1. GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE

2. What’s the Kyoto Accord?
International agreement signed in 1997
Aimed at reducing global warming
Participants asked to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to a percentage below 1990 emission levels
Set binding targets for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for countries to reach by 2012
37 industrialized countries which make almost 65% of greenhouse gases (GHG) were to decrease to ~ 5% less than 1990 levels (US target = 7%)

3. KYOTO is “OLD NEWS”! UNITED STATES
The ________________ is the only major industrial country that did NOT signed the Kyoto Accord.
Standards set by Kyoto expired in 2012
Countries have been meeting since 2009 to decide what will happen next
UNITED STATES

4. WHAT NEXT?
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.

5. Clean Power Plan
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. Federal court will decide lawsuit in June 2016

6. THEY HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT FOREVER
WE CAN’T COUNT ON OUR LEADERS to FIX THIS
THEY HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT FOREVER

7. Even if you don’t “believe” in global warming . . .
Even if you don’t “believe” in global warming . . .
Even if countries can’t agree on emission levels …
we should still work to reduce our emissions of global warming gases BECAUSE . . .

8. 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!

9. 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.

10. THINGS WE DO TO “FIX CLIMATE CHANGE” make sense anyway!
Brookings Register March 2012
Our supply of fossil fuels is dependent on
countries that are not “friendly” to the U.S.

11. THINGS WE DO TO “FIX CLIMATE CHANGE” make sense anyway!
Brookings Register
Drilling for and transporting fossil fuels has negative environmental consequences

12. THINGS WE DO TO “FIX CLIMATE CHANGE” make sense anyway!
Drilling and transporting fossil fuels has negative
environmental consequences
Brookings Register

13. THINGS WE DO TO “FIX CLIMATE CHANGE” make sense anyway!
HOW QUICKLY
WE FORGET!
BP oil spill in Gulf 2011
Drilling and transporting fossil fuels has negative
environmental consequences
Brookings Register

14. THINGS WE DO TO “FIX CLIMATE CHANGE” make sense anyway!
Images from:
Innovation and alternative energy technologies for automobiles and power generation are good for our economy

15. 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
WE WORK TO GET OFF FOSSIL FUELS
CHANGES HELP TURN THINGS
AROUND + solve
other fossil fuel
problems
Solves other problems
associated with
fossil fuel use

16. http://www. climateactionreserve

17. What happens next depends on YOU! YOUR GENERATION is the KEY
What happens next depends on YOU! YOUR GENERATION is the KEY
Only 3 percent of voters 18 to DON’T believe that climate change real.
video

18. http://upload. wikimedia
Even SD Senator John Thune admits a potential role for humans in climate change. When asked if climate change exists and is caused by humans he said, “I’m not denying that. I’m simply saying that the debate ought to be: What are we going to do about it, and at what cost?”

19. What’s so bad about warming up a little?
We’re freezing here in S.D.!

20. Coastal flooding What’s so bad about warming up a little?
Cartoon from Brookings Register
Coastal flooding

21. Changes in Gulf Stream What’s so bad about warming up a little?
What’s so bad about warming up a little?
Changes in
Gulf Stream

22. More severe storms What’s so bad about warming up a little?
More severe storms

23. Weather extremes What’s so bad about warming up a little?
Heat waves and drought
Brookings Register

24. Changing habitats means loss of species
What’s so bad about warming up a little?
Changing habitats
means
loss of species

25. ACIDIFICATION OF OCEANS
What’s so bad a little more CO2?
ACIDIFICATION OF OCEANS
Affects coral reefs and shelled sea animals