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Global Warming
Topics: global warming
Posted by citizenjournalist Wed May 9, 2007 17:14:31 PDT
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0 responses 2 comments Global warming is here. It's for real. Leading scientists have confirmed it. The temperature is rising all over our planet. In mid-century it is expected to rise by 2 degrees Fahrenheit. The effect will be felt all over the world.

The polar ice caps have already begun to melt. This is being caused by fossil fuels emitting greenhouse gasses into the upper atmosphere. We need to turn to alternative fuels. We need to do it now.

Everyone can do their part now. If you drive a big car, SUV, or big pickup, you need to get rid of it and buy smaller, high-mileage cars. If you do not, you will leave your grandkids with a world gone mad.

In two centuries the experts say if we do not get this problem under control, the world wide temperature will rise 25 degrees. This will mean worldwide drought and famine.

I asked Brenda Turner of the Valley Clean Air Board, from a scale from 1 to 10, to rate our air quality. She gave Bakersfield a 10.

There is a lot of things you can do to help clean the air. Carpool. Ride a bike. Do all your shopping in the same day. Take vacations closer to home. Have you seen the big buses that say "clean air bus?" They are GET buses. You can ride all day, as many buses as you want for a monthly fee of $30. How much are you spending for gas to get to work? And if you are disabled or a senior citizen, you can ride for half-price.

I know riding a bus can be a hassle because I ride the GET every day. But if you want cleaner air, make the sacrifice. If you continue to abuse planet Earth, there won't be a planet Earth for your descendants.

There are many other things you can do to save our planet, things like turning off your air conditioner when you leave the house, turn off all lights in an empty room, and buy energy-saving light bulbs. The light bulbs will save you over $60 in their lifetime.

Can you imagine if just 10 percent more people started riding the GET bus tomorrow? We could tell the difference in one week, our air would be so much cleaner. For information, call GET customer service at 869-2468.

GET has 18 routes and 80 buses running every day. A GET bus can take you within two blocks of where you need to go. Please try riding the bus just one day to see how good you will feel. We are burning this planet up bit by bit. If everyone does their share it will make a big difference. If we do not, mankind will go extinct.

If you think I'm trying to scare you into action, yes I am. The danger is clear we do not have more than 10 years to reverse the damage. That's what a top NASA expert says.

I want to create a Global Warming Day in Bakersfield. If you want to serve on this committee, call 397-1570.

If everyone does a little together, we can do a lot. If we do not change the habits of this planet we will go the way of the dinosaurs. If our temperature rises 25 degrees, Florida, Louisiana and the coastline of California will be under water. Thousands will die.

The auto makers in this country must be nuts. The handwriting has been on the wall for 20 years. Still they make big trucks and cars because you're still buying them and your grandchildren will pay the price.

Riding the GET bus is a small price for me, if it means my grandchildren grow up in a safe world. I want my children and grandchildren grow up in a cleaner, greener world.

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Comment From: tfitchette

That settles it! You said it, so we all must believe it. Give me a break! It's being reported by reputable sources that the earth survived a 9-degree hike in global temperatures some centuries ago, now we're crying over a predicted 2-degree hike. Come on… our current crop of scientists can't predict what the weather's going to be like two weeks from now. How can we believe those who say it's going to get hotter? I remember reading about the coming ice age 30 years ago. Whatever happened to that? Comment From: witbee

The issue of global warming is so convoluted by politicians and opportunists that most of us don't know what to think about it. Howevere, air pollution is an obvious, measurable problem. I think more people should focus on ridding our air of serious pollutants and less on carbon dioxide. Just my opinion. Rob