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| Billie Silvey |
| Climate Change |
| March 2007 |
| The world is getting warmer. Arid areas are getting drier. Ice packs are melting. Storms are becoming more intense. And we are at least partly to blame. That’s the conclusion reached by a panel of scientists from 113 countries last month. According to the Associated Press, “The strongly worded report put pressure on the Bush administration to reduce the United States’ growing share of gases that trap heat in the atmosphere.” Greenhouse gases absorb and redirect heat that otherwise would escape into space. According to the EPA, most of the world's emissions are attributable to U.S. large-scale use of fuels in vehicles and factories. We were responsible for 20% of global greenhouse gases emitted in 1997, and since 1990, U. S. greenhouse gas emissions have increased 16%. We are the only developed country to reject the Kyoto Protocol, which called for cuts in emissions. The problem feeds on itself. Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere creates an insulating layer that keeps heat in. And higher temperatures start a chain reaction that makes warming occur more rapidly. For example, the melting of the polar ice caps leaves less white to reflect heat and more dark water, which absorbs it. Also, the melting ice releases trapped methane, which increases the insulating effect. In the past, ice breaking off at the edge of an ice pack was balanced by snow falling further up, keeping glaciers stable. But now Greenland, for instance, is losing 20% more ice than it is gaining. As the ice melts, water seeps between cracks in the ice. When it freezes and expands, it breaks off in ever larger chunks. Meltwater forms a layer under the ice, decreasing friction and making the glacier move more rapidly to the sea. When floating ice melts, it doesn't cause a rise in the sea level, but when glaciers melt, they do. Rising seas cause flooding, stronger storms and hurricanes, especially on the Atlantic Seaboard. California is not exempt. Two news stories on the front page of the Feb. 12 Los Angeles Times indicate that California is being affected by global warming, and that we need to do what we can to help reduce the effects. A story by staff writer Steve Chawkins talks about the costs, in lost business and wages, of closing the June Mountain ski resort after just 23 days of operation due to the driest winter in 16 years. “Nobody knows whether the cause is global warming or the meteorological glitch of a high-pressure area hanging on, like a deranged houseguest, for months. In any case, the numbers are bleak, with the eastern Sierra receiving only 31% of its normal snowfall and California as a whole getting just 40%.” Beside that article was one by staff writer Richard Simon that suggested one thing we as individuals might do to help lessen the impact. “Cars and light trucks--including SUVs, pickups and vans--account for about one-fifth of U.S. carbon dioxide production. The better the fuel economy, the lower the emissions of carbon dioxide, blamed for contributing to global warming.” Touched by a bear. When I saw Al Gore's movie, An Inconvenient Truth, I tried to grasp the mountain of data he presented. But one image communicated with me like nothing else did. It was a polar bear, struggling to climb onto an ice floe. Polar bears live year round on ice floes, hunting seals and rearing their young. This particular bear swam up to the floe and laid a paw on it to climb up. The ice broke off under its weight. Over and over it tried to gain purchase, and over and over, the ice crumbled and sank under it. It was painful to watch. It was two years ago when the London Sunday Times (12/18/05), broke the story: "Scientists have for the first time found evidence that polar bears are drowning because climate change is melting the Arctic ice shelf." The bears are having to swim up to 60 miles across open seas to find food. On such long swims, they are at risk of exhaustion, hypothermia and being swamped by waves. What can we do? Concerned citizens can take actions that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions: 1. Replace ordinary light bulbs with energy-efficient alternatives. 2. Install a programmable thermostat. 3. Purchase electricity from more efficient and less polluting sources directly from your energy provider. 4. Keep your car well tuned or replace it with a hybrid, and carpool or take the bus when possible. 5. See what your employer can do to reduce emissions at work. 6. Be informed. To help sort fact from opinion, consider the source. Does it base its conclusions on good science, or does it have another agenda--either political or financial--for promoting the views it does? |
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