Earth Change Report Goes Global

Sept 08 2007

In this edition:

+APEC soft on climate change.

+ Canada’s PM changes stance.

+The Netherlands gets greener.

+Early EQ warning system in Japan.

+From Your Letters - New Zealand – safe or not safe?

+Chicken popcorn recipe. +Newsletter or forum? An essential poll.

But first – From The Editor’s Desk

After all, this is an international publication – which means there is much more to the world than the borders of the United States.

EC Report also focuses on abrupt climate change – abrupt and sudden earth changes – which are to be expected at any time.

While politicians are aware of the greenhouse gas issue, they tend to insist that the problem cannot be solved at the expense of economic growth.

Which begs the question – was it not economic growth that has and is and will continue to be the main cause of CO2 emissions and the resulting climate change which will inevitably bring the world economy to its knees – much sooner than they dare admit?

The temptation is to blame governments for dragging their feet on these issues. And it’s true that they do. Like all institutions that enjoy power over people, governments tend to be deceptive in that they publicly espouse their good works and intentions while privately they are serving those who have bankrolled them into power. Okay – some of us are awake to all that. But the blame game gets no-one anywhere.

The alternative is to be aware that there is always “spin” involved in politics and many of the protocols they espouse are empty of substance, let alone real action.

But instead of complaining or becoming radical, instead of waiting for governments to lead the way, we should be making our own personal decisions and plans based on what is not being said – and that is, the world climate situation is deteriorating very quickly.

+The Atlantic Current is due to stall sometime soon.

+A huge Coronal Mass Ejection from the sun is on its way in a year or two.

+The Arctic ice continues to melt. +Polar bears are losing tens of thousands of square miles of traditional hunting territory –

and they will starve into near oblivion.

Could it be said that as the Polar Bear goes, so goes humanity as these Earth Changes accelerate?

It could indeed.

Michael Knight

Editor.

"Canada wants to be a world leader in the fight against climate change and in the development of clean energy.

"For at least a decade most governments, including Canada's government, paid what can charitably be called lip service to the issue of climate change.

"Because they were unwilling to tell the public that reducing carbon emissions must entail real economic costs in the short term, governments responded to the problem with little more than political rhetoric.

That is a turn-about by a Prime Minister, who five years ago dismissed the science that linked emissions to climate change as tentative and contradictory.

Her told the conference: "The weight of scientific evidence holds that our atmosphere is getting hotter and that human activity is a significant contributor."

He is quoted in Canada’s “GlobeandMail” as saying the physical evidence can be found in the expanding amount of open water in the Northwest Passage and the mild British Columbia winters that have created ideal conditions for pine-beetle infestations.

And there’s more on the APEC conference at this independent media site.

The article intro says: “ While thousands of people protested in the streets of Sydney about the war in Iraq, climate change, and civil liberties, the 21 APEC leaders made a fashion statement on the steps of the Opera House, before meeting inside and signing the Sydney Declaration - a statement on climate change that is being widely criticized by environmentalists and climate activists.”

Under the heading "Turning the Tide on Climate Change":“The Netherlands is taking part in an EU-wide climate change awareness campaign urging the public to take the future of the planet into its own hands.

The campaign challenges the public to make small changes to daily routines to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions."

And the message is urgent: the average global temperature increased in the 20th Century by 0.6 degrees Celsius and almost 1 degree in Europe — unusually rapid warming.

The 20th century was the warmest century, the 1990s was the warmest decade in the past 1,000 years and temperatures are predicted to warm globally by an extra 1.4 to 5.8 degrees Celsius over this century. [Ed. Note: Unless the Great Conveyor Belt stalls, which will plunge Europe into a Siberian-type climate.]

“Households are among the biggest energy users in Europe, but small changes can lead to an average 32 percent cut in your heating bill, leading in turn to fewer greenhouse gas emissions.

It recently had an almost nuclear disaster when a ‘quake forced the shutdown of a nuclear power generator.

Japan is now moving ahead with an earthquake early warning system.

How early?



If it works as planned, people will have no more than seconds – perhaps tenths of a second – to prepare for the shock.

Is that abrupt?

Fairly.

But this page does offer some advice on preparedness that can apply to anyone, anywhere in the world, in the event of an earthquake.

And Now - What Readers Write

Q: "How about a forum that would provide a way to connect with those of like minds in each state, city, etc.?

"I know that I don't have a single family member or friend so far who will listen to these warnings.

"It would be great to meet with others near me in Michigan to join forces and share support and ideas, as well as doing the same with those in other states.

"I know you mentioned the forum before. I don't know if you have decided on it yet, but I would be so grateful to not feel so alone here.

"There is power in information and numbers.

"Thank you so very much for all that you are doing!”

A: The forum is much closer now- depending on the response to the polls mentioned below.

There is a lot involved in setting it up (like learning yet another software program in order to make it work) but it will be up as soon as possible.

To eliminate the skeptics and predators who cruise various open forums this one will be both exclusive and private.

You will have individual passwords. And only those who pay the membership fee will have access.

There will be a wide range of topics to contribute to and learn from – everything from preparedness suggestions to on-line resources to food preparation (canning, drying freezing etc) and more.

A chat room where you can interact with others is also on the cards.

Q (Edited for privacy): "I have been trying to find out how the earth changes are going to effect New Zealand.

"I have purchased a number of books including the Atlas ofClimate Change but they are all vague about New Zealand.

Can you suggest something that will give me the information I need before we move there.

A: Free will being what it is, I am happy to give you a little info about NZ - but your decisions are yours alone, just like my decision to leave NZ and come to the Pacific Northwest was mine alone.

If I were considering going back there, I would prefer to head for the high country in the South Island.

Townships like Wanaka and Queenstown or perhaps Te Anau would get my attention.

Even though the mountain range that forms the spine of the South Island was formed by a collision of the Pacific and Tasman tectonic plates, I suspect it will be safer there than in the North Island.

That's because the North Island could potentially be cut in half when the various volcanoes there finally blow. There are also many earthquake fault lines - actually, there are quite a few throughout the country, both north and south.

The North Island cities are almost all on the coast line. Dangerous. Same for most of the big cities down south.

Hence the high country option . Even though the mountains will no doubt be affected once those plates start moving again, high is better than low when it comes to tsunamis.

Dear Diary - From The Home Front

Judith canned (which is American for preserved) 18 pints of stew and about 20 pounds of tomatoes.

We either grow our own meat or buy from a trusted source because we don’t believe it when the media tells us that Mad Cow Disease is not a problem.

Our two broody hens adopted 20 chickens bought from a friend.

Which brings us to last but not least – that Chicken Popcorn Recipe.

Here is a chicken recipe that also includes the use of popcorn as a stuffing - imagine that!

When I found this recipe, I thought it was perfect for people, like me, who just aren't sure how to tell when poultry is thoroughly cooked, but not dried out. Give this a try.

BAKED STUFFED CHICKEN

6-7 lb. Roasting chicken

1 cup melted butter

1 cup stuffing (Pepperidge Farm is good.)

1 cup uncooked popcorn (ORVILLE REDENBACHERS LOW FAT)

Salt/pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brush chicken well with melted butter, salt, and pepper.

Fill cavity with Stuffing and popcorn.

Tie legs loosely together – not too tight.

Place chicken in baking pan breast side down.

Make sure the neck end points toward the oven door.

Listen for the popping sounds.

When the oven door blows open and the chicken flies across the room, it's done.

And you thought I couldn't cook...

NEWSLETTER – FORUM – TIME FOR A POLL OR TWO

More experienced people than me say it is difficult to establish a paid newsletter. Most people like them for free, and those who write them use them to advertise their products.

I could write a thousand words on why Earth Change Report is a valuable information product, especially about its core subject, which is abrupt climate change that we should all be aware of and prepare for.

But if the subscription rate is too small, then my time would be better spent doing something else that is more productive financially.

Subscribers are signing up every day and the list is gradually increasing. There are enough on board right now to make a poll worthwhile in order to judge by the numbers how things will go in the future.

This decision to run a poll comes after analyzing the number of hours involved in putting a newsletter together.

I am not tooting my own flute when I say as a statement of fact that 25 years ago commercial clients would have paid $1600 for what is contained in this one newsletter alone. That translates as $100/hr.

It would be ridiculous to expect any of you to front up that sort of money. And I am not doing this "for the money" anyway.

But you should know, before you fill in the poll (or not) that there is real value attached to what you are buying - you are buying 40 years' experience, and a weekly newsletter which I am certain will keep you better informed than many others about what is happening in terms of abrupt earth changes.

Feedback from some subscribers indicates that there is a reasonable balance between those who would appreciate and pay for a newsletter (at the $50 mark which I first suggested), those who would opt in to a paid members forum, and those who would sign up for both.

I have in fact already paid for and started setting up the private members forum in the hope of having it up and running in the next week or so.

Also, having looked at the costs involved in setting up a forum and running a newsletter I have done a rethink on prices which I hope will appeal to the majority of subscribers.

And then I got an email as I was compiling this newsletter from a subscriber who has much more experience than me in these things. And this prompted me to hold off until I have canvassed the current list of ECR subscribers to see if this is the best thing to do.

After all, I do have to get prepared, just like everyone else, and in order to devote the many hours a week that these two services would require, there has to be a reasonable income.

This requires a balancing act of sorts. If I set the price too high, no-one will be interested. If I set it too low, I am shooting myself in the foot.

But if I get it right, and as the number of subscribers increases, it will be a win-win for everyone. The subscription fees will be within everyone’s budget and therefore totally worthwhile, and my income will gradually go up as more subscribers join.

So a final decision on whether to proceed depends on the results of the polls – for which I have made up some simple forms below.

Thank you for your participation.

Be Aware.

Prepare.

Michael Knight

Editor – Earth Change Report

Director – Contact Has Begun.