Here are 11 solutions already being put into practice by innovative communities around the world.
You probably don't need to be told that the threat of climate change is real. If you're concerned about the issue, it's fairly easy to conjure the apocalyptic scenes of widespread drought, frequent deadly storms, mass hunger, and wars over natural resources like oil and water. Much harder to come by are examples of positive actions that can avert these disasters and ease the crisis in places where they are already in play. So let's skip the litany of catastrophes that await if global warming is not controlled. Instead, why not focus on some solutions? None are perfect or complete, but each offers a model of positive change that is more than theoretically possible -- it is already happening.
Earth Changes
Tropical Storm Noel triggered mudslides and floods in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, pushing the death toll to 81 on Wednesday and forcing some parents to choose which of their children to save from the surging waters.
Melting glaciers in Western Canada are revealing tree stumps up to 7,000 years old where the region's rivers of ice have retreated to a historic minimum, a geologist said today.
Johannes Koch of The College of Wooster in Ohio found the fresh-looking, intact tree stumps beside retreating glaciers in Garibaldi Provincial Park, about 40 miles (60 kilometers) north of Vancouver, British Columbia.
Radiocarbon dating of the wood from the stumps revealed the wood was far from fresh - some of it dated back to within a few thousand years of the end of the last ice age.
"The stumps were in very good condition, sometimes with bark preserved," said Koch, who conducted the work as part of his doctoral thesis at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia. Koch will present his results on Oct. 31 at the Geological Society of America annual meeting in Denver.
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| Overlord Glacier: 7,000 years old. Glacier in background. Stump in foreground at arrow. |
Johannes Koch of The College of Wooster in Ohio found the fresh-looking, intact tree stumps beside retreating glaciers in Garibaldi Provincial Park, about 40 miles (60 kilometers) north of Vancouver, British Columbia.
Radiocarbon dating of the wood from the stumps revealed the wood was far from fresh - some of it dated back to within a few thousand years of the end of the last ice age.
"The stumps were in very good condition, sometimes with bark preserved," said Koch, who conducted the work as part of his doctoral thesis at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia. Koch will present his results on Oct. 31 at the Geological Society of America annual meeting in Denver.
Experts say the tectonic quakes that recently struck Java and Sumatra might be responsible for triggering increased activities at several volcanoes on both islands.
A seismologist from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), Nanang T. Puspito, said the tectonic quakes that occurred along the West Sumatra and southern Java coasts over the past week have likely increased activity in a number of volcanoes.
Nanang said plate movements below the earth's mantle could increase the pressure of the upper magma pocket of a volcano and trigger an eruption followed by volcanic quakes.
A seismologist from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), Nanang T. Puspito, said the tectonic quakes that occurred along the West Sumatra and southern Java coasts over the past week have likely increased activity in a number of volcanoes.
Nanang said plate movements below the earth's mantle could increase the pressure of the upper magma pocket of a volcano and trigger an eruption followed by volcanic quakes.
A powerful earthquake struck near the Marianas Islands in the South Pacific, Japan's weather agency said Wednesday, adding that there was no threat of a tsunami.
The Meteorological Agency initially said the quake's magnitude was 7.5 but later revised it to 7.0 after analyzing the data. The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude was 7.2.
The Meteorological Agency initially said the quake's magnitude was 7.5 but later revised it to 7.0 after analyzing the data. The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude was 7.2.
SAN JOSE - A magnitude-5.6 earthquake shook the San Francisco Bay area Tuesday night, rattling homes and nerves, but there were no immediate reports of serious damage or injuries.
The moderate temblor struck shortly after 8 p.m., about 9 miles northeast of San Jose, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Residents reported feeling the quake as far east as Sacramento and as far north as Sonoma.
The moderate temblor struck shortly after 8 p.m., about 9 miles northeast of San Jose, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Residents reported feeling the quake as far east as Sacramento and as far north as Sonoma.
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| Villagers in a boat trying to rescue passengers waiting for help on the top of a private bus in Pandluru stream on Monday. |
Eleven persons were killed, several tanks breached, hundreds of houses either collapsed or suffered extensive damage, while road and rail networks were damaged as widespread rain disrupted normal life across the district on Monday.
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic - Tropical Storm Noel brought heavy rain and flooding to the Dominican Republic on Monday and officials said at least 20 people had died.
At least 20 other people were reported missing from the storm, which lashed Hispaniola, the island the country shares with Haiti, said Ramon Franco of the Dominican emergency services agency.
At least 20 other people were reported missing from the storm, which lashed Hispaniola, the island the country shares with Haiti, said Ramon Franco of the Dominican emergency services agency.
The South Island has rocked and wobbled to more than 20 earthquakes in the past month, but scientists say such a sudden increase in activity is normal.
Since September 30, 22 earthquakes and aftershocks have shaken communities across the South Island.
Since September 30, 22 earthquakes and aftershocks have shaken communities across the South Island.
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| Traffic grinds to a halt southbound on the Pacific Motorway as a result of flooding at Loganholme. |
Mini-tornadoes and hail could hit South-East Queensland later today when a severe storm cell strikes the region. Flash flooding, heavy rainfall, wind and large hailstones are expected to hit an area west of Brisbane over the next several hours.
Comment: The author has brought up a lot of excellent solutions that would enable countries to clean up their environment, help the poor and impoverished to a better way of life and implement ways to conserve our natural resources; however we must not forget that in order to do all of this we need to get to the real root of the problem. And that is to remove the psychopaths who are in power throughout the world who do not care about the environment, the land, the natural resources nor the people who inhabit this planet. And then, once removed, to make sure that these types of people do not gain control of the various nations again.