We are now facing abnormal weather patterns in Singapore.
From Jan till mid-Mar this year, Singapore is under a “Dry Spell” and received record low rainfall.
In Jan 2014, we received just 75.4 mm of rainfall. [Long-term average: 242.4mm]
[ We receive only 1/3 of the normal rainfall in Jan ]
In Feb 2014, we received only 0.2 mm of rain! [compared to long-term ave of 161mm]
[Feb 2014 is the driest month in 145 years of record keeping (since 1869) ]
S’pore experiencing record dry spell :
http://news.asiaone.com/news/singapore/spore-experiencing-record-dry-spell-and-it-could-get-worse
Because of the prolong period of dry weather, PUB has to pump 25 million gallons of NewWater into our reservoirs everyday (from late Jan to mid Mar), to maintain the water levels in the reservoirs for our use at home. [This is the first time we need to do that in the history of Singapore.]
During the dry period, when we walk around in Singapore, we would notice that the grasses along the road side are all dried up.
The Dry spell persisted through Mar and ended in 16 Mar with a few days of heavy rainfall.
NUS weather researcher Winston Chow commented that the prolong dry spell is “definitely out of the ordinary”. However, “adnormal’ and extreme patterns like this could be more common in the long term due to climate change.
…………
In recent years, many countries in the World had faced severe Drought conditions.
In 2012, USA faces the worst drought in 60 years.
61% of USA is under moderate to extreme Drought condition.
88% of US Corn & Soya Bean crops are affected.
U.S. drought pushes world to food crisis: July 20, 2012:
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2012/07/20/US-drought-pushes-world-to-food-crisis/UPI-66721342769400/
In 2011, Africa faces the worst Drought in 60 years.
9.5 million people are affected: (That’s twice the size of the entire Singapore population)
2011 East Africa Drought:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_East_Africa_drought
In 2010, Russia experienced the worst drought in 100 years.
Grain Harvest (wheat, barley, rye) was down by 1/4 in 2010.
Russia struck by worst drought in 100 years : 8 July 2010
http://voiceofrussia.com/2010/07/18/12667465/
………
In 2012, Dr Jame Hansen, director of NASA, lead a team to analyse 60 years of global temperature data and found a sharp increase in the frequency of extremely hot summers.
Even an over dose can be harmful for the health cialis samples so they should be detected soon and treated for a better life. And this is effective to activate collaterals, harmonize qi and blood, the viagra for women blood in semen is the symptom of abnormal flow of the blood. My lovely wife was in the kitchen preparing tadalafil pharmacy dinner. For example, cheap tadalafil online smoking, drinking and drug use along with lack of exercise. The team found that :
From 1951 – 1980, extremely hot temperatures affected only 0.1% of the world. Now, due to Global Warming, extreme heat events affect about 10% of the world. (100-fold increase)
Heat Waves “Almost Certainly” Due to Global Warming: AUGUST 6, 2012
…………
With Climate change causing so much damage, (and the effects would only get worst if nothing is done), many scientists are now asking people to adopt various means to reduce Global Warming.
In 2013, Dr Robert Goodland, former Senior environmental adviser of World Bank for 23 years, suggest that the goal to stop Climate change can be achieved by replacing 25% of today’s livestock (meat products) with better alternatives (vegetable products) – quickly and inexpensively.
http://www.chompingclimatechange.org/
Dr Robert Goodland: Stop Deforestation / Reduce Livestock farming to reduce Climate Change (17 mins)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26gx-Ut_fzo
Reduce Livestock production would free up land to grow forest to sequester Carbon Dioxide. 1 hectare of forest can sequester 200 tonnes of Carbon, while 1 hectare of grassland can only sequester 8 tonnes of Carbon.
Reduce Livestock production would also free up land to grow food for the people.
Dr Robert Goodland’s Article “Happier Meals” can be found at:
http://www.climate.org/publications/Climate%20Alerts/2014-january/happier-meals.html
…………
In 2010, United Nations had recommended a reduction of livestock products/ reduce meat consumption to reduce green house emissions/ resource wastage: (3 mins)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nB3kfaomWs0
…….
NEAA [Netherland Environmental Assessment Agency] proposed that “A Global shift to a Low-meat diet” would save the world 50% to 80% of the US$40 trillion required to halt climate change by 2050.
NEAA’s report “Climate benefits of Changing diets” states that “The livestock sector accounts for 18% of the greenhouse gas emissions and for 80% of total anthropogenic land use.”
According to UN FAO 2006 Livestock Long Shadow report, 70% of the world’s Agriculture land is used for the livestock industry. [including land for grazing, land to grow feed crops for the animals, and land for the animal industries.] If the world shifts to a low-meat diet [a diet that we have 30 years back. Mostly plant-based with a little meat on special occasions.], the meat production could be reduced by 1/2. Thus, the 70% agriculture land used by livestock industries could be shirked by 1/2 to about 35%. This would free up 35% of agriculture land which could be used to grow forest. The forest would help to absorb CO2 and protect water resources.
NEAA’s found that “A global transition to a low meat-diet as recommended for health reasons would reduce the mitigation costs to achieve a 450 ppm CO2-eq. stabilisation target by about 50% in 2050 compared to the reference case.
Dietary changes could therefore not only create substantial benefits for human health and global land use, but can also play an important role in future climate change mitigation policies.”
More information could be seen at :
http://www.pbl.nl/en/publications/2009/Climate-benefits-of-changing-diet.html
………
Thus, one way that everyone can help to reduce climate change is to reduce meat consumption. (E.g. Reduce by half.)
Let’s make some lifestyle changes to reduce Climate change and help our younger generations.
Low ck