Climate Change News from the Front Line
giving voice and finding solutions to the impacts of climate change in Alaska
 Alaska Conservation Solutions July 2010 e-newsletter |
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| EPA Rejects Challenge to Climate Rules |
The Environmental Protection Agency has rejected an effort to keep it from regulating greenhouse gas emissions. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said she didn't agree with conservative groups that questioned the underlying science linking humans to global warming ( Politico, 7/29/10). ACTION ALERT: EPA's opponents, including Sen. Lisa Murkowski, are trying to stop the EPA on Capitol Hill. You can help by calling Murkowski at (202) 224-6665 to let her know that you support EPA regulation of greenhouse gas emissions. |
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| Dear Friends, |
As we witness the worst industry-caused environmental catastrophe in our history while most of the nation sweats through the hottest year on record, it's clear that now is the time to move forward with a clean energy and climate policy. Unfortunately, the big polluters have maintained their grip on America's energy policy by preventing the Senate from acting on comprehensive legislation. More than ever, your voice is needed. Your calls to elected officials, letters to the editor, and support of the Environmental Protection Agency are crucial to the success of this campaign. This newsletter is about the latest global warming developments in Alaska. It also focuses on collaboration, solution, and change, like the changes that we introduce today with our new e-newsletter format. Please let me know what you think about our new look at penny@alaskaconservationsolutions.org.
With hope and determination,
Penny Bauder
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| Senate Climate Bill Dies | The Senate has abandoned plans to take up climate change legislation. The latest version of the bill, currently stalled in the Senate, concentrates on oil spill reforms and has little incentive to reduce emissions or invest in cleaner energy sources and new technologies (The Hill, 7/22/10, Associated Press, 7/30/2010 ). ACTION ALERT: Contact our senators and let them know that Alaskans still want action on climate change and clean energy and are disappointed that this job is still not done.
Murkowski: 202-224-6665
Begich: 202-224-3004 |
| NASA Says it's the Hottest Year on Record | | Worldwide, 2010 is on track to become the warmest year on record. The new finding comes on the tail of a NASA announcement that 2000 to 2009 was the warmest decade in history. "This is just the tip of the iceberg. The models are projecting a substantial warming into the 21st century," one research meteorologist said (Sacramento Bee, 7/27/10). ACTION ALERT: Download and distribute Decision-Making for At Risk Communities in a Changing Climate. Other climate change adaption resources are available at the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy. |
| Best Hope for Saving Arctic Sea Ice is Cutting Soot Emissions | | Soot is a bigger cause of climate change than previously thought, climate experts say. And because soot absorbs sunlight as it falls on ice and snow, it is a major driver for rapidly melting sea ice in the Arctic region. "Controlling the soot created by burning fossil fuels may help to reduce Arctic ice loss and global warming faster than any other control option available," one researcher said (SanFrancisco Chronicle, 7/28/10). ACTION ALERT: Join the Alaska Community Action on Toxics on Wed. August 11 at 9:00 am for a discussion on how you can help control soot in Alaska. To receive dial-up instructions, RSVP at diana@akaction.org or (907) 222-7714. |
| 'Cool' Roofs Could Combat Climate Change |
A new study has found that light-colored or "cool" roofs and roads could offset warming caused by carbon dioxide emissions. White roofs absorb less heat than black or dark roofs do and, since roofs and pavements cover 50 to 65 percent of cities, lighter colored roofs and pavement would offset the emissions generated by about 300 million cars for 20 years ( United Press International, 7/20/10). U.S. Energy Secretary Stephen Chu has announced new efforts at the Department of Energy to install cool roofs in all federal government buildings ( GovMonitor, 7/20/10). ACTION ALERT: Install a cool roof by following the guidelines set by the U.S Department of Energy. |
| Ocean Acidification May Threaten Replenishment of Fish Populations |
A new study reveals that ocean acidification may threaten the replenishment of fish populations. The study suggests that levels of carbon dioxide predicted to occur at the end of this century could affect replenishment of fish stocks and have added consequences for pressures already put on fisheries ( Science News, 7/6/10). ACTION ALERT: Host a house party or bring the film A Sea Change: Imagine a World Without Fish into your school. |
Arctic Studies Show Dire Effect of Ocean Acidity
| | The soaring levels of man-made CO2 in the atmosphere are proving devastating to the oceans: since the beginning of the industrial era they have become 30% more acidic. Scientists say the current frantic increase of seawater acidity is already causing serious problems for the pteropod, a sea snail vital for the Arctic food chain (Physorg.com, 7/26/10). ACTION ALERT: View and share this excellent four-minute video on ocean acidification in Alaska. |
Plankton Decline Across Oceans as Waters Warm
| | A new article reveals for the first time that microscopic marine algae known as "phytoplankton" have been declining globally over the 20th century, and scientists say the decline appears to be linked to rising water temperatures. "Phytoplankton is the fuel on which marine ecosystems run. A decline of phytoplankton affects everything up the food chain, including humans," the lead author said (Science Daily, 7/28/10). |
| Marine Biodiversity Strongly Linked to Ocean Temperature |
A team of scientists has mapped and analyzed global biodiversity patterns for over 11,000 marine species ranging from tiny zooplankton to sharks and whales. The researchers found that temperature was strongly linked to biodiversity for all groups studied. These results imply that future changes in ocean temperature, such as those due to climate change, may greatly affect the distribution of life in the sea ( Science Daily, 7/29/10). |
| Sea Otters Worth $700 Million in Carbon Credits |
Want to slow global warming? Save a sea otter. So says a University of California, Santa Cruz researcher, whose team has calculated that the animals remove at least 0.18 kilograms of carbon from the atmosphere for every square meter of occupied coastal waters. That means that if sea otters were restored to healthy populations they could collectively lock up a mammoth amount of carbon ( New Scientist, 7/7/10). ACTION ALERT: Join Friends of the Sea Otter, a group working with state and federal agencies to maintain the current protections for sea otters as well as to increase and broaden preservation efforts. |
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| Obama Assigns Responsibilities for Arctic Research to a White House Council |
President Obama released a memorandum that moved arctic science coordination activities conducted by the Interagency Arctic Research and Policy Committee (IARPC) to a White House council under the direction of Obama's science adviser, John Holdren. This should strengthen and improve the activities of IARPC ( Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, 7/23/10). |
Broken Icebreaker Fleet Puts Freeze on U.S. Polar Research
| | The U.S. Coast Guard announced that its only operational heavy icebreaker, the Polar Sea, was operational no longer. Icebreakers are crucial at both poles to open the way for scientists to study water below the ice, including biological productivity and processes such as carbon cycling (Nature, 7/14/10). Senators Murkowski and Begich both have legislation pending that includes authorization for more icebreakers as well as constructing port facilities along the Arctic coast. |
| Global Carbon Emissions Steady in 2009, First Time Since 1992 |
A leading climate change monitor says global carbon dioxide emissions held steady last year, as the recession slowed industrial activities in rich countries while growth in China and India made up for the decline. As a result of the recession, developed countries are 10 percent below 1990 emissions levels ( Guardian, 7/1/10). ACTION ALERT: Interested in lowering your emissions? Schedule an energy audit with the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation to identify specific inefficiencies that are wasting energy (and money). Learn more about the Home Energy Rebate Program by contacting AK REBATE at 1-877-AK REBATE or checking out http://www.ahfc.state.ak.us/energy/home_rebate.cfm. |
| American Robins Take Up Residence in the Arctic |
The Arctic is increasingly playing host to a growing list of southern species never before seen in the North's colder climes. On a recent expedition, a team of scientists encountered dozens of American robins amongst the Arctic's famous summer avian aggregation. Increasing species diversity and population may lead to problems of supply and demand. "It's collectively a signal of a changing Arctic," one scientist said ( National Geographic, 7/21/10). ACTION ALERT: Help keep invasive species from taking advantage of Alaska's warming climate. Join the Anchorage Park Foundation for a weed pull along the Chester Creek Trail in Anchorage. Meet at 5:00 pm Thursday, August 5 on the trail at the bottom of the staircase between Arctic and Bunker. |
| Climate Change Causes Larger Marmots |
Results from a decades-long research project show that marmots are growing larger, healthier, and more plentiful in response to climate change. The groundbreaking study is the first to reveal that changes in seasonal timing can increase body weight and population size simultaneously in a species--findings likely to have implications for a host of other creatures, especially those that hibernate ( Science Daily, 7/22/10). |
| Forest Service Shifts Strategy to Address Changing Climate |
The U.S. Forest Service released its National Roadmap for Responding to Climate Change and a new performance accountability system which will help the Forest Service play a leadership role in responding to a changing climate. The scorecard lists 10 goals for all national forests and grasslands to meet, including carbon assessments, adaptation efforts, monitoring, and more ( New York Times, 7/21/10). |
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This newsletter is produced by Alaska Conservation Solutions, a program of the Alaska Center for the Environment, Alaska's largest home-grown citizen's group working to enhance Alaskans' quality of life by protecting wild places, fostering sustainable communities, and promoting recreational opportunities. Alaska Conservation Solutions was founded in 2005 to draw attention to the pervasive consequences of climate change in Alaska and to pursue solutions and responses to the problems. Please join ACE to support our work. |
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