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HF&G is working to mitigate its impact on climate change
Holden Forests & Gardens acknowledges and recognizes climate change and its impacts and is taking actions to mitigate the detrimental effects of climate change.
The climate is currently changing at an unprecedented rate and will continue to do so into the future. This ongoing climate change is the direct result of human activities and is having significant and measurable impacts on the natural world here in Northeast Ohio and around the globe. These impacts are reducing biodiversity, affecting the resilience and function of ecosystems and impacting human health and welfare. The current changes in our climate are the result of increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases are now at their highest level in at least 800,000 years. At least half of current warming can be attributed to greenhouses gases produced by human activity, including the burning of fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas.
What is HF&G doing to combat climate change?
HF&G manages for resilient and biodiverse forests that will be better able to withstand future climate changes. HF&G owns more than 3,000 acres of natural areas that remove (sequester) approximately 14,000 tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere every year (i-Tree estimates, courtesy of the Davey Institute, U.S. tons reported). Scientists at HF& G actively conduct research to enhance our understanding of effective forest management practices now and as the climate continues to change. Our People for Trees campaign seeks to increase tree canopy cover in Cleveland, mitigating the urban heat island effect and sequestering carbon from the atmosphere. This will create a greener, healthier environment in our communities.
HF&G is changing its general operation over the next three years to reduce CO2 emissions. Actions include: o Encouraging staff to carpool, take mass transit or telecommute when possible. o All new building or renovation will reduce energy use by at least 25%. o On-site food sales will shift to reduce carbon emissions. At least 40% of menu items will be vegan or vegetarian, and we will source 10% of our offering from a 100-mile radius of our campuses.
Join us in our commitment. This is what you can do.
Join our People for Trees campaign and plant a tree in your yard or community. Trees help mitigate the effects of climate change and improve the environment. Our Tree Selection Guide is a comprehensive list of trees for our region compiled by HF&G experts. Visit our website at holdenfg.org/resources/tree-selection-guide. For individuals who own several acres or more of forested lands, our Working Woods program offers advice and stateof-the-art recommendations for how to improve your woodlot so trees thrive now and into the future.
Climate Change: The Facts and Figures
Here’s a by-the-numbers look at the impact of climate change.
The climate has changed dramatically over the past century. Globally, the climate has warmed 2°F (1.09°C) since the end of the 19th century, with most of that warming occurring in the last 40 years. The city of Cleveland has warmed by 2.4°F (1.33°C) since the 1950s. The past several decades have, in fact, constituted the warmest period in the past 1,000 years. As we move into the future, this warming trend will continue at an increasing pace. Additionally, patterns of precipitation are changing, though these patterns are variable across the globe. Some areas are experiencing increased precipitation, some decreased precipitation and others high variability in precipitation with more extreme precipitation events interspersed by periods of drought. Earth has experienced fluctuations in climate conditions throughout its history, including well before humans. The current rate of change, however, is unprecedented and troubling. Earth is currently warming 10 times faster than the average rate of warming following ice ages. Modeling future greenhouse gas emissions scenarios, scientists predict more than 2.7°F to 4.5°F (1.5°C to 2.5°C) of additional warming by 2100. Cleveland is expected to warm by 3°F to 7°F (1.7°C to 3.9°C) by 2050.
What’s causing this climate change?
Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses (including methane and nitrous dioxide) normally present in the atmosphere serve to trap heat. While we need greenhouse gases to keep Earth’s climate warm and habitable, high levels of greenhouse gases can cause excess warming. Greenhouse gases are now at their highest level in at least 800,000 years. Humans contribute greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Most significantly, the burning of fossil fuels releases carbon long held within the Earth into the atmosphere as CO2, raising atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases and furthering warming. Models show that more than half of recent climate warming is the direct result of human activity.
What are the ecological impacts of climate change?
Globally, and across taxa, annual biotic events are increasingly happening earlier in the spring and later in the fall (e.g., flowers blooming earlier, insects emerging earlier). o This can lead to late frosts killing flowers and preventing fruit and seed set in natural systems and in agriculture as well as mismatches between partners such as plants and pollinators.
Species ranges are shifting, with some species expanding their northern range edges while contracting along their southern range edges (in the northern hemisphere). Likewise, species in mountainous regions are shifting up in elevation as a result of climate change. Some species that are unable to move quickly enough will be at risk for extinction. Interactions among species will be altered as will the general well-being of populations of organisms. All of these factors will ultimately alter biodiversity and the functioning of ecosystems. Climate change drives the spread of pests and pathogens throughout forests in Ohio, the Great Lakes Region and beyond.
Many pests and pathogens that historically have not been able to tolerate cold winters are moving northward as winters have become increasingly milder.
What are the societal impacts of climate change?
Globally, climate change is impacting agricultural yields. These effects have been variable geographically and across crops, but there has been an overall negative impact of climate change on crop yields.
Climate-driven weather extremes are disrupting ecosystems and food production and are damaging human infrastructure with broad consequences for the well-being of people around the globe.
Warming in the urban environment leads to greater energy use through increased air conditioning needs during hot summers, ultimately straining the electric infrastructure.
Hotter summers may be particularly harmful to our urban neighborhoods where the dominance of concrete, asphalt and impervious surfaces often increases temperatures by an additional 5°F to 10°F (2.8°-5.6°C) (relative to surrounding rural areas), a phenomenon known as the heat island effect. These urban heat islands can have higher rates of heat-related discomfort, respiratory disease, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
For more information about HF&G’s efforts to reduce our carbon emissions and ensure a cleaner, greener world, visit our website at holdenfg.org.
More Trees, Please
Why plant trees? Because they:
The city of Cleveland has warmed on average by 2.5 degrees
Fahrenheit since the 1950s.
At current rates of greenhouse gas emission, Cleveland will warm by an additional 3 to 7 degrees
Fahrenheit by 2050.
Unless we take action to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions, the next generation living in Northeast Ohio will experience average temperatures as much as 10 degrees warmer
than they were in the 1950s.
Improve public healthby providing
oxygen, filtering the air and reducing stress, which have been linked to reductions in asthma and heart disease.
Cool sidewalks and
streets, making neighborhoods safer and more walkable.
Reduce heat island
effect, making urban areas more comfortable for residents.
to combat climate change.
Save energy
on heating and cooling.
Filter and retain
stormwater and prevent soil erosion, which keeps our rivers and Lake Erie cleaner.
Provide habitat
for birds and pollinators.
Opens Saturday, June 11 at Holden Arboretum
Climb like a grapevine or float like a speck of pollen as you explore Earth’s botanical biodiversity in this multilayered, bilingual maze adventure. Connect to the stories and strengths of 11 local species. Then learn what you can do to conserve these plants and their habitats.
