Thursday, May 8, 2014
Presidents' Climate Commitment
This week I found out that my school, Westfield State University, was a part of American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment! This means that the school has to follow and take certain actions in the fight against climate change. In the Commitment Text (here) it says that signatories must "Initiate the development of a comprehensive plan to achieve climate neutrality as soon as possible, Initiate two or more of the following [7] tangible actions to reduce greenhouse gases while the more comprehensive plan is being developed (listed on the website), [and] Make the action plan, inventory, and periodic progress reports publicly available by submitting them to the ACUPCC Reporting System for posting and dissemination." The first two have more specific guidelines on the website. I thought it was really cool that our campus is a part of this and am proud to a part of this idea and movement!
Political Cartoon
Image Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9h7P8gWpolQ
This cartoon illustrates how although the signs of global warming are there (besides the fact that we know climate change is real!) there are still people denying that it's happening. Especially after the cold winter we had this year and the polar vortex, there are a lot of people who are trying to say that global warming is no more and the Earth's temperature is declining!
How Does Climate Change Affect Animals?
This video gives a few examples of animals and bugs that are being affected by climate change. It's projected that 1 in 3 species will die out as a result of climate change! I was surprised that one insect benefitted from climate change, the bark beetle. But as the video explains, this means that they are growing and destroying more trees which in turn destroys the habitats of other species. It's a short video but raises concerns about animals from different areas of the world! Climate change affects everyone!
Deforestation Causes
Figure 1: Causes of Deforestation from 2000 to 2005
Figure Source:https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdbnjzS2xNCYK3WLs323-rECfmdogd6WNbOIaAi7-P-JVA6laQEc0vglpNqlekBbN_R_5oRTxXm249jj8i6hwnjkFYBffU97CYoaSyzhnyQf_ewwwVSPuVa7lVXZ5l4QfLMVXuoCguKPZ4/s400/Causes_of_deforestation_chart.jpg
A few times in my Climate Change course my professor mentioned that much of the deforestation being done was for the purpose of cattle farming and soy production for cheap beef. It's amazing to see how much of deforestation is really being causes by the need for cattle ranches. All of the other causes combined are barely over half of that single cause.
Comparison of Resources
Image Source: http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee274/biopact3/biopact_EU_energy-technologies.jpg?t=1195856315
I like this chart because it breaks down different renewable and nonrenewable resources and shows costs, import dependency, efficiency, and reserves: all important aspects to consider! It's interesting to see such low numbers for proven resources, but also scary because some of those are within my lifetime! It's also interesting to see the efficiencies. I wonder how they determine that efficiency and if those comparisons relate to the size, costs, or what? I don't know, it's just a thought so if you have any ideas let me know!
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