Just one of the side-effects of this seemingly minuscule change, the [PCC warns, would be a rise in the level of the world's oceans by 20 centimetres (7.8 inches) in the Next 37 years. Other side-effects: kaput to the Arctic ecosystem, already under severe stress; bye-bye to 40% of the world’s boreal forests, up in smake; so long Caribbean tropical forests, which won't get enough time between hurricanes to grow back up. 4 The IPCC states categorically: “Calculations indicate that 20% to 309% of cur ccosystems — as we know them today — will change.” This transformation will mean, in addition to flooded archipelagos ~ like the Samoan Islands, peninsulas like Florida, lowlands like Richmond, and entire cities like Shanghai, a wave of extinctions among “relic™ populations of ani- mals and birds, species already ”. pushed to the very edge of their . fange and their abRity to adapt. So jong, flamingos, whooping cranes, cougars and polar bears! ’ :At Rio in 1992, the Climate “> Convention at the UN Conference “on Environment and Development “suggested stabilizing greenhouse * gas emissions. : it did not dare to suggest actual ly reducing ‘the amount of fossil _RHODODENDRONS “BLOOMING early, eh? That’s exactly what climatolo-__ gists. from Environment Canada ! = talkéd to last summer predicted. The’ ashes of Mount Pinatubo ‘While a warm winter i isa won- -dettul Sensation, 2 bitter winter. would be healthier, and much better news: N matter how. good it feels, |.’ fuels currently being pumped into. ~ warn ér weather is bad news. the atmosphere. - Predicting. regional climate ("" Unfortunately, the culculitions chats with any certdinty is, of - ‘of the IPCC scientists are based on course, beyond the range of any ">.> Current emission levels. existing computer models — except The UN agreement, by failing to -within the parameters, of ‘Blobal », - TO back the smog, does nothing ., -Feally, except to virtually guarantee : . that the disaster being predicted by extreme fluctuations of one kind or the climatologists will come true. ‘another. i in local weather patterns’ And worse, even in its toothless become inevitable. _form, the Convention has yet to be "Tels certain ‘that. some kind of. ratified. At last count, I believe “wild ‘oscillations i in climate are, on.’ “only half the 50 countries required their way..By any geological staa- . actually approved the document. This leaves us, the citizens of , | every country around the world, “precisely in the middle of limbo. ~ "In the time'since the Convention » ~Wwas signed, probably 30 billion - ,_... tonnes of carbon have been pumped - > into the atmosphere. uo Here in Canada, as ‘you might have suspected, climate change pol- _ icy is in chaos, while we continue to burn record amounts of coal and ” gas and.oil. Why the paralysis? According to IPCC chairman : Bert Bolin, a professor of meteorol- “& “Check out the literature ont the - - “subject for yourself. ° Na The number of. ‘books, pamphlets and papers.available‘on the subject of-global warming has exploded,. anid the gist of what is being written - s that dramatic climate change i is |. not just impending, but is already in . cits early paroxysms. ‘ According to a group of the world” s leading climatologists, ° working together under the umbrel- “ la of the Intergovernmental Panel “On Climate Change (IPCC), if car-_ bon dioxide emissions continue ai their present rate the average tem- perature on Planet Earth will rise as “much as one degree Centigrade above the current average tempera- ture by the year 2025, and three “ degrees by 2100. “while the scientific evidence is not kept up, which ultimately means @ policy void. “Today,” he states, “I think less than 5% of the world population is convinced of climate warming. “There is a larger group of peo- -ple who are worried, among them many politicians, but it is still a small percentage of the population. “Most people either think fome- LN. Van ‘student wins award A. SENTINEL! secondary school ‘student is mong: 13 Grade 12 stu- - dents" hamied winners of the 1993 Premier's Excellence Awards, Premier Mike Harcourt and Skills, , Training/and Labor Minister Dan Miller announced recently. . “. “These, students are to be com- . .Mended -for their efforts in school and ‘in their communities,” said Harcourt. | “The Premier’ s- Excellence Awards recognize their success and: encourage them to continue to fur- _ ther post. secondary achievement. “ congratulate the students, and ‘Lalso would like to acknowledge thé support of. their families and teachers,” said Miller. ; Christopher. Radziminski plans 10 complete an horsrs degree in science, continue with graduate ness, The awards include a medal and B.C. university, college or institute. “We want to be your Insurance Broker!” ” Bay City Insurance Services Ltd. ° * Homeowner's" ’.+ Condominiums * Tenant's + Autoplan #16-1199 Lynn Valley Rd. _ Lynn Valley Center N.Van. 986-1185 - Ogy at the University of Stockholm, - accumulating, public perception has ~ Studies and work to end homeless-. a $5,000 scholarship to attend a- ris ) ANXIETY:Finding the Solution Within by DIANE PAYETTE, M.A. thing might be in store bat not dur- ing their lifetime, and they don't care or have never heard of the problem. “By the turn of the century, the first wo groups might have reached 50% of the developed world, but not in developing countries except possibly with the attribute of.yet another problem hitting them, for which the developed world is responsible. This is the political diraension which is already there... “The world is not yet ready to take collective actions. We can wish it as much as we want, but mnost people and their political rep- resentalives are not sufficiently receptive.” So there’s the problem. Only 5% of us are convinced by the urgent testimony of top climatologists. How do we convince the rest of, you? Can we, even’? Sometimes I wonder. T hope so, because if we have to learn the hard way about climate change, it could take hundreds of years to repair the damage. If ever. 8) chest of control in order to bring it into effect have —_ 7 ... You might suffer from anxiety and I know what you are going through .. T have bzen there myself! Feeling anxicus, agitated’ for apparently no reason, cof. stantly in distress can keep you in a state of fear and corh- plicate your life. Cognitive therapy combined with hypmosis can help you go within and heal yourself. Don't wait any longer Call me for a free initial corisultation. You deserve to enjoy life again! If you feel a combination of 2 or more of these syrnptorns ... 1) shortness of breath or smothering sensation 2) dizziness or unsteady feeling 3) heart palpitations or rapid heartbeats 4) trembling or shaking 5) nausea or abdominal distress 6) feelings of being detached or out of touch with your body H 7) flushes or chills ; ain or discomfort 9} fear of going crazy or doing something out DIANE S PAVETTIE, Ma Registered Clhical CounseZoz and Hypnotherapist 986-9304 | PeESTERO ED YOUR CHOICE OF CAREER Peeety 11th is the deadline for admission to the start of this Springs CGA program. Which means you've got very little time left to make one of your biggest decisions ever: to become a CGA. And if you think its strictly a job ‘for number crunchers, you’ve badly miscalculated. CGAs are financial managers, vice- presidents, controllers of large corpora- tions. They make important business - decisions affecting hundreds of people. 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