Impact of Climate Change:
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Over 800 colleges and universities, K-12 schools, civic organizations and religious groups are participating in Focus the Nation, potentially the largest simultaneous teach-in in history. (READ MORE) |
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According
to Norman Myers of Oxford University, at a conservative estimate,
climate change will increase the number of environmental refugees
six-fold over the next fifty years to 150 million. |
[Myers Norman, "Environmental
Refugees in a Globally Warmed World", BioScience, v. 43
(11), Dec. 1993.] |
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| Article: "The poor are hit hardest by climate
change, but contribute the least to it" |
| http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/328065_firstperson20.html |
by Randy Poplock, Seattle
Post Intelligencer (August 19, 2007)
Two years ago, Hurricane Katrina awoke America to the relationship
between climate change and social justice. Katrina, fueled by
a warmer Gulf, devastated mainly black and low-income populations
that couldn't avoid harm's way. Here in the Pacific Northwest,
we don't have hurricanes, but climate change will still negatively
impact low-income and minority populations disproportionately.
We are not exempt from the "climate justice" issue. |
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| Climate Justice |
| http://www.ejcc.org/ |
| Global warming, or climate
change, is fundamentally an issue of human rights and environmental
justice that connects the local to the global. With rising temperatures,
human lives—particularly in people of color, low-income,
and Indigenous communities—are affected by compromised
health, financial burdens, and social and cultural disruptions.
Moreover, those who are most affected are least responsible for
the greenhouse gas emissions that cause the problem—both
globally and within the United States. |
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| Global Resources: Abuse, Scarcity, and Insecurity |
| http://www.ehponline.org/members/2004/112-3/focus.html |
| Central America has always
been prone to earthquakes and hurricanes, but when Hurricane
Mitch struck in October 1998, the countries of the region were
paralyzed by a scale of destruction that seemed, to many, unbelievable.
The storm caused more than 10,000 deaths; according to Conserving
the Peace: Resources, Livelihoods and Security, a 2003 collection
of case studies published by the International Institute for
Sustainable Development, the subsequent flooding and landslides
wiped out more than 2,000 potable water systems in Honduras and
Nicaragua alone, left millions without dependable drinking water,
and forced 2 million people from their homes. Crowded shelters
created unsanitary conditions and fueled the spread of diseases
such as dengue. The disaster stretched national governments to
the brink of failure. |
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| Study: "Global
warming could affect quality of life" |
By Felicia Mello, Boston
Globe (July 11, 2007)
Put away your sled, get out the inhaler and forget about that
lobster pie. A new report by some of the region's top climate
scientists forecasts widespread changes in New Englanders' quality
of life over the next century if global warming continues at
its current pace. |
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| Social impacts of Climate Change |
| http://www.cana.net.au/socialimpacts/ |
| Climate change is already
with us. From African farmers to Pacific islanders, vulnerable
populations across the globe are already feeling the impacts.
The time to take action is now. While we are already committed
to a warmer climate, it is not too late to avoid a dangerously
hot and unstable new world. There is still a window of opportunity
to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and realise the promise of
a prosperous, fair and sustainable 21st century. (website
description) |
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| Stories of Hope: Antarctica |
| http://www.pbs.org/journeytoplanetearth/hope/antarctica.html |
| The programs in the Journey
to Planet Earth series explore the fragile relationship between
people and the world they inhabit. The series is produced by
Emmy Award-winning filmmakers Marilyn and Hal Weiner in association
with South Carolina ETV. |
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| Live Earth: The Concerts for a Climate Crisis |
| http://www.liveearth.org/ |
Live Earth is a
24-hour, 7-continent series of 9 concerts taking place
on 7/7/07 that will bring together more than 100 music
artists and 2 billion people to trigger a global movement
to solve the climate crisis.
Live Earth will reach this worldwide audience through an unprecedented
global media architecture covering all media platforms - TV,
radio, Internet and wireless channels.
Live Earth marks the beginning of a multi-year campaign led
by the Alliance for Climate Protection, The Climate Group and
other international organizations to drive individuals, corporations
and governments to take action to solve global warming. Former
U.S. Vice President Al Gore is the Chair of the Alliance and
Partner of Live Earth. (web description) |
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Emergency
Preparation |
| New York City Office of Emergency Management (OEM) |
| http://www.nyc.gov/html/oem/html/home/home.shtml |
| Established in 1996, the New York City Office of Emergency
Management (OEM) works to plan and prepare for emergencies;
educate the public about preparedness; coordinate emergency
response and recovery; collect and disseminate critical emergency
information; and seek funding opportunities to support of the
overall preparedness of the City of New York. |
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| The Regeneraction Project |
| http://www.theregenerationproject.org/ |
Website for The Regeneration
Project and Interfaith Power & Light (IPL) campaign. An interfaith ministry devoted to deepening the connection
between ecology and faith, their goal is to help people of faith recognize
and fulfill their responsibility for the stewardship of creation. Specifically,
the IPL campaign is mobilizing a national religious response to global
warming while promoting renewable energy, energy efficiency and conservation.
People of faith have an opportunity to put their faith into action and
help reduce the devastating effects of global warming. (website description)
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