THE RESTORATION AND REBIRTH OF THE EARTH ATMOSPHERE: THE GREAT MORAL CHALLENGE OF OUR AGE.

The need to mobilize the word’s states, peoples, and resource to restore the global atmosphere to levels at or below 400 ppm as the immediate challenge of humanity in order to survive climate change.

SUMMARY: THE IMMEDIATE IMPERATIVE:

In view of the great and growing dangers of climate change,[1] the immediate task of all peoples, states, international organizations (INOs), nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and private industry must seek to restore the global atmosphere to levels at or below 400 CO2 PPM as an immediate and achievable task. Thus, as a starting point, an UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution should call for the RESTORATION for present and pending generations; this is now an immediate and historic responsibility of all of humanity.

Dedicated to the memory of Wangari Maathai, Kenya

BY Thomas Boudreau Ph.D.

At: https://atmosphereasaglobaltrust.com/

 

THE ULTIMATE GOAL: THE GLOBAL ATMOSPHERE AT 350 CO2 PPM

The ultimate task of all peoples and states must be collective efforts to restore the Earth’s atmosphere to eventually 350  CO2 PPM, the level that Dr. James Hansen of NASA and other scientists have identified as critical to sustaining life on this planet. [2] Thus, as a starting point, an UNGA resolution should call for the recognition of the Earth Atmosphere as a global trust and calling for its RESTORATION for present and pending generations; this is now an immediate and historic responsibility of humanity.[3]

 

AGENDA 2030: THE RESTORATION AS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT:

 

It should be pointed out that such RESTORATION efforts, is almost synonymous with sustainable development, broadly defined, and must include a variety of mitigation strategies and methods such as continuing carbon cuts as well as greatly accelerated research and development of Green Technologies; specifically, we must experiment with, and deploy carbon sequestration methods and technologies, among other possible techniques and conservation strategies, to lower the Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere. In particular, the “Iron-Hypothesis” –the placing of iron particles in the oceans to grow massive plankton blooms has not been empirically tested to the necessary degree or scale of potential oceanic application—beyond feeble “one (or two)shot” attempts and then subsequent very tentative studies.[4]  States and peoples must undertake—in the spirit of Gandhi— massive “Experiments with the Truth” and begin sustained diplomatic efforts immediately to restore the atmosphere before we soon simply run out of time.

Fortunately, there is a carrot—unlike carbon cuts which are often viewed as punitive by some governments– restoration of the earth’s atmosphere can be a much greater domestic economic stimulus than military spending and thus help create hundreds of thousands of permanent jobs throughout the world. This can enhance sustainable development for all and immeasurably help developing countries achieve the goals of Agenda 2030.

 

CONCLUSION: “WITHOUT VISION, A PEOPLE PERISH.” Proverbs 29:18

 

The RESTORATION may require a sustained global effort of a hundred years, or at least decades. But we will not now have a second chance; our collective capacity to restore the global atmosphere will inevitably degrade due to the increasing damage caused by climate change to the ecologies and economies of the world. So, we have no time to lose and must start such a RESTORATION IMMEDIATELY. It’s literally now, very soon, or never.

[1] Pachauri, Rajendra K., et al. (2014) IPCC Climate Change 2014: synthesis report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the fifth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Also see Part III in: https://mahb.stanford.edu/library-item/atmosphere-global-trust/  p. 89-97

[2] James E. Hansen et. al, (2008) Target atmospheric CO2: Where should humanity aim?, OPEN ATMOS. SCI. J., 2, 217-231.  See also James. Hansen and Makiko Sato, Paleoclimate implications for human-made climate change, 11 SPRINGER, 21, 21- 47 (2012);

[3] See Supra, note 1, Atmosphere-global-trust, passim.

[4] Dopyera, C. (1996). The Iron Hypothesis. Earth Magazine, (October Issue).