D)     Ever-increasing anthropogenic releases of greenhouse gases are driving the United Nations Climate Change effort. As the atmosphere's concentrations of "greenhouse gases" increase, so too does the atmosphere's ability to retain heat radiated from the earth's surface. This phenomenon, known as the greenhouse effect, is linked by many scientists to a long-term rise in global temperatures.

The greenhouse gases, mainly carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, are critical to the atmosphere's ability to retain heat and thereby maintain the global temperatures necessary to maintain life as we currently know it.

The increases in concentrations of these gases are produced primarily through the burning of fossil fuels, but also by such activities as deforestation and land clearing, which release the carbon naturally contained in vegetation. Over the past 100 years, humans have caused the release of these gases faster than natural processes can remove them from the atmosphere.

Some scientists predict that average global temperatures will increase 2 to 6 degrees Fahrenheit over the next 100 years if global emissions of greenhouse gases continue unabated. In addition to an increase in ambient temperatures, the other possible consequences of global warming include a speeding of the global water cycle. It is predicted that faster evaporation caused by higher temperatures would lead to drying of soils, exacerbating drought in some areas while increasing precipitation and flooding in others.

Warmer temperatures could melt polar ice caps, leading to what some predict as a rise in sea levels of between 6 to 37 inches over the next century. This, in turn, would endanger coastal populations and island nations and cause the degradation of coastal ecosystems. If these predictions prove true, human health will be affected directly as warmer temperatures increase the chances of heat waves, exacerbate air quality problems and lead to an increase in both allergic disorders and warm weather diseases. Agriculture, forests, natural ecosystems and vegetation patterns would also be adversely affected by both increases in temperatures and changes in the water cycle.

E)     The Kyoto Protocol is the latest step in the ongoing United Nations' effort to address global warming. The effort began with the United Nations' Framework Convention on Climate Change (Convention) signed during the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. (The Convention entered into force in 1994 upon the ratification by 50 nations) Despite the continuing scientific debate on the likely occurrence of global warming, the nations took action under the "precautionary principle" of international law.

The Convention is intended to stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations at a level that will prevent dangerous interference with the global climate system. The time frame is to be "sufficient to allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change, to ensure that food production is not threatened and to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner."

To further that objective, the Convention sought to commit all parties to it to develop and implement programs to mitigate climate change by addressing emissions of greenhouse gases.

The Convention places the first level of commitment to reduce emissions on nations that have developed, prospered and established strong economies through the consumption of fossil fuels since the industrial revolution began. These developed countries are the 38 countries listed in Annex I to the Convention.

The Convention recognises the importance of preserving and enhancing the earth's natural ability to remove certain greenhouse gases from the atmosphere by FORESTS and other carbon stocks, referred to as "sinks". The removal by sinks is also a key component of the Protocol, which allows countries to meet their commitments by considering the effects of afforestation, reforestation and deforestation since 1990, a provision that is expected to promote cost-effective solutions to climate change and good forestry practices.

The Kyoto Protocol put forward three mechanisms for achieving the targets. These include mechanisms such as emissions trading, joint implementation and the so-called "Clean Development Mechanism" (or CDM), to allow flexibility in achieving the required reductions.

Assuming that development and maintenance of sinks will be accepted under CDM, knowledge on the calculation of the amount of Carbon dioxide that can be sequestered by a given project needs to be known. At times this will involve establishing the carbon offset potential of a given forest venture, before the project is in place. Use of mathematical models to predicted the carbon sequestration potential will be important. Our paper is discussing the results of study done in Tanzania.

The Earth Community makes the following recommendations to alleviate the effects of climate change in the world:

• Introduction of appropriate sustainable agricultural system with balanced use of chemical fertilizers incorporated organic minerals and green manure's. 

• Phase wise replacement of chemical fertilizer by organic fertilizer. Similarly biodegradable insecticide should be replace by the non-biodegradable insecticides. 

• The entrepreneur should take proper mitigation measures of industrial pollution by set-up of industrial waste treatment plant. 

• Control of insect, pests through biological, natural process, alternatives of using harmful insecticides or fungicides is important to introduce. 

• Promotion of research activities in the field of industrial waste utilization and waste recovery process. 

• Reutilization of agricultural residues through bio-conservation to industrial products. 

• Need proper implementation of Environmental Policy, Environment Conservation Act’s and Legislation. 

• Enhancement of the capacity of NGOs, Govt. agencies to successfully implement poverty alleviation program including non-formal education on environmental pollution awareness.

• There are approaches to limit and regulate the pollution emissions of industrial activities. These are standards, taxes and pollution permits. The choice among these alternatives depends on the administrative structure of a nation.

• In an urban community site, air usually contains materials such as nitric oxide, sulfur oxide, carbon monoxide, aldehydes, dust and many others. A city would have a department measuring indicators and indices in order to:
  
  a) Provide a daily report to the public
  b) Define air pollution in terms of the amount of pollution created by polluters
  c) Define air quality in all parts of the city
  d) Measure progress toward air quality goals
  e) Propose abatement steps
  f) Alarm the public in case of danger
  g) Provide data to researchers
  h) Provide information for compliance
  i) Make intelligent decisions with regard to priorities of programs toward environmental improvement
  
  

• Immediate and honest actions by the USA, Russia, Japan and Canada, and all countries in resolving the problems creating the greenhouse gases. The ratification of the Kyoto Protocol and the implementation of measurable positive actions to resolve the problems of global warming.

• The support of the Climate Change Ministry of Earth Government in coordinating efforts.

Human rights are those that individuals have by virtue of their very existence as human beings: to live, eat, drink fresh water, breath fresh air, have shelter. Just as human beings have human rights, they also have moral, legal responsibilities and related obligations and accountabilities. Every person needs Oxygen to live so clean air is certainly a primordial human right by our very nature. A large part of our body is made of water and we could not live without water; therefore water is also a primordial human rights by our very nature.

Fresh water resources and clean air are therefore proposed to be categorized as human rights.

Human actions constantly modify the hydrological cycle and also constantly pollute available water. The hydrological balance is changed by:

• Irrigation

• Drainage

• Land use change

• Removal of trees

• Removal of vegetative cover

• Expansion of paved areas

• Building of dams

• Building of channels

• Building of inter-basin transfers

A Water Resources Assessment  is a prerequisite for sustainable development and management of a country's water resources. It provides the basis for a vast range of activities:

• Domestic and industrial water supply

• Hydropower production

• Irrigation and drainage

• Maintenance of human health

• Mitigation of flood losses

• Navigation

• Preservation of the aquatic ecosystem

• Tourism

• New legislation and regulations

• Strategies and policies that deal with priority of uses and resolution of conflicts

The existing and future uses of water are constantly challenged; balancing supply and demand is made even harder by the amounts of pollution found in the air, land and waters. Pollution is widespread and people are dying because of it. As soon as more pollution is added into the fresh water systems than people and all life die. This is true even with the best system in the world. We live on the edge. Rainwater could carry pollution to the fresh water supply, and it is too late. 

Today there are a multitude of pollution sources and just to name a few:

• Animal manure

• Discharge from industrial processes

• Drainage from mines and industrial wastes

• Leaching of the residues of fertilisers and pesticides used in agriculture

• Acid rain

• Oil spills from ships

• Storm water systems from cities carry pollution 

• Gulf courses upstream or near a lake

• Untreated sewage

• Leakage from oil storage tanks

• Many of the 100,000 or so commercial chemicals employed in the world today create difficulties as a lot of them are released into aquatic ecosystems

• Wet and dry deposition of materials transported through the atmosphere and which originate from emissions made in industrial areas and from motor vehicles

Water pollution varies in severity from one region to the next depending of the density of urban development, agricultural and industrial practices and the presence or absence of systems for collecting and treating the waste waters.

It is necessary to measure the water's quality, quantity and biological characteristics in every country. A lot of the data in the global hydrological network dedicated to measuring these elements are missing. It is non-existent in most developing countries. Data on water use are also scarce.

Global demand for water is rising. The rise will accelerate into the future because the world population is expected to reach 8.2 billion by the year 2024. 

Despite the efforts of worldwide organizations to improve the water services of the developing countries, in 1995 some 20 per cent of the globe's population of 5.7 billion people still lacked a safe and reliable water supply, and 50 per cent were without adequate sanitation. Lack of these services is the basic reason why more than a billion people live in poverty.

Even though regulations have been imposed by governments in the industrialized countries to protect their nations' water resources, people are still dying. This is due to the fact that regulations are not enforced as well as they should, regulations are not tough enough, and people dont care and often challenge them their own ways. We basically live on the edge. No safety net! 

Human health is dependent on a wholesome and reliable supply of water and safe sanitation. It has been estimated that at any given time about half the people living in developing countries are suffering from water-related diseases caused directly by infection, or indirectly by disease-carrying organisms that breed in water. Diarrhoea. infections by parasitic worms, river blindness and malaria are among the most widespread of these diseases. More than five million people are estimated to die each year from diseases related to inadequate sanitation and hygiene practices, and drinking  polluted water. 

In the developed world there is concern about the health effects of exposure to various chemicals in drinking water. Pollutants can build up in shellfish to the point that they harm the people who eat them. 

The effects of pollution on wildlife are better observed: death, population decline, reduced success of hatching, birth defects for the birds, fish and other forms of life in rivers, lakes, wetlands and deltas.

The Water Scarcity Index is the water use as a percentage of the available water resource.   It can be shown that the margin between the global available resource and the volume of water used is going to diminish in the future. Population growth is the major factor. By the year 2024, the regions of stress will include two thirds of the world's population. By 2050, they will cover most of the globe. As the crisis approaches and as water resources become scarcer, the risk of conflict over them will become greater. After 2024, climate change will make conditions worse if precipitation amounts decrease in the major food producing regions and evaporation rates increase. With 50 per cent more people to feed than in 1999, the volume of water needed for food production is expected to increase by 50 to 100 per cent. The bulk of the increase in food production will come from irrigation which, in turn, will require more money to be spent on long distance water transfers and dams. There will be greater competition for these waters. The cost of water will certainly rise. 

In order to avoid conflicts and wars over water, The Earth Community Organization is proposing to make water at the top of its agenda. Better understanding and much more data are needed. All nations need to assess their water resources and make projections for the future. Water resources must be managed. We propose here to make fresh water a human right. We have also discussed the human need for clean air in the article on Climate Change, the Proceedings of the World Congress, and in previous Newsletters. There are more than enough facts that show solid proof for the nedd to make clean air a human right as well.

Energy efficiency of a home is dependent and will be limited by the interaction of four elements: people, equipment, available resources and home environment. Energy efficiency is dependent on the performance of the weakest elements of this interaction.

You save money by using less electricity and you save the environment too as 90% of the electricity generated in Alberta, Canada, comes from coal. Using less electricity has the effect of producing fewer emissions and less mining and, therefore, decreasing the need to build more power plants which in turn has the effect of keeping the future cost of electricity down. Building less power plants (or using less electricity) rates as a positive aspects on our assessment of environmental impacts.

An Energy Auditing of your home will help you recognize where and how energy is being used in your home and identify saving opportunities; establish an effective energy management program and control energy consumption; start energy conservation measures and save on your energy costs.

One approach in applying a sound behavior towards energy is to consider the interaction of four elements: people, equipment, available resources, and the home environment. This means energy efficiency of a home is dependent and will be limited by the performance of its weakest element. The excess capacity of any of the elements beyond that of the weakest element is wasted capacity. The most cost-effective way to improve performance is to identify and improve the weakest element. Most often when energy efficiency drops the weak element is people. Either energy conservation has not been made a priority or members of the household are not aware, concerned and motivated about energy conservation.

For energy efficiency to be successful there must be support of all household members, realistic goals, designated responsibility, account of all household meters, auditing energy use, establishing priorities, developing the program and evaluation and monitoring.

An energy audit provides information about how to identify energy use, reorganize sources of energy loss, reduce energy consumption and save both energy and dollars. To control our energy consumption means to conserve our energy resources and can also contribute to substantial dollars savings in the home.

Everyone is responsible in helping to the Management of the Earth. Energy use is a very important aspect in many different ways, and it must understood by every person in the home. The first step in the mamangement of your energy in the home is for you to conduct and energy audit. Then find ways related to energy efficiency and energy conservation in the home.

A.    Conducting an Energy Audit requires information on:

*    electric power costs; consumption  readings for the past 12 months (as obtained from your utility bills);
*    natural gas costs; amount purchased monthly;
*    home design and design features; location of windows and doors, and type of materials and design; levels of insulation; temperature settings during occupied and unoccupied hours;
*    lighting information; total wattage and hours of use; type of lights;
*    heating and cooling processes; appliances used; other equipment used; and
*    ventilation.

Collecting data and conducting a walkthrough audit is followed by a cost-benefit analysis to determine whether changes are worthwhile. Substantial dollar savings can be made from small changes in the home. Energy wasting practices and inefficiencies can be eliminated with little capital investment. Analyzing your electrical usage can help you control both energy use and peak demand and therefore will help you save energy dollars.

Your energy meter registers consumption. Consumption is the amount of electrical energy used during each billing period and is measured in kilowatt hour (kW.h). In addition to paying for the amount of electrical energy consumed the homeowner also pays a charge based on the maximum or 'peak' load, which you are paying so as to allow the electric utility to maintain the capacity to supply the maximum power you may need based on your highest requirement.

An energy audit is a systematic energy analysis of the house which identifies where energy is being used and how it can be used more efficiently. Energy auditors visit the site and collect all relevant technical data through observations and interviews. It is intended to provide general suggestions on ways to save energy in the house. Energy efficiency measures are suggested to the homeowner.

An Energy Audit will provide to the homeowner:

    *    Using energy balance calculations (which make use of  the average cost of natural gas and electricity);
    *    Electricity kW.h savings calculations for all electrical energy efficiency measures; and
    *    All present energy use and potential savings calculations must have dollars, kW.h or GJ.

The energy audit report includes total annual energy costs and consumption, potential kw.h and dollar savings, separate dollar savings listed for temperature setback and weatherstripping, building skin insualtion, ventilation natural gas savings, ventilation electric motor savings, lighting, electric motors, pipe insulation, water heater insulation, hot water use, fuel consumption, etc.

B.    Energy efficiency and energy conservation in the home

The prodution and use of energy affects the environment. Burning coal, oil and natural gas release emissions into the air that are believed to be changing the earth's atmosphere: CO2, NOx, SOx, CH4, CFC's and VOCs. Using energy efficiently plays an important role in our lives. Energy efficiency has economic and environmental benefits. Using less energy saves money. Environmental benefits include a decrease in fossil fuel pollttants. Energy conservation achieved through efficiencies and demand reduction can cut emissions significantly. With increased awareness about energy and for importance of using energy efficiently individuals will be able to make informed decisions about their own lifestyles.

There are many ways to reduce energy use and its impact on the environment. Reductions are simple to achieve and they apply throughout your house or your apartment. Energy use at home can be reduced without discomfort or major expenses. In fact, most expenses are recovered through savings in fuel bills and in a very short period of time. A typical homeowner  (parts of this also apply to people living in apartments) could reduce its gas, electricity and water bills by thousands of dollars with only a small input of time  and money. Besides giving you long-term financial benefits, reducing heat loss and being more energy-efficient, makes your house more comfortable to live in. By eliminating drafts and cold areas, you may also increase your home's resale value. A homeowner can reduce the use of energy in four basic ways by:

    *    ensuring that mechanical and electrical equipment is operated properly;
    *    ensuring that appropriate maintenance procedures are carried out on a regular schedule;
    *    upgrading the house envelope with additionalinsulation, recaulking, and weather stripping of windows and doors; and
    *    adapting or replacing inefficient equipment.

Appliances and lighting can consume 25% of the total energy used in the home. By avoiding models and products that waste energy, and by choosing efficient alternatives, you can save yourself thousands of dollars in energy costs. Other benefits are specific to particular appliances. For example, energy-efficient dishwashers use less hot water which means there will be more water left in the tank for other uses. The energy saving features on a dryer can actually prolong the life of your clothes, and certain energy-efficient features available on your kitchen range will improve its cooking performance.

The price tag of our lifestyle is not just what we pay at the cash register but also there are two more costs that must be added: the costs of maintaining and using what we got, and the associated environmental price tag, i.e. the impacts on the environment and our health.

Price Tag        =        Price of the item        +        Price of using item through its lifetime and maintaining it            +            The associated price tag on the environment and our health

This Price Tag applies to every appliance and lighting you buy in the store.

Heat loss occurs from all parts of the house structure, including walls, roofs, floors, windows and doors. The rate at which heat is lost  is proportional to the difference between the temperature of the heated air inside  the house and the temperature of the unheated air outside. The larger the temperature difference the larger the rate of heat loss. Reducing this difference will save on heating costs.