West Coast Times

Climate Change - A proposed solution

The Nothern Hemisphere consists of mostly land, while the Southern Hemisphere consists of mostly open ocean.

When the sun shines on the land the air heats up and the heat then dissipated out into space, which is why deserts are hot during the day and cold at night.

When the sun shines on the Southern Oceans, the water absorbs the heat and then the heat gradually moves to the Northern Hemisphere via ocean currents. The heat is retained in the oceans because water is denser and so retains heat far better than air.

Even a six-year-old could understand that.

There is still time to get out there and plant trees. An average of two trees per week each (7 billion people) over a period of ten years would see ten trillion trees planted by 2033, and that would go a long way toward solving the global warming issue. Possibly even fewer trees would produce the desired outcomes.

For those who don't want to plant trees themselves, they can each pay me $50 to plant each of their trees, which should after expenses generate about $100 trillion dollars in profits.

For example: expressed in 2021 US dollar costings 

The approximate average total cost of raising seedlings to an adequate size = $50 per tree 

Taking all the relevant factors into account:
The total cost of planting and watering each tree for the entire establishment period might range from $25 to $150 or more.

The average cost of acquiring abandoned land = $25 per tree

The approximate total costs including land acquisition cost, could range from approximately $70 to $300 per tree based on 2021 figures. 

While for other lower-cost countries such as the following: 

1. Burundi, where the Gross National Income is $240 per annum, 

2. Somalia GNI $450pa 

3. Mozambique GNI $480pa, or 

4. Central African Republic GNI $530pa, 

The costs would be lower. 

There would also be costs associated with temporarily moving a workforce from those countries to other countries in order to carry out the work, and in returning the individuals to their own countries once the work is completed, plus providing accommodation and other benefits, which would vary from country to country depending on local costs and local conventions.

At the end of the project(s), the workers could each return to their own countries, with financial assets plus knowledge and experience that could then be invested into developing the economies of their own countries. Or they could alternatively possibly work on a rotating basis, with each individual spending a limited period of time working abroad.

They would then return home and other individuals could travel to take up temporary positions to conduct relevant work and accumulate earnings. This would of course incur additional travel costs, although would remove the burden of individuals working away from home for long periods of time. 

Possibly each individual could decide for themselves whether to take on a shorter period contract or whether to take on a longer period contract.

At the end of ten years, seven trillion trees will have been planted worldwide and the workers could each return to their home counties along with their earnings which could then be used to develop the economies of their home countries. 

In addition, other benefits would accrue, such as the planet will have been saved for future generations. 

Of course, the above is only a rough outline of a proposal and there will without doubt be items that have been overlooked and scenarios that have not been adequately considered. The alternative course of action is to do nothing, and instead pray that God will intervene to cool the planet with a deluge. 

The proposal has similarities to the manner in which the ancient Egyptians are believed to have constructed the Great Pyramid and other pyramids at Giza, Which it is believed in some quarters provided young Egyptians with various skills and experiences, although back then the workers may very well have been conscripted into service with food and accommodation provided, rather than being paid a minimum wage for their labour.

To save on overall costs, locals in each country could choose to volunteer some of their time each week to engage in appropriate activities, as many individuals already do. Alternatively,  unemployed individuals could be offered paid work to participate in the projects. 

The old phrase, "From each according to their abilities to each according to their needs" springs to mind. This phrase is often attributed to Karl Marx, a German philosopher, economist, and political theorist, although may possibly have earlier origins. 

One notable historical precedent of the phrase is found in the early Christian community described in the New Testament of the Bible. In the book of Acts (Acts 4:32-35).

Similar concepts existed even in Confucian China. The philosophical and ethical system developed by Confucius (551–479 BCE) and later Confucian scholars, emphasized social harmony, moral virtue, and proper conduct. Which may have possibly been an early form of social ranking.

Some of the most renowned ancient Greek philosophers also explored concepts relating to the organisation of society.

One such concept can be found in the works of Plato (427–347 BCE), particularly in his dialogue "Republic." In "Republic," Plato discusses the ideal city-state (polis) and its governance.

A similar concept can also be seen in the writings of Pythagoras (c. 570–c. 495 BCE) and his followers.

Even Albert Einstein is said to have made relevant comments when he stated the following.

"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."

More quotes from Einstien regarding the human condition.

Also, to understand the reasons why some areas of the Northern Hemisphere are cooler, while other areas are warmer consider the following.

The warm water sits at the ocean surface, while the cold water from melting icebergs falls to the ocean floor. Then as the heat from the surface is lost through evaporation, the ocean surface becomes cooler. This explains why some areas receive lots of rain while others do not, and also explains why some northern latitudes do not feel the effects of global warming, especially the Northernmost Atlantic and the Northern Pacific regions where the surface waters are the coldest.