Challenge Climate Change

In general trees are good for the environment and for us. Not every tree species delivers the same. For instance, a Plane tree (e.g. Platanus acerifolia, german: Platane) in middle Europe has a lower possible basis for biodiversity as an Oak; like Quercus petraea (german: Traubeneiche) or Quercus robur, (german: Stieleiche). Some of the possible advantages of trees are: • Sequestering carbon from the surrounding air by producing oxygen via photosynthesis during the vegetation period • Improving the micro-climate • Reducing the windspeed • Lower evaporation • Lower erosion • Delivering shadow • Reducing the local temperature • Pumping nutrients and water from deeper soil • Improving the water balance • Deciduous trees/ broadleaf trees deliver nutrients to the soil when the leaves have fallen • Improving the local biodiversity, depending on the tree species and the local conditions, e.g. for birds, insects, fungi, mammals, plants, others like e.g. in mangroves • Protection of climate extreme events • I... ... .

On a planet with limited dimensions and finite resources, we should make wise decisions about what to do with the natural boundaries and possibilities we have. Protecting and restoring eco-systems, landscapes and our surroundings in a sustainable way is vital for our existence: e.g. for clean water, air, soil, food and nourishment, moderate climate temperatures. It is cheaper to restore planet Earth than to try to live on planet Mars. Mars is further away from the Sun, much smaller and has much lower gravity than Earth. This would have an impact on the development of life on Mars. Our nature and we developed on Earth. There could be a reason why we are here. Some further things we can do are, for example: ... ... ...

An investment that has not enough or no further return now or at some foreseeable vital point in the future can be named a stranded investment. This will be the case for the fossil fuel industries, and for nuclear power plants. It happens when the market conditions change faster than expected or when new developments are ignored. In this case the money went in the wrong markets. Industrial history has a simple example. As the car industry developed, there were many horses left. Fossil fuel industries and nuclear power plants are dirty and unsustainable. The field of renewable energies and the wide field of Sustainable Development are the new prospering investment opportunities. Investors of any size should turn away from unsustainable investments and technology as soon as possible. To act against human induced further global warming we cannot wait any longer. Fossil fuels and nuclear energy reserves should be left in the ground. 4 possible links: ... ... ...

In a world that gets more heated by the behaviors of humanity, we should have some cool ideas. If we do not have cooler ideas, we should use and make what is already possible, as examples and as far as possible: • Saving energy, material and natural resources in business and at home • Changing to certified renewable energy providers • Producing and storing renewable energy. e.g. with solar electric units on the balcony • Leave fossil fuels in the ground. Let this long-time dead organic matter rest in peace. • Plant trees in the surroundings like that in the local original forests or fruit trees from good seeds (i.e. with autochthonous species) • Reduce, reuse, recycle organic and inorganic waste respectively materials • Collect rainwater for dry days in smaller and bigger amounts • Renature wetlands, rivers, mangroves and nature in general • Provide shelter and homes for wildlife by ecological islands in the landscape • Use bikes or go by foot or use public transport instead of cars • Buy or grow ... ... ...

The longest night and the shortest time of possible daylight. For the balance of the living conditions for humanity on planet earth it is time to change, e.g.: Time to get away from fossil fuels like coal, crude oil and natural gas. Time to accelerate the wide use of renewable energies like wind power, solar energy, waterpower, tidal energy etc., near surface and deep geothermal energy. Time to practice sustainability, e.g. in agriculture, forestry and fishing practices. Time to use material efficient and energy efficient technologies in buildings, transport and industries. Time to enhance democracies, even in developed countries. Time for more democracy. Time to end wars and live in peace. Time to end famines and homelessness. Time for access to medical care, clean energy and clean cooking technologies for everyone. Time to enhance ecosystems and biodiversity on land and in the seas. Time to think about tomorrows and what would happen if we do not act in time. From tomorrow on possible daylight time will ...

In comparison to the age of Mother Earth, forests and the development of live on land are rather young. Around 400 million years ago water plants began to conquer the land surface. They learned to accomplish the photosynthesis also on land. Further mutations, natural selection, plant development and nature succession of plant societies followed. Then the first forests had appeared during the Carbon Era circa 300 – 360 million years ago, e.g. with tree ferns, club mosses, big horsetail plants, first conifers, giant dragonflies and other insects, first reptiles, etc. The climate had been warm-wet, and at the end dry. Huge quantities of carbon dioxide had been sequestered and produced living biomass of which the dead leftovers accumulated in sinks, swamps and moors. Over time other sediments had layered above them, while the history of mother earth went on. Stone coal had been created. Millions of years after those events, Humanity began to burn fossil fuels like coal, crude-oil and natural gas in increasing ...

Our Earth in our Solar-System in the Milky Way is rather small. Billions of Galaxies, Suns and Planets are out there. We are not alone in this Great Universe. What will happen if one day we would get in contact with extraterrestrial intelligent life and societies. Are they developed? Are they already gone? Or will they emerge? Do they destroy their living conditions? Or have they already learned how to live right on their planet? In any case, we should be prepared, for the best and for the worst. In such a fictional encounter, our planet should be in its best form, with healthy ecosystems, rich biodiversity, moderate global temperatures, peaceful nations, developed human societies, prospering sustainable economies, within a global democracy system, etc. Maybe one day in the future there would be a “Planet Competition - Universe Sustainable Development Challenge”, where all existing intelligent civilizations of the Universe would take part. The respective planet-inhabitants who care best for their home-planet

The sun is an essential enabler of life. Without her life on earth - as we usually know it - would not exist. It is the gravity center of our solar system and its planets. It drives the life processes in mother nature, e.g. starting the nourishment-chains via photosynthesis in plants. It drives the wind and weather. Hereby water has a vital role, with its unique molecule characteristics and the temperature ranges related to the state of matter as ice, fluid or steam and the respective energy content. It has the second highest heat-capacity (around 4,19 J/kg*K at 20°C) after ammonia. It is used as energy carrier in conventional power plants - mainly based on fossil fuels - since the invention of the steam machine. Ancient tribes, old and indigenous civilizations had honored the sun as a god or goddess. The existence of the world in space is a miracle.

The species can be found in many parts of Europe, Scandinavia and Siberia. It belongs to the chicken birds and prefers Coniferous Forests. In middle Europe – for instance - it can exist in the Alps, Black Forest, Bavarian Forest, Pyrenees, Jura, and in the Vosges. In Germany it mostly does not live under 1000 meters above sea level, e.g. in the National Park Black Forest or in the NP Berchtesgaden. It needs rather big habitats for its specific living procedures and nourishment over the year. The cock is bigger than a goose, the hen is much smaller. The species has a special Courtship display (Balz ritual). Globally these birds are categorized as least concern according to the IUCN Red list, in Germany it is endangered. As with many other species, root causes are Habitat destruction and/or disturbances by Tourism, and/or the consequences of global warming. In a nutshell, the living conditions of a species are influenced by its necessary Habitat, the given or lack of Nourishment and Predators. Some links