The Global Climate Crisis

What Can We Do to Help Mitigate its Impact?

Climate Warming:New Records

The global crisis of warming and disruption is accelerating at an alarming rate

2014 was the warmest year ever recorded

July of 2015 was the hottest month ever recorded since data collection started in 1880

New heat levels are recorded on 3 continents this year: Europe, Asia and South America

Extreme Weather In U.S.2015

August: in California and 9 other western states, 100 wildfires burned simultaneously

35,000 firefighters, plus hundreds of National Guard and U.S. Military troops have been required to contain these fires

California drought continues into the 4th year

Canada and AlaskaSummer 2015

Over 12 million acres of forest and tundra have been burning in wildfires

Jet stream has blown the smoke over the Arctic Sea ice pack

Arctic is already warming twice as fast as the rest of the world

Warm smoke will further accelerate the melting of this large body of sea ice

The ConsequencesThis could result in unstoppable melting of Arctic and

Greenland ice sheets

This will raise sea levels from 4 to 10 feet by 2050

Flooding of coastal towns around all continents

Obliterating inhabited islandsPopulations will be forced to move to very different

environments

The Timetable?Our climate is now changing ten times faster than at any

time in history

Science Magazine recently warned that the oceans and all marine life will be “irreversibly changed”unless there are immediate and dramatic cuts in carbon dioxide and methane emissions

Warming ProjectionsThese worsening climate impacts caused by anthropogenic

behaviors are not sustainable

A study by Global Sustainability Institute in the UK’s Anglia Ruskin University shows that based on plausible climate trends and a failure to change course, the global food supply system will face catastrophic losses within the next 30 to 40 years

History and predictions: CO2 Emissions

Time history of atmospheric Carbon Dioxide by CIRES and NOAA along with interviews with known Scientists, go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UatUDnFmNTY

A Sense of UrgencyThere is time to mitigate some of the worst predictions if we

act now

We must get off fossil fuels ASAP

Our greatest obstacles to mitigation of climate warming are NOT technological or economic, they are politicalMore than 130 members of the U.S. Congress still refuse

to accept the scientific data on climate warming

Some Good News!Public attitudes are changing (NYT, 1/30/15)

66% of Americans say they are more likely to vote for political candidates who campaign on fighting climate change

67% of Americans– including 48% of Republicans– said they were less likely to vote for a candidate who said that human-caused climate change was a hoax

In September 2014: 400,000 concerned citizens demonstrated in New York to encourage global leaders to commit to bold actions to mitigate climate warming

Recent Positive ActionsMajor planning to address mitigation of climate warming

includes: Global Climate Meeting in Paris, December 2015, has been

called by Secretary General of the UN. Each of the world leaders will be asked to commit to binding limits on warming emissions to meet the global objective of preventing global warming from exceeding 2°C or 3.6°F

Actions Enough?The 2°C is the political warming limit established by world

leaders in 2010 (not a limit set by scientists)

The global temperature has now reached 1°C, and we see the climate disruptions at this level

It is understood that exceeding 2°C would bring catastrophic climate disruptions

More and Bolder Actions are Needed: The Pope’s Encyclical

Pope Francis recently published his Climate Encyclical (letter) “Laudato Si”

It is the most significant social teaching document by the Catholic Church since 1891

His intention: “to cause enormous conversation” and “provoke BOLD actions”

The encyclical is a review of the ecology of life that sustains us all and it asks that all religious organizations put “care for creation at the center of their teachings and actions”

Now an Interfaith AppealAlong with the Pope’s letter to 1.2 billion

Catholics..

The Islamic leaders have issued an Islamic Declaration on Climate, 2015; a call to 1.6 billion Muslims to “phase out greenhouse gas emissions ASAP and to commit to 100% RE as early as possible”.

A Rabbinic Letter on Climate Crisis, 2015 was published at about the same time as the Encyclical.

The EPA Clean Power PlanOn August 3, 2015, President Obama announced final rules

to limit carbon pollution from existing power plants

These are achievable targets to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 32% from 2005 levels by 2030

U.S. power plants are the largest source of carbon emissions and account for 40% of CO2 annually

EPA New Rules Cont.It was necessary for President Obama to use “executive

orders” to implement the Clean Power Plan (CPP)

Congress stays divided and has not passed any environmental legislation in 20 years

Resistance is intense

Political and Corporate Resistance

Major oil, coal companies and climate deniers are spending billions in advertising and lobbying efforts to block implementation of the Clean Power Plan (CPP)

Twelve states– all led by Republican governors– have filed a lawsuit against the EPA to block the implementation of the CPP

Republican congressional representatives are trying to pass legislation that would cut the budget of the EPA and block funding to implement the CPP

Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, sent a letter to all 50 governors telling them to ignore President Obama’s directive to implement the CPP

President Obama: The Positive And Negative

We strongly support President Obama for his actions to reduce carbon emissionsHis directive to the EPA to implement the CPP in all 50 statesHis discussions and agreement with China to limit their carbon

emissionsHis agreement with the automotive industry to increase MPG

vehicle efficiency over the coming year

President Obama: The Positive And Negative Cont.

However, we were disappointed by his recent concessions to the fossil fuel industry. We ask him to facilitate an agreement that the Arctic be designated a permanent Nature Preserve by collective agreement of the Nordic Council.

After data reported on the highly toxic methane gas escaping 8 times faster into the atmosphere during the fracking process: He did not call for an immediate halt to fracking or even a temporary

halt to assess for a possible correction. His inconsistent behaviors will deter his credibility with other nations

at a time when his leadership is desperately needed, as we approach the UN Global Climate Conference in Paris, December 2015.

Carbon Tax & Dividend or Cap and Trade

Cap and Trade

Tax and Invest

Tax and Dividend

Know the difference between these strategies: some effectively reduce carbon emissions and others do not! They are vastly different political and economic strategies that purport to reduce CO2 emissions.

Proposed SolutionsKeep It In the Ground Project of The Guardian,

go to: Keep.it@theguardian.com and see link to video; “Can the Sun Cool Down the Earth?” a 1 minute story.

The Solutions Project of Stanford University: See the 50 States/50 Plans by Mark Jacobson and university engineers.

The Clean Jobs Bill (Pending Legislation in Springfield)

To expand wind and solar power in Illinois

It ramps up energy efficiency programs and reduces power consumption by 20%

It adds 32,000 new jobs in Illinois

85 members of the Illinois General Assembly are co-sponsors or have signed on to this legislation (58 in the House and 27 in the Senate)

Additional Information

CAPA has placed a high priority on Climate Change. See past, present and planned Climate Warming Activities, go to: (add link ).

For more information on climate warming by known climate scientists and journalists and for actions to take: Go to “Chipeaceaction.org. Then go to the “Climate Tool Kit”. Share any of these tools with your friends/organizations.

And, share your thoughts with us at Info@ChiPeaceAction.net or contact Jack Kelly at: kellyjack@comcast.net or M. Catherine Buntin at: mbuntin@yahoo.com