Comments on: Facing an Uncertain Future: A ‘non-suba anagathayak’ https://groundviews.org/2012/09/02/facing-an-uncertain-future-a-non-suba-anagathayak/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=facing-an-uncertain-future-a-non-suba-anagathayak Journalism for Citizens Thu, 06 Sep 2012 09:51:17 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 By: Ward https://groundviews.org/2012/09/02/facing-an-uncertain-future-a-non-suba-anagathayak/#comment-48346 Thu, 06 Sep 2012 09:51:17 +0000 http://groundviews.org/?p=10103#comment-48346 Ranil and others

You’ve probably seen this:

Sri Lanka lacks forest data for REDD+ funds, 23 April 2012,
http://www.scidev.net/en/news/sri-lanka-lacks-forest-data-for-redd-funds.html

]]> By: Buddhika https://groundviews.org/2012/09/02/facing-an-uncertain-future-a-non-suba-anagathayak/#comment-48344 Thu, 06 Sep 2012 09:05:15 +0000 http://groundviews.org/?p=10103#comment-48344 In reply to Buddhika.

Politicians try to play havoc with ecology:

Can elephants survive in a a place without a lot of trees?

http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=33364
Orphaned elephants to be sent to Mullaiththeevu, 10 January 2011

]]> By: Citizen https://groundviews.org/2012/09/02/facing-an-uncertain-future-a-non-suba-anagathayak/#comment-48334 Wed, 05 Sep 2012 11:41:01 +0000 http://groundviews.org/?p=10103#comment-48334 Along with the current development there is the accompanied massive exploitation and violation of mother earth and mother nature. Huge amounts of soil are being dug up and transported to fill other sites which are being cleared of all vegetation to make way for roads and concrete jungles. Rocks and mountains are being blasted and levelled to the ground to provide material for construction. Mineral deposits are being dug up leaving huge voids in the land.

The word sustainable development is bandied around when in actuality the lifestyles we lead are far from sustainable. We talk about reducing the carbon footprint, water foot print etc but these do not compensate the debit we have with mother nature. We want to clean up and landscape places giving them a clinical urban look by destroying the huge trees and shrubs which were part of the natural vegetation. Our idea of beauty is to have huge concrete structures interspersed with a few mangy looking trees here and there.

Until and unless there is a concerted effort to develop new policies, strategies and technologies using scientific methods to redress and maintain the natural balance, we will continue to transgress and destroy our habitat. A redefinition of sustainable development and sustainable living is required. Otherwise we are merely fooling ourselves and tipping the balance towards large scale ecological disaster.

]]> By: Ranil Senanayake https://groundviews.org/2012/09/02/facing-an-uncertain-future-a-non-suba-anagathayak/#comment-48331 Wed, 05 Sep 2012 04:14:06 +0000 http://groundviews.org/?p=10103#comment-48331 In reply to Peter Donovan.

Dear Peter,

Thank you for your suggestion. We have begun an initiative in Sri Lanka http://conservecarbon.org and http://conservationcarbon.org we will initiate contact with soilcarboncoalition.org . A useful reference in addressing Soil Carbon is. Senanayake, R. 1993 Soil Ecology, Agriculture and the Greenhouse Effect. Australian Journal of Soil and water Conservation 6 (1) : 27-30.
Your direction is appreciated.
Best
Ranil

]]> By: Ranil Senanayake https://groundviews.org/2012/09/02/facing-an-uncertain-future-a-non-suba-anagathayak/#comment-48330 Wed, 05 Sep 2012 03:57:23 +0000 http://groundviews.org/?p=10103#comment-48330 In reply to georgethebushpig.

Hello George,

Thanks for your query. The 1% increase in albedo can give us respite from the current trend. It does not mean that it will allow us to continue polluting. Its like holding a better umbrella in the rain it will stop us from getting wet for a while, but if there is no let up in the rain (ie GHG’s) we will eventually get wet. Remember that we have reduced the albedo by our actions in clearing the forests of the planet, it is one of the few things can affect global warming with without getting into geo-engineering.

From my perspective, geo-engineering is a very dangerous exercise . It is unproven and the consequences, if negative will be disastrous. I believe that the precautionary principle, must be invoked in all geo-engineering proposals and no application in the real world be allowed until the benign nature of that particular technology is proven.

Regards,
Ranil

]]> By: georgethebushpig https://groundviews.org/2012/09/02/facing-an-uncertain-future-a-non-suba-anagathayak/#comment-48320 Tue, 04 Sep 2012 15:55:40 +0000 http://groundviews.org/?p=10103#comment-48320 Dear Mr. Senanayake,

As always an interesting read. I however am not convinced with this statement: “Creating a 1% cooling by albedo can help definitely stabilize the climate”. It’s categorical nature gives pause for concern.

Can we continue to load the atmosphere with GHGs at the rate that we are currently doing and expect a 1% albedo affect to take us out of the current climate change mess? The climatic system is a lot more complex than that and I don’t believe there are simple fixes.

I hope you are not someone who subscribes to the geo-engineering approaches currently gaining currency in some quarters of the climate change debate; they dream of large solar reflectors in outer space to divert sunlight away from earth!

Cheers
GTBP

]]> By: Peter Donovan https://groundviews.org/2012/09/02/facing-an-uncertain-future-a-non-suba-anagathayak/#comment-48319 Tue, 04 Sep 2012 15:34:28 +0000 http://groundviews.org/?p=10103#comment-48319 Ranil, very good article.

But to move in a constructive direction will require more than fighting fossil fuel addiction. There also needs to be a move to grow power, manage for what people want and need, such as increased soil organic matter.

One suggestion I have for Sri Lanka is to start a Soil Carbon Challenge using local expertise. It is a bottom up rather than top down strategy, and involves monitoring soil carbon change on creative, committed land stewards. It is strategy to grow power, literally at the grassroots.

soilcarboncoalition.org/starting-challenge

much more info on this website.

regards, and happy to share information

Peter Donovan
soilcarboncoalition.org

]]> By: Buddhika https://groundviews.org/2012/09/02/facing-an-uncertain-future-a-non-suba-anagathayak/#comment-48318 Tue, 04 Sep 2012 12:51:08 +0000 http://groundviews.org/?p=10103#comment-48318 The ignorance of the science of ecology behind agriculture, extends to fisheries, wetlands, etc

http://www.sangam.org/2012/04/Turbulent_Waters.php?uid=4670

http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/fullstory.php?nid=1513921377

]]> By: rita https://groundviews.org/2012/09/02/facing-an-uncertain-future-a-non-suba-anagathayak/#comment-48289 Mon, 03 Sep 2012 02:33:46 +0000 http://groundviews.org/?p=10103#comment-48289 In reply to Luxmy.

do.

The ecological health of coastal areas of a small island is inseparable from that of the inland.

]]> By: sandy https://groundviews.org/2012/09/02/facing-an-uncertain-future-a-non-suba-anagathayak/#comment-48280 Sun, 02 Sep 2012 15:26:24 +0000 http://groundviews.org/?p=10103#comment-48280 Great article.Thank you!

]]>