Jerry Hartenbower\'s presentation on Kansas City\'s Bridging the Gap - Five Green Things. Contact me if you would like Jerry to give this free presentation for your company.

1. Five Green Things

2. My name is Jerry Hartenbower. I’m speaking on behalf of Bridging The Gap , a leading not-for-profit environmental group working to make our region healthy and sustainable for our future. Bridging The Gap works with over 2000 volunteers each year, as well as leading corporations and government groups, to help Kansas City recycle , keep litter off the streets, protect our tree canopy, support the growing of local food , encourage businesses to “go green,” and many other programs. You can learn more at our web site. What would you think if I took out a cigarette and started smoking? You’d probably be surprised, because most people know now that cigarettes cause cancer, even for those who passively inhale the smoke. Fifty years ago, most people didn’t know that. Something that we thought was harmless and was part of everyday life has since been shown to be very, very harmful. Now we’re learning that some of our other daily habits are even more harmful and deadly than the nicotine habit. Because of human behaviors, thousands of scientists around the world agree that all of the natural systems of the Earth are in serious trouble. The Earth itself is not at risk — it has survived asteroid hits, undersea explosions, ice ages and even mass extinctions. But what is at stake is the ability of people and other living creatures to live comfortably and peaceably on it. In my talk today, I’m going to give you a quick “state of the globe” report, and then we’ll talk about five green things that you can do right now, today, that will make our world more healthy and sustainable for the future. Before the Industrial Revolution, the Earth was lush, green, and beautiful, covered with forests, sparkling with clean water, and teeming with animals, birds and fish.

3. But in the last hundred years, human beings have destroyed many of those green spaces, polluted the air and sea, and become accustomed to ways of life which Earth’s systems can no longer sustain. Here are the most important environmental issues we’re facing today:

4. Human population growth is the biggest driver of every environmental issue. Since 1945, human population has increased from 2 billion to 6 and a half billion, and the moderate estimate is that it will be over 9 billion by 2050. Every one of us is using natural resources faster than Earth can replenish them.

5. Three-fourths of the world’s forests have been cut down, along with the complex ecosystems they support. Despite aggressive efforts to plant trees around the world, we’re still losing almost 24 million acres of forest per year. The latest threat is cutting down forests to grow crops for biofuels.

6. Fresh water is in decreasing supply around the world . We are pumping fresh water faster than rainfall can replenish it. Underground water tables around the world are falling 1-5 meters per year.

7. One-third of all Earth’s topsoil, the thin layer in which we grow food, is eroding from stormwater run-off, overgrazing, overtilling, and moisture evaporation as Earth gets warmer. The loss of soil will make it extremely difficult to feed a growing human population.

8. 12 percent of birds, 23 percent of mammals, and 46 percent of fish are threatened with extinction , due to habitat destruction and the warming of our planet. 90 percent of the world’s large fish are gone. Frogs, which help keep insect populations down, are threatened with extinction all over the world. Biologists are calling all of this the “sixth great extinction” in Earth’s history.

9. Oil production is believed to have already peaked and is now slowly declining. At this rate, we will run out by the end of this century. Yet we’re using more oil than ever for transportation and manufacturing of a lot of unnecessary stuff—12 times more oil per person than any other nation. In the U.S., we throw 860 million plastic water bottles, made from this precious oil, into landfills each week. That’s fifty billion per year.

10. 2500 scientists studying the Earth’s climate for the United Nations agree: a buildup of pollutants from humans burning coal, oil, trees and other things, are thickening Earth’s atmosphere and trapping more of the sun’s heat . The average temperature of the globe has increased 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit since 1970, and is projected to increase by as much as 10 degrees more in this century. While Earth has experienced warming and cooling cycles before, we know from ice records that Earth, on average all over the globe, has not been as warm as it is now in 800,000 years. A few scientists have argued for other theories to explain this warming, such as solar flaring and variability, or the Earth’s slightly off-center orbits. But the data doesn’t fit.

11. The threat of a warmer world dwarfs all other environmental threats. It melts our glaciers and ice caps, threatening coastlines with rising seas, forcing major coastal cities to relocate people. Earth’s warming will make weather more violent and uneven everywhere, and will radically change where people can live comfortably, and where the world grows food. In fact, it’s believed that by 2050, wheat will not be grown in the U.S. anymore — it will be grown in Canada. Even if you’re still a skeptic about climate disruption, ask yourself: Is our lifestyle sustainable? Is air quality in Kansas City at acceptable levels , when you can see the smog driving downtown, and when we’re violating EPA laws several times each summer? Do you want to breathe free-floating mercury molecules , which are put out when coal is burned? Is it okay to keep putting pharmaceuticals and hormones into our water supply? Is it safe to have most of our food coming from 1200 miles away , with a local supply of only a day or two? Luckily, the solutions for these issues are the same solutions which will help address climate change.

12. The good news is, we can change this. In fact, things are beginning to change already. Dozens of Fortune 400 American companies together with four leading environmental groups are asking Congress to put a cap on carbon emissions . 25 states have plans to replace one-fourth or more of their fossil fuel energy with wind, solar or geothermal energy in the next 12 years. But Kansas and Missouri are not among them. General Electric is busy making wind turbines and making money. More than 700 mayors of American cities have signed the Mayors’ Climate Agreement — including 20 in the KC metro. Automobile makers are getting ready to introduce cars that cut emissions by three-fourths or even more. Solar energy is becoming more affordable every day. Two-thirds of Americans are now aware that climate change is a real threat . But only 15 percent have taken action. People want to help, but they may be unsure how to start. They see lists of 50 or 80 things that they should do to “go green” and they may be overwhelmed or intimidated or confused about what would be most effective.

13. But it’s really not that hard. In the U.S., almost half of greenhouse gases come from power plants making electricity, to heat, cool and light buildings . Another one-third is from cars and trucks . Each time we use a gallon of gasoline, a pound of carbon goes into the atmosphere, and stays there for a century. The last third is from manufacturing , including stuff we don’t need, such as bottled water.

14. Bridging The Gap has carefully chosen FIVE GREEN THINGS that anyone in Kansas City can do to help, starting today.

15. One: Give up bottled water. Stop spending your hard-earned money on water shipped from across the country, when we have some of the best water in the world right here. Get a reusable bottle and take it with you everywhere.

16. Two: Turn your washing machine dial to cold water, and never go back. Your clothes will last longer. And the hot water in your machine is not hot enough to destroy bacteria, which is actually removed by the mechanical action of the machine and the rinsing cycle.

17. Three: Replace every light bulb in your house with a CFL, or compact fluorescent bulb. Don’t wait for them to burn out. A CFL bulb uses more than two-thirds less energy than a conventional one, paying for itself in about nine months. And each one keeps 110 pounds of coal from being burned for electricity.

18. Four: Keep your thermostat at 68 degrees maximum in winter, 78 minimum in summer. Adjust to these temperatures gradually, if you need to.

19. Five: Reduce your use of gasoline by one-fourth. For the average American, this alone saves 2,500 pounds of carbon per year. You can do it just by planning your errands better, or driving smoothly—like you have no brakes. Better still, start to carpool, bike and walk instead of driving alone.

20. These five simple things will remove over 4,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per year — over 10 percent of your environmental impact! and reduce needless waste as well. Once you’re on your way with these five things, our web site will help you know what to do after that.

21. Make the pledge, a solemn promise to yourself, to do five green things to make our region healthy now and sustainable for the future. If you feel moved to do so, sign this card, and keep it in your wallet as a reminder of your promise.

22. Then go to our website and sign up with us online at www.bridgingthegap.org. This is very important, because after you’ve done your first five things, we’ll help you know what the next five things are after that, in the order of their impact on our environment. We’ll help keep track of what you’ve accomplished, and you’ll be able to see the total impact of everyone’s actions on Kansas City. How will you get started today doing Five Green Things? Take a few minutes to talk with those around you about what you may already be doing or how you can get started. Talk about any barriers to your success and how you can move past them. While you’re chatting, I’ll pass out a Five Green Things reminder card and a green button. If you’ve agreed to do five green things to make our region healthy now and sustainable for the future, please wear your green button to show your leadership and support. We can reverse our impact on the planet if we act now to change the way we live so we can enjoy a healthier environment now, and future generations can survive and prosper. I’d like to end with a poem by Drew Dillinger: It’s 3:23 in the morning And I’m awake Because my great great grandchildren Won’t let me sleep My great great grandchildren Ask me in dreams What did you do while the planet was plundered? What did you do when the Earth was unraveling? Surely you did something When the seasons started failing? As the mammals, reptiles, birds were all dying? What did you do Once You Knew?