Tuesday, February 5, 2008

6 Degrees Warmer: Mass Extinction?

Hantu Laut

The average temperature have been rising due to global warming.We are losing 50,000 sq.miles of tropical rainforests every year due to excessive and indiscriminate logging.Some of our flora and fauna are on the way to extinction.The sumatran rhinos and the tigers and many more species are highly endangered and will soon disappear from this planet.The resources from our seas are depeleting.A number of species of sharks, fishes and turtles are disappearing from our oceans.The great whales will soon be a story of the past.Our climate has changed, our weather are getting more severe and there are frequent earth quakes.

We only need 6 degrees warmer before we, the human race become extinct.

We are our own biggest enemy.We are the destroyer.

Are we going to sit down and do nothing ?

Further reading:

Scientists identify 'tipping points' of climate change

Big business says addressing climate change 'rates very low on agenda'





2 comments:

Pak Zawi said...

HL,
Our forest are lost not just by logging but also by agriculture development. An area under mono crop isn't the same as a forrested area due to the ecological differences. The best way to go about it is to stop developing new agriculture areas but instead to maximise the productivity of the present areas which more often than not are under utilized.

gram.kong said...

Zawi,
You are absolutely right.Altought, it is major part of deforestation and contributes to the ecological destruction of many rainforests, it is the lesser of the two evils.

Logging is much more destructive as the logged over areas are laid barren and failed to regenerate due to massive tearing of topsoil, essential ingredient for plant growth.

Sabah used to have a sustainable logging policy started by the British.It's based on a 60-year circle and with minimum allowable limit of 5.5 feet girth.It means you are not allowed to cut any tree with less than 5.5 feet girth at the stump and the same area can't be given out for logging within the next 60 years.

Our politicians, due to greed and selfishness, screwed it up good and proper. Sabah would soon be a net importer of timber.

Malaysia should also stop giving land for oil palm plantations and should embark on a programme to convert idle land and, as you say, maximise productivity on land with marginal yield.

Watch out for my forthcoming article on this issue.