Re/Action on Climate Protection

Katrina

We have been shocked by scenes of devastation in New Orleans and the Gulf coast. Our hearts go out to the victims. In our climate protection community, there has been a debate about the extent to which global warming played a part in the intensity of Katrina, and the attendant level of destruction. We have looked into the changing science of hurricanes generally, and the growing recognition that climate change may be playing a role in the intensity of tropical storms. However, the science is complex, and it is difficult to say what part global warming actually has in the intensity of any given storm.

Here is a statement that I believe expresses the essence of the scientific opinion on hurricanes and global warming:

In evaluating all tropical storms, globally, the (average?) storm energy has increased over the past 30 years. There is a correlation between increase in the energy of the storms, and the increase in tropical sea surface temperature. It is likely that global warming is causing the increase in sea surface temperature. Therefore, there is a finite probability that the effects of global warming had some effect on the energy in Katrina. However, this probability, and the amount of contribution of global warming to any individual storm, can’t be known. It is not possible even to know whether the contribution is small or large. It is likely that other influences, such as the well-known multi-decadal North Atlantic climate cycles, are more of a factor in the increase in Atlantic tropical storm intensity over the past ten years. Over longer periods of time, into the future, the influence of global warming will become more of a factor in the intensity of storms, if current trends continue.

Here is a link to a good discussion of hurricanes and global warming on Real Climate:

http://www.realclimate.org/index.php?p=181

Here is a link to climate scientist Kerry Emanuel's explanation of the effect of global warming on hurricanes:

http://wind.mit.edu/~emanuel/anthro2.htm

Achieving Zero Net Carbon

At Climate Protection Campaign, we have developed a strategy called "Carbon Removal". We look at each of the GHG emitting sectors: existing buildings, local energy system, transportation, water/wastewater, solid waste, agriculture, new development and forestry in the context of government, residential, commercial and industrial uses.

We then formulate what must be done to remove carbon emissions completely from each sector. Generally, these actions fall into two categories: demand side and supply side. On the demand side, we have found that energy efficiency measures top the list for fast, cost-effective GHG reductions. On the supply side, we are developing ways to transition our local energy supplies to renewable sources.

In my next few posts, I'll give some examples of the types of measures we are working on. I hope that other folks out there will share their experiences with working toward zero net carbon.

Action on Climate Protection

Hello, Climate Protection Campaign is launching our blog. This blog is intended to stimulate discussion about what can be done to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We are currently working on projects at the local level, but we advocate action at all levels: local, state, federal and international.

What we want to do in this blog is to discuss solutions. We want to know what is working elsewhere in the world...and we want to share our experiences with what is working here in Sonoma County.

Although we will post articles on science and links to basic climate science, our aim is not primarily to discuss the science of global warming and climate change. We are not climate scientists, but we view the science of global warming as basically settled. We have adopted and endorse the findings of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), which are that:

• The planet is warming
• Most of the warming in the past 100 years is caused by humans (anthropogenic)
• The human activities most responsible for warming are emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) and deforestation.
• Emissions of GHGs that are causing global warming are primarily from the combustion of fossil fuels.
• Significant reduction in GHG emissions is necessary to prevent dangerous changes to the global climate.

In addition to the findings of the IPCC, our view is that meaningful reductions must be accomplished as quickly as possible in order to stabilize the level of atmospheric CO2 as low as possible.

We are looking forward to engaging in discussion with you about how to solve the climate crisis.