy the "beauty" of candle light... LOL XD But be careful not to burn anything... Hehehe..