Transcript Document

The Sustainability Trust
Rotarians for a Sustainable Planet
A Global Project by Participating Rotary Clubs
The Trust is an independent charitable foundation
supported by Rotary Clubs around the world,
with 12 Founding Member Clubs
on 6 continents
Boiling the Frog in a Pot
‘a Dangerous Waiting Game on Climate Change’*
*Newsday, 23-12-2011
The Boiling Frog
• The pot heats
• The frog does nothing
• The frog boils until cooked!
Boiling Planet Earth
• Planet Earth Heats
• The human race does nothing
• The Hotter Climate creates havoc until we’re
cooked!
So What’s the Problem?
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Planet Earth’s Climate - What’s Happening?
Why is our Climate Changing?
What will the Consequences Be?
Why doesn’t someone DO SOMETHING?
What Should We Do?
What tools do we have to
help Rotarians?
The Discovery of Fire
• Planet Earth is ~4.6 billion years old
• About 400,000 years ago* our ancestors
found that burning carbon fuel kept them
warm
• Controlling temperature,
providing light, cooking,
forest-clearing,
• Using fire thus helped the
population to grow
But the growth has been exponential..!
The Industrial Revolution has taken our use of fire to extreme levels
The predominant scientific opinion on
climate change • “Earth's climate system is unequivocally
warming
• “It is more than 90% certain that humans are
causing it
• “Our activities increase concentrations
of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere,
• “Burning fossil fuels, deforestation and
similar activities are the main causes
Source = ‘Climate Wars’, by Gwynne Dyer
Why is our Climate Changing?
• Burning carbon fuels takes our planet from
• Natural Warming to Amplified Warming
AMPLIFIED GREENHOUSE EFFECT:
Higher concentrations of CO2 and other
"greenhouse" gases trap more infrared energy in
the atmosphere than occurs naturally.
The additional heat further warms the atmosphere
and the Earth’s surface….
and melts more ice, so
extra heat is absorbed
One of the main water sources
outside Moyale in Kenya runs dry.
The Consequences:
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More energy in the atmosphere
More heat in the oceans
More storms
More hurricanes
More drought
More floods
More famine
More disease
Climate Change doesn’t mean
everywhere gets warmer ….
• Scientists have established a link between the
cold, snowy winters in Britain and melting sea
ice in the Arctic
• They have warned that long periods of freezing
weather are likely to become more frequent in
years to come*
• Recent Harsh UK Winters are not yet a Pattern,
but all the Signs Point That Way
*The Independent newspaper 24-12-2010
Recent harsh UK winters are not yet a
pattern, but all the signs point that way
Warmer waters in the
Barents and Kara seas
are creating an area of
high pressure
surrounded by
clockwise-moving winds
that sweep down from the
polar region over Europe
and the British Isles.
Source - Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
Water Shortage Predictions 2020
Source = University of Kassel in Germany
The Sustainability Trust – Rotarians for Rotarians for a Sustainable Planet
Water Shortage Predictions 2070
Source = University of Kassel in Germany
The Sustainability Trust – Rotarians for a Sustainable Planet
2070 and the Receding Glaciers
• Two BILLION people rely on the glacial meltwater from the Himalayas and mountains in
northern India,
China and Pakistan
• Can we imagine the
consequences if this life-giving water supply
fails?
And it’s started: The Weather is Changing
EVERYWHERE
…..famine, disease, poverty and war
• Will we be able to fill ShelterBoxes fast enough?
• And then there’s SUSTAINABILITY……….
Why Sustainability?
Is this Sustainable?
The human race is using the
resources of 1.4 planet Earths
By 2030 we will need the resources
of two planet Earths
Do we follow the Frog?
Do we boil the planet?
Do we use up
all of its resources?
Do we leave our descendants
with a wasteland?
We’re Rotarians = Service above Self
• We owe it to our grandchildren
• There are steps we can take
Offer Solar
Solutions
• Let’s be Pro-active
Measure
carbon
footprint
Plant trees
Preserve Species
The Aim is to ‘De-Carbonize’
From this
To this
and it starts HERE, with us ……
Most of the solutions
save us money
while saving the planet
We can ALL do something to help
• Turn un-used lights off
• Use heat wisely, recirculate air
• Insulate cleverly, everywhere
• Fit Standby-Savers
• Cut travel miles – coordinate journeys
• Measure our Energy Consumption
and aim to reduce it with a Smart Meter
Many Rotary Clubs are involved….
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Rochdale, England, Babylon Project
Perth, Australia, ‘Days of Change’.
District 1100 ‘Your Green Future’
Mission Valley, CA, ‘Understanding
Climate Change’
Sheffield, UK, ‘Standby Energy-Savers’
Metro Club, NY, ‘Haiti Hydro Electric’
Fresno Club, CA, ‘Solar Cooking’
• Cutting our use of Carbon-based
Fossil Fuels
• Reducing CO2 emissions
• Saving money
• Helping others
The Sustainability Trust
www.TheSustainabilityTrust.org
• Funded initially by 12 Clubs on 6 continents
• Encourages 1.22 million Rotarians to consider
Sustainability principles.
• Has 800 Clubs connected to its database
• Aims to be a forum to share best practice
• Encourages all 34,000 Clubs to get involved
• Has a 5th Test in 4-Way Test – to ask ourselves
…. ‘Is it Sustainable?’
Ways to become involved….
• Click on the website
• Become a Personal Sustaining Member
US $50 to support the Trust
• Make this Club a Trust Sustaining
Member = US $100
• Become a Gold 50 Member Club
US $1,000, payable over two years
Our World 2100
Flooded?
It’s our responsibility
Boiled?
Unsustainable?
The Sustainability Trust
Rotarians for a Sustainable Planet
A Global Project by Participating Rotary Clubs
To Link YOUR Club into the project go to
www.thesustainabilitytrust.org
To become a Sustaining Member Club, go to
www.thesustainabilitytrust.org/trustmembers.htm