It's time that we all realised that our increasing use of fossil fuels to power mechanisation is causing overpopulation, vast inequality and the accelerating rate of extinction of all complex life on our planet.

It should be basic knowledge to everyone, particularly those in power, that all life is totally dependent on the presence of vast quantities of vegetation and fungi. Early forms of them grew by absorbing the greenhouse gas- carbon dioxide, releasing all the non-greenhouse gas- oxygen that we have in our atmosphere now!

This process cooled the Earth's atmosphere to a temperature range suitable for more complex forms of life to evolve as it calmed the planet's violent climate. Early forms of crustaceans (shellfish and corals) aided this process of carbon dioxide removal by using it to form almost half of the mass of their protective shells. The accumulated vast amounts of dead vegetation and shells were deposited in huge layers over most of the world as fossil fuels and limestone type rocks (like the Alps). These processed removed an immense amount of carbon dioxide.

Vegetation supplies the basis of all life's food and all the oxygen for complex life to move and think. In the past, all life took only what it needed to grow, reproduce and mutate before dying. It's waste products and living parts are totally recycled to form more living things. Early humans lived this way initially, but their brains enabled them to learn how to use and control their environment- making life safer and easier, but in a more competitive way.

In the last two centuries, rapidly expanding mechanisation powered by burning fossil fuels has completely reversed all that vegetation and crustaceans have achieved. It blasted millions of tons of hot carbon dioxide back into our atmosphere as it burns and as limestone releases it in the production of iron and cement to create vast human infrastructures. This transformation leaves less room for life giving vegetation to grow, whilst pollution's acidity kills off crustaceans in our seas.
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This is why all sensible people must stop burning fossil fuels now wherever possible, and quickly revert o renewable energy. We must also work with manual tools where possible to plant and cultivate as much diverse native vegetation as we can to restore our natural food chains and reduce the carbon dioxide concentration to a safer, cooler level.

We are Earth's only custodians.

Ray Lennard Brown, 
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​If you are interested in learning more about climate change then read on …

In our December newsletter Emma Powell, Castle Point’s very own UN Accredited Climate Change Teacher, told us about the exciting work she is doing in schools in our area to empower teachers and prepare children for the climate change emergency through education.
 
Emma has completed the course especially aimed at teachers but there is wide range of on-line study material produced by the UN which some of us are already finding very interesting. 
First there is an introductory course on climate change and then different topics are covered – Sustainable Diet, Gender & the environment, Sustainable Finance, Green Economy, Children and Climate Change and lots more.  See -

www.unccelearn.org/course/

Now that we are into the New Year we’re thinking that we’d like to start a study group for anyone interested in getting together to discuss the issues.  
If you’d be interested in joining our community study group please get in touch with through our contact us page