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12 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday April 18, 2007 www.oakvillebeaver.com Global warming's harmful impact is long lasting By Andrew Fruch SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER Even if all greenhouse gas-producing activities were halted tomorrow, global warming would still continue for the next several decades due to the damage already done. That was the message delivered to a crowd of concerned Oakville residents at a forum on global warming organized by the Oakville Community Centre for Peace, Ecology and Human Rights (OCCPEHR), on Saturday. "For the first time, a UN (United Nations) report unequivocally connects rising temperatures and human activity," said Richard Peltier, a professor at the University of Toronto, and contributor to the latest UN report on climate change. "This is a critical time for decision and this is really why our political system has been riled to the extent that it has been in attempting to address this issue." #Limited time lease offers based on new 2007 Accord Sedan SE automatic, model CM5677J / 2007 Civic Sedan DX, model FA1527EX / 2007 Civic Coupe DX, model FG1127E available through Honda Financial Services, on approved credit. £3.9% / 3.9% / 3.9% lease APR for 48 / 48 / 48 months. #Monthly payment is $338 / $198 / $198 with $3,108 / $2,756 / $2,877 down payment or equivalent trade, $1,360 / $1,275 / $1,275 freight and PDI, first monthly payment and $0 / $0 / $0 security deposit due at lease inception. Total lease obligation is $22,038.48 / $13,976.40 / $14,114.34. Taxes, license, insurance and registration are extra. 96,000 / 96,000 / 96,000 km allowance; charge of $0.12/km for excess kilometres. Retailer may lease for less. Limited time financing offers based on new 2007 Accord Sedan SE automatic, model CM5677J / 2007 Civic Sedan DX, model FA1527EX / 2007 Civic Coupe DX, model FG1127E available through Honda Financial Services, on approved credit. *MSRP is $27,700 / $16,980 / $17,180 plus $1,360 / $1,275 / $1,275 freight and PDI, financed at 1.9% / 2.9% / 2.9% APR equals $831.09 / $530.07 / $535.88 per month for 36 / 36 / 36 months. Cost of borrowing is $859.07 / $827.65 / $836.71 for a total obligation of $29,919.07 / $19,082.65 / $19,291.71. Taxes, license, insurance and registration are extra. Retailer may sell for less. Retailer order / trade may be necessary. $1,500 gas card offer applies only to retail customer purchase, lease or finance agreements for new 2007 Accords concluded, respectively with Honda Canada Inc., between April 3rd, 2007 and April 30th, 2007. Valid only on purchase, lease or finance agreements concluded at participating Honda retailers. See your Honda retailer for full conditions and details. #£ Offers valid from April 3rd, 2007 through April 30th, 2007 at participating Honda retailers. Subject to change or cancellation without notice. See your Honda retailer for full details. Based on the retail value of installed additional equipment and price difference of Accord Sedan SE, model CM5677J versus Accord Sedan DX-G, model CM5617E with accessories installed. ¥As reported by Car and Driver, Dec. 2006. As reported by Canadian manufacturers for calendar year 2006. See safercar.gov for more information. Visit vehicles.gc.ca for details. Honda Accord Sedan SE model CM5677J 1.9 $ 1,500 PURCHASE FINANCING LEASE FOR LEASE APR # % FOR 36 MONTHS $ $27,700 MSRP* 338 3.9 @ % £ FOR 48 MONTHS Car and Driver's ¥ "10Best" for 2007. PER MONTH ON APPROVED CREDIT WITH $3,108 DOWN. $0 SECURITY DEPOSIT. ACCORD SE Automatic INCLUDES VALUE PACKAGE All the exceptional standard features of Accord DX-G plus: Power Moonroof with Tilt & Key-Off Operation · 6-Disc In-Dash CD Changer with Illuminated Steering WheelMounted Controls & Anti-Theft Feature · Driver's Seat with Power Height Adjustment & Manual Lumbar Support · 16" Aluminum Alloy Wheels · Leather-Wrapped Steering Wheel and Shift Knob · Headlight Auto Off. SE Package Value $4,428 Your Cost (included in MSRP) $1,700 Value Price Advantage $ 2,728 Take the Honda Test Drive. It costs nothing. It proves everything. Best Overall Value for 2007.¥ Civic Sedan DX model FA1527EX Civic Coupe DX model FG1127E CIVIC DX Sedan or Coupe The WINNER as Canada's best-selling car for 9 consecutive years.¥ Fuel efficient and fun to drive, with class-leading standard safety,¥ Civic is trusted to provide an extraordinary driving experience. FOR 36 MONTHS Civic DX features: 1.8L 140hp SOHC i-VTEC® Engine · Power Windows & Door Mirrors · Two-Tier Instrument Panel · AM/FM/CD/MP3 Compatible Audio System...and more. CIVICSEDAN DX $16,980 MSRP* PURCHASE FINANCING LEASE FOR # LEASE APR 2.9 %$ 198 3.9 @ PER MONTH ON APPROVED CREDIT WITH $2,756 DOWN (SEDAN)/$2,877 DOWN (COUPE) $0 SECURITY DEPOSIT % £ FOR 48 MONTHS CIVICCOUPE DX $17,180 MSRP* HONDA OFFERS ONE OF THE MOST FUELEFFICIENT LINE-UPS OF VEHICLES¥ for more information and to locate your nearest dealer visit: w w w. h o n d a . c a The forum took place at St. John's United Church, with Peltier as the keynote speaker. Oakville Mayor Rob Burton chaired the meeting. In his presentation, Peltier used a "hockey stick" graph to point out the rising greenhouse gases in the atmosphere in correlation to human industrial development over the last 200 years. Peltier said people can expect increases in severe weather and continued melting of the polar regions. One graph showed three possible outcomes for global warming. The first outcome would be the result of ignoring the problem, which showed a continuing trend in global warming gaining momentum. The second outcome, which showed moderate reform, saw global warming continuing to rise at about the current pace. The final outcome, which is only possible if action is taking immediately, showed a drastic decline in the rate of global warming. "We have a built in inertia in the system, such that we can't do anything to change what will happen in the next 20 to 30 years," said Peltier. "But after that time, the choices that we make, the changes that we make in our industrial system will have everything to do with where we end up at 2100" The second speaker at the forum was Jack Santa Barbara, a professor at McMaster University, who spoke of solutions to global warming and minimizing human energy consumption. "We are addicted to high energy consumption, not just oil, but electricity and other sources," said Santa Barbara. "This is the major problem. We use huge amounts of energy compared to other people in the world, and it's much more than we actually need for our well being." According to Santa Barbara, there is data showing that if North America utilized only one third of the energy currently being used, quality of life indicators such as education and longevity would still be still be good. "When people talk about reducing energy, they sometimes get scared," said Santa Barbara. "They think we have to go back to the Stone Age, but that is not the case." The Town of Oakville seems ready to do its part to reduce energy consumption and fight global warming. "If we want to be sustainable, we've got to learn to conserve and avoid energy use where we can," said Burton. The Town has taken a few initiatives towards becoming what the mayor hopes will be the most "livable" municipality in Canada. So far, Oakville has added four hybrid vehicles and two Smart cars to the Town's fleet. By the end of the year, the process of converting all traffic lights to L.E.D. lights will be complete, and the Town has purchased 100,000 kilowatt hours of green energy. Despite the gloomy predictions, the mayor was optimistic about the future. "One of the things that I've noticed in my study of history and economics is that when people have to, they change," said Burton, "And that is one of the most beautiful things about the human race."