With Climate Change and Global Warming now becoming more important daily, educators, students, journalists, scientists and governments all need fast access to all the latest Global Warming research and news.

Alphatech5.com has created a large directory of information on Global Warming and put together all of the links to every major research center, research paper, news source, government bodies and educational institutions that are the authorities on Climate Change and Global Warming.

Leading authorities such as the IPCC, US EPA, the Stern Review, the Woods Hole Institute, NASA’s Goddard Space center and dozens more can all be accessed from one easy directory.

The site can be found at:

http://www.alphatech5.com/cchange/cchange.htm

Access is free and all interested parties are welcome to browse the directory and use the links as required. They give essential information for the general public, plus important research links for students and educators.

Global Warming and Climate Change are now accepted as fact, with governments around the world now looking to build on the Kyoto Protocol by establishing greenhouse gas emission reduction targets.

The US President, George W Bush, has recently held talks with European counterparts in order to kick start this process and begin working on establishing reduction targets and time frames for the USA.

Currently only the USA, Canada and Australia have not accepted the Kyoto Protocols and it is currently the intention of those governments to establish their own frameworks rather than adopt the Kyoto Protocols.

The major stumbling block to worldwide adoption of uniform targets and time-frames will be differing economic and political imperatives. The fast developing nations such as China and India do not wish to hinder the growth of their burgeoning economies, whilst the developed nations do not wish to slow their economies drastically either by reducing their income from fossil fuel industries such as oil, gas, petroleum and coal.

The need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is clear. Polar ice caps are receding rapidly, glaciers are disappearing, weather patterns are changing, flora and fauna are disappearing at alarming rates.

It is now not a question of will the use of fossil fuels disappear, but when? Alternative energy sources such as Fuel Cells, Solar, Wind, Wave and even Nuclear will grow apace and the fossil fuel industries are now in their sunset phase.

Like the steam train, they have been of great use to mankind but they have now outlived their usefulness and must be consigned to the pages of history.

Keep plenty of photographs of your favourite petrol-guzzling auto. In a few years we will all be driving Hybrids – and eventually Fuel Cell or Hydrogen powered cars.

The French Language

Roughly around 200 million people around the world speak French. This number includes people who speak French as a native language, as a second language and students of all ages who do not live in a francophone (French-speaking) country but have learned French. In fact French as a foreign language is the second most commonly taught language worldwide after English. It is also the only foreign language that can be useful throughout the world as well as in the United States. French comes in second after English on the list of the world’s 10 most influential languages. Proof of this is the pivotal role French holds. It is one of the official working languages in dozens of powerful international organisations such as the European Union (EU), United Nations (UN), World Health Organisation (WHO), World Trade Organisation (WTO), and a host of other worldwide institutions.

The French language of today is a direct result of long periods of evolution. France, throughout its long history, had been invaded by different ethnic tribal groups. The most distinguished of these are the Franks. They adopted the Latin being spoken at that time. Thus, the French language is a descendant from Latin. It is also known as one of the Romance languages which include Catalan, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese. They are called such because their parent tongue Latin was the language of the Romans. Over the years, the early French language has undergone changes in words and grammatical structures. It has evolved into today’s global French.

Frenchspeak – Here, There and Everywhere

The French-speaking world spans the entire globe with its language heard in all the continents. Aside from English, French is the only language spoken as a native or first language on 5 continents.

In Europe, French is the official language of France, Luxembourg, Monaco, Belgium and Switzerland. France with a population of more than 60 million is one of the most modern countries in the world. It is one of the predominant leaders in the European Union. French is a co-official language in Switzerland. This picturesque country is one of the world’s richest countries. It is the centre of many international associations. Belgium, in the half past century, has emerged as a progressive European state. Brussels, the capital of Belgium, is home to the headquarters of the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).

In Africa, the French-speaking countries include Algeria, Burundi, Benin, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Comoros. Cote d’Ivoire, Gabon, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Guinea, Madagascar, Morocco, Rwanda, Togo, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Tunisia, Mauritius, Reunion and Seychelles.

In the Americas and the Caribbean, French is spoken in Canada, Haiti, French Guiana, Martinique and Guadeloupe (these last three are French territories).

In Australia and the Pacifics, Vanuatu and the overseas French territories French Polynesia, New Caledonia and Wallis and Fortuna are French-speaking.

In many other countries, French plays a significant role either as an administrative, commercial or international language. Some of these countries are Andorra, Argentina, Brazil, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Egypt, Greece, India, Italy, Laos, Lebanon, Mauritania, Poland, Syria, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom (Channel Islands), United States particularly Louisiana and New England, the Vatican City and Vietnam. Clearly, the French language is spoken everywhere.

Convinced now to learn global French? It is quite easy. Browse through this site’s French Language Program and master French in the best place ? the comfort of your own home.

Bonne chance! Good Luck!