CANADA CONNECTION: No to Fossil Fuels

CULPRIT OF CLIMATE CHANGE – Over the years, perhaps several decades ago, the issue about Climate Change has dominated in all media of communication, such as radio, print, and TV, and recently in the social media, and has been in the center stage of various fora, rallies, seminars, conventions, and what have you venues of free speeches and expressions.

But it seems the crusade against this global phenomenon of Global Warming, which as a consequence of chemical reaction apparently leads to Climate Change, is losing its popular support as pro-environment activists are despondently losing the stamina to stem the tide of the much ballyhoed campaign of those so-called technologists and politicians advocating for the demand and development of sustainable energy-generating technology using fossil fuels as raw materials, allegedly if only to cope with the growing need of fuel supply of the modern civilization.

But let’s not be complacent about it, the claims that droughts and heat waves happen naturally is nothing but a make believe media hype, if not a myth perpetrated by anti-green industrial magnates, and capitalists.

Hence, as pro- environment chemist-journalist let me reiterate some basic scientific findings about the threat of Climate Change, which is attributed mainly to the unhampered rise in the atmospheric temperature, otherwise known as Global Warming.

Renown environment-friendly scientists disclosed Global Warming is principally the result of unrestricted use of Fossil Fuels for energy generation.

Fossil Fuels are hydrocarbon- rich deposits in the earth crust that are mined and processed synthetically purportedly to provide energy to homes, transportations, and industries. But these carbon-based materials, such as crude fuels, coal, petroleum oils, and natural gas, are deemed non-renewable and non-biodegradable, which when burned would eventually caused widespread pollution, especially coal, as these would undoubtedly emit tremendous amount of greenhouses gases, such as Carbon Dioxide, Methane, Nitrous Oxides, and Chloro-Flouro Carbon gases, among others, apart from its toxic solid residues discharged into the rivers and oceans.

Actually, Carbon Dioxide is produced naturally by natural human activities which is being recycled by plants and animals, but it’s excessive presence due to fossil fuels usage will cause CO2 imbalance in Mother Earth that will damage the Ozone layer, an umbrella-like thick gas covering of the earth surface against heat and radiation from the sun. Thus, it is deemed as the major cause of global warming.

A greenhouse gas with serious impact is Methane, which is a primary member of Hydrocarbon family, the group of chemicals containing Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen. Methane is deemed stronger than CO2, but it has a short life span in the atmosphere due to its weaker Carbon-Hydrogen link.

Nitrous Oxide, on the other hand, being an inorganic chemical has the capacity to remain in the atmosphere over a long period of time, in decades or centuries.

The CFCs, a group of chemical compounds comprised principally of Carbon, Chlorine and Flourine, are generated from refrigerants, aerosols, and halogen-containing materials, which when released into the atmosphere would certainly punctured the Ozone layer.

Henceforth, sustaining the campaign against Fossil Fuels is an effort worthy of utmost support by all sectors lest the next generation to suffer from those droughts, wild fires, flooding, famine, heat waves, and other calamities.

Indeed, let’s keep our guard against the indiscriminate emissions of green house gases into the atmoshere, but join the group advocating against the use of fossil fuels now!* (Dan Cajurao)