5th June 09, World Environment day : An exception event for exceptional times : HOME (a film by Yann Arthus-Bertrand) : www.home-2009.com

Our planet is beautiful (view from the sky) but fragile…

More than a movie, HOME is the major event all over the globe TODAY.

For the first time ever, a film will be released on the same day in over 50 countries.
Release on every format : movie theatres, TV, DVD and Internet.

Filmed in 50 countries, 120 locations.

The aim of director Yann Arthus-Bertrand, distributor Luc Besson and Francois-Henri Pinault (PPR) is to reach the widest possible audience, and to convince us all of our individual and collective responsibility towards the planet.

You can watch the movie :-
- tonight on local MBC tv channel 1 at 9.30 pm
- on youtube at www.youtube.com/homeproject

Also on :- http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x653do_home-docufilm-de-yann-arthusbertran_shortfilms (“en bande annonce”)

Alain Fok

"
We are living in exceptional times. Scientists tell us that we have 10 years to change the way we live, avert the depletion of natural resources and the catastrophic evolution of the Earth's climate.

The stakes are high for us and our children. Everyone should take part in the effort, and HOME has been conceived to take a message of mobilization out to every human being.

For this purpose, HOME needs to be free. A patron, the PPR Group, made this possible. EuropaCorp, the distributor, also pledged not to make any profit because Home is a non-profit film.

HOME has been made for you : share it! And act for the planet.

Yann Arthus-Bertrand

PPR is proud to support HOME
http://www.ppr.com

HOME is a carbon offset movie
http://www.actioncarbone.org

More information about the Planet
http://www.goodplanet.info

Website: http://www.home-2009.com

"

Carbon Trade : a possible solution to Climate Change threat ?

There is a modern concept called 'Carbon Trade' which I learned recently. This concept is explained as follows :-

I would like to have your comments on that if possible.

Alain Fok

"

What is the carbon trade?

The carbon trade about in response to the Kyoto Protocol. Signed in Kyoto, Japan, by some 180 countries in December 1997, the Kyoto Protocol calls for 38 industrialized countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions between the years 2008 to 2012 to levels that are 5.2% lower than those of 1990.

Carbon is an element stored in fossil fuels such as coal and oil. When these fuels are burned, carbon dioxide is released and acts as what we term a "greenhouse gas".

The idea behind carbon trading is quite similar to the trading of securities or commodities in a marketplace. Carbon would be given an economic value, allowing people, companies or nations to trade it. If a nation bought carbon, it would be buying the rights to burn it, and a nation selling carbon would be giving up its rights to burn it. The value of the carbon would be based on the ability of the country owning the carbon to store it or to prevent it from being released into the atmosphere. (The better you are at storing it, the more you can charge for it.)

A market would be created to facilitate the buying and selling of the rights to emit greenhouse gases. The industrialized nations for which reducing emissions is a daunting task could buy the emission rights from another nation whose industries do not produce as much of these gases.

The market for carbon is possible because the goal of the Kyoto Protocol is to reduce emissions as a collective. On the one hand, carbon trading seems like a win-win situation: greenhouse gas emissions may be reduced while some countries reap economic benefit.

On the other hand, critics of the idea suspect that some countries will exploit the trading system and the consequences will be negative. While carbon trading may have its merits, debate over this type of market is inevitable, since it involves finding a compromise between profit, equality and ecological concerns.

"

A simple request to the future president of the USA

Today is presidential election day in USA. An important event which will also be followed world wide due to USA political, military and economical influence over the world.

Whatever the choice of the american population, I sincerly hope that the future president of the USA will, through his decisions and actions during his presidential mandate, be an open-minded person with great universal principles and values.

A man who will make good use of his power of decision and influence to contribute positively for the protection of our global natural environment (fauna and flora) and for the preservation of our global harmony and social justice.

Alain Fok

(a global citizen)

Madagascar rich but endangered biodiversity

I recently watched a tv program about Madagascar rich biodiversity. Madagascar is the big island of the indian ocean and was detached from mainland Africa mllions of years ago. And today I would like to share some information with you.

REPTILES

More than 300 species are found on Madagascar, with over 90% being endemic.
Chameleons: About half the world’s 135 species are unique to Madagascar.

Geckos: Madagascar boasts a vast array of gecko species, displaying probably the world’s greatest mastery at camouflage. There exists a critically endangered gecko species known from only two forests on Madagascar.

Iguanids: The small, “three-eyed” lizard is particularly common, as is the spiny-tailed iguanid, whose tail looks like an elongated fir cone.

Snakes: There are 85 species of snakes on the island, including several members of the boa family. The spear-nosed snake is one of the more absurd-looking species.

Tortoises: Madagascar is home to some of the world’s rarest tortoises, including the plowshare, which has a long, upturned projection extending from its lower shell. This is one of four endemic species.

Frogs: Although thought to number 300, there are 170 species of frogs recorded on Madagascar, 99% of which are endemic.

INVERTEBRATES

There may be as many as 100,000 species of invertebrates on Madagascar, about one fifth of which are beetles. There are some scorpions, butterflies and moths.


>>> HUMAN THREAT <<<

However, this endemic population is nowadays being severely fragmented and it is threatened by the destruction of its remaining forest habitat. Although new protected areas have been created within its range, illegal forest degradation continues, coupled probably with some over quota or illegal export of such species to Europe, USA and Asia.

An inconvenient truth / Une vérité qui dérange : climate change documentary film

Chers amis/amies,

Voici ci-apres, un résumé du film documentaire dont l'auteur Al Gore est un des détenteurs du Prix Nobel de La paix 2007.

Je vous invite à regarder ce film à tout prix !!!. Merci.

Alain Fok

"
Une Vérité qui dérange

présenté par Al Gore

Réalisé par :
Davis Guggenhei

Synopsis Documentaire américain.

Ancien Vice-Président des Etats-Unis et candidat malheureux aux élections présidentielles de 2000, Al Gore parle d’un sujet qu’il connaît et qui le tient à cœur depuis plus d’une vingtaine d’années : le réchauffement planétaire. Debout à côté d’un écran géant et devant un public, Al Gore explique.

Le réchauffement de la planète est bien réel. Ce phénomène est causé par les activités humaines. L’humanité et les gouvernements du monde doivent impérativement y mettre un frein et renverser cette tendance. Autrement, d’ici une dizaine d’années, nous pourrions arriver à un point de non retour au delà duquel la planète pourrait voir l’extermination de la plupart des espèces qui l’habitent et notre civilisation pourrait entamer un long glissement vers sa propre destruction. Sur l’écran, des images de la terre vue de l’espace montrent des lacs qui s’assèchent, des glaciers qui fondent et des côtes qui rétrécissent.



Ces dix dernières années ont été les plus chaudes jamais enregistrées. En 2005, le continent Sud Américain a connu son premier ouragan. Les typhons dans le Pacifique ont atteint ces dernières années, des intensités jusque-là, inégalées. On note aussi des changements dans les parcours du fameux ‘Gulfstream’, courant marin responsable des saisons. L’humanité est assise sur une véritable bombe à retardement…



"

The Valley of Ferney Nature Parc (Mauritius)

This nature parc which consists of 200 hectares land surface has recently been officially opened to the public.

What a natural 'treasure' for Mauritius in terms of endemic fauna and flora UNIQUE biodiversity.

One of the main objectives of this natural parc is to educate the local people and tourists on the importance of managing and protecting our natural environment.

The nature parc is part of a vast project which consists of saving, preserving and rehabilitating part of the Ferney Forest and it is a good example of the close collaboration between the government and the private sector.

However we must admit that it was a real challenge some years ago for ecology minded organisations and individuals to 'fight' for the preservation of the Ferney Forest because the latter was under the threat of partial destruction due to the construction of a highway in that area...

Alain Fok

How much do you love animals ?

Some people don't like animals.

Some people are even ready to kill them just for pleasure or money.

Some people love only domestic animals such as dogs and cats which they consider as 'pets'.

And there are those people who accept animals as they are whether they are domestic or wild.

These people will always fight for animal rights and animal protection because they strongly believe that every living creature deserve to be well treated and get the chance to emancipate in their natural environment.

But how many people are ready to become animal protection activists in our today's society ?


To which of the above categories do you belong to ?

Alain Fok

The Nobel Peace Prize 2007

The Nobel Peace Prize 2007 was attributed both to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and to Mr Al Gore (Jr) which was the former vice president of the United States of America
"for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change".

For those who are still sceptical about the DISASTROUS consequences of global warming for our planet in the long term, I invite you to watch the following films on climate change :-
"An Iconvenient Truth", by Mr Al Gore
"Climate Change and the need for Adaptation" , by GIEC (Georgia Industry Environmental Coalition).

Alain Fok

Ecological Walk

I used to go to my new office premises by car but last Monday morning I sent my car for servicing and so I decided to walk.

When I arrived there, I felt so good and so fit to start a new week.

This journey from home to the office by foot took me almost 1 hour instead of 15 minutes car drive but on the other hand, I not only exercise my body which is excellent for my health but also save fossil fuel energy and avoid polluting the atmosphere with CO2 emission.

I think I will repeat this exercise more often if time and the weather allow me to do so...

Alain Fok

A free carbon dioxide city

At a time where environmental issues are being discussed at the current G8 summit in Japan, just imagine a metropol such as New York, Rio, London, Beijing, Dubai or Johannesburg and... Port Louis city where people walk, use bicycles or electric motorbikes to go to work/ to school, where vehicles and industries use renewable energy ressources to operate, where households use solar or wind energy for their domestic electricity consumption, where domestic and industrial wastes are recycled in a ecological way etc....

Would you like to live in such an ecolo friendly environment ?

Alain Fok

When plastic waste becomes fuel

This morning, I saw a tv report on BBC about the possibility to convert domestic plastic waste (bags, packaging etc...) through a 'revolutionary machine' into refined oil which can be used to run motor vehicles.

What an interesting solution to not only reduce our dependency on imported fuel whose prices have increased tremendously but also to get rid of our daily pile of domestic used plastics in an ecological way.

Alain Fok

Do frogs like heated water ?

Those individuals/corporates/states/etc... who continue to highly 'pollute' our atmosphere with heat-trapping gases which are primarily emitted by our vehicles and industries are like frogs.

If you put a frog in a kettle of boiled water, he will immediately jump out of the kettle otherwise he will die.

But if you put a frog in a kettle of normal water and then slowy heat the water, the frog will remain in the heated water as long as he can support the temperature. It is only when he feels that the water is too hot that he will jump out of the kettle.

This is exactly what is happening to our planet earth. We are like frogs and our lands, our oceans, our atmosphere are like heated water. Most of our decision makers are aware that our planet is being slowly but surely affected by global warming but we still continue to remain in our comfort zone and concentrate on economic issues rather than environmental issues in the first place.

When will we realise that the water will eventually boil if we continue to heat it and when that happens, we will be forced to jump out (if it's not too late...). But where will we go ?????

Alain Fok

Baby Seal Massacre !!!

"Once again, the world will recoil in horror at the spectacle of men battering young seals to death, before skinning the still-warm bodies for the pelt that will be turned into a fashionable accessory for the unthinking or uncaring.
And this year, as these pictures show, there is a double horror. Thanks to global warming, the ice that should provide a solid base for the pups in their first few weeks of life has melted weeks early.
As a result, they are either tipped into the water when the sea swells, or fall through the gaps in the slush. There, lacking the ability to swim, they die.
It was estimated that by the end of last week more than 90 per cent of the pups born in the southern part of the gulf had perished - approximately 260,000 seals. "

Extract from an article on :-http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=446423&in_page_id=1811

I did some other Web search on the issue. If you want more information, you can visit sites such as : -

http://www.harpseals.org/

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4844008.stm

I really can't imagine how human beings, in this century, who live in civilised societies could have done such kind of barbarian act !!!

You can take action immediately. Visit suggested website :-

http://e-activist.com/ea-campaign/clientcampaign.do?ea.campaign.id=430

Alain Fok