Uneasy Rhetoric

A cool breeze and temperatures down into the frigid mid-80s have probably made last week’s heat wave a distant memory for many. But according an article in the San Francisco Chronicle, we can expect a lot more heat waves in the near (not in the far, oh so distant) future.

According to the article, by the end of the century:

• There could be up to 100 days of 95 plus degree weather in Sacramento, if industrial and vehicle emissions continue unabated
• 90 percent of the Sierra snow pack could melt
• There could be six times as many heat related deaths in major urban centers
• Power demand could go up 20 percent, but hydo power sources would drop
• There would be significant impact for dairy production and wine production
• And much more

The figures were taken from a new report by the California Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Action Team. The study is chock full of facts and figures on the environment. It also has an extensive description of measures the state is currently taking, as well as measures the state can take, to reduce climate change emissions.

Global warming is here. The question is not whether but when, how, and how much. The CalEPA study even goes so far as to say, flat out:

It is now evident that even if actions could be taken to immediately curtail climate change emissions, the potency of emissions that have already built up, their long atmospheric lifetimes, and the inertia of the Earth’s climate system could produce as much as 1.1 degree F (0.6 degree C) of additional warming. As a result, some impacts from climate change are now unavoidable.

It isn’t just our leaders who have to change, we do. We have to understand that this so-called “way of life” that lets us consume energy like it’s going out of style, drive Hummers (I’m looking at you, Governor), and enjoy a life filled with plastics, is probably coming to an end. We can either stick our collective heads in the sand (Mr. President), assume it’s someone else’s problem (Mr. Hummer driver), or take responsibility.