From Kenya to the Sabbath

CEC member Christopher Fung attended the Micah Network 4th Triennial Global Consultation held in Limuru (close to Nairobi), Kenya between July 13 – 18, 2009. Kenya was just hit by a drought recently because it received less than one-third of the usual rainfall during the rainy season this year. It is the first such occurrence in living memory of many Kenyans who have no doubts that climate change is the cause and fear that this is a portent of things to come.

These events have prompted Christopher to reflect over our traditional theology on God’s Creation. He finds that it would be deficient if such theology does not relate to Jesus, the flesh and blood person who walked this earth and the centre of our faith. He believes that “the Son of Man is the Lord of the Sabbath” holds the key to a creational theology. The main points of this framework are:

1. Jesus was killed because he knowingly and purposely challenged his Jewish contemporaries’ interpretation of the Sabbath.
   
   
   
2. The Sabbath points to a cosmic ending in which each worker is endeared to the works of his hands and each part of creation entering into a mutuality with each and every part therein.
   
   
   
3. In Old Testament times, God was guiding his Creation forward through three institutions based on the Sabbath: Sabbath Day (man towards his destiny when he is endeared to the works of his hands), Sabbatical year (nature towards its destiny of being in harmony with man) and Jubilee (common destiny of God, man and Nature). Man is the lynchpin in all these under God, hence the Sabbath day is foundational.
   
   
   
4. Jesus transformed these three institutions through his death and resurrection, declaring that he – the flesh and blood man – is the Christ and proclaiming the fulfillment of the Jubilee. These institutions then become the Lord’s Day, the Church and the Kingdom of God, respectively.
   
   
   
5. By vesting upon God’s cosmic cause of the Sabbath in his life (through challenging deviant interpretations and practices) and paying his life for it and then through God accepting him for resurrection, Jesus has become the cosmic Jesus Christ, leading his wholesome Creation forward.
   
   
   
6. Man’s task is thus to partner with God in this forward movement that started with man’s first and only mandate (to rule over the God’s Creation (Gen 1:28)) and ends with the renewal of Creation when the Kingdom comes on earth (Rev. 21&22).
   
   
   
7. There is only one mandate for man, but also one obstacle to overcome, namely our sin, to reach the final Sabbath. This otherwise insurmountable obstacle is overcome in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and because of this, our doing the Lord’s work – fulfilling our only mandate – will not be in vain (1Cor 15:58). We are thus to follow the Son of man, Lord of the Sabbath, to our final Sabbath.
   
   
   

Besides a holistic theology of Creation Care centred on Jesus Christ, the degree to which the perception of churches are changed resulting in cooperative actions to do the Lord’s work, i.e. in caring for God’s Creation in all its many aspects, is crucial in responding to the Divine call for us to be the stewards of Creation. Towards this end, Chris is also engaged in a dialogue with a Kenyan farming leader to push for simple solar technologies to replace firewood.

Dear brothers and sisters, next time you walk under the heat of the noonday sun or hurry through the gusts of a tropical storm battering Hong Kong, let’s ask the question “What is our role as redeemed stewards and how are we to exercise this stewardship as vested in us by God our Creator?”

Christians for Eco-concern

基督徒環保關注組的環保教材套

各位環保之友

基督徒環保關注組已完成編寫第一版的環保教材套，計有
1. 創造被破壞
2. 水
3. 空氣
4. 廢物處理

歡迎各界(特別是教會的主日學和有興趣環保工作的學校或團體) 使用，並給予意見 。

如有查詢，可致電基督教協進會23687123 (找尹先生)或電郵：wan@hkcc.org.hk

基督徒環保關注組

Film Showing - Can We Save Planet Earth? (by BBC)

There will be a very interesting and informative event on Friday 30th November 2007. It is 'Directing Climate Change: global warming on film' sponsored by The British Consulate-General Hong Kong and Wildscreen. The venue will be Rm 606-607, 6/F, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre

Interested members of the public could call the Bristish Consulate-General HK at 2901 3277 or visit its website for registration.

Christians for Eco-concern

Our Submission to The Council for Sustainable Development re "Clean Air - Clean Choices"

In response to the Invitation and Response Document (the Consultation Document) of the The Council for Sustainable Development, we DISAGREE that air quality in Hong Kong has become an emotive issue. Pollution problems are basically scientific (technological) and moral problems. Scientifically, we could trace the current air pollution problems to their linkage to the industrial revolution in the 18th century in England which subsequently spread throughout the world with the undesirable by-product of generating and aggravating the earth’s pollution burden. Morally, it can be seen that the extensive scales of the problems are the result of greed, selfishness, incompetence and a lack of foresight on the part of the advocators and enterprenuers advancing industrialisation without due regard to ecology and social responisibility.

However, we do agree with Mr. Rafael HUI, Chairman of Council for Sustainable Development (the Council) that we should all work together for the well-being of our future generations, which is built upon every effort we contribute to the sustainable development of our home city. For this reason, we would like to forward our views on the Consultation Document as follows:

a) If we could only implement measures to deal with the relatively minor and peripheral aspects and yet leaving the major polluting sources unabated, our citizens would easily be frustrated owing to non-proportionate expectations. Therefore, the authorities must present a clear and thorough picture with commitment and determination to the general public before launching any ambitious program.

b) We are well aware of the complication, difficulties and obstacles in pursuing a Regional clean-up strategy. Nevertheless, our citizens deserve the right to be informed of a reasonable outlook for the abatement of air pollution problems in the Pearl River Delta region such as cross-border negotiations and joint investigative and research efforts.

c) In terms of the proposed road-pricing scheme to alleviate pollution, we advocate the principle of “The polluter pays to remedy its own mess" (污者自負，用在環保). Obviously, the revenues (if any) to be collected through such road pricing scheme should be appropriate in terms of deterring unnecessary use of polluting vehicles and be reasonable so as NOT to cause undue public grievances or dissention. Reasonable exemption should be applied to use of vehicles for the under-privileged or for reasons of emergency situations. The revenues should go to a separate Environmental Fund set aside to deal specifically with the more urgent and imminent problems.

d) The HKSAR government should take immediate initiative to encourage vehicle owners to replace their polluting vehicles by vehicles with acceptable emission standards. Simultaneously, the government has to provide realistic traffic alternatives to commuters as an encouragement for avoiding congested areas. The government should also take a pro-active role to regulate the likely or anticipated traffic flows together with their pollution potentials which will come about with major developments like the Hong Kong – Zhuhai –Macau Bridge project.

e) Periodic review and announcement of the relevant statistics should be made and publicized by the government for the purposes of information, follow-up and education to the public on the matter of reducing air pollution in good time. We also favor the setting up of an early alarm system to warn the public of any imminent pollution episodes with practical advice for the sick, elderly and the children in particular and the public in general.

f) “Local sustainability” is a rather confined and partial concept before the horrendous trend of globalization. Air pollution problems in particular see no geographical boundary. Any real and lasting air problem created somewhere in the world will eventually affects others elsewhere. The Council should therefore take up a global perspective in dealing with issues even locally.

Submitted by:
Christians for Eco-concern
Date: 15 October, 2007

N.B.:
The above is only a summary of the Full Submission.

Christian for Eco-concern's views re HONG KONG’S Constitutional Development

1. We are Christians for Eco-concern of Hong Kong, an environmental network supported by the Hong Kong Christian Council. We notice that the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau is conducting a three-month public consultation to widely collect views on the options, roadmap and timetable for implementing universal suffrage for the CE and LegCo of the HKSAR. The following paragraphs spell out our views accordingly.

2. As members of the HKSAR, we support the basic policies of “One Country, Two Systems”, “Hong Kong people ruling Hong Kong” and “a high degree of autonomy” for Hong Kong’s internal affairs. We also welcome The Joint Declaration of 1984 which prescribed that the current systems in Hong Kong would remain unchanged.

3. We respect the political structure of the HKSAR as prescribed in Chapter IV of the Basic Law and Annexes I and II therein. We have no problem with Article 45 of the Basic Law which provides that “The CE of the HKSAR shall be selected by election or through consultations held locally and be appointed by the Central People’s Government of China.”

4. Similarly, we agree to Article 68 of the Basic Law which provides that “The LegCo of the HKSAR shall be constituted by election. The method for forming LegCo shall be specified in the light of the actual situation in the HKSAR and in accordance with the principle of gradual and orderly progress. The ultimate aim is the election of all the members of LegCo by universal suffrage.”

5. We take note that it is the HKSAR government’s view that in the process of attaining the ultimate aim of universal suffrage and in designing a model for implementing universal suffrage, we must ensure that, inter alia, the four principles on constitutional development under the Basic Law could be fully implemented, namely,
(a) meeting the interests of different sectors of society;
(b) facilitating the development of the capitalist economy;
(c) gradual and orderly progress; and
(d) appropriate to the actual situation in the HKSAR.

6. As an eco-concern group, we urge the government to take the long term environmental interests of Hong Kong, China and also that of the world in its formulation of any policy. Being a cosmopolitan member of the global community, Hong Kong should do no less than taking a leadership role in the fight against global warming and other environmental issues. We owe it to ourselves and our future generations to engage this fight NOW with commitment, determination and commensurate policies and programs. Our children will not forgive us for doing anything less.

7. Since a sustainable economy is inextricably based on a healthy ecology and the thriving of the human race, we propose that one extra principle be incorporated into the four principles on constitutional development under the Basic Law, namely, we need to undertake and strive for harmony with people and nature, starting locally and extending globally.

8. The above would call for, as a start, the addition of a commensurate and representative (sizeable since it involves everyone) environmental sector (including the NGOs) as part of the functional constituencies in the current system and to strive for greater representation in future constitutional revisions.

Submitted by:
Christians for Eco-concern
Date: 10 October, 2007

中國气象科学数据共享 (China Meteorological Data Sharing System)

各位朋友：

謹向各位介紹中國氣象局的气象科学数据共享服務，有很多氣象資料放於網上，讀者很易找到，例如廣州地區往50年(1951-2000年)的氣溫變化可在它的地面30年整編的圖集檢索中找到，大約是提升了0.6攝氏度，換句話說在過去的一個世紀中，廣州的氣溫大致可推算為1.2度，這跟天文台公佈香港上一個世紀的溫度上升相若。

基督徒環保關注組

We ask The Secretary for the Environment for immediate and decisive actions to tackle the climate crisis.

Dear Mr. YAU,

We are Christians for Eco-concern of Hong Kong, an environmental network supported by the Hong Kong Christian Council. We have already obtained 140 local signatures in response and support to Mr. Al Gore, the former vice-president of the US, and Avaaz.org’s call for a joint effort by governments of the world to tackle the imminent global warming crisis.

The concerned signatures include 122 paper and about 18 web signatures. The English version of our petition is as follows:

As informed by many scientists and leaders worldwide, climate change is an imminent threat facing our world today. We urge you to tackle the said problem now, decisively and together with other leaders of the world, especially those of the Pearl River Delta and the central leaders of Peoples’ Republic of China. We promise to join our efforts as citizens of HKSAR with yours.

Please note that all phone numbers and email addresses in the enclosed petition forms are meant for your official verification ONLY. They should be treated strictly as PRIVATE and CONFIDENTIAL.

As a local eco-concern group, we hope to meet you in person in order to exchange our views on how we may cooperate with the government towards the goals of resolving the climate crisis and that of protecting the environment in general.

We look forward to meeting you at your earliest convenience. Regards.

(Howard Lai)
Moderator, Christians for Eco-concern.

香港"冬季"可能在50年內消失

綜合新聞報導，香港天文臺預測，如果全球暖化及都市化持續，香港的冬天將在五十年內消失。

香港通常將氣溫低於攝氏12度的日子視作冬季。香港天文臺長林超英說，根據該預測，未來溫度低於12度的日子將每年減少一天，也就是冬季每年減少一天。

林超英表示，從一九六一年到一九九〇年，香港平均每個冬季有二十一天，但在2000年已減少一半。在過去的一個世紀裏，香港氣溫上升攝氏一點二度，較全球平均高一倍。如果考慮城市化的速度，香港的冬季將提前半個世紀消失。

基督徒環保關注組

中國環保總局：7月1日起禁止全氯氟烴物質生產

據人民網報導，中國環保局宣報了根據《中華人民共和國大氣污染防治法》和《中國消耗臭氧層物質逐步淘汰國家方案(修訂稿)》的有關規定，按照中國政府與聯合國多邊基金執委會簽署的《中國化工行業全氯氟烴生產整體淘汰計劃》和《中國全氯氟烴和哈龍加速淘汰計劃》的有關要求，自2007年7月1日起，任何企業不得生產除藥用吸入式氣霧劑用途、原料和豁免用途以外的全氯氟烴（CFCs）物質，各相關企業應於2007年8月15日前拆除附件所列全氯氟烴物質的生產裝置。

基督徒環保關注組

Submission to EPD & Panel on Environmental Affairs, LEGCO, HKSAR

Views regarding The Proposal on An Environmental Levy on Plastic Shopping Bags

1. According to government statistics, more than 23 million plastic shopping bags are disposed of at our landfills every single day. This translates into more than three plastic shopping bags per person per day, which is much higher than our overseas counterparts. An environmental levy, which is in line with the 'polluter pays' principle, to provide a direct economic disincentive to reduce the indiscriminate use of plastic shopping bags.
   
   Our View: We support the polluter pays principle. Also, we advocate that the money so collected should be used directly to deal with the specific or other priority environmental problems. Hence, it pays to resolve the problem. As on the matter of plastic bags, we expect the government to take a more pro-active role to implement the 4 “R” principles, namely, to replace, reduce, reuse and recycle the concerned plastic bags and their production so as to achieve a meaningful target of plastic waste reduction.
2. Under the scheme, EPD proposes a phased approach with the banning of free distribution of plastic shopping bags at chain or large supermarkets, convenience stores and personal healthy and beauty stores and the introduction of an environmental levy of 50 cents on each plastic shopping bag at these retail outlets in the first phase.
   
   Our View: The EPD should take immediate initiative to either replace or reduce the use of plastic bags distributed by newspaper stalls to their customers when newspapers are purchased as well.
3. A public opinion survey conducted in 2006 showed that close to 90% of the respondents believed there was scope to reduce the use of plastic shopping bags in their daily life, while more than 85% of respondents said that they would reduce the use of plastic shopping bags if an environmental levy of 50 cents was imposed. A proposed levy of 50 cents would strike a right balance between public acceptance and effective disincentive and would encourage the customers to think twice before asking for a plastic shopping bag, or to bring their own bags at all time, which was a more sensible choice with the levy in place. In doing so, they not only avoid the levy but also help save the environment.
   
   Our View: EPD should encourage local residents to use environmentally friendly bags by making available reasonably priced bags at major supermarket, chain stores, etc… for their customers’ purchase. One way to do it is by cooperating with local concerned groups or manufacturers with a funding incentive to produce or promote the use of such environmentally friendly bags.
4. It is estimated that the proposed 50 cents levy will reduce about 1 billion plastic shopping bags, or about 50% of plastic shopping bags at the retailers covered by the scheme.
   
   Our View: Periodic review and announcement of the relevant statistics should be made and publicized by the government for the purposes of information, follow-up and education to the public on the matter of reducing plastic wastes.
   
   Submitted by:
   Christians for Eco-concern
   Date: 11 July, 2007

活力地球好約會圓滿結束

雖然在倉卒中我們未能完全按著原來的全部計劃進行先前訂下的程序，但是大體上我們都得到與會者的認同，當中更有回應希望能再次觀看「絕望真相」(An Inconvenient Truth)一次；另外，天文台梁榮武先生的分享亦帶給大家一個既專業、深入和很有人情味的分享，在場人士都聽得津津有味。

在此，基督徒環保關注組謹向所有來賓、工作人員，三育書院和佑寧堂致謝，但願我們能攜手同心來對抗氣候變暖，並祝各位 主恩更多！

Howard, 基督徒環保關注組聯絡人

致香港特區政府 環境局局長 邱騰華先生

世界各地有很多科學家和領袖都指出，地球暖化是一個迫在眉睫的危機！我們懇請閣下立即以堅決和與世界各地配合的共同行動來消弭相關的危機；閣下作為香港特區的環境局局長，我們認為您特別需要跟珠江三角洲的領袖和中央人民政府的領袖合作來解決氣候變暖的危機，我們謹此承諾會支持港府的相關努力，並會以公民身分盡力參與解決問題。

發起人：基督徒環保關注組

[註：歡迎所有關心環保人士聯署，請到聯署網站]

活力地球好約會

為響應前美國副總統戈爾先生(Al GORE)及SOS的華爾先生(Kevin WALL) 所倡議的氣候危機演唱會(Live Earth Concerts)活動, 該活動目的在於號召世人去對抗前所未有的氣候變暖危機，基督徒環保關注組 (Christians for Eco-concern, HK) 決定於2007年7月7日舉辦2場活力地球好約會聚會，冀能把相關的危機訊息傳開，並強化相關的支援網絡來作出回應。相關的聚會內容包括播放得到奧斯卡獎的紀實片「絕望真相 (An Inconvenient Truth)」之部分內容，環保人士致辭，轉播鄰近地區之氣候危機演唱會﹝如可行﹞及小組討論等。

該活動的名稱為「活力地球好約會」，具體資料如下：
1. 地點：
(一) 九龍佑寧堂﹝Kowloon Union Church﹞; 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm:
(二) 三育書院﹝Hong Kong Adventist College﹞; 7 pm – 9 pm:

2. 午間節目：
(一) 會前報告及致謝
(二) 播放: 絕望真相(An Inconvenient Truth) (精華選映)
(三) 電影回應 ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─馮思聰博士
(四) 歌唱表演
(五) 嘉賓致辭 ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ 天文台 梁榮武先生
(六) 環保你我他：三育書院的環保企劃簡介
(七) 請你也起來 ─ ─ ─ ─ 基督徒環保關注組
(八) 分組討論：你會如何面對地球變暖？
(九) 祝福 ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ 郭乃弘牧師

3. 黃昏節目：
(一) 會前報告及致謝
(二) 播放: 絕望真相(An Inconvenient Truth) (精華選映)
(三) 電影回應 ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─馮思聰博士
(四) 歌唱表演
(五) 嘉賓致辭 ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ 天文台 梁榮武先生
(六) 環保你我他：三育書院的環保企劃簡介
(七) 請你也起來 ─ ─ ─ ─基督徒環保關注組
(八) 現場轉播鄰近氣候危機音樂會 (如可行)
(九) 散會

歡迎各界人士參與，如有查詢，請電23687123 找尹先生 或 93724864找黎先生。或電郵：wan@hkcc.org.hk 即可。

香港基督徒環保關注組 啟

G8+5: FEEL THE HEAT, ACT NOW !

From 6-8 June, the leaders of the biggest polluting countries in the world are meeting in Germany at the G8+5 summit. 337,498 have signed the Avaaz.org petition calling for real and urgent actions to counteract global warming.

Besides petitioning to the nations, Christians can also pray to the Lord Jesus for His mercy and intervention in this important summit meeting. Let's ask God the Father and Christ the Saviour to show us the right way ahead as well as to move the leaders towards a global consensus of urgent actions to solve the problem in question. Amen.

Howard

3 Common Challenges of the World by Jeffrey Sachs

Extract of BBC report

Jeffrey Sachs delivers the first of five lectures at The Royal Society, London where he outlines 3 common challenges facing mankind and argues that we must adapt to the new age before it is too late!

The greatest challenge is learning to live in a crowded and interconnected world that is creating unprecedented pressures on human society and on the physical environment. Peace as a way of solving problems is a crucial concept for us since we are on a path of increasing risk and increasing instability, and by all objective measures the path of increasing hatred as well. We have not yet found a way of solving problems that our generation faces now.

According to Sachs, the 3 common problems are:
(1) The challenge of the Anthropocene – That is the idea that the physical systems of the planet -- chemical fluxes, the climate, habitats, biodiversity, evolutionary processes -- are to an incredible and unrecognized extent under human forcings (influences) that now dominate a large measure of the most central ecological, chemical and bio-physical processes on the planet.

(2) The challenge of geo-politics or the Age of Convergence – It's the notion that in a world that is more connected than ever before, a world where economic development, at least for the last 250 years, has been driven by technology, and now a world where those technologies diffuse rapidly around the world. One result is that there will be in our time a fundamental shift of economic power, and the political power that goes along with it. The unfortunate thing is we're (especially the West and the currently privileged) not ready for it.

(3) The challenge of the weakest links – In an interconnected world, all parts of the world are affected by what happens in all other parts of the world. We cannot be surprised when events in some far off and distant place can be of fundamental significance even for survival, for the spending of hundreds of billions, if not trillions, of dollars for the direction of global politics especially those places in the world that suffer, where people die because they are too poor and those parts of the world which face horrific challenges to even get onto the ladder of development.

He cited examples such as the problem of peace-keeping in Darfur which is the poorest place on the whole planet where there is not enough water to keep people alive and where the electricity grid is hundreds of miles away. He questioned the situation where people are devoting massive sums of money to weapons that could be better devoted to combat ignorance, poverty and disease. He even shown us that one day's Pentagon spending could cover every sleeping site in Africa for five years with anti-malaria bed nets. His conclusion is amazingly simple: we do have choices -- they are good ones if we take them.

What do you think, friends?

Listen to his speech: Bursting at the Seams.

The Fate and Views of Nuclear Plants

CBS correspondent Steve Kroft reported on April 8 under the topic “France: Vive Les Nukes” (Long Live The Nuclear Plants) stated that “with power demands rising and concerns over global warming increasing, what the world needs now is an efficient means of producing large amounts of carbon free energy. One of the few available options is nuclear, a technology whose time seemed to come and go and may now be coming again.” Incidentally some 30 years ago, the French decided to go their own way and embrace nuclear power plants. Indeed, nuclear energy powers almost everything in France: its homes, its factories and even its high speed railroads besides Paris, the "City of Light". Nearly 80 percent of the country's electricity comes from 58 nuclear power plants. "

The said report reminds me of Dr James Lovelock, the leading environmentalist and scientist who invented the "Gaia theory" and has once told the Western Morning News that he regretted his endorsement of windfarms in the West country of UK. The core of the Gaia theory is about the earth as a self-regulating, living system rather than that of the Darwinian theory of competing physical, chemical and biological interests. Dr. Lovelock believes nuclear power is the only form of energy that will not contribute to global warming and could supply enough power for the planet. (for a fuller report, see Country Guardian’s WIND POWER JUST A GESTURE of 03 February 2004 )

You may also listen to Dr. Lovelock’s soundtracks on
(1) How he came to write The Revenge of Gaia,
(2) Dr Lovelock explains how Gaia theory informs his predictions,

(3) About Nuclear Energy available on the BBC - Radio 4 - Today Programme Science Report of July 6, 2006.

全球反常天氣報告

根據ETtoday.com東森新聞報2007年1月19日有如下報導：『 邁入2007年還不到一個月，全球各地都出現氣候異常，美國冰風暴已經持續一周多，‧‧‧加州馬里布20年來首見降雪，柑橘作物的寒害損失至少8億美元。 西歐、北歐也降下暴風雨，以英國情況最慘，最大陣風時速高達159公里，英國氣象局氣象預報員說，18日橫掃英國的狂風，風速是「1990年1月以來的最高紀錄。」德國也吹起最大時速170公里的如颶風般的狂風‧‧‧』

According to AccuWeather.com’s weather forecast of April 6th: “ A dramatic weather pattern will result in snow in some very unusual places, including the mid-Atlantic region and as far south as northern Texas, along with record-breaking cold and a stormy pattern into next week." It goes on further to state that this week's big, high-impact cold wave will get a shot at rewriting record books across a big swath of the nation early Easter morning.… Although the area of record-setting cold will reach westward into the Great Plains, it will be the South where the highest concentration of new low temperature extremes will be registered. … Daily record lows may fall by 10 degrees, even more. Needless to say, early spring growth, including fruit trees, vegetable crops and home garden plantings, will be at great risk of frost and freeze damage overnight.”

According to Peter Wittoeck of Science & Spirit : "The consequences of global warming for agriculture is seen in the rise of the sea level for low-lying coastal areas will be flooded and will no longer be useful for agricultural purposes. … Besides, it is expected that extreme weather conditions will occur more frequently, involving heavy storms or very dry and hot periods. Also, the present climat zones will move towards the poles: for temperate climates a shift by 200 to 300 kilometres can be expected for every extra degree Celsius. This poses problems for the cultivation of certain crops… Warming also means that summers will have more periods of drought. To get some idea of their impact, we can take the drought of 1988 in the United States as an example. Crop yields dropped by no less than 40%."

讓我們希望今天在美國南部出現的反常現象不是全球大氣變暖的一個直接後果；然而，全球大氣變暖現象和其與溫室氣體濃度的相關性(correlation)是超過90% (見維基百科：Scientific opinion on climate change)的數據，卻是對全人類的一個清晰警號！

A good "click" for climate changes around the world

Dear Eco Friends,

The BBC has provided a good map for an easy click to dicover climate change around the world. Try it yourself: Climate change around the world

Howard

World Health Day 2007

Today (April 7th) is the World Health Day. Its 2007 theme is "Invest in health, build a safer future". The concerned messages are:
1. Invest in health, build a safer future.
2. Threats to health know no borders.
3. Health leads to security; insecurity leads to poor health.
4. Preparedness and quick response improve international health security.
5. The World Health Organization is making the world more secure

Coincidentally, the World Health Organization was also established 59 years ago on 7 April 1948. The World Health theme 2007 is somehow related to some of the Millennium Development Goals adopted unanimously at the 2000 U.N. Millennium Assembly, namely,

• Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. By 2015, reduce by half both the proportion of people living on less than $1 a day and the share suffering from hunger.
• Reduce child mortality. By 2015, reduce by two-thirds the mortality rate among children under five;
• Improve maternal health. By 2015, reduce by three quarters the maternal mortality rate.
• Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases. Halt and begin to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases by 2015.
• Ensure environmental sustainability. Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programs and reverse the loss of environmental resources. By 2015, cut in half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and sanitation. By 2020, improve significantly the lives of 100 million slum dwellers.
  

The interesting question here is: Can the various UN assemblies and committees work in a truly collaborative and synergistic manner to reach their goals? Otherwise, things could be dragged in a discord owing to bureaucracies and ambiguous accountabilities much after the fashion of the ineffectiveness in dealing with cross-border pollution among government bureaus in Hong Kong.

Call for Action by Dr Margaret Chan

The following is an abstract of Margaret Chan's speech delivered on April 2nd during World Health Day debate on international health security held in Singapore.

"We live in a world where threats to health arise from the speed and volume of air travel, the way we produce and trade food, the way we use and misuse antibiotics, and the way we manage the environment. All of these activities have intensified the chance of outbreaks of epidemic-prone diseases. Outbreaks today are larger in two ways. First, changes in the way humanity inhabits the planet have led to the emergence of new diseases in unprecedented numbers. In the thirty years from 1973 to 2003, when SARS appeared, 39 pathogenic agents capable of causing human disease were newly identified. Among them are Ebola, HIV/AIDS, legionnaire's disease, Hanta virus, Hendra virus, Nipah virus, and H5N1 avian influenza. This is an ominous trend. It is historically unprecedented, and it is certain to continue.

Second, people are highly mobile and interconnected in the 21st century. SARS taught us how quickly a new disease can spread along the routes of international air travel. Financial markets are closely intertwined. These trends mean that the disruption caused by an outbreak in one part of the world can quickly ricochet throughout the global financial and business systems.
In June 2007, the revised International Health Regulations will come into force. For the first time, WHO is authorized to act on media reports to request verification and offer collaboration to an affected country. If this offer is refused, WHO can alert the world to an emergency of international concern using information other than official government notifications.

Population growth, urbanization trends and unsanitary conditions in many parts of the world create ideal conditions for explosive epidemics of well-known diseases, such as yellow fever and dengue. Environmental degradation and changing weather patterns allow known diseases to flare up in unexpected places, at unexpected times, and with unprecedented numbers of cases. Today, mainstay drugs fail much faster than the pace of development of replacement drugs. Such threats reinforce our need for shared responsibility and collective action in the face of universal vulnerability, in sectors well beyond health."