UNDERSTAND GLOBAL WARMING
And What We Can Do To Bring A
CHANGE
Climate change is the greatest humanitarian crisis of our time, responsible for rising seas, raging storms, searing heat, ferocious fires, severe drought, and punishing floods. It threatens our health, communities, economy, and national security.
Worldwide, nations have begun taking steps to combat this growing threat, working toward an international agreement in which every country on earth plays its part. Many of the world’s largest polluters have stepped up with significant commitments, amplified by efforts from cities, businesses, sports leagues, churches, and many other individuals and groups that have responded to the urgent need for climate action.
Here in the United States, power plants represent the single-largest source of carbon pollution, spewing two billion tons into the air each year. In response, President Obama’s U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has developed the Clean Power Plan, which sets the first national limits on carbon pollution from power plants and provides states with the flexibility to meet them.
The plan represents the most important step the United States can take right now to combat climate change and help spur climate action around the globe, as world leaders look toward an important meeting in Paris this December. With nations working together to cap carbon pollution, expand renewable power, and embrace energy efficiency, we’ll have a fighting chance at getting off this destructive path.
Time may be running out to fight climate change, but we are not running out of solutions.
What causes it? Carbon dioxide and other global warming pollutants are collecting in the atmosphere like a thickening blanket, trapping the sun’s heat and causing the planet to warm up. Although local temperatures fluctuate naturally, over the past 50 years the average global temperature has increased at the fastest rate in recorded history. Scientists say that unless we curb the emissions that cause climate change, average U.S. temperatures could be 3 to 9 degrees higher by the end of the century. The United States Global Change Research Program (which includes the Department of Defense, NASA, National Science Foundation and other government agencies) has said that “global warming is unequivocal and primarily human-induced” and that “climate changes are underway in the United States and are projected to grow.”
The Consequences of Global Warming 7.2 F °
This has been the warmest decade since 1880. In 2010, global surface temperatures tied 2005 as the warmest on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Scientists say that the earth could warm by an additional 7.2 degrees Fahrenheit during the 21st century if we fail to reduce emissions from burning fossil fuels, such as coal and oil. This rise in average temperature will have far-reaching effects on the earth’s climate patterns and on all living things.
Many of these changes have already begun.
WEATHER PATTERNS Hot, dry weather led to a record-setting 2006 wildland fire season with close to 100,000 fires reported and nearly 10 million acres burned, 125 percent above the decade’s average.
GLACIERS & SEA LEVELS At the current rate of retreat, all of the glaciers in Glacier National Park will be gone by 2070.
WILDLIFE Scientists report that some polar bears are drowning because they have to swim longer distances to reach ice floes. Unless we take effective action now, the polar bear will likely become extinct in Alaska by 2050.
HEALTH In July 2006, severe heat waves in North America contributed to the deaths of at least 225 people.
What you can do? The biggest cause of global warming is the carbon dioxide released when fossil fuels -- such as oil and coal -- are burned for energy. So when you save energy, you fight global warming and save money, too.
Global Warming Solutions
Limit Global Warming Pollution Raise your voice. Congress needs to enact new laws that cap carbon emissions and require polluters pay for the global warming gases that they produce. Send a message to your elected officials, letting them know that you will hold them accountable for what they do -- or fail to do -- about global warming. Take action here.
Green Jobs And Clean Energy Choose renewable energy. Pick a Green-e-certified energy supplier that generates at least half of its power from wind, solar energy and other clean sources. If you don’t have that option, look at your current electricity bill to see if you are able to support renewable energy in another way. For details, see NRDC’s guide to buying clean energy. Offset your carbon footprint. You can make up for your remaining carbon output by purchasing carbon offsets. Offsets represent clean power that you can add to the nation’s energy grid in place of power from fossil fuels. Not all offset companies are alike. See ourguide to carbon offsets for tips on how to choose an offset supplier.
Drive Smarter Cars Choose an efficient vehicle: High-mileage cars such as hybrids and plug-in hybrids use less gas and save money. Over its lifetime, a 40-mpg car will save roughly $3,000 in fuel costs compared with a 20-mpg car. Compare fuel economy performance before you buy. Drive smart. If all Americans kept their tires properly inflated, gasoline use nationwide would come down 2 percent. A tune-up could boost your miles per gallon anywhere from 4 to 40 percent, and a new air filter could get you 10 percent more miles per gal-
Green Homes And Buildings Weatherize your home or apartment. Heating and cooling consume about 40 percent of energy in the home. Sealing drafts and making sure that your home has adequate insulation are two easy ways to become more energy-efficient. Learn how to take advantage of federal tax credits for energy-efficient home improvements. Buy energy-efficient appliances. Look for the Energy Star label, which identifies the most efficient appliances. Learn more about investing in energy-efficient products. Replace your light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. Compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) last 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs. What’s more, CFLs lower your energy bills and keep a halfton of carbon dioxide out of the air. Learn more on the benefits of switching to CFLs or LEDs.
Better Communities And Transportation Drive less. Choose alternatives to driving such as public transit, biking, walking and carpooling, and bundle your errands to make fewer trips. Choosing to live in a walkable “smart growth� community near a transportation hub will mean less time driving, less money spent on gas and less pollution in the air. Learn more about smart growth communities.
Our planet relies on you.