Climate Change and Midwest Power Plants
Climate Change and the Great Lakes Region
Greenhouse Gas Reduction and More from Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs
Links to More Information on Climate Change

Source: www.zeroemissionpledge.com

Global warming is arguably the greatest crisis facing humanity. There is now compelling scientific evidence that damage from global warming is already happening. It appears we have a shrinking window of opportunity to make substantial cuts in greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to head off killing famines, disease outbreaks, population dislocations, and natural disasters caused by climate disruptions that will occur within decades, rather than centuries as previously predicted.

Global warming is caused by emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases that are released primarily from the human actions of burning fossil fuels (coal, natural gas and oil used for heating, electricity and transportation), the clearing of forests, and natural processes. These gases remain in our atmosphere for decades or even centuries, forming a warming blanket that holds in heat.

For thousands of years, the atmosphere trapped just enough heat to keep the earth's temperature within a very narrow range. The scientific consensus is that human activity is tipping that critical balance and overloading the atmosphere with heat-trapping gases from vehicles, factories and power plants. With continued warming, climate scientists predict we will experience more extreme heat and drought, rising sea levels, and higher-intensity tropical storms.

Although we've gone too far to avoid all the consequences of global warming, committing ourselves to action today can help ensure our children and grandchildren will still inherit a healthy world full of opportunity.

Source: http://www.ucar.edu/learn/1_4_1.htm

The Discovery of Global Warming: A hypertext history of how scientists came to (partly) understand what people are doing to change the Earth's climate. From the Director of the Center for History of Physics, American Institute of Physics.

Even though the full impact of global warming has yet to be felt, the world around us is already feeling the heat. Season Creep: How Global Warming is Already Affecting the World Around Us

Global warming is one of the most serious threats to our environment, our health and our economy. It's time to stop global warming: Citizens' Climate Policy: A Statement of Principles.

Source: http://www.news.wisc.edu/news/images/map_CO2_emissions_Patz05.gif

  Hindering Progress to Curb Global Warming

The U.S. is a big part of the global warming problem and needs to be a big part of the solution. As home to less than 5% of the world's population, the U.S. produces 25% of harmful greenhouse gases. Yet, the federal government rejected the Kyoto Protocol ratified by 141 other nations -- and has still adopted no measure for mandatory limits on greenhouse gas emissions.

                           Source: http://www.biodiversity911.org/climate_change/greenhouse_gas.html

Ohio ranks 4th among all US states in greenhouse gas emissions.

                                  Source: http://calvin.biotech.wisc.edu/jeffries/faq/carbon%20dioxide/CO2.html

 What can I do to make a difference?

• Much of the technology and ingenuity needed is already available. While no single strategy holds the answer, investing in energy efficiency and renewable energy will reduce our dependence on oil and other fossil fuels that cause global warming, while also stimulating the American economy by creating jobs, saving consumers money and protecting our national security.

• Take Personal Action, Encourage Community Action, Influence US Action

• StopGlobalWarming. The Stop Global Warming Virtual March is a non-political effort bringing Americans together to declare that global warming is here now and it's time to act. Virtual marchers are committed to use their collective voices to demand that governments, corporations, and politicians take the steps necessary to stop global warming.
• Top 10 things you can do to help reduce global warming pollution. If your family did all of the items listed here, you could cut your own global warming pollution by more than 11,000 lbs per year!
• Tallying Greenhouse Gases From Cars: A new look at ways we can downshift heat trapping emissions. Includes driving tips for reducing gasoline consumption.
• The Stop Global Warming calculator shows you how much carbon dioxide you can prevent from being released into the atmosphere and how much money you can save by making some small changes in your daily life.

• Union of Concerned Scientists: Great Lakes Communities and Ecosystems at Risk. A report discussing how global warming will put Great Lakes communities and ecosystems at risk and outlining recommendations the public, business and governmental officials can take to cut emissions
• What You Can Do about Global Warming - Union of Concerned Scientists.
• There are many things you can do in your daily life (what you eat, what you drive, how you build your home) that can have an effect on your immediate surrounding, and on places as far away as Antarctica. Here is a list of few things that you can do to make a difference.
• Follow these energy-saving tips to help fight air pollution, global warming and your skyrocketing electric or natural gas bill. Tips for conserving electricity and cutting your energy costs.

 What can I do politically to make a difference?

• In conjunction with the release of Al Gore's movie, An Inconvenient Truth, EHW's suggests Fighting Global Warming at the Local Level. Help urge your city to sign the Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. Find out if your mayor has signed the agreement.
• Find out individual voting records in Congress with the League of Conservation Voter's Scorecard. Send a letter to your local representative and make them more responsive to environmental concerns.
• Need to contact your Senators or Representative? A directory of the US House of Representatives and a directory of the US Senate.
• Tell major automakers to support, not block, policies that reduce global warming pollution: Tell Automakers - Stop Fighting Progress on Global Warming.

Climate Change and Midwest Power Plants

• In February 2002, the Clean Air Task Force released the report Climate Change and Midwest Power Plants (PDF).
• The U.S. continues to lead the world in emissions of carbon dioxide, an important global warming gas.
• Ohio is among the worst offenders. Our state's largest source of climate pollution, power plants, are ranked third in the country for their emissions of carbon dioxide.  Ohio power plants also release many forms of air pollution.

Climate Change and the Great Lakes Region

• Death by Degrees: The Emerging Health Crisis of Climate Change in Ohio This report was prepared by Physicians for Social Responsibility to alert Ohio residents to the potential damaging health effects of climate change and to encourage them to reverse global warming’s deadly course by reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
• The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) discusses how climate change will put Great Lakes communities and ecosystems at risk.
• The UCS also provides policy recommendations in Global Warming Solutions: Reducing Heat-Trapping Emissions in the Great Lakes Region, which calls for a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, motor vehicles and other sources such as landfills.  Implementing changes now will prevent the most severe changes and will be more cost effective than a wait-and-see approach.

Greenhouse Gas Reduction from Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs

• Amory Lovins, of the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), describes how energy efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) not only reduce energy usage but may help with global security, climate change, and more in A Bright Simple Idea.
• For the full article see Least Cost Security [RMI].

Climate Change Links

Key Links

• Environmental Defense - Global Warming includes information and ways to take action.
• Environmental Health Action - Climate Change is a project of Physicians for Social Responsibility and includes information and ways to take action.
• Ecocity Cleveland's The 10 most important things to do to save the earth.
• US National Assessment of the Potential Consequences of Climate Variability and Change  At the urging of conservative and fossil fuel groups, the White House made the U.S. Global Change Research Program to remove any links from its homepage that help people find this study. It is, however, still online for those knowing where to look.
• UN Environmental Programme - Climate Change provides information about climate change, including indicators that it is occurring.
• U.S. Global Change Research Information Office includes a reference service to answer questions on climate change.    

New Links

• "WorldChanging.com works from a simple premise: that the tools, models and ideas for building a better future lie all around us. That plenty of people are working on tools for change, but the fields in which they work remain unconnected. That the motive, means and opportunity for profound positive change are already present. That another world is not just possible, it's here. We only need to put the pieces together."
• Ohio Environmental Council declares 2005 Ohio's 2nd hottest year in more than a century
• Cloudy With a Chance of Chaos: Climate change may bring more violent weather swings -- and sooner -- than experts had thought -- an article from CNN Fortune & Money
• Rescuing a Planet Under Stress by Lester Brown (2006)
• Earth: A Graphic Look at the State of the World a poster by the Global Education Project
• Ecosystems and Human Well-Being: Health Synthesis a report from the World Health Organization
• Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative - an Initiative of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic State of the U.S.

More Climate Change Links