I propose the creation of a Global Environmental Center (GEC) to be established at the Environmental Education Building in the Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park, in the US state of Hawaii. [Note- an alternate or additional site could include the Volcano Arts Center building which houses the Niaulani Arts and Environmental Education Center, located in the small town of Volcano, just outside the entrance to the park.]

The nearby mountain of Mauna Loa (13,677 ft), which sits within the boundry of the park, is today, the MOST IMPORTANT mountain on Earth, since it currently stations the Mauna Loa Weather Observatory (11,150 ft), which monitors and maintains the annual rise of the Earth's CO2 content- and has been doing so for the past 50 years.

Global Warming, is today, the #1 international security threat to the survival and continuity of Mankind and the Planet. It is a 'weapon of mass destruction' of the highest order which requires IMMEDIATE cooperation and action on all levels of society if it is to be brought under control.

I propose that this new center have ample annual state, federal and private/corporate funding and that it be equipped with 'state of the art' high speed computer internet terminals, digital satellite uplinks, scanners, printers, video conference screens, fax machines, telephone links etc...

Further, I propose that the center house a comprehensive and up-to-date library of books, newspapers, magazines, periodicals, scientific papers, videos, CD's, DVD's etc... concerning threats to the global environment, with specific emphasis on the threat of global warming.

An international environmental center established at the Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park, under the shadow of Mauna Loa, located in a mild, temperate rainforest area 4000 ft above sea level, with warm temperatures year around and 30 miles from an international airport on the Big Island of Hawaii in the USA, is the perfect and ideal location and place through which to help confront the world's major environmental threats.

Further, recognizing the nearby location and access to the world's premiere CO2 measurement station (Mauna Loa Weather Observatory), and linked to the world community of nations through instant satellite communications, such a center has the potential to become the FRONT LINE organization needed in the desperate fight to understand and confront the threat of global climate change, and the global environmental crisis in general.

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Steve Jones
Christchurch, New Zealand

E-Mail: ecostar774@yahoo.com

SOURCES:
1. Global Warming
Website: http://www.oocities.org/templemount7/warming.html

2. Strategic Environment Initiative (SEI)/Mission to Planet Earth
Website: http://www.oocities.org/sapphire2029/sei.html

3. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Environmental Education Center
P.O. Box 52
Hawaii National Park, Hawaii, 96718 USA
Website: http://www.nps.gov/havo

4. Mauna Loa Weather Observatory- 11,150 ft
154 Waianuenue Ave, Rm #203
Hilo, Hawaii, 96720 USA
Website: http://www.mlo.noaa.gov
E-Mail: john.e.barnes@noaa.gov

5. Aspen Center for Environmental Studies
100 Puppy Smith Rd
Aspen, Colorado 81611 USA
Website: http://www.aspennature.org

6. UC Santa Cruz
Department of Environmental Studies
University of California Santa Cruz
1156 High St
Santa Cruz, California 95064 USA
Website: http://envs.ucsc.edu

7. Independent Newspaper
Science Editor: Steve Conner
London, England
European Union
Website: http://www.independent.co.uk

8. Common Dreams
Website: http://www.commondreams.org

9. Deforestation/Desertification
Website: http://www.oocities.org/bluestar7747

10. Global Water Crisis
Website: http://www.oocities.org/alquedahq/water.html

11. World Watch Institute
1776 Massachussetts Ave- NW
Washington, DC 20036 USA
Website: http://www.worldwatch.org

12. ***Book- Boiling Point
copyright 2004
by Ross Gelbspan
Website: http://www.heatisonline.org

13. UNEP
United Nations Environmental Program
P.O. Box 30552
Nairobi, KENYA
Website 1: http://www.unep.org
Website 2: http://www.unep.ch

14. Volcano Arts Center
Niaulani Arts and Environment Education
P.O. Box 129
Volcano, Hawaii, 96785 USA
Website: http://www.volcanoartcenter.org

15. Saving the Planet
Website: http://www.oocities.org/earthbase4/planet.html

16. Global Environmental Authority
Website: http://www.oocities.org/shaolin7774

17. The Resource Wars
Website: http://www.oocities.org/archangelshout

18. World Social Forum
Website: http://wsf.20m.com

19. Mankind and Earth at RED ALERT
Website: http://earthcrisis.20m.com

20. The Ecological Revolution
Website: http://www.oocities.org/ecostar774

21. Prophets Master Links
Website: http://www.oocities.org/blueplanet774/master.html

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