May 19:

"Climate Change: Scientists Say There is Hope" in The Seattle Times
The latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the third in a series of U.N. climate change studies released this year, analyzes global warming solutions. It provides hope, saying that mitigating climate change may not be as difficult as it appears. The report says existing technology can accomplish many goals, if policymakers act quickly. Individuals also have an important role in making valuable contributions by adopting small lifestyle changes.

The report suggests the major drops in greenhouse gas emissions to the recommended levels are possible through initiatives already in use. These efforts include: switching to natural gas rather than coal as a source of electricity; using hybrid and fuel-efficient vehicles; incorporating solar and green design into buildings; using more insulation and energy-efficient appliances in homes; and the use of renewable energy sources. To reduce industrial greenhouse gas emissions, the report recommends a system in which governments would cap emissions and charge polluters for every ton of carbon dioxide beyond that point.

However, some skeptics are not as hopeful. They say the most stringent measures could strain the world economy. Others fear the worst-polluting nations will not cooperate.

On the other hand, the IPCC report finds that using policies and technology to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions to levels scientists think would curtail warming would cost nations at most 0.12 percent of economic growth each year through 2030. Those costs could drop when the world benefits from reduced emissions, experiencing cleaner air, greater energy security as reliance on foreign oil drops, and increasing trade in global warming mitigation technology.
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"Military Panel: Climate Change Threatens U.S. National Security" in Environment News Service
Consequences of global warming are usually viewed as environmental problems. However, a new study examines climate change from a national security perspective. It found that global warming presents a serious national security threat that could affect Americans at home, impact U.S. military operations, and heighten global tensions.

The CNA Corporation, the Center for Naval Analysis and the Institute for Public Research, a nonprofit organization, published the study "National Security and the Threat of Climate Change." CNA brought together 11 retired United States four-star and three-star admirals and generals to create the Military Advisory Board. This blue-ribbon panel provided advice, expertise, and perspective on the impact of climate change on national security.

The Military Advisory Board found that climate change, national security and energy dependence are a related set of global challenges. Climate change acts as a "threat multiplier" that will exasperate international tensions, increasing the possibility for extremism and terrorism in both stable and fragile regions of the world.

The panel said that serious risks are involved, including: massive human migrations; increased border tensions; the rapid spread of life-threatening disease; greater demands for rescue and evacuation from environmental catastrophes; and conflicts over essential resources such as food and water. All of these events could lead to direct U.S. military involvement.

Despite the gloomy forecast, the Military Advisory Board members remain optimistic that climate change challenges can be managed to reduce future risks. As part of its five recommendations for action, the panel said the path to mitigating the worst security consequences of climate change involves reducing global greenhouse gas emissions.
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"Global Warming could be Economic Boon for Some" in The Santa Cruz Sentinel
Global warming has obvious negative consequences. However, in some instances, people can benefit from a warming climate. Consulting firms and other professionals have the potential to gain business by advising city governments, multinational corporations, large developers, universities and other entities on how to prepare for the effects of a warming world.

The science related to forecasting the effects of global climate change can be a reliable prediction; however no one can know the exact events of the future. This is where consulting firms can help by offering expertise on various preparation methods. 

Predicted global warming effects include early melting mountain snowpack, more or less regional rain, frequent heat waves, intense storms, and longer droughts. With this forecast, water districts, agencies, and organizations are a growing source business to consulting firms. They need to consider emergency plans and preparations for events that could accompany climate change.

This translates into an economic boon for hydrologists, scientists who study of the movement, distribution and quality of water. Hydrologists will be among the fastest-growing occupations from 2004-2014, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics. Those professionals, whose numbers are projected to increase from 8,000 to 11,000 during the decade, may play key roles in solving problems related to climate change and water management.

Even though hydrologists will benefit from a warming climate, the majority of Americans will not. No matter which global warming forecast comes true, almost all urban areas will deal with increasing costs and demand of water.
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May 10:

"Federal Research Dollars for Climate Change should Focus More on Adaptation" The Western Governors Association
Federal research dollars earmarked for climate change should focus more on assisting states, tribes, local governments, and communities to adapt to anticipated impacts, says the Western Governors' Association (WGA), an independent, nonprofit organization consisting of governors from 19 states, including Governor Ted Kulongoski of Oregon.

The WGA believes that the United States has spent enough money on understanding and researching the science of climate change. Now, the money will be best used if it was directed towards funding regional vulnerability assessments and adaptation preparation for global warming related impacts.

WGA supports a new congressional bill that would reorient and fully fund the U.S. Global Change Research Program to make it focus more on providing accurate information and relevant services for decision- and policy-makers. The governors recommend organizing a National Climate Information Service that would coordinate climate initiatives and conversations across the federal government.
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"Climate Change Adds Twist to Debate over Dams" in The New York Times
The long-standing debate over the possible removal of the four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River has become more complex with the addition of climate change concerns. While the dams provide a source of carbon-free energy, they also threaten salmon migration, disrupt Native American livelihoods, and hurt commercial fishing along the Oregon and California coasts. This debate brings up a serious question: What should we do when righting one environmental wrong could lead to another?

PacifiCorp, who owns four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River, says the dams provide a crucial source of clean energy. The dams supply water to an elaborate irrigation system that supports about 240,000 acres of cattle pastures, alfalfa fields and other farming. They also divert water through a wildlife preserve.

Supporters for the removal of the Klamath dams say that other sources of alternative energy, such as wind and sun, can replace the hydroelectric power lost by dam removal. Plus, thinning Cascades snowpack caused by warming climates has reduced the amount of electricity the dams generate. In response, PacifiCorp, the federal government, and other area dam owners say that only coal or natural gas are reliable enough to replace the river.

PacifiCorp's federal license to run the four Klamath dams expired last year; in order to get a new license, the government said the company must build fish ladders over the dams. Fish ladders could cost $300 million and reduce the power generated, potentially making removal a less expensive choice.

Hydroelectric dams are inexpensive to operate. In the Northwest, more than 80 percent of power is generated from hydroelectricity, giving the region some of the lowest electricity rates in the nation. The Klamath dams provide enough hydropower for 70,000 homes, a small fraction of PacifiCorp's 1.7 million customers, which span six states.

Whether the solution of the debate is fish ladders, other alternative energy sources, or dam removal, PacifiCorp says its customers will bear the cost and the carbon.
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"Some Climate Solutions Also Pose Problems" in The Seattle Times
Some global warming solutions go beyond hybrid cars and fluorescent light bulbs. Scientists are exploring some bizarre large-scale, technological solutions with the theory of geoengineering. These projects include giant artificial "trees" that would filter carbon dioxide out of the air, a "solar shade" created by a trillion flying saucers that would lower Earth's temperature, and a plan that would mimic a volcano by spewing light-reflecting sulfates in the sky.

Geoengineering can be defined as deliberate alteration of the Earth's environment in order to make it more habitable for humans. Geoengineering are costly projects of last resort. They could be called upon only if people do not reduce their greenhouse-gas emissions fast enough and devastating climate events are eminent.

Geoengineering solutions are drastic and not without consequences of their own. They could make the Middle East and other arid regions drier or pollute the air enough to cause respiratory illnesses and other disease. Plus, they come with an exorbitant price tag.

Perhaps the biggest problem that geoengineering presents is the hope of a quick technological fix to global warming. Even with geoengineering as a possible safety net, politicians and the public need to make real energy sacrifices in order to slow climate change.
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May 3:

"U.N. Report Warns Warming Will Harm Timber Industry" in The Seattle Times
Oregon depends on its forests for their economic resources as well as recreation in a natural retreat. However, the people of Oregon may lose their forests due to the effects of warming climates on forest ecosystems.

According to a new report from the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), as much as 40 percent of North American plant and animal species will be driven to extinction by warming climates. Environmental damage will take form as shifting species population size and habitation locations as well as increases in wildfires, insect infestations, and disease. These effects will then translate into economic issues costing wood and timber producers $1 billion to $2 billion by the end of the century.

The IPCC report focuses on the climate change effects in North America, saying that the continent has suffered severe environmental and economic damage because of extreme weather events including hurricanes, heat waves and forest fires. Without increased investments in global warming countermeasures, the people of North America will continue to experience the negative consequences of a changing environment.
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"Sea Life at Risk as Acid Levels Rise in Oceans" in The Seattle Times
Carbon dioxide released by fossil fuel combustion has increased the levels of acidity in the ocean by 30 percent. This transfers into new risks for coral, zooplankton, fish, and other sea creatures that help support North Pacific fisheries.

Oceans absorb carbon dioxide produced by fossil-fuel combustion. As CO2 dissolves in the water, it sets off a chemical reaction that produces carbonic acid. In high enough concentrations, carbonic acid can erode protective shells and other structures of some sea creatures. In some areas of the North Pacific, researchers have detected a saturation point where the acidity causes shells to disintegrate faster than they can grow.

Some of the most acidic waters are found in the North Pacific, a marine ecosystem that yields North America's largest seafood harvests. The cold, old, carbon-rich North Pacific water enables it to absorb more carbon than tropical oceans or the North Atlantic. Zones of high acidity in the North Pacific are expected to expand and extend into shallower waters in the future.

The effects of increased ocean acidity work its way up the food chain and eventually land on your dinner plate. Researchers are now studying acidity effects on phytoplankton and pteropods, or tiny mollusks, food sources for larger fish like salmon. Coral reefs, home to cod, rockfish and other commercially important fish, will also be impacted.
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"Global Warming Study: Rising Sea Levels a Threat to Major Cities" in The Seattle Times
As the climate warms, sea levels continue to rise. According to a new study, more than two-thirds of the world's large cities are at risk of drowning in floods and intense storms caused by global warming and rising sea levels. This affects 634 million people worldwide who live in threatened coastal areas that lie less than 33 feet above sea level.

The peer-reviewed scientific study is the first to identify the world's vulnerable low-lying coastal areas. It said that more than 180 countries have populations residing in these areas. About 70 percent of those countries have urban areas containing more than 5 million people under threat. These large cities include: Tokyo; New York; Mumbai, India; Shanghai, China; Jakarta, Indonesia; and Dhaka, Bangladesh. About 75 percent of all people living in threatened coastal areas are in Asia, with poorer nations most at risk.

The study gives no time frame for rising sea levels or the potential for flooding in individual countries. The solution to this climate change threat will be expensive and may involve relocating people and building protective engineering structures. However, the best solution is trying to avoid problems caused by expanding oceans through active global warming mitigation efforts.
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