Fran Berman
On March 20, the Activity Center was packed to capacity. Our featured guest, Dr. Victor Lim, Jr., spoke to SaddleBrooke Freethinkers about research on climate change and findings by Biosphere 2. Dr. Lim has an MBA from the Asian Institute of Management and MPA from the JFK School of Government and Harvard University and is a University of Arizona interpretive specialist.
Dr. Lim presented statistics, graphs and other visuals showing how current climate change began with the industrial revolution in the early 1800s. He explained how this climate change has been directly caused by numerous human activities. Climate change has happened many times over Earth’s history. But the very short time span in which it is now occurring is most worrisome. Before humans invented the combustion engine, man-made chemicals and modern technologies, climate change took thousands of years. Yes, there have been exceptions: catastrophes such as huge meteor crashes and massive volcanic eruptions blackening the skies worldwide for decades.
But now significant climate change is happening in less than 200 years, as Dr. Lim explained. Global population has grown from 800 million worldwide in 1750 to more than seven billion now and soon eight billion. With the growth in consumption, pollution and habitat destruction, you can understand how the problem will get worse faster. Dr. Lim said while ozone, CO2 and fossil fuels do affect climate change, yet we often overlook the huge impact methane has. Dr. Lim presented this complicated subject and some of its complex solutions in a clear, practical, understandable style.
To mitigate your contribution to destructive climate change, Dr. Lim recommends the following website with information on energy, water, waste and even travel alternatives: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/solutions/actions. To understand the population factor, you may visit another informative website: http://ourworldindata.org/data/population-growth-vital-statistics/world-population-growth.
Regular meetings of SaddleBrooke Freethinkers are usually held the fourth Sunday morning monthly, October through April. Attendance is free and open to all regardless of religious belief, political persuasion or gender preference. To defray costs, please we request a contribution of $2 per person. Non-perishable food and cash donations for the Tri-County Community Food Bank are always welcome.
SaddleBrooke Freethinkers continue to meet through the summer at our monthly Thirdsty Thursdays social gatherings at the Roadrunner Grill from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. Can’t make it on time? Need to leave early? Come anyway. There’s no formal agenda or topic. It’s an opportunity to get to know each other better. Members and non-members are welcome.
Our organizational charter states, we “believe in the responsible search for truth and meaning and in the application of reason and science to the understanding of the universe and the solving of human problems. We believe that tolerance, compassion, equity and civility should characterize the interaction among peace-loving persons and organizations.” For information on SaddleBrooke Freethinkers, upcoming presentations and past programs, visit www.sbfreethinkers.wordpress.com. To be on the email list, please send your request to [email protected].