「全球暖化」已經成為全世界所熟悉的名詞，然而它的急迫性、嚴重性和所造成的後果，卻尚未受到大眾廣泛的了解。
地球的環境就像是精心編織的斗篷，但自從十八世紀初期以來，人類毫不節制地使用石化燃料、濫砍森林和工業化等活動，再再產生大量的溫室氣體滯留在大氣層中，因而破壞了大自然精細的平衡。
一群頂尖的英國氣象科學家最近發表的一份研究報告指出，一些地區的氣候變化正逐步逼近再也難以挽回的「轉折點」，或是當氣溫上升超過某個臨界點時，對地球的氣候、環境與居民，將會造成無法挽回的連鎖效應。
指導這項研究的東英格蘭大學（University of East Anglia）教授提姆‧蘭登（Tim Lenton）表示：「最大的威脅是北極海冰層與格陵蘭冰原達到融化的臨界點，另外還有至少五項生態變化的臨界點也將接踵而至，這些情況可能會使人們大為震驚。」
蘭登博士提到的臨界點，是指氣溫上升攝氏0.5至2度時，將導致格陵蘭冰原與北極海冰層的融化，這不僅會促使海平面上升，也會使這些地區不再反射陽光的熱輻射，因而造成大氣層溫度不斷上升，並進一步擴大冰層的融化，引發一連串的天災，如水災、乾旱、海底冒出大量毒氣、多種動植物絕種的巨大損失等。全球暖化也將產生連鎖效應，例如印度洋季風系統的崩潰，亞馬遜雨林與極北地區寒帶林的消逝等。當地球的氣溫上升超過攝氏5度時，更多的冰層將融化，海平面顯著上升，猶如脫韁之馬，而無法預期的氣候型態將達到足以釀成巨禍的程度，這些巨變不但會造成物種滅絕，也將危及人類的生存。
根據蘭登教授的研究報告，以下的地圖說明了遭受危害的地區以及冰層與冰原融化的速度︰
圖片來源：
http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Guardian/documents/2008/02/05/World
_Tipping_map_0502.pdf
然而，由於暖化所引起的連鎖效應，以及二氧化碳排放對氣候所產生的剪滯效應，真實的情況是：生態變化達到臨界點的時間比蘭登教授所預測的快了很多！事實上，德國的「全球變遷諮詢委員會」（Advisory Council on Global Change）指出，地球正加速走向岌岌可危的境地（http://www.wbgu.de/wbgu_jg2007_engl.html）。同樣，挪威的氣候專家歐樂‧歐爾漢博士（Dr. Olav Orheim）最近發表的研究結果也顯示，北極冰帽縮小的速度比科學家預測的快了很多，2007年時的表面積已創下歷史新低，就算今年地球的溫度維持不變，北極冰帽仍會持續融化。在最近一期的《科學人》雜誌（Scientific American）中，有一篇文章指出，科學家在預測冰層融化的影響時，所採用的標準具有很大的偏失；換言之，氣候變遷所導致的後果比科學家推測的嚴重多了，而且發生的時間也快很多！
清海無上師早已預知這些情況，她指出：「氣候暖化的速度比他們原先預測的還要快，這正是問題所在。因為一個東西的溫度升高，會讓另一個東西也跟著升溫，所以如果海水的溫度升高，就會把冰層融化。當冰層還在時，可以反射熱能，海水就比較不會升溫。但現在海水溫度過高，而把冰層融化，所以就沒有東西可以反射熱能，於是又使海水的溫度更加上升。」
無庸置疑地，全球暖化的問題非常嚴重，已逐步逼近無法挽回的「轉折點」。由於氣候變遷完全是人類活動造成的，因此人類社會的每個層面都必須立即採取緊急措施，例如：制定經濟對策與法規，改變飲食等日常習慣。
我們的飲食的確需要重新評估！考量到肉品生產過程中石化燃料的低效能消耗，並產生威力更大的溫室氣體，例如來自牲畜排泄物的甲烷和氨氣，我們不難接受這項事實：以美國地區為例，每一個肉食者每年比素食者多產生1.5噸的二氧化碳。因此，吃素、使用再生能源、採取永續的生活方式，是遏止地球暖化、拯救這個美麗星球的最有效且又能立竿見影的方法，這一點再怎麼強調都不為過！
By USA News Group (Originally in English)
Global warming has become a familiar phrase around the world. Yet its imminence, gravity and consequences are not widely understood.
The Earth’s environment is a delicately woven mantle. But since the early 1800s, human-related activities such as unchecked fossil fuel use, deforestation and industrialization have been generating excessive amounts of greenhouse gases that become trapped in the atmosphere and thus disrupt nature’s fine balance.
A recent study by a team of leading climate scientists in Britain identified areas of concern that mark the “Tipping Point” of climate change, or the critical threshold of raised temperatures that will cause irreversible chain effects on the Earth’s weather, environment and inhabitants.
Professor Tim Lenton from the University of East Anglia, the leading researcher on the study, stated that: “The greatest threats are tipping of the Arctic sea-ice and the Greenland ice sheet, and at least five other elements could surprise us by exhibiting a nearby tipping point.”
The “tipping point” that Dr. Lenton refers to is, for example, a temperature increase of 0.5°C to 2°C would cause increased melting of the Greenland ice sheet and the Arctic sea ice, which not only would raise sea levels, but the ice loss would cause these areas to stop reflecting the sun’s warming rays, resulting in continual increases in atmospheric temperature. It will then produce further, more widespread melting, causing a chain of natural disasters such as floods, droughts, major toxic gas emissions from the oceans and huge losses of plant and animal species. In a domino effect, our planet could see the collapse of the Indian monsoon, as well as the dieback of the Amazon rainforest and the Boreal forest in the far northern regions. When the Earth’s temperature increases more than 5°C, more ice melting, uncontrollable significant sea level rises and unpredictable weather patterns will reach catastrophic levels, which will not only endanger other species but also humankind’s survival.
The endangered areas and the rate of melting are shown in the following map according to Prof. Lenton’s report:
http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Guardian/documents/2008/02/05/World_Tipping_map_0502.pdf
But the reality is that the time frame to reach the tipping point is much sooner than Prof. Lenton’s calculation, due to the chain effect of warming and the shear-lag effect of carbon emission on the climate. In fact, a report from German Advisory Council on Global Change indicated that the Earth is heading towards security risk at an accelerating rate. (http://www.wbgu.de/wbgu_jg2007_engl.html Similarly, the most recent research findings of Norwegian climate expert Dr. Olav Orheim show that Arctic’s polar ice cap has been shrinking much faster than estimated, with a record low surface area in 2007. Even if the Earth’s temperature remains the same this year, the Arctic ice cap will still melt away. Another article in the recent issue of Scientific American also pointed out the bias of the models used in the studies in predicting ice melting effect, which means the consequences of climate change are much severe and occurring much quicker than those calculations.
Supreme Master Ching Hai has already foreseen the situation, She pointed out: “The climate is warming quicker than they predict; that’s the problem. Because when one thing warms, it makes another thing warm. So, if the ocean is warm, it melts the ice. When the ice is there, it reflects the heat, and so the ocean is less warm. But now the ocean is warm enough to melt the ice, and so there is nothing to reflect the heat; therefore, the ocean is warmer.”
Thus it is beyond questioning that global warming is a serious problem now near the “tipping point” of no return. Since the climate change is solely human activity-related, immediate actions are necessary from all aspect of human society, such as economic strategies, legislations and even things as everyday as our diet.
Yes, our diet is worthy of re-evaluating! Considering the inefficient consumption of fossil fuels during food production as well as the more potent green house gas such as methane and ammonia emitted from livestock’s waste, it won’t be too hard to accept the fact that, for example, the Americans’ meat-based diet produces an extra 1.5 tons of carbon dioxide compared to a strict vegetarian diet or vegan diet. It can not be emphasized enough that being vegetarian or vegan, along with adopting renewable energies and living a more sustainable lifestyle, are among the most powerful and immediate means to stop the earth from getting warmer and save this beautiful planet.
參考資料︰
1. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/feb/05/climatechange
2. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/02/05/eatip105.xml
3. http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v448/n7150/full/448136a.html
4. Scientific American February, 2008 vol. 298, no 2, p.60 （http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=the-unquiet-ice）
來源:
http://www.godsdirectcontact.org.tw/ch/news/195/index.htm
http://classic.godsdirectcontact.org.tw/eng/news/195/index.htm
