What Do We Do Now? by Dr. JoBea Holt JPL Climate Symposium October 16, 2010

Ok, if we accept that global warming is real and that we’re causing it, isn’t the problem so big that we can’t possibly fix it?

Where Does the CO 2 Come From?

Three things happening: 1.Digging up carbon 2.Cutting down our stored carbon - forests 3.The warming this is causing is creating secondary effects like loss of arctic ice - which is our planet’s air conditioner, and warming the tundra where gobs of CO2 and methan are stored. Carbon’s Pathway

More People, More Technology, More CO 2

How Do We Turn the Curve Down?

What Do I Use In a Day? One 40 Watt lightbulb uses 1kW-h energy per day Personal Action Drive 30 miles (25 mpg) Fly RT to London (once/year) Light, heat, cool house (hot shower=2) Gadgets Food Stuff (water bottle = 2) Infrastructure Total Energy (kW-h) MacKay, David, 2010, Sustainable Energy-Without the Hot Air, Caltech e&s.

What Could I Use in a Day Personal Action Drive EV 30 miles Fly RT to London (once/two years) Fluorescent bulbs, shorter shower... Unplug gadgets Eat less meat Reuse, use tap water.... Vote Total Energy (kW-h)

Can We Solve It With Renewables?

Renewable Energy Wind Energy crops Solar panel farms Solar concentrators % Land Renewables Involve Land-Use MacKay, David, 2010, Sustainable Energy-Without the Hot Air, Caltech e&s.

Renewables to Power the US

Will We Get It Right the First Time?

People Drive the Flow of Carbon

Focus on the negative, or...

...be part of making our planet sustainable.

“...I believe this is gonna be our finest hour.”