by Wayland Blue

Created on: October 07, 2008   Last Updated: October 03, 2010

In the last few years, it has become increasingly popular to accept the idea of global worming as being something real and, if not man-made, at least man aided. Many leading scientists and researchers have recently come to the agreement that the climate is indeed changing and that this change is vary likely correlated to human industrial activity. This consensus has become so great and far reaching that the idea of going green has even found its way into big business. Green housing, green transportation, green living in general and all the needed accessories to realize it, all seem to be finding their way into the corporate world as the next big growth market. In fact, some have even proposed that the whole industry that has sprung up around "green" in response to the threat of climate change is nothing more than a "phase", and that climate change is, in reality, an advertizing ploy.

There is definitely money to be made in the green sector. However, whether you believe the conclusions of the world's leading scientists or remain agnostic about the issue, constantly claiming that there still is not enough information, the reality is the last year has seen many climate related events that should shake any socially conscious person into realizing that something is going on.

A realistic look at what has happened on Planet Earth over the last year seems to show a world where all the prophesies of more severe storms, droughts, and wild fires as well as the spread of tropical diseases into temperate zones, and political and social unrest and even violence associated with food and fuel shortages that were all said to be related to global climate change are coming true.

Late in 2007, California saw some of the worst wild fires on record as a result of a prolonged and serious drought resulting from shifting weather patterns. Close to half of a million people were forced to evacuate their homes by the blaze that inundated San Diego County. At the same time, several other large wild fires were burning out of control throughout the rest of southern California. It may have been the most damaging fire season ever.

In the spring of 2008, a missive typhoon struck the Irrawaddy delta of Burma, destroying crops, killing thousands and devastating the infrastructure. The incompetent and oppressive government acted with characteristic cruelty and inadequacy. Dead bodies were simply dumped into water sources, making them unusable. Food and aid were withheld from many areas and international

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