"If humanity wishes to preserve a planet similar to that on which civilization developed and to which life on earth is adapted... CO2 will need to be reduced from its current 385 parts per million to at most 350 ppm." - NASA climatologist James Hansen, director of the Goddard Institute.

It is now estimated that the Arctic ice cap will be gone by 2012. Heat will be absorbed by open blue ocean instead of reflected back into space by white ice.

Alaskan villages on the Arctic tundra are sinking and boreal forests are collapsing because the permafrost supporting them is melting. Methane, a potent greenhouse gas sequestered in the permafrost and cold ocean depths, is escaping into the atmosphere.

This is not Chicken Little, nor is it the distant future. Real, serious change that will affect our agriculture, water supply, coastal cities, and life in the oceans is coming within our lifetime. We must have the same faith in our science that we celebrate in all the wonderful gizmos we play with when that same science tells us that we have to change the way we live and do business if we want to survive.

There is still a chance for us to meet this challenge. Please go to www.350.org today. Mother Nature is not kidding.

(Por JOHN KASTNER, ROCHESTER, 24/11/2008)