Climate Change: Facts, Forecasts & Response

Climate Change: Facts, Forecasts & Response

Facts

  1. Climate change has occurred naturally through the history of the Earth.
  2. The climate change that has occurred in the last 100 years has, historically, taken 5,000 to 10,000 years. Greenhouse gases emissions (GHG), including carbon dioxide (CO2), are the most important factor in accelerating global warming.
  3. In 1910 there were more than 100 glaciers in Glacier National Park. Today there are 26. Greenland has lost an average of 278 billion tons of ice per year for the last 10 years. Antarctica has lost 155 billion tons of ice per year during the last decade.
  4. Large oil companies know that CO2 contributes to global warming. The average car produces five tons of CO2 per year. Bonuses paid to Shell Oil executives are based in part on the carbon emission targets aimed at reducing Shell’s global footprint. ExxonMobil is spending millions of dollars in research to develop carbon capture technologies.
  5. China is the biggest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) followed by the U.S. On a per capita basis, the U.S. is the biggest contributor.
  6. In the Paris Climate Agreement, countries set voluntary goals for 2020. China and India have already met their goals. The U.S. withdrew from the agreement and will not meet its goals.
  7. Over 60 countries adopted a target that will get them to net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The U.S. is not among them.

Forecasts

  1. Climate scientists have reached a formidable consensus that, in the absence of measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) significantly, the changes in climate will be substantial, with long-lasting, significant effects on many of Earth’s physical and biological systems.
  2. No global policies to control GHG emissions would result in temperature increases of 4.1° to 4.8°C (7.4° to 8.6° Fahrenheit) by 2100. Current global policies would hold temperature increases to 3.1° to 3.7°C (5.6° to 6.7° Fahrenheit) by 2100.
  3. An increase of 3° C would mean the loss of most costal cities and many ocean island nations. Virtually all of the coral reefs would die. An increase of 4° C would put Europe in permanent drought, make deserts out of large areas of China and India, put 1,000 Polynesian islands under water and make the American Southwest largely uninhabitable. A 5° C increase would likely end human civilization.

Response

  1. The President has promoted increased use of fossil fuel by withdrawing environmental regulations, opening more federal land to drilling for oil and gas, and reducing auto emission standards. As a result, greenhouse gas emissions increased 3.4% in 2018 after declining over the past ten years. The Trump administration also repealed Clean Water Rules.
  2. The EPA’s proposed budget “discontinues funding for the Clean Power Plan, international climate change programs, climate change research and partnership programs, and related efforts.” The State Department budget proposal “eliminates the Global Climate Change Initiative and fulfills the President’s pledge to cease payments to the United Nations’ (UN) climate change programs by eliminating U.S. funding related to the Green Climate Fund and its two precursor Climate Investment Funds.” The budget also cut several NASA programs designed to study climate change. Mick Mulvaney, the head of the Office of Management and Budget, said that spending in those areas is a waste of money.

 

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