What High School Students Can Do about Climate Change

Global Warming in California What High School Students Can Do Elton B. Sherwin April 17, 2009

Six Things Tend to Dominate The Carbon Footprint of Affluent Americans What are they?

Global Warming in California What High School Students Can Do Agenda Global perspective Impact on California What you can do Quiz answers

Most of the World’s Glaciers are Shrinking Muir & Riggs Glaciers Alaska

In 2007, Much of the North Pole Disappeared Missing Ice North Pole NASA

What is the Greenhouse Effect? Graphic from www.solcomhouse.com

CO2 Tasteless Odorless Non toxic Invisible (lets visible light through) Traps Infrared Heat

Simple Greenhouse Effect CO2 Graphic modified from www.stopglobalwarming.com.au

Some CO2 is Good CO2 Graphic modified from www.stopglobalwarming.com.au

Double CO2 from 1800’s CO2 Ken Caldeira ºC Carnegie Institution -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6 at Stanford Univ.

How Do We Really Know CO2 is the Problem? What About Sunspots Or the Earth’s Orbit?

NASA, Retro Stöckli

CO2 Temp.

are Current CO2 Levels CO2 0,000 Years Unprecede nted in the Last 40 Temp.

Civilization CO2 c 7000 years of stable temperatures

"For the first time in human history, science has shown that we are altering the destiny of our planet… It’s quite alarming.” Steven Chu, U.S. Secretary of Energy and Nobel Laureate From his remarks to scientists and staff at the Stanford Linear Accelerator in Palo Alto. June 26, 2009

California

July Temperatures California’s agricultural regions will be hard hit 2009 California Climate Adaptation Strategy www.climatechange.ca.gov/adaptation

Midcentury 2009 California Climate Adaptation Strategy www.climatechange.ca.gov/adaptation

Could See Increases of 10 to 14 Degree Fahrenheit in Central Valley* 2009 California Climate Adaptation Strategy *“Emissions pathways, climate change, and impacts on California” Christopher B. Field and 17 coauthors, June 23, 2004, PNAS

Smaller snowpack More water shortages Less water for agriculture “Emissions pathways, climate change, and impacts on California” Christopher B. Field and 17 coauthors, June 23, 2004, PNAS

16 Inches Vallejo of Sea Rise San Rafael Oakland San Francisco San Jose SOURCE: Inundation data from Knowles, 2008. Additional salt pond elevation data by Siegel and Bachand, 2002. Aerial imagery is NAIP 2005 data. http://www.bcdc.ca.gov/planning/climate_change/climate_change.shtml

16 Inches of Sea Rise Foster City es or Sh d oo dw Re East Menlo East Palo Alto SOURCE: Inundation data from Knowles, 2008. Additional salt pond elevation data by Siegel and Bachand, 2002. Aerial imagery is NAIP 2005 data. BCDC.gov

South Bay 16 Inches of Sea Rise 10 1 Moffett Field 237 SOURCE: Inundation data from Knowles, 2008. Additional salt pond elevation data by Siegel and Bachand, 2002. Aerial imagery is NAIP 2005 data. BCDC.gov

North Bay 16 Inches of Sea Rise Vallejo SOURCE: Inundation data from Knowles, 2008. Additional salt pond elevation data by Siegel and Bachand, 2002. Aerial imagery is NAIP 2005 data. BCDC.gov

North Bay 16 Inches of Sea Rise San Rafael Richmond Larkspur Corte Madera SOURCE: Inundation data from Knowles, 2008. Additional salt pond elevation data by Siegel and Bachand, 2002. Aerial imagery is NAIP 2005 data. BCDC.gov

It Is Not Just the West Coast

Many cities at risk • Miami • Key West • Tampa • New York • Venice • Amsterdam

In 150 years, students may study New Orleans like Carthage: A city that no longer exists

Some Consequences Are Unpredictable Tipping points Irreversible thresholds

Ice Sheets Collapse Consequences are Huge 20 Feet of Ocean Rise NSF Website and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Image: Roger Braithwaite, University of Manchester (UK)

Acidification and Warming of the Ocean Risk of some piece of the ecosystem collapsing NOAA

“The climate is nearing tipping points. Changes are beginning to appear and there is a potential for explosive changes, effects that would be irreversible” James Hansen, Director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies The Observer, February 15, 2009,

“A common misperception is that this is a crisis that is down the road. “Climate change is real. It's happening now.” Senator John McCain August 24, 2009 LA Times Kristen Wyatt Associated Press http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-us-global- warming-national-parks,0,6162897.story

“The time for action is now.” Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger

What You Can Do

Answers to Quiz

Six Items Tend to Dominate The Carbon Footprint of Affluent Americans 1. Air travel 2. The “stuff” you buy 3. Gasoline and diesel you use 4. Natural gas, propane, heating oil, and wood you burn 5. Electricity you use 6. Beef and dairy you eat

Reducing Your Carbon Footprint 1. Travel less by plane. 2. Drive less. 3. Buy less stuff (save more / buy less) 4. Burn fewer hydrocarbons to make hot water and heat. (shorter showers) 5. Use less electricity. (turn off lights) 6. Eat less beef, cheese, and cream. Stop burning wood, paper, and leaves.

Real-time Monitoring Black & Decker Power Monitor You can install Costs $88 6% to 20% reduction Read all the reviews on Amazon to make sure it is compatible with your meter

Day After Installation At 10:10 AM. “It says I am using $1000 a month.” “And nothing is on. I turned off all the lights. Nothing is on”

Except the Pool Pump We were spending $1,000 a year moving water around

Installed a New Pool Pump Spent $2,500 Saves about $100/mo. www.pentairpool.com

What Should You Do? Pick One Thing

Handout Download from www.EltonSherwin.com

Home or School Audit

Sherwin family replaced 55 bulbs Saved over $100 a month: 3 mo. breakeven

It Takes Time Six trips to Home Depot

Replace light bulbs Download from www.EltonSherwin.com

Service Projects

Service Project Efficient Cookstoves www.stovesonline.co.u k/darfur-stove.html

Work with a Middle School

Start An Energy Hog Contest or Website

Pick one Your home Your school Contest Your middle school Club Relatives Neighborhood On the web Or…

Use Your Skills Replace energy hogs Install CFLs Teach or train others Facebook Start a new organization Contest Service project

Checklists www.EltonSherwin.com What are Your Home’s Top Energy Wasters? How Do I Find the Energy Hogs in www.Amazon.com My House? What are Your Company’s Top Energy Wasters? Use this checklist for schools What is My Carbon Footprint? Reducing Your Carbon Footprint Download from www.EltonSherwin.com

You Did Not Create the Problem You Are Inheriting It It could change your world

Questions

Appendix

A word about Mercury Berkeley Electric Cooperative

What High School Students Can Do about Climate Change

by Elton Sherwin on May 09, 2010

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What High School Students Can Do about Climate Change — Presentation Transcript