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Mission Statement
The Global Warming Task Force (GWTF) of
Henderson County is a nonpartisan and nonprofit organization working to
reduce carbon dioxide emissions and pollution. The Task Force encourages
informed and active participation of citizens in their government and
seeks to influence public policy through education and advocacy.
Minutes of Meetings
GWTF meets at 6:30
p.m. on the 2nd Monday
of each month in the education building of Providence Baptist
Church, 1201 Oakland St., Hendersonville. Concerned citizens of
planet earth are cordially invited to participate.
Become a Member - Click Here.
SUBMIT YOUR IDEAS ...
350.org is an
"open-source" campaign, and you are encouraged to take the next step to
make your idea a reality. Tell 350 about your efforts and send your
ideas and projects to ideas@350.org
... Check out a sampling of the more than 25,000 photos of people
uniting in a global call for 350, the safe upper limit of carbon dioxide
in the atmosphere.
Learn more about 350.org.
Plant a
tree to save up to 65% on energy ... Homeowners
that properly place trees in their landscape can realize savings up to
58% on daytime air conditioning and as high as 65% for mobile homes. If
applied nationwide to buildings not now benefiting from trees, the shade
could reduce our nation’s consumption of oil by 500,000 barrels of
oil/day.
Read More About This
The CRU Hack - 20 November 2009 ...
A large number of emails from the Climate Research Unit (CRU) at the
University of East Anglia webmail server were recently hacked. Comment:
Breaking into computers and releasing private information is illegal and
unethical.
Despite widespread misinformation, the facts are: There is no evidence
of any worldwide conspiracy, no mention of George Soros nefariously
funding climate research, no grand plan to ‘get rid of the MWP,' no
admission that global warming is a hoax, no evidence of the falsifying
of data. There is a peek into how scientists actually interact, and the
conflicts show that the community is a far cry from the monolith that is
sometimes imagined. People working constructively to improve joint
publications; scientists who are friendly and agree on many of the big
picture issues, disagreeing at times about details and engaging in
‘robust’ discussions; Scientists expressing frustration at the
misrepresentation of their work in politicized arenas and complaining
when media reports get it wrong; Scientists resenting the time they have
to take out of their research to deal with over-hyped nonsense. None of
this should be shocking.
Excerpts
from article published in NY Times
The serious business of climate change began December 7th in Copenhagen,
Denmark. In opening remarks, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
predicted that a robust agreement to combat climate change will be
reached in Copenhagen and implemented immediately. The official website
is http://en.cop15.dk/.
Along with news and articles on climate change, there is also a
climate quiz that would make a great classroom activity.
Comment from Eva Ritchey ...
The increasing body of knowledge on climate change as well as the
increasing evidence that we see around us verifies clearly that
something is changing. It is a verifiable fact that greenhouse gases are
increasing due to human activity.
DISAPPERING SLOPES IN
THE ANDES .... you have to watch
the commercial to see this video clip, but it's important enough to do
it anyway.
http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=9322002
NATIONAL SOLAR TOUR in Hendersonville ...
The GWTF of Henderson County
sponsored a leg of the National Solar Tour, October 17. About 15
participants rode on the Hendersonville Trolley to visit solar
installations in local homes, the Landmark, a local apartment complex,
and then toured the new Mills River Elementary School which is LEED
certified as a result of our efforts in past years. Below is a picture
of some of the tour participants in front of the school.
PDA Agenda for Action ...
The Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) is offering a step by
step action plan for individuals who are concerned about global climate
change. Regardless of your political affiliation this list of specific
action steps you can take as an individual person is worth a closer
look.
Click Here for details.
The Breathing Earth simulation...
This real-time simulation displays the CO2
emissions of every country in the world, as well as their birth and
death rates.
Click Here!
Maybe Ten Years ??? ....
Scientists tell us we have a 10-year window --
if even that -- before catastrophic climate change becomes inevitable
and irreversible. The threat is real, and time is not on our side... The
truth is that the threat we face is not an abstract concern for the
future. It is already upon us and its effects are being felt worldwide,
right now. Scientists project that the Arctic will be ice-free in the
summer of 2013. Not in 2050, but four years from now.
Click Here!
Why So Much Controversy?
With such strong scientific consensus that
global warming is real and is largely due to human activities, why is
there so much controversy in the press and among the public? Why do some
people keep insisting it is just an unproven theory? Some reasons
involve communication breakdowns, but even more important is ...
Read More
Global Warming Myths and Facts ....
There is a great deal of
mis-information about climate change and the roll of human beings.
Here is a quick fact check.
Click
Here!
New GWTF air freshners available to highlight impact of
idle emissions.
Click on
picture to see full size.%20pic_small.jpg)
Top Row, left to right: John
Mikkonen, Carole Repici, Philip Alexander
Bottom Row, left to right: Frances
Jones, Valerie LeVander
dle Not! Don't Just Sit There ... Turn It Off...
Ten seconds of idling uses more fuel than restarting the engine.
As a rule of thumb, if you are going to stop for 10 seconds or more -
except in traffic - turn off the engine. You’ll save money, and you
won’t produce harmful Carbon Dioxide, the leading greenhouse gas ...
Idling gets you nowhere - and it can be costly. Excessive idling wastes
an enormous amount of fuel and money and generates needless greenhouse
gas emissions ... Restarting a car many times has little impact on
engine components such as the battery and the starter motor. The wear on
parts that restarting the engine causes adds about $10 a year to the
cost of driving - money that you’ll likely recover several times over in
fuel savings.
Read More
Idle Myths
Little Known Facts ...
● “Currently, a gas fueled push mower
emits as much hourly pollution as 11 cars and a riding mower emits as
much as 34 cars.” - Organic Shopper Summer 2008
● “The average gasoline mower tested by the EPA emits in 1 hour the same
amount of hydrocarbons that a 1992 Ford Explorer emits over 23,600
hours.” – Green Seal Report
● “Each year over 17 million gallons of gas are spilled refueling lawn
and garden equipment ~ 57% more than was spilled by the Exxon Valdez.” –
Organic Shopper Summer 2008
Moral: use a manual push mower…it’s good for the planet and the
state of your physical fitness!
Al
Gore's Speech ...
"There are times in the history of our nation when our very way of life
depends upon dispelling illusions and awakening to the challenge of a
present danger"
... Continued
Solar Solutions -
by Dr. Hermann Scheer ...
Our Earth is an open and a closed system at the same time: it is open
to the constant flow of energy from the Sun, the force of gravity of the
Sun and Moon and cosmic radiation; it is closed with respect to the
potential of fossil resources, of matter, water, soil and air. As long
as the global economy operates on this limited base of energy and raw
materials, it has only a very restricted outlook left, for two
irrefutable reasons: on the one hand, because fossil resources are
finite, and on the other, because during their conversion, the finite,
but indispensable elements of life on our globe—water, soil, and the
atmosphere—are unavoidably overburdened, damaged and destroyed ....
Continued
THE POVERTY OF CLIMATE
CHANGE
For people of faith, addressing climate change is a
justice issue. Water scarcity, drought, crop failure, increased disease
and flooding are just a few of the issues brought on by global climate
change that could impact those living in poverty. The National Council
of Churches Eco-Justice programs is marking
Earth Day Sunday on April 27 by recognizing the relationship
between poverty and climate change. They offer a resource for worship,
adult study and youth activities. Pass this on to your congregation.
Copies are available online by visiting:
www.nccecojustice.org .
Attention Kids of all Ages
Click the logo to the left to
learn about a new program just for you.
Thinking of Building?
-- 53 Local Green Businesses
Teach Your Children . . .
Think climate change is too big of a problem to solve? Think again.
Small changes in our everyday lives can make a big difference. Just ask
Patrick Gonzalez, a Nature Conservancy climate scientist who sits on the
United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the scientific
body assessing global climate change. Teach your children what they can
do and set a good example...
Continued
The Cost of Coal
Public Pressure Has An Effect
Read
http://www.newsobserver.com/business/story/781242.html
Play the new global warming theme
song ...
The Big 10
Actions
you can take now!
JOIN
THE TASK FORCE
Top 10 Ways to Be Green
Tip #1: Unplug!
Taking a few minutes to turn off electrical devices won't just help you
save the planet, it can also help you save a few bucks off your electric
bill each month. At home, go ahead and turn off the lights when leaving
a room (chances are the walls
Continued ...
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
is a "Green" Building Rating System, developed by the U.S. Green
Building Council (USGBC). It provides a suite of (Cont'd.
Click Here)
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