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WHAT’s THE SCIENCE BEHIND CLIMATE CHANGE?
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Climate? OR Weather? WEATHER- over a short period of time ; “what’s happening outside today” Raining? Snowing? Cold? Hot? Humid? CLIMATE- global average; Patterns/trends over relatively long periods of time. VIDEO Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) Feb 26 , 2015 Past Chairman of US Senate ENVIRONMENT and Public Works Committee
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http://www. dailymail. co
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It makes life on Earth possible!
GREENHOUSE EFFECT: Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, including water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, trap heat energy keeping Earth’s surface and lower atmosphere warm THIS IS A GOOD THING! It makes life on Earth possible!
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PROBLEM Greenhouse gases have been increasing So
PROBLEM Greenhouse gases have been increasing So atmosphere is trapping more heat and planet is warming up
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WHAT DOES THE SCIENCE SAY?
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CARBON DIOXIDE LEVELS IN ATMOSPHERE ARE INCREASING Current CO2 level in atmosphere: 407 ppm ~ highest in 650,000 years
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CO2 CONCENTRATION and TEMPERATURE
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https://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/
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What does the science say?
IT’S GETTING WARMER 9 of 10 warmest years on record have occurred since 2000
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ARCTIC ICE IS DISAPPEARING
VIDEO
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ANTARCTIC ICE IS DISAPPEARING
VIDEO VIDEO
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January 2017 was third-warmest January on record
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AGW: Anthropogenic Global Warming “Human caused climate change:
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THERE IS NO “CONTROVERSY”
Multiple studies published in peer-reviewed scientific journals show that 97 percent or more of actively publishing climate scientists agree: Climate-warming trends over the past century are extremely likely due to human activities. Depending on exactly how you measure the expert consensus, it’s somewhere between 90% and 100% that agree humans are responsible for climate change, with most of our studies finding 97% consensus among publishing climate scientists. The greater the climate expertise among those surveyed, the higher the consensus on human-caused global warming.
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THERE IS NO “CONTROVERSY”
Most of the leading scientific organizations worldwide have issued public statements endorsing this position. AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE "The scientific evidence is clear: global climate change caused by human activities is occurring now, and it is a growing threat to society." (2006) US NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES "The scientific understanding of climate change is now sufficiently clear to justify taking steps to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere." (2005) INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIES JOINT STATEMENT "Climate change is real. There will always be uncertainty in understanding a system as complex as the world’s climate. However there is now strong evidence that significant global warming is occurring. The evidence comes from direct measurements of rising surface air temperatures and subsurface ocean temperatures and from phenomena such as increases in average global sea levels, retreating glaciers, and changes to many physical and biological systems. It is likely that most of the warming in recent decades can be attributed to human activities (IPCC 2001)." (2005, 11 international science academies)
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I’m not a SCIENTIST . . . WHY DO WE NOT LISTEN TO THE EXPERTS?
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WOULD YOU GET ON THE PLANE?
THIS IS CRAZY! If you were at the airport and 97% of the airplane mechanics said “The plane was unsafe and was going to crash” and 3% said “ I’m not a mechanic, but it will be fine” WOULD YOU GET ON THE PLANE?
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EFFECTS OF INCREASING CO2 in ATMOSPHERE and CLIMATE CHANGE ?
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POLAR ICE IS MELTING
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Sea Ice Hits Record Lows at Both Poles
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Coastal flooding What’s so bad about warming up a little?
Cartoon from Brookings Register Coastal flooding
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Global average sea level up 8 inches since 1880
Predicted rise by = 2.5 feet to 6.5 feet depending on: how quickly land-based glaciers melt how quickly we cut back on carbon emissions. A complete meltdown of the Greenland ice sheet, could push sea level rise to 23 feet.
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“This is not a migration as we’ve known it before.”
CLIMATE REFUGEES Sea level rises for a 4°C warming scenario could submerge land currently home to 470 to 760 million people. “This is not a migration as we’ve known it before.”
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Changes in Gulf Stream
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Increasing ocean temperatures = MORE SEVERE STORMS
Increasing ocean temperatures = MORE SEVERE STORMS
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Number of Atlantic hurricanes each year has doubled over the past century.
Proportion of major hurricanes to less intense hurricanes has sharply increased in recent years,
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Weather extremes Heat waves and drought
Weather extremes Heat waves and drought Brookings Register
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Changing habitats means loss of species
Changing habitats means loss of species
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ACIDIFICATION OF OCEANS
What’s so bad a little more CO2? ACIDIFICATION OF OCEANS Affects coral reefs and shelled sea animals
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CORAL BLEACHING Warmer water causes corals to expel the algae living in their tissues and turn white. Destroys coral reef ecosystems and organisms that live there
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HEALTH CONCERNS
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HOW DO WE FIX THIS? STOP RELEASING GREENHOUSE GASES INTO ATMOSPHERE !
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PARIS CLIMATE AGREEMENT
!!!!! LANDMARK NEW CLIMATE AGREEMENT !!!!! More than 130 countries (including US and China) signed the landmark agreement to tackle climate change at a ceremony at UN headquarters on April 22, 2016 (Earth Day!) US pledged a 26-28% cut by 2025 compared with 2005 levels. It sets a collective goal of keeping global warming below 2° C compared to pre-industrial times, and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature rise to 1.5C. It requires all countries to submit plans for climate action and to update them every five years, though such plans are not legally binding.
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Clean Power Plan United States- Clean Power Plan sets achievable standards to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 32 percent from 2005 levels by 2030 and giving states flexibility of how they will meet these goals . Feb 2016 Supreme Court moved to temporarily block implementing the plan to limit greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. Decision to come . . .
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HERE’S THE THING Even if you don’t “believe” in climate change . . .
HERE’S THE THING Even if you don’t “believe” in climate change . . . Even if our politicians refuse to admit there is a problem Even if countries can’t agree on emission levels … we should still work to reduce our emissions of global warming gases BECAUSE . . .
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THINGS WE DO TO “FIX CLIMATE CHANGE” make sense anyway!
THINGS WE DO TO “FIX CLIMATE CHANGE” make sense anyway! Fossil fuels are a limited resource… eventually they will be gone!
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THINGS WE DO TO “FIX CLIMATE CHANGE” make sense anyway!
Our supply of fossil fuels is dependent on countries that are not “friendly” to the U.S.
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THINGS WE DO TO “FIX CLIMATE CHANGE” make sense anyway!
THINGS WE DO TO “FIX CLIMATE CHANGE” make sense anyway! Drilling for and transporting fossil fuels has negative environmental consequences
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THINGS WE DO TO “FIX CLIMATE CHANGE” make sense anyway!
Innovation and alternative energy technologies for automobiles and power generation are good for our economy
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Pollution from fossil fuels makes people sick.
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BAD BEST! REALLY BAD THINK ABOUT IT
Scientists are RIGHT about man-made Climate change Scientists are WRONG about man-made Climate change WE KEEP DOING WHAT WE ARE DOING- NOTHING! Environmental Disaster Consequences too awful to think about Still have other problems associated with fossil fuel use: pollution/acid rain/ dependence on our enemies/health consequences WE WORK TO GET OFF FOSSIL FUELS CHANGES HELP TURN CLIMATE CHANGE AROUND + solve other problems caused by fossil fuel Solves other problems associated with fossil fuel use REALLY BAD BAD GOOD! BEST!
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http://www. climateactionreserve
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THE SOLUTIONS MUST COME FROM AVERAGE CITIZENS. LIKE US
THE SOLUTIONS MUST COME FROM AVERAGE CITIZENS LIKE US! OUR LEADERS CAN’T FIX THIS WON’T
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WE CAN’T COUNT ON OUR LEADERS to FIX THIS
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Our President is the ONLY world leader who does NOT accept climate science as REAL!
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114th Congress Jan 2015 Republican party is only political party in the WORLD that includes DENIAL of CLIMATE CHANGE as part of its platform
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Head of EPA does not believe in Climate change A BILL HAS BEEN INTRODUCED TO ELIMINATE THE EPA – January 1, 2018 SCOTT PRUITT
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JAMES INHOFE WAS Chairman:
VIDEO JAMES INHOFE WAS Chairman: US Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works NEW appointment to: US Senate Committee on Commerce, SCIENCE, and Transportation
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NEW CHAIR of US SENATE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT and PUBLIC WORKS John Barrasso
He has voted against nearly every pro-planet bill since joining the Senate in 2007
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NEW Head of Department of Interior
Ryan Zinke (R-Montana) AS A SENATOR championed expanded oil and gas development on public lands, moved to exempt agribusiness from ESA regulations. led efforts on the federal level to take away protections for some endangers species voted to block efforts that would have limited the black market ivory trade.
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COMPANIES, CITIES, STATES, COUNTRIES are EMBRACING ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
11 countries are shifting to renewable energy Massachusetts & California have pledged to be 100% renewable energy by 2045 plans to use heat from data center computers to heat homes 1st ZERO NET city in California Texas GM SUV plant commits to being 100% wind powered by 2018
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THERE IS GOOD NEWS! RENEWABLE ENERGY IS BOOMING
Solar energy employs more people than oil, coal & gas combined
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THERE IS GOOD NEWS! INVENTION & INNOVATION SOLAR COLLECTOR
Solar energy employs more people than oil, coal & gas combined OCEAN TRASH COLLECTOR Worlds-first-solar-road-is-producing -more-energy-than-expected- SOLAR COLLECTOR
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THERE IS GOOD NEWS! PEOPLE ARE PROTESTING DAPL Protest
March for Science Earth Day April 22, 2017
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Students Climate lawsuit video
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htts://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/neil-degrasse-tyson-quote.jpg
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video
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https://s-media-cache-ak0. pinimg
QUOTES VIDEO
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Trump Environmental changes
Has APPOINTED CLIMATE DENIERS to key Environmental Positions Scott Pruitt -Head of EPA Does not believe climate change is real Urging backing out of 2016 Paris agreement John Barrasso- CHAIRMAN US SENATE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT and PUBLIC WORKS Rex Tillerson- Secretary of State Former Chief Executive of Exxon Mobil Exxon Has a $500 Billion oil deal with Russia that is on hold; Wants sanctions on Russia lifted
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Trump Environmental changes
ALREADY DONE Signed an executive order at EPA headquarters to reverse most of former President Barack Obama's climate regulatory initiatives Approved completing construction of Keystone XL & DAPL pipelines Removed mention of carbon pollution as a cause of climate change and links to some climate data from EPA website EPA and Energy Department ‘s international climate office were ordered NOT to use the phrases "climate change," "emissions reduction" or "Paris Agreement" in written memos, briefings or other written communication Rejected ban on chlorpyrifos, crop pesticide linked to nervous system, respiratory, and cardiovascular damage in humans
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Trump Environmental changes
ALREADY DONE Pushing reliance of fossil fuels, especially COAL Promised to revive the struggling coal industry and bring back thousands of lost mining jobs in rural America. Lifted a moratorium on federal coal leases to allow coal mining on public lands Ended Stream Protection Rule, a regulation to protect waterways from coal mining waste overturned ban on using lead ammunition on wildlife refuges, meant to help prevent plants and animals from being poisoned by lead left on the ground or in the water.
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Trump Environmental changes
WORKING ON Threatening to pull out of 2015 International Paris Agreement on Climate change Bill in Congress = As of January 1, 2018 EPA will not exist Changing Endangered species Act to allow trophy hunting of hibernating bears reviewing all national monument designations on federal public land since 1996 that are 100,000 acres or more in size Bears Ears National Monument in Utah Gold Butte National Monument in Nevada Open public lands to coal and oil drilling Undo a methane rule for natural gas drilling operations on public land
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Trump Environmental changes
NEW BUDGET PROPOSALS BUILD THE WALL Cut EPA’s budget by more than 31 percent ($2.5 billion) laying off 25% of employees and eliminating nearly 60 programs eliminating the EPA's Climate Protection Program, including 14 voluntary partnerships with industry that were aimed at cutting energy use and greenhouse gases Eliminate Energy Star labeling program, aimed at providing consumers and businesses with information on the energy costs of appliances they purchase. Eliminate Natural Gas Star partnership to reduce methane emissions GreenChill program to reduce use of climate-harming gases in refrigeration Eliminate Responsible Appliance Disposal Program Cut $44 million or 87 percent of air, climate and energy research from the Office of Research and Development, including all the research in coordination with the government-wide U.S. Global Change Research Program. eliminate $48 million in funding for the federal vehicle fuels standards and certification program, which tests fuel efficiency claims by the auto industry. more. Targets MORE
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Cut $44 million or 87 percent of air, climate and energy research from the Office of Research and Development, including all the research in coordination with the government-wide U.S. Global Change Research Program. eliminate $48 million in funding for the federal vehicle fuels standards and certification program, which tests fuel efficiency claims by the auto industry. Changes in EPA website
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Trump Environmental changes
EXECUTIVE ORDERS/SIGNED LEGISLATION approved two major oil pipelines Including Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) nullified regulation prohibiting surface-mining operations from dumping waste in nearby waterways rewriting rules curbing carbon emissions Lifted moratorium on federal coal leases Removed mandate that federal officials consider climate change impacts when making decisions.
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Trump Environmental changes
EXECUTIVE ORDERS/SIGNED LEGISLATION rolled back other limits on extraction and burning of fossil fuels eliminated a system that would have made energy companies pay more in federal royalties. EPA will begin rewriting the 2015 regulation that limits greenhouse-gas emissions from existing electric utilities. Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to lifts a moratorium on federal coal leasing Revamp a 2015 Waters of the United States rule, that gives the federal government authority over not only major water bodies but also the wetlands, rivers and streams that feed into them.
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A 2016 Obama memorandum identifying climate change as a national security issue, and directing the Pentagon and other agencies to "ensure that climate change-related impacts are fully considered in the development of national security doctrine, policies, and plans." 2. A 2015 Obama executive order requiring agencies to take steps to reduce their energy consumption fossil fuels, with a goal of a 40% reduction in greenhouse gases produced by the federal government. 3. A 2013 Obama executive order directing federal agencies to prepare for and mitigate the effects of climate change, including "an increase in prolonged periods of excessively high temperatures, more heavy downpours, an increase in wildfires, more severe droughts, permafrost thawing, ocean acidification, and sea-level rise." 4. The Clean Power Plan, an ambitious rule that attempted to set a national limit on carbon emissions from existing power plants. That rule has already been temporarily held up by the Supreme Court. If not already struck down by the courts, the Environmental Protection Agency would have to go through a new rulemaking process to seek comments on any new rule dismantling the Obama policy. 5. The new plant rule, another component of the Clean Power Plan that addresses new power plants. It, too, would be subject to a new rulemaking process.
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6. The consideration of the social cost of greenhouse gases and climate change in conducting environmental impact assessments, expanding the scope of the National Environmental Policy Act. That policy change came in a guidance document from the White House Council on Environmental Quality last August, and can be immediately rescinded. 7. The moratorium on coal mining on federal and tribal lands. This change doesn't require a new regulation and can be implemented immediately. 8. A 2016 regulation from the EPA limiting methane emissions from the oil and gas industry. Like all final regulations, the Trump administration would have to start the regulatory process from the beginning in order to rescind the rule. 9. A similar rule from the Bureau of Land Management limiting "venting, flaring and leaking" on oil and gas wells on federal lands, which would also be reviewed for possible repeal. 10. The BLM's hydraulic fracturing rule, which tightened standards on gas well construction, governed the disposal of fracking waste and required disclosure on the fracking chemicals used. That rule has also been held up in court, but would require a new rulemaking process to formally take off the books.
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FEDERAL SENATOR John Thune Chairman Senate Committee on commerce,
SCIENCE, and Transportation SENATOR Mike Rounds Member of Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works Chairman of Subcommittee on Superfund, Waste Management and Regulatory Oversight. REPRESENTATIVE Kristi Noem Member of Senate Ways and Means Committee $$$$
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STATE SENATOR Larry Tidemann REPRESENTATIVE Spence Hawley
REPRESENTATIVE Tim Reed
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IT’S UP TO YOU, ME, ALL OF US! YOUR GENERATION IS THE KEY
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STANDING ROCK- DAPL protest still going on now
1/24/17 Trump signs executive order expediting approval of Keystone XL and DAPL pipelines
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Current Keystone pipeline has had 35 spills since it opened in 2000
According to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, these spills and ruptures released over 7 million gallons of crude Current Keystone pipeline has had 35 spills since it opened in 2000 One of the largest spills happened in North Dakota in 2013 when lightning struck a pipeline, which leaked over 840,000 gallons of crude onto a wheat field.
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JAN 23, 2017 Oil spill in Canada ~53,000 gallons http://www. reuters
JAN 23, 2017 Oil spill in Canada ~53,000 gallons Jan 24, 2017 Oil spill in Iowa April 2016 – Keystone leaks 17,000 in SD
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TIMELINE OF EARTH’s AVERAGE TEMP
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