global warming impacts, solutions, actions. why should we care? what can we do about it? do my...
TRANSCRIPT
GLOBAL WARMINGImpacts, Solutions, Actions
• Why Should We Care?
• What Can We Do About It?
• Do My Actions Really Matter?
• Solutions and Silver Linings
Why Audubon?Photo: Bob Martinka
Why Audubon?
Global warming poses the greatest threat to
biological diversity in human history.
Photo: Bob Martinka
What’s At Risk?
Everything
Increased Storm Frequency and Intensity
IPCC Fourth Assessment Key FindingsIPCC Fourth Assessment Key Findings
Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding
IPCC Fourth Assessment Key FindingsIPCC Fourth Assessment Key Findings
Increasing Risk of Increasing Risk of Catastrophic Catastrophic FiresFires
More Invasive Species
Increased Drought
The Economic Toll
Global Warming impacts will cost 20 times more than reducing our emissions now.*
* 2007 Report by British Treasury Secretary Nicholas Stern
Economic Toll
• 100s of millions of environmental refugees in this century*
• Increase in air pollution• Spread of tropical diseases• Water shortages and contamination
*United Nations Environment Program and IPCC 4th Assessment
The Human Toll
Number disagreeing with the global consensus that greenhouse gas pollution has caused most of the warming of the last 50 years:
Science, December 3, 2004 Vol. 306, Issue 5702,1686
Number of scientific studies dealing with “climate change” published in scientific journals between 1993 and 2003:
IPCC Fourth Assessment Report
Over 1,200 authors
2,500 scientific expert reviewers from more than 130 countries
The Science, the Choices, the Benefits
Have Never Been More Clear
The Most Important CrossroadsOf Our Lives…
“We must never submit to
hopelessness in the face of this
bad news. Quite the contrary! Our
response must be to act boldly and
to act NOW.”US Senator Bernie Sanders, Burlington Free
Press, “My Turn: We can reverse global warming”
February 2007
We Can Prevent the Worst ImpactsBut We Need Action Immediately
We Have All the Tools We Need
Right Now.
We Need: Leaders
Political…
“We simply must do everything we can in our power to slow down global warming before it is too late. The science is clear. The global warming debate is over.”-California Gov. Schwarzenegger
Credit: John Decker
Individual - Every One of Us Can Make a Difference
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
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1955 1980 2005 2030 2055
Gig
aton
s of
Car
bon
BAU
Needed
Reduction “Wedges”
We Can’t Afford Business As Usual
20072%
What Do We Want?
We Want: Emissions Reduction
80% total reduction below 1990 levels
by 2050
WHAT WE NEED
- Cap-and-trade to cut overall emissions
-A nationwide Renewable Electricity Standard to increase renewable energy use to 20% by 2020
- Increase fuel efficiency for motor vehicles
- Increase energy and water efficiency standards for appliances and buildings
Congress must pass strong, comprehensive global warming and energy legislation.
Federal Legislation
1. Limits emissions from a designated group of polluters, such as power plants.
2. Sets the limit (cap) for greenhouse gas pollution.
3. Polluters that exceed the cap need to reduce pollution.
4. Polluters that fall below the cap can sell pollution credits to other users.
5. Cap is lowered over time
Cap & Trade 101
Enact Nationwide Renewable Electricity Standards (RES)
20 percent by 2020 from wind, solar, and other clean renewables
The Benefits of a 20% RES
• Pollution reduction equal to taking 36.4 million cars off the road
• Creates 185,000 new jobs• $66 billion in new capital investment• $25.6 billion income to farmers, ranchers, rural
communities• $2 billion in new local tax revenues• $10 billion reduction in electric and natural
gas bills (growing to $31.8 billion by 2030)
Fuel Economy Standards
35 mpg by 2020
• Save 1.2 million barrels of oil a day – more than half of what we import from the Persian Gulf.
• Prevent 200 million metric tons of CO² pollution.
• Save consumers more than $25 billion at the gas pump.
Save Gas, Save Money!
• ENERGY STAR rated appliances save consumers 31 percent on energy bills.
• $24 billion spent on energy each year by the commercial building industry, which releases 18 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.
• Saving water reduces emissions.
Increase Energy & Water Efficiency Standards
What Do We Need to Do?
Pass Federal Legislation
Meet Your Elected officials in
their District Offices
Senator Jim Jeffords (I-VT) meets with a constituent
Audubon Can Help You!
Pass Federal Legislation
•Phone Calls: Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121
•Mail:The Honorable ______ The Honorable ______U.S. Senate U.S. House of RepresentativesWashington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20515
•Emails:www.audubonaction.org/audubonwww.senate.gov www.house.gov
*Be sure to customize emails when responding to alerts.
Congress received 200 million emails in 2004!
Every call represents thousands of voters to a legislator.
• Write letters to the editor of newspapers and magazines.
• Start or participate in a global warming blog.
• If you have a story angle, talk with local reporters.
• Meet with editorial writers from your local paper.
Pass Federal Legislation
Ask Audubon for Help
www.audubonaction.org/audubon
Pass Federal Legislation
Join
Audubon’s
Action
Center
Take Action and Vote
Tell your elected
representatives how
important global
warming solutions are
to you.
Is Congress the Only Answer?
NO!
Early Reductions are like Early Investments in Retirement – the sooner we do it, the bigger the payoff!
Individuals, Businesses, Communities Can Reduce Emissions Immediately
Individual Actions Add Up!
Educate Others to Take Action
Take Action In Your Community
Work with others in your area to:
•Help schools, businesses, and local governments cut energy use, buy green, and invest in onsite solar energy
•Make Smart Growth a priority and protect open spaces, farmland, and forests
Take Action In Your Community
Support Smart Growthnot urban sprawl
…reduce water consumption…
increase recycling and…
plant and maintain trees to help reduce
the urban island effect.
Take Action In Your Community
Increase Energy Efficiency
Incandescent Compact Fluorescent
500 lbs of Coal
What’s the difference?
•1,430 lbs CO2 pollution avoided
•$30 saved
Take Action: Increase Energy Efficiency
Replace Incandescent Bulbs
Fix Weather Stripping and Caulking
Stop Water Leaks
Change your Thermostat
Buy Local , Sustainably Produced Food
Take Action At HomeThe Easy Stuff...
Take Action At HomeA Little More Effort…
I. Buy ENERGY STAR appliances
II. Dry clothes on a line
III. Reduce outside irrigation
IV. Buy less
Drive Less; Buy Better CarsTake Action: Drive Less
Leaving your car at home 2 days a week =1,590 lbs of C02 reduction per year
Take Action: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Photo: Ian Britton
Reducing half your household waste
= 2,400 lbs CO2 per year
Take Action At HomeThe Big Stuff…
1. Buy a hybrid or alternative fuel vehicle
2. Replace windows
3. Install solar or geothermal power
4. Vacation closer to home
Our Actions All Add Up
1. Help pass federal legislation to cut emissions
3. Convince others to Act
4. Vote for candidates and policies that will cut emissions
2. Reduce emissions at home, at work, at school, in your community
The Silver Linings of Taking Global Warming Action:
Better air and water quality
Clean energy/technology jobs
Freedom from fossil fuels and pollution
Secure energy independence
More forests, farmland, wetlands, wildlife
“Don’t let your inability to do everythingeverything be an excuse to do nothingnothing”
Our Actions All Add Up
It’s Your Actions That Matter!
www.audubonaction.org/audubon
© Bob Martinka