Help Educate the community on the severity and serious consequences of climate change. Present ideas and solutions that businesses and individuals can.

• Help Educate the community on the severity and serious consequences of climate change.

• Present ideas and solutions that businesses and individuals can implement in order to save money, conserve energy & improve the overall health of our citizens and our planet

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www.chescocooler.org

What does it mean and what can I do about it?

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Review Climate Change Science

Address How It Will Impact You

Define What Can You Do

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100,000 yrs of Ice, 20,000 yrs of Warmtho Currently in a warm period (for the last 15,000 yrs)

Climate ‘Drivers’ o Earth’s elliptical orbit; Natural ‘tilt’ and ‘wobble’

o Volcanoes, Asteroid impacts, Ocean circulation, airborne dust

Balance is easily tipped

o Manmade Greenhouse Gases: CO2/CH4/N2O/CFC

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• Earth warming much faster than natural cycles Highest CO2 levels in >800,000 yrs 10 hottest in last 15 yrs; 20 in last 25

• Global warming is unequivocal & man made• Overwhelming scientific consensus

• All US scientific agencies & IPCC agree

• What’s the big deal? Burning fuels the last 100 yrs = Tremendous amounts of CO2 CO2 traps heat; Is an ‘accelerator’ 9 F decrease delivered an Ice Age⁰ What will happen with a 3-8 F increase?⁰

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January 1, 2009: 3,146 Global Earth Scientists “It seems that the debate on the authenticity of global

warming and the role played by human activity is largely non-existent among those who understand the nuances and scientific basis of long-term climate processes.“

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Science Academies Urge Faster Response to Climate Change

June, 2009--The science academies of France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Russia, plus Brazil, China, India, Mexico, and South Africa, called on their leaders to "seize all opportunities" to address global climate change that "is happening even faster than previously estimated.”

World's Science Academies Say Ocean Acidification Another Reason to Cut Emissions

June, 2009--The Inter Academy Panel, a network of the world's science academies, issued a statement warning that ocean acidification caused by carbon dioxide emissions will have a profound impact on marine ecosystems

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Comprised of Scientists from Dept’s of: Commerce, Defense, Energy, Interior, Agriculture, State, Transportation, Health

& Human Services

And…NASA, National Science Foundation, Smithsonian Institution, Agency for

International Dev., EPA

ConclusionsClimate changes are real, have consequences, and need attention 

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NASA

1980 Annual Sea Ice Minimum

2007 Annual Sea Ice Minimum

NASA

Less light and energy reflected

Means Dark ocean water absorbs heat

#2: Shrinking Mountain Glaciers

Every Glacier has rapid and sustained retreat

Major losses in Himalayan’s

Reduced drinking supplies

Big impact on agriculture

This means less water for food for billions…. in Western USA, South America, Africa and

Asia

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#3: More Acidic Oceans from Dissolved CO2

This will kill coral & disrupt the ocean’s food chain

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#1 Sea Level Rise (5-9 in last 100 yrs)

◦ Projections = 3 ft by 2090 Warmer H2O expands New: Greenland & Antarctica both losing Ice mass !! Greenland & Antarctica = 215 feet!

◦Even modest increases $ billions spent protecting cities (Or abandon) ~ 600 million people displaced Mass migrations likely; To USA?

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Bangladesh = 162 million people

50% flooded by 2090

Maldives coral islands

= 400,000 people

What will people drink?

- salt water intrusion everywhere

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#2 Likely Crop Failures

Higher/longer Temp = Impacts yields (Time above 86° F)

Inconsistent and unpredictable rainfall

Emerging agricultural diseases

Ref: Nature Conservancy : Climatewizard – for each state

Wolfram Schlenker at Columbia University & Michael Roberts at NC St.

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#3 Warming Permafrost & Peat Bogs:Will Release Massive Methane & CO2

Latest estimate of the amount of carbon in Permafrost is 1.7 trillion tons. More than in atmosphere now.

Permafrost line now 90 miles north vs 1960.

Tipping point?

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Dramatic increase in extreme hot days◦ Increase in days over 90F & 100F…..◦ Vulnerable older populations at risk◦ Outdoor sports on 100° F plus days? ◦ Tropical diseases migrate north (West Nile, Dengue fever)

Changes in fish, wildlife & plant life◦ Ranges moving north; Numbers declining◦ Agricultural yields to decrease ◦ Hardwood trees decline – black cherry, beech, sugar maple◦ Warm “winters” do not kill off insects

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Source: Union of Concerned Scientists 2009

Or what You can do as an individual

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Before We Begin, A Reality Check….

Significant fossil fuel dependency

Shifting will take time & commitment

Shifting fossil fuels will raise costs

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50% coal

Vehicles

Electricity

Industry

Ag

Residentialfuels

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Biggest source of CO2

◦ PA produces 470,000 lbs/minute

◦ Largest source of mercury, acid rain; Huge toxic ash

What shall we do?

◦ Replace with cleaner alternatives

◦ Support minimum renewable standards for utilities

◦ Capture with CCS – condense & pipeline to Underground

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Consider 2 Powerful Concepts

1- Conservation (avoiding energy use when practical)

2- Efficiency (stretching your energy $’s)

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Conserve (avoiding energy use when practical)

Upgrade to much better MPG cars

Turn down thermostat in winter/up in summer

Turn off unused lights & power strips

Turn down H20 heater to 120°

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Become More Efficient (stretching energy $’s)

Conduct an energy audit & act

Insulate & weatherize

Upgrade Heat/ Cooling: geothermal; Hi eff gas;

Solar PV & Thermal

Buy Energy Star/ Switch to CFL or LED’s

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Things to Consider…

Is there is an Energy Committee?

If yes, join! If not, promote idea!

Conduct audit, set company goals & implement

DOE offers free audits

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Township County State Federal

Communicate Your Position with Elected Officials

Support all technologies that greatly Reduce or Eliminate CO2 Emissions: (Nat gas; Wind; Solar; Nuclear; Hi Eff buildings; Hybrid & electric vehicles; Fuel cells; Very efficient appliances; LED / CFL lights)

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Stop Bleeding $300 Billion / yr on Oil Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) “We cannot sacrifice another job to

competitors overseas. China and India are among the many countries investing heavily in clean-energy technologies that will produce millions of jobs..

“Six months ago my biggest worry was that an emissions deal would make

American business less competitive compared to China; Now my concern is that every day that we delay trying to find a price for carbon is a day that China uses to dominate the green economy.”

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"Power companies need and want to be part of America's clean energy transition," ◦ -David Crane, president and CEO of NRG Energy Inc., which owns and operates more

than 24,000 megawatts of electricity generation capacity in the U.S.

◦ "But we need the certainty of clear rules and strong policies that will help us invest in that transition while also addressing climate change and keeping power affordable." 

◦"The same inventive solutions that will help the environment will also help move the airline industry forward," - David Cush, president and CEO of Virgin America, a U.S. commercial passenger airline.

"The United States can't afford to fall behind in the global race to lead the new energy economy," ◦ - Jonathan Wolfson, CEO of Solazyme, a leading renewable oil and bioproducts

company.

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“We are virtually certain that climate change is occurring, and occurring because of man’s activities.”

“We’re virtually certain the probability distribution curve is all bad. There are no good things that’ll come of this”

J. Wayne Leonard, CEO of Entergy Corporation◦ (utility based in New Orleans, Louisiana)

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Dell, DuPont, FPL, Google, HP, Johnson & Johnson, Levi Strauss, PG&E , Duke Energy, Xanterra sent the US Senate a letter urging them to pass a bill that will cut GHG emissions - “jumpstart a clean energy economy”  

Dow Chemical Co., Entergy Corp., Nike Inc. and more than 140 other companies support a comprehensive climate and energy senate bill

 “A rapidly changing climate is reshaping the American landscape and

poses a long-term threat to our nation’s economy and to our children’s future.”

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A range of cost estimates have all concluded that the costs of tackling climate change range from 1-3% of GDP & would provide cost savings and create jobs….

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have cost so far: $950 B. about 5% of GDP

Americans spend 5.6% of after tax income on entertainment

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Wal-Mart’s new sustainability goal: to eliminate 20 million metric tons of greenhouse gases from the supply chain by 2015. 

This amount, roughly equivalent to the company’s total corporate emissions last year, ◦ “the equivalent of taking more than 3.8 million cars off the road for a year.” 

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CEO of Lutex: Hong Kong-based soap and cosmetics maker:

“Wal-Mart Stores is urging him to pay attention to Environmental details. Energy-saving details. Not just everyday low prices, but low greenhouse gas emissions”.

“We heard that in the future, to become a Wal-Mart supplier, you have to be an environmentally friendly company,” Fung said. “So we switched some of our products and the way we produced them.”

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Overwhelming evidence & Consensus

Serious consequences

Our children/grandchildren are at risk

It Starts with You38

U.S. Agency for International Development

United States Department of Agriculture National Oceanic & Atmospheric

Administration National Institute of Standards and

Technology United States Department of

Defense United States Department of

Energy National Institutes of Health United States Department of State United States Department of

Transportation U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Environmental Protection Agency University Corporation for Atmospheric

Research National Center for Atmospheric

Research National Aeronautics & Space

Administration National Science Foundation Smithsonian Institution International Arctic Science

Committee

Arctic Council Australian Academy of Sciences Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for

Sciences and the Arts Academia Brasileira de Ciéncias Royal Society of Canada Caribbean Academy of Sciences Chinese Academy of Sciences Académie des Sciences, France Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher

Leopoldina of Germany Indonesian Academy of Sciences Royal Irish Academy Accademia nazionale delle scienze of Italy Indian National Science Academy Science Council of Japan Kenya National Academy of Sciences Academy of Sciences Malaysia Academia Mexicana de Ciencias Nigerian Academy of Sciences Royal Society of New Zealand Polish Academy of Sciences Russian Academy of Sciences l’Académie des Sciences et Techniques du

Sénégal Academy of Science of South Africa Sudan Academy of Sciences Swedish Royal Academy of Sciences Tanzania Academy of Sciences Turkish Academy of Sciences

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The Royal Society of the United Kingdom

National Academy of Sciences, United States

Zambia Academy of Sciences Zimbabwe Academy of Science American Academy of Pediatrics American Association for the

Advancement of Science American Association of Wildlife

Veterinarians American Astronomical Society American Chemical Society American College of Preventive

Medicine American Geophysical Union American Institute of Physics American Medical Association American Meteorological Society American Physical Society

American Public Health Association American Quaternary Association American Institute of Biological

Sciences American Society of Agronomy American Society of Plant Biologists American Statistical Association Association of Ecosystem Research

Centers American Society for Microbiology Botanical Society of America Crop Science Society of America Ecological Society of America Federation of American Scientists Geological Society of America National Association of Geoscience

Teachers Natural Science Collections Alliance Organization of Biological Field Stations Society of American Foresters Society for Industrial and Applied

Mathematics Society of Systematic Biologists Soil Science Society of America Australian Coral Reef Society Australian Medical Association Australian Meteorological and

Oceanographic Society40

Engineers Australia Federation of Australian Scientific

and Technological Societies Geological Society of Australia British Antarctic Survey Institute of Biology, UK Royal Meteorological Society, UK Canadian Foundation for Climate

and Atmospheric Sciences Canadian Meteorological and

Oceanographic Society European Federation of Geologists European Geosciences Union

European Physical Society European Science Foundation International Association for Great

Lakes Research International Union for

Quaternary Research International Union of Geodesy

and Geophysics Intergovernmental Panel on

Climate Change World Federation of Public Health

Associations World Health Organization World Meteorological Organization

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Questions?

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According to recent estimates from the Integrated Global Systems Model at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the median forecast is for a climb of 9 degrees Fahrenheit by century’s end, in the absence of effective countermeasures. According to the same M.I.T. model, there is a 10 percent chance that the average global temperature will rise more than 12.4 degrees by 2100, Warming on that scale would be truly catastrophic.

“Most people would pay a substantial share of their wealth — much more, certainly, than the modest cost of a carbon tax — to avoid having someone pull the trigger on a gun pointed at their Kid’s head with one bullet and nine empty chambers. Yet that’s the kind of risk that some people think we should take”.

Robert H. Frank is an economist at the Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University.

United States Environmental Protection Agency http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/

National Academies of Science

http://www.nationalacademies.org/

PEW Center www.pewclimate.org/global-warming-basics Real climate. Can search by topics and “skeptics” arguments.

www.realclimate.org United States Department of Energy   

http://www.energy.gov/  

Intergovernmental Panel on climate change; www.ipcc.ch

“Hot, Flat & Crowded”- Thomas Friedman

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http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/10/wheres-political-engagement-

climate-change-reductions-soy-corn-yields.php

A new analysis of U.S. climate projections from The Nature Conservancy finds that temperatures in the worst-hit states could be up to 10 degrees Fahrenheit

hotter than present-day levels by the year 2100. http://www.climatewizard.org/

“The mass changes of both Greenland  and Antarctica ice sheets  (the biggest in the world)  during the last 7 yrs have all been negative. The rates of lose have accelerated.  We should be concerned” – Geophysicist I. Velicogna of NASA’s  Jet Propulsion Lab – in press

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Represent 35% of GHG emissions

Quickly move to hybrids;

Then electric vehicles(as move away from coal)

Airplanes & Trucks use bio fuels from microbes

or Natural gas for large trucks

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