March 27, 8:30 PST:
Symbolic gestures. Solidarity. Global action. Something to say you did for an hour. Now, turn off the lights, and try doing it all the time, at many points in the evening. Unplug chargers, TVs, stereos. Wow, let's be Earth Day every day.
Mary Verner, Mayor of Spokane, will issue a proclamation about Earth Hour and also is calling on City employees to participate as well.
People can sign up to join the Mayor in participating in Earth Hour by clicking this link https://www.myearthhour.org/home?invite=F2VAG8R3wq and signing up.
More information on Earth Hour is available at http://www.myearthhour.org/ .
The Earth's climate is now clearly out of balance and is warming. Many components of the climate system—including the temperatures of the atmosphere, land and ocean, the extent of sea ice and mountain glaciers, the sea level, the distribution of precipitation, and the length of seasons—are now changing at rates and in patterns that are not natural and are best explained by the increased atmospheric abundances of greenhouse gases and aerosols generated by human activity during the 20th century. Global average surface temperatures increased on average by about 0.6°C over the period 1956–2006. As of 2006, eleven of the previous twelve years were warmer than any others since 1850. The observed rapid retreat of Arctic sea ice is expected to continue and lead to the disappearance of summertime ice within this century. Evidence from most oceans and all continents except Antarctica shows warming attributable to human activities. Recent changes in many physical and biological systems are linked with this regional climate change. A sustained research effort, involving many AGU members and summarized in the 2007 assessments of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, continues to improve our scientific understanding of the climate.
During recent millennia of relatively stable climate, civilization became established and populations have grown rapidly. In the next 50 years, even the lower limit of impending climate change—an additional global mean warming of 1°C above the last decade—is far beyond the range of climate variability experienced during the past thousand years and poses global problems in planning for and adapting to it. Warming greater than 2°C above 19th century levels is projected to be disruptive, reducing global agricultural productivity, causing widespread loss of biodiversity, and—if sustained over centuries—melting much of the Greenland ice sheet with ensuing rise in sea level of several meters. If this 2°C warming is to be avoided, then our net annual emissions of CO2 must be reduced by more than 50 percent within this century. With such projections, there are many sources of scientific uncertainty, but none are known that could make the impact of climate change inconsequential. Given the uncertainty in climate projections, there can be surprises that may cause more dramatic disruptions than anticipated from the most probable model projections.
With climate change, as with ozone depletion, the human footprint on Earth is apparent. The cause of disruptive climate change, unlike ozone depletion, is tied to energy use and runs through modern society. Solutions will necessarily involve all aspects of society. Mitigation strategies and adaptation responses will call for collaborations across science, technology, industry, and government. Members of the AGU, as part of the scientific community, collectively have special responsibilities: to pursue research needed to understand it; to educate the public on the causes, risks, and hazards; and to communicate clearly and objectively with those who can implement policies to shape future climate.
We’re looking at the Five E’s of sustainability – energy, environment, equity, economy, education – to find solutions offered by those looking at efforts to push us into a new paradigm. We’ll comment on ways our species and biosphere are adapting to changes in climate and ecosystems. Dedicated individuals working in planning, climate science, architecture, computer technology, and other disciplines will make connections to technology and science with sustainable development.
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March
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- Golf is Far from Green -- Water, Toxins, Wildlife ...
- Texas Textbooks Tilting Toward Tyranny -- Why Ele...
- Books, Learning, Teaching, Educating -- It's Now o...
- Beer, Hops, Solar, Clean Brew -- Pump Grade Fuel, ...
- Mayor Verner, Spokane, Reads Earth Day April 17 an...
- Mosquitoes, High Tech, the Scam of Nathan Myhrvold?
- Earth Ships, Garbage Warrior == Reuse, Retool, Ret...
- Borders are Artificial Delineations -- Breaking Do...
- Earth Hour, PacifiCAD -- 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. AL...
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Links of Interest
- Architects with Out Borderers -- Seattle
- Architects without Borders
- Architecture 2030
- Architecture Sans Frontieres
- Auto Desk Sustainable Design
- Autodesk - Guide to Sustainable Design
- Cascadia Region Green Building Council
- Center for Biological Diversity
- City of Spokane--Sustainability
- Climate Central
- Climate Impacts Group
- Climate Progress
- Climate Solutions -- Olympia
- Climate Watch, California
- Committee on the Environment - AIA
- Dirty Cajuns
- Down to Earth Northwest
- Earth Charter
- Earth Day National
- Engineers without Borders-USA
- Fuse Washington
- Futurewise of Washington
- Grist
- Gulf Coast Photography
- Inhabitat -- (design will save the world)
- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
- Local Governments for Sustainability
- Low Power Community Radio -- Spokane
- Model Forest Policy Program
- New Urbanism
- Northwest Climate Change Center
- On Earth
- PacifiCAD
- Planners' News
- Project for Public Spaces
- Real Climate
- Save Our Wild Salmon
- Smart Growth On Line
- Spokane Based Conservation -- Lands Council
- Sustainable Architecture, Building, Culture
- Sustainable Spokane
- The Green Architect
- Tree Hugger
- Western Climate Initiative
- Yale 360
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