Can Hemp Provide an Answer to Climate Change?
Thesis Cannabis: an environmentally and economically viable method for climate change mitigation.  Author Marc R Deeley Degree M Env. Year 2000. University of Strathclyde Graduate School of Environmental Studies

Abstract:

This thesis examines the problem of global climate change, taking as its starting point the recommendations of both the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (1992).

It is argued that an approach which directly addresses the (scientific) causes of climate change via the application of biology and chemistry - termed an 'environmental approach' in this thesis - is better placed than conventional regulatory instruments (i.e. a carbon tax) to fulfill the objectives of the (1992) Convention.

Moreover, it is argued that an environmental approach/method has the potential to address other (related) areas of environmental concern, such as the use of chemicals in agriculture. In addition, because such an approach would not entail the predominately negative economic effects of conventional regulatory instruments such as 'carbon taxation' it has the potential to be universally inclusive (through choice), extending global participation in the UNFCCC.

An environmental approach is therefore elaborated upon which centres on the specific use of Cannabis (in particular, the Sativa L. sub-species) as a multipurpose source of biomass as an industrial feedstock for energy, agricultural and commodity applications.

It is argued that the unique physiological and chemical characteristics of Cannabis make it ideally suited for such applications within the overall objective of climate change mitigation by addressing directly our industrial reliance on fossil fuels and several of the key land-use/management and consumption related causes of climate change.

It is concluded that Cannabis cultivation and the industrial utilisation of this crop would be environmentally and economically beneficial as a method of addressing the problem of global climate change.

The largely technocratic debate over the way humanity should respond to the now very real problem of global climate change has reached a critical point. Almost every legislative and technological option has been explored -at least theoretically- without any real progress being made in terms of actually addressing the situation and we are now at a stage where we do not have time to discuss the merits of "wind power over nuclear power" or how we can  "develop ways of freezing and storing" excess greenhouse gases.

This was the “debate” during the1980’s–and unfortunately also the 90’s–when the representatives of world science on this issue, otherwise known as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), were explaining to World leaders the (then) urgent requirement to take action. This article discusses the very real possibility that Cannabis could play a part in stabilizing a global environment.

To order a hard copy of this thesis, printed on treefree© paper with hemp content and watermark (100gsm) mail marcdeeley@yahoo.com.

SECRET PENTAGON REPORT:
CLIMATE CHANGE REAL THREAT 2004-02-27
Source: The Guardian

I'm sure glad that my giant SUV will keep me safe from global warming.

The Guardian reports: Climate change over the next 20 years could result in a global catastrophe costing millions of lives in wars and natural disasters.

A secret report, suppressed by US defense chiefs and obtained by The Observer, warns that major European cities will be sunk beneath rising seas as Britain is plunged into a 'Siberian' climate by 2020. Nuclear conflict, mega-droughts, famine and widespread rioting will erupt across the world.

World Bank, Pentagon: global warming red alert

Weather of mass destruction bigger threat than terrorism

Sun 22 February 2004 UNITED STATES/Washington, DC   A world thrown into turmoil by drought, floods, typhoons. Whole countries rendered uninhabitable. The political capital of the Netherlands submerged. The borders of the US and Australia patrolled by armies firing into waves of starving boat people desperate to find a new home. Fishing boats armed with cannon to drive off competitors. Demands for access to water and farmland backed up with nuclear weapons. Sound like the ravings of doom-saying environmental extremists? It's actually from a report commissioned by the Pentagon on how to ready America for the coming climate Armageddon.   Fifteen years ago, some of us were warning of the impacts of fossil fuels on the climate. The science was less conclusive than today, but we, along with most climatologists, believed that the consequences were of such magnitude that immediate action was prudent. Today, environmentalists aren't the only ones saying that. The World Bank and the Pentagon have both commissioned studies which finally admit that our world is in serious peril, and the biggest threat to our future is not terrorism, but our own dependence on fossil fuels. In other words, "We have met the enemy, and he is us." This year, the small circle of remaining climate "skeptics" -- scientists and politicians who don't believe that global warming is happening, or who refuse to accept a human element in its making, narrowed so far that Exxon/Mobil and the President of the United States may soon be the sole, shrill naysayers. Sir David King, Chief Scientist in Tony Blair's government, has said that global warming is a greater threat than terrorism. Hans Blix, who ran the UN weapons inspection programme in Iraq, says the same thing. And now, two of the most conservative institutions in the world, the Pentagon and the World Bank, have received studies recommending immediate action to address imminent threats posed by global warming, with the Pentagon's report warning that global warming is a greater threat than terrorism. World bank: "global warming requires immediate action" Earlier this month the Financial Times revealed that the World Bank was rejecting the recommendations of an independent panel that they had appointed. The panel's mission was to assess the environmental, institutional, poverty, and human rights impacts of the World Bank's investments in "extractive industries:" gas, coal, oil, and mining. Their recommendation was to phase out all investments in fossil fuels over the next eight years: "The WBG [World Bank Group] should aggressively increase investments in renewable energies by about 20 percent annually. WBG lending should concentrate on promoting the transition to renewable energy..." Thus; The World Bank's current energy lending dedicates 6 percent to renewables, 94 percent to oil. In rejecting the recommendation of the independent panel, the Bank is targeting $US 300-500 million annually in loans promoting development of oil -- and the slow cooking of our planet. Pentagon: "global warming requires immediate action" The Pentagon's planning scenario says that global warming "should be elevated beyond a scientific debate to a US national security concern." It declares that "future wars will be fought over the issue of survival rather than religion, ideology or national honour." It envisions the need to turn the US and other rich western countries into "fortresses," armed against an angry tide of people displaced by rising sea levels or unable to grow food, and running for their lives. The report doesn't hem and haw the way the White House does. It doesn't speak in tortured sentences to suggest that the scientific community isn't convinced. It hasn't been proof-read and edited by Exxon/Mobil. It says it plain: "Rather than decades or even centuries of gradual warming, recent evidence suggests the possibility that a more dire climate scenario may actually be unfolding." The report was commissioned "to develop a plausible scenario for abrupt climate change that can be used to explore implications for food supply, health and disease, commerce and trade, and their consequences for national security." Here's the "plausible scenario" that the Pentagon envisions: "By 2005 the climatic impact of the shift is felt more intensely in certain regions around the world. More severe storms and typhoons bring about higher storm surges and floods in low-lying islands such as Tarawa and Tuvalu (near New Zealand). In 2007, a particularly severe storm causes the ocean to break through levees in the Netherlands making a few key coastal cities such as The Hague unlivable. Failures of the delta island levees in the Sacramento River region in the Central Valley of California creates an inland sea and disrupts the aqueduct system transporting water from northern to southern California because salt water can no longer be kept out of the area during the dry season... As glacial ice melts, sea levels rise and as wintertime sea extent decreases, ocean waves increase in intensity, damaging coastal cities. Additionally millions of people are put at risk of flooding around the globe (roughly 4 times 2003 levels), and fisheries are disrupted as water temperature changes cause fish to migrate to new locations and habitats, increasing tensions over fishing rights." The Pentagon foresees fishing wars between Spain and Portugal. Pakistan, India, and China - all armed with nuclear weapons - skirmish at their borders over refugees, access to shared rivers, and arable land. Bangladesh becomes uninhabitable. Drought hits the American breadbasket. Britain's weather begins to resemble Siberia. India, South Africa, and Indonesia are ripped apart by civil war. And ultimately, the report forecasts a decrease in the planet's human carrying capacity, leading to sharp reductions in the world's population due to starvation, disease, and war. Bush: "the jury is still out on global warming." But so far, George Bush is sticking to the line that the Kyoto treaty was "unscientific," that "the jury is still out" on global warming, and that everyone "misunderestimates" him. Actually, Mr. Bush, the jury's been in for some time, and now even a report commissioned by your own Pentagon is saying you're wrong. Perhaps it's time you focussed on the real terrorist threat to our planet: the oil companies like Exxon which continue to fund your re-election, and whose interests you continue to defend at the expense of our future. While you're pursuing policies that accelerate the production of greenhouse gases and continuing to deny the existence of a threat, the World Bank is being told it has to stop subsidizing Armageddon, and the Pentagon is war-gaming ways to survive a catastrophe it's calling plausible. If you were willing to launch a pre-emptive war on enemies you believe may someday think about attacking the US, wouldn't it seem prudent to take pre-emptive action against climate change? Take action Tell the head of the World Bank to reconsider and start phasing out support for fossil fuels now. Don't buy Exxon. Don't buy Esso. More information Read the full report.

This report suggests that, because of the potentially dire consequences, the risk of abrupt climate change, although uncertain and quite possibly small, should be elevated beyond a scientific debate to a U.S. national security concern.
Authors:	Peter Schwartz and Doug Randall
Date published:	01, October 2003
Format:	Adobe PDF
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From: http://www.nostradamusonline.com/sample_chapter.php

Volcanic Eruptions, Earthquakes, Floods, Tornadoes (Century IV, Quatrain 67)

A very bright, previously unknown comet will appear and coincide with the time of great geological troubles, with earthquakes and volcanoes erupting and disrupting weather systems. This will cause widespread famines, droughts, and social upheavals in unexpected places. Nations that are considered prosperous and powerful, particularly western nations, will be weakened. They will be torn with civil strife and rioting as people migrate to areas that have water and can support crop-growing. The social upheaval and weakening of political structures will help the Antichrist come to power.

The United States in particular will be subject to serious natural disasters, particularly earthquakes and flooding, and flatten the nation from end to end, causing enormous conflict, despair, and misery. The US will be bankrupted attempting to deal with its disasters. Three other great nations will send aid to help the citizens survive.

(Century VIII, Quatrain 29)

Earth changes will take place that will help the Antichrist's drive for world conquest. In central Europe, southern Europe, and in the Middle East, around the eastern end of the Mediterranean, there will be severe floods. As a result of the disruption to local governments by the natural disasters, the Antichrist will move his troops in under the guise of helping the people restore civil order, but really use this as a device to take over countries, and to use the populations like slaves.

Serious economic problems will persist along with great social unrest, contributing to the ease with which the Antichrist can seize power. The frightened and hopeful populace will be vulnerable to his rhetoric. The Antichrist will use the disasters as opportunities to overthrow governments and sneak spies into a country. Martial law will be declared in many areas to stop rioting and looting. The Middle East, the source of his power, will not be as devastated as the rest of the world. He offers assistance to other countries trying to recover but he will eventually stab them in the back.

Earth abuse causes agricultural devastation in U.S. and Europe (Century II, Quatrain 95)

Man will upset the balance of the earth and cause great changes in the climate and seasons, causing much hardship and famine. Major agricultural lands producing a lot of grain and food for the world today will become frozen and will be unusable. The people who live on this land and grow the food will flee like rats leaving a sinking ship.

There will be dissension and fighting over the land. As a result of the panic, incompetent decisions are made by the people in power under enormous stress. Poor decisions will escalate into major disasters. The U.S. and the United Kingdom in particular will experience the dissension and destruction.

Antichrist's rise to power in Middle East

(Century II, Quatrains 23 and 81)

The Antichrist will take over Iran by using a human decoy to trick the Iranian Ayatollah in power. This will involve the "yes men" and puppets of the Ayatollah's court. The Antichrist will first drive away internal supporters of the Ayatollah by starting a civil war. Then he will put forth a man as a leader, a man for Iranians loyal to the Ayatollah to concentrate their hate on. The man will be assassinated while Iran is being taken over, and his opponents will think they have foiled the overthrow of power by assassinating him. But they will find out later he was merely a decoy and that they played into the plans of the Antichrist.

The Antichrist will initially obtain power in his own sphere, Asia, and the Middle East. As he grows out of this arena, and into Europe, the next step will be into the Mediterranean, his area of strength. Because of his Middle Eastern heritage he will have already united North Africans, who are sympathetic to his cultural background, with his Asian and Middle Eastern conglomerate.

Fiasco from communication breakdown between two superpowers

(Century II, Quatrains 35 and 48)

Through a mistake, a breakdown in communications between two powerful countries will occur. The situation is a lot more complex than will appear on the surface. The leader involved will feel great regret about what happened and will want to continue his career and help correct the situation, to help make up for the adverse affects.

But he will be hung, symbolically, by others wishing to take his position in the organization. He will be hung as far as politics and his career are concerned. It will almost be like committing suicide because in the end he will be a broken man. The entire event will be viewed as a fiasco from both sides. It will have very harmful and even cataclysmic consequences.

Antichrist profits from radar research in Europe (Century I, Quatrain 6)

Research on a more sophisticated type of radar and sensing devices will give greater information to the operator, i.e. an airplane pilot. But the first experiments with the technology will fail in a disastrous accident, when the vibrations emitted by the device cause the chassis of the plane to become weakened and dangerous. The scientists involved with the research will have to temporarily abandon the research because of diplomatic breakdowns, the threat of war, etc.

This will take place before the Antichrist comes to full power. It will happen in Europe at the time the Antichrist is strengthening his base of power in the Middle East. The devices are currently under development but have not been tested yet. But this is another historical event that will permit the Antichrist to take over Europe.

War game simulation by Britain in Europe leads to disaster (Century II, Quatrain 2)

In a war-game maneuver involving Great Britain and European troops a malfunctioning computer will cause the "real-world" situation to play out instead of the simulation. As a result of the error actual defenses will be activated and real bombs will be dropped on the areas of the game and cause a tragic international incident.

American Electoral College voting stalemate (Century VII, Quatrain 41)

The presidents of the United States, a supposedly free country, have been abusing their power to an increasingly greater extent. During a time of social unrest even more so than the period of Vietnam and Watergate, the Electoral College will be evenly split over the election of the new president. The process will stalemate, with many people clamoring for whichever candidate they voted for, causing enormous tension in the country. Internationally it will be a sensitive situation.

Because of the split, and the extremely volatile and explosive social unrest, putting either candidate in office instead of the other could start a civil war or a revolution. After a long time of impassioned speeches invoking patriotism and the founding fathers, a compromise solution of holding another election will be taken, and a candidate will be installed without disaster.

From: http://www.nostradamusonline.com/sample_chapter.php

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*Industrial-Hemp has no psychoactive properties following definition of the European Economic Community (EEC); THC content is less than 0.3%. In general, low THC-seed varieties without psychoactive properties are those that have a THC content of less than 1%. (See also No-THC Hemp-seed.) THC= Delta-9 TetraHydroCannabinol.

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