Week 5 - NO GLOBAL WARMING?

Global Warming: 'carbon stays in the atmosphere, acts like a warm blanket, and holds in the heat'

This is a definition excerpted from StopGlobalWarming.org. The carbon comes from our cars, homes, factories and power plants. It's easy to imagine an increase in this gas as the world becomes more populated and industrialized. If left unchecked this increase could lead to some serious problems, such as: 1) the melting of glaciers and arctic sheets which raises sea-level and may cause significant flooding 2) changes in weather patterns leading to droughts and hurricanes and 3) health problems like allergies, asthma and potentially, malaria and encephalitis, just to name a few.

Recently I have read in various media the statement, "global warming does not exist". Apparently there are reputable scientists that refute the data (they feel GW is a naturally occurring event). Along with this statement, there are usually ones like, "the public is being (mis)led by the media", "the public is not discerning in terms of where it get it's news", "the entertainment industry is leading this left wing cause to undermine the current administration" (like you can't just sit back and watch that situation implode). What if there is no global warming? What if it is the media's 'cause du jour'? What if we are being manipulated? My response is: so what? How are we supposed to react? Oh, since there's no global warming let's get rid of the Clean Air Act (who needs quality air to breathe) and the Clean Water Act (so what if our ground water gets contaminated, and leaches into the soil - you know, the same soil we grow our food in); we'll just allow industry to run amok. Or hey, let's put the brakes on this whole "reduce, reuse, recycle" business! We can just keep sending our trash to landfills. When they get full, we'll find more land (I'm certain there's a third world country willing to take it for a price). What about our gas gluttony? Well since we don't have to be concerned about pollution, fill 'er up! (but jeez, we have to know that every time we fill our gas guzzling cars, we increase demand and in turn drive up the price). I don't get the point. You don't have to believe in global warming to believe you can't suck the resources out of something, abuse said thing and still have something of quality left. View it as any other relationship you have. What do you think the point is?

Say what you will about the entertainment industry, but they have generated a ton of media coverage that has pushed this movement along. They have done it by speaking in a way lay people can understand. They have appealed to our morals and ethics; they have spoken to the parent in us; they have made us aware of personal responsibility and have given us ideas and concrete actions we can take to help the situation. In the end I believe the world will be a better place, even if there is no global warming.

Around the world there is a general consensus that greenhouse gas emissions are a problem. However there is some disagreement on how to solve the problem. Around 1997 141 countries began to ratify the Kyoto Protocol which aims to reduce green house gases about 29% by the year 2012. It took effect in 2005. While running for office Bush promised to reduce carbon emissions. Once he took office, he withdrew U.S. support for the Kyoto Protocol and refused to submit it to Congress for ratification stating it "would result in serious harm to the economy of the United States" (read, serious harm to my and my fat cat friends' wallets). Losing U.S. involvement in the Protocol is huge, since the U.S. is responsible for 25% of greenhouse gas emissions. You can follow this link to the Natural Resources Defense Council nrdc.org/bushrecord/for detailed articles on the President's environmental record (it's not good). To be fair, you can also check out this link whitehouse.gov/infocus/environment (of course, it's infinitely better).

A really great way to help our environment is to let your voice be heard, and you don't have to leave your computer to do so. Your first stop can be StopGlobalWarming.org where you can join a virtual march to "become part of the movement to demand our leaders freeze and reduce our carbon dioxide emissions now".

The mayor of Seattle took matters into his own hands after the U.S. pulled it's support for the Kyoto Protocol and began the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. You can petition your mayor to sign onto the Agreement. Check out seattle.gov/mayor/climate to see if your city is listed (I believe cities have to have at least 30,000 people). The Agreement now includes 464 mayors representing about 62 million Americans - their goal, to reduce global warming pollution by making changes at the local level.

Show support for global warming bills that are coming up this year:

1. The Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act. It would lower the industrial CO2 emission cap to a third of 2000 emission levels by 2050. Go to undoit.org/home.cfm and click "sign the petition".
2. The Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act. It calls for an 80% reduction in global warming pollutants by 2050. Use this link senate.gov to contact your senators and ask that he/she support this bill.

At nrdc.org/action, you can ask you representatives to sponsor: 1) a bill to raise fuel efficiency standards immediately, and 2) the above mentioned Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act. There are other environmental issues on their "action center" page you can support.

Also, keep in mind money talks. If you support charities, consider donating to an organization that works to end global warming. Check out networkforgood.org for a database of organizations.

Finally, remember the power of word-of-mouth and share what you know! One great way to do this would be to gather some friends and "screen" An Inconvenient Truth. Whether you believe it all or not, I bet you'll come away thinking a little differently!