Volume 5, Number 4

June 2005

The
GLOBAL WARMING -

Insider

HOW IT AFFECTS WILDLIFE, THE ENVIRONMENT, YOU, AND YOUR FAMILY

In March of this year Greenspace was represented at the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) 69th Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. by our Executive Director, who was an alternate affiliate representative of Californias Planning and Conservation League. The theme of this years NWF Annual Meeting was global warming and how it affects the environment, especially humans and wildlife. According to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) the twentieth century was the warmest of the past 1,000 years, and 19 of the 20 hottest years on record occurred after 1980. Most of the warming resulted from human activities, not natural events, they said. The IPPC is composed of 1,500 climatologists and was created in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environmental Program to evaluate climate science as a basis for determining policy. Other professional scientific organizations that are in agreement with the IPPCs conclusions are the National Academy of Sciences, the American Meteorological Society, the American Geophysical Union and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Obviously, the scientific evidence that significant global warming is occurring is overwhelming and those who question the observable, analytical, and measurable scientific evidence are thankfully becoming fewer with the exception of the current administration in Washington, D.C. The challenges that climate change presents in different geographic regions across our nation was an eyeopener. Discussions were held on polar ice cap changes (glacier and ice sheet melting), extreme weather events, increasing sea level, temperatures changes (and related health and disease issues), and the northward shift in the distribution of plant and animal species. The perspective, as you might imagine, was global in nature, but there were many clear and obtainable solutions in reversing climate change including activities on an international, federal, state and local level all of which will be needed to making a difference. On the international front a majority of industrial nations have signed the Kyoto Agreement, which has a goal of reducing current CO2 emissions by significant percentage points later in this century. The US has not signed the agreement, but there is national legislation that is working its way through Congress. One of these bills is the Climate Stewardship Act, which requires U.S. industrial facilities to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions and other greenhouse gases to 2000 levels by 2010. California has taken a dramatic leap in reversing global warming by enacting a law requiring vehicles in California to gradually emit fewer pollutants by improving gas mileage. Unfortunately, it is being challenged in the courts by automobile manufactures. Locally, there are many ways businesses and individuals can have positive impacts on a global scale. Given the amount of carbon that trees store, protecting Cambrias forest is an important contribution on the local level. The need to implement a forest management plan in Cambria is past due. Greenspace helped develop the Cambria Forest Management Plan and local government needs to step forward to implement the plan. On an individual level, if you are shopping for a new car, make fuel economy a priority. Choose clean power like wind and solar, if available. Insist that your energy provider gives you options and that it is actively investing in renewable energy. Look for the Energy Star Logo when replacing old appliances or buying a new products. Use the sun, instead of energy-hungry dryers, to dry your wash. Unplug appliances that you rarely use. Get a home energy audit many utilities offer free audits. Choose efficient lighting by replacing incandescent bulb with an efficient compact fluorescent. Buy timber products that are certified as coming from sustainable forests. Lastly, let your policymakers know you care about global warming. Begin at the CCSD level by asking that forest management is essential for our health and safety. The issues are far more complex then can be written on a single page. If you are interested in learning more on global warming issues visit the many websites that focus on the issue. The Planning and Conservation League played major role in enacting the increased mileage and lower emission laws in California. The National Wildlife Federation works on the federal level on an array of climate change issues. Both organizations can easily be located on the internet.