The author has impeccable credentials. He is
Professor Bill McGuire. He is professor of geophysical hazards at University
College, London, and director of the university's Benfield UCL Hazard Research
Centre. He has advised the Government on threats posed by natural events, from
asteroids to tsunamis, and was recently the BBC's chief consultant for the drama Supervolcano.
He says that global greenhouse gas emissions
must fall by 50%-80% by 2050. He says, "To do this, they must stabilize by 2015
and fall thereafter. Even this may not be enough." He lists 10 areas of threat.
The 1st is 'War'. Professor McGuire warns that
the Middle East could become the area where the first water wars are fought, as
tensions rise between Israel, Syria, Jordan and the Palestinians. "Within five
years, water scarcity could come to a head, with violent consequences."
The 2nd is 'Disease'. He focuses upon rising
temperatures, which "will
see the march of insect-borne killer diseases
from the tropics into temperate zones.
The 3d in Professor McGuire's list is
'Migration'. "Already there have been 30 million climate change refugees.... by
the middle of the century, climate change will have driven 150 million people
into neighbouring areas and across borders, triggering social volatility,
racism, resentment and bitterness among indigenous populations."
The 4th is 'Wildfires'. Global warming has
created tinderbox conditions in many parts of the world, resulting in
devastating fires.... pouring vast amounts of carbon into the atmosphere and
perpetuating climate change conditions.
The 5th area is 'Extinctions'. "Today, species
are vanishing a thousand times faster than any time in the past 65 million
years.... In our oceans, whales, seals and penguins are threatened, because
warming waters are throwing the intricate food chains out of balance. Another
threat to life in our seas is posed by more carbon in the atmosphere, making
seas more acidic."
The 6th area is that of 'Drought'. Many areas are
already suffering greatly.Mr McGuire speaks of encroaching deserts and
depleted water supplies. Millions suffering. Crop yields down 70% as a
result.
7th is 'Famine'. He says that, "today one in
eight does not have enough to eat." "...feeding a global population of 9 billion
by 2050 will put an intolerable burden on the land and agriculture.
8th is the 'Economy'. "In 2006, British
economist Sir Nick Stern warned that climate change may plunge the world into a
new Great Depression.... there will be energy shortages, civil strife, drought,
famine and plummeting natural resources."
9th is 'Flooding'. Despite droughts and
desertification, other areas will be lost by rising seas and extreme weather.
10th is 'Storms' -- Since 1980 wild weather
has caused 600,000 deaths and clean-up bills of more than a half a trillion
pounds. The future could be of gigantic hurricanes and typhoons half the size of
the United States.
On the back cover, Professor Bill McGuire is quoted as
saying; "It's not too late, but time's running out." His book is authoritative,
he knows what he is talking about. But it isn't going to be climate change per
se that will bring about the destruction of all life from the face of this
planet. Climate change however will be partly instrumental in generating
pressures. Pressures that will indeed see nations threatening and attacking one
another and finally coming to a nuclear confrontation, which would indeed see
the end of all life on Earth.
But for one factor. That of the return of
Jesus Christ. How nice it would have been if the Anglican Lambeth Conference had
addressed these issues, preached the return of Christ, the necessity to repent
and to begin to obey God and His word. Instead of which, the professing
Christian churches seem bent on fulfilling the words of Isaiah 8:20, "... if
they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them."
There is no light in professing Christianity today. Yet the only hope this
planet has is that which comes from the reality of the return of Jesus Christ.
Let's get our lives in line with the word of God now, while we still
can.
WEEKLY NEWS REVIEW FROM
LONDON
WORLD FOOD SUPPLIES AND THE WTO MEETING
International Herald Tribune -- 1st August --
Trade talks collapse in battle over farm aid. 'A massive blow' to confidence in
the global economy.
After seven years of on-again, off-again
negotiations, world trade talks collapsed in rancour on Tuesday, ending hopes of
a deal to free up global markets, cut farm subsidies and shore up the
international trading system. Discussions here reached an impasse after nine
straight days of high-level talks, when the United States, India and China
failed to compromise over measures to protect farmers in poor countries.....
it's a big setback, particularly to the hopes of developing countries like
Brazil and India, and the poor nations of Africa, which were counting on gaining
greater access to rich consumers in the United States, Europe and Japan for
their farm goods and products of their basic industries..... The sticking point
this time .... was the stance of countries like China and India, which have
become more aggressive in advancing their interests against those of the U.S.
and Europe. (A lobbyist said..) "Maybe they're now thinking 'we're big enough
that we don't even need the process. "
The Independent -- 30th July -- TRADE TALKS
FAIL OVER U.S. FARM FEUD Nine days and seven years of painful negotiations to
boost the world economy.... have collapsed in Geneva.
Comment: These were talks
within the World Trade Organisation which took place in Geneva and have just
concluded. The WTO with 153 nations as members sets the rules of world trade. It
works out agreements between the nations, with particular reference to reduce
the threat of global warming. The newspaper report quoted the main "sticking
point" - however, there is more to it than that! The big problem is the American
policy of giving large subsidies to American farmers. This then causes the price
of food produced in the U.S. to be very low. Food is then exported to 3rd world
nations at such a low price that it is almost dumped in the African and Asian
nations. This has almost put the African and Asian farmers and their employees
out of business. The WTO wants the US to either end farm subsidies, or greatly
reduce them. Some American farmers have been quoted as saying that they can make
a good living without subsidies. Subsidies remove the need in the US for farmers
to maximise production! Thus aggravating the world supply of food. The stated
policy of the American president is that he will not end or reduce subsidies to
US farmers.
International Herald Tribune -- 25th July -- Asia shows
symptoms of wider U.S. contagion. Signs grew Thursday that the U.S. economic
slowdown was spreading to Asia after Japanese exports fell for the first time in
nearly five years and the central bank in New Zealand cut rates to fend off a
possible recession. ..... Vietnam, one of the countries hit hardest by soaring
prices, reported Thursday that inflation was running at an annual rate of 27%.
Food prices were up a staggering 72.7%..... From Singapore, the economy of the
former Asian tiger, suffered its biggest contraction in five years in the second
quarter, as exports to the U.S. and Europe tumbled.
Comment: When one considers all these factors, and
looks at what is happening all over the world, one can do no more than quote the
bible. 1 John 3:17 " But whoso has this world's good (s), and sees his brother
have need and shuts up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwells the love of
God in him?"
THE ANGLICAN CHURCH AND THE LAMBETH
CONFERENCE
We can quote no newspaper for an update on the
once in 10 years Anglican worldwide conference. Why? Other than two adjoining
reports a week ago in the International Herald Tribune, we have seen no
newspaper reports regarding it! Or heard any on either radio or TV. We might
well have missed one of course.
Comment: One of the articles in the Tribune was
written by Chloe Breyer, an associate minister at St.Mary's Episcopal Church in
Harlem and director of the Inter-faith Centre of New York. She is the author of A Young Woman's First Year at Seminary. She preaches the doctrine of
the ordination of women into the ministry. The other article was written by Dr
Chris Sugden, canon of St.Luke's Cathedral, Jos, Nigeria. This cloudy and
pedantic article ostensibly called for the Anglicans to adhere " to the teaching
of scripture" - but they can't! How do you adhere to something you don't even
recognize!!
SPACE
The Independent -- 25th July -- Jupiter-sized
planet found.
A new planet about the same size as Jupiter
has been discovered 3,000 light years from our solar system. The planet... is
believed to be mostly made up of gas and has a similar composition to Jupiter...
Scientists at an international astronomy conference at the University of
St.Andrews (in Scotland) said visiting the planet would be out of the question,
as it would be unbearably hot!
Comment: For understatement this brief report must
take the proverbial biscuit! Not only is this planet made up of gas and has
nothing solid about it, no internal core, no surface rocky or otherwise, but it
is 3,000 light years away. Maybe the penny will drop! If light has taken 3,000
years to reach us at the speed of light, then that planet is now nowhere near
where it was 3,000 light years ago. So how is anyone going to plan a trip to it?
And unbearably hot or not makes no difference, when the planet is made up of
gas. Our true salvation is a lot closer to us than any planet, we just won't pay
attention.
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