By Matt Brown, Managing Editor.
Heed the warning: the Earth is warming. According to NASA’s most recent data, the Earth warmed by about 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit since 1880, when carbon level records began on a global scale.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, under the control of the UN, believes (with 95 percent confidence) that most, and probably all, of the warming since 1950 was caused by the human release of greenhouse gases, often called “carbon emissions.”
“There is nothing political about [climate change],” says Aurelian Balan, professor of astronomy and physics. “It is absolutely confirmed by every reputable organization that we — without any shadow of a doubt — are having a significant impact on the Earth’s climate.”
This change in climate explains why much of the world’s land ice is starting to melt and the ocean water levels are rising. The National Research Council indicates that further increases in ocean water levels would transform the planet.
Currently, the ocean is rising at a rate of one-foot per century, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Further, a study in the “Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics” journal, published in March, estimates that the waters may rise as fast as one-foot per decade, not century.
However, Tim Klinger, professor of computer science, and instructor of meteorology, explains this will be a different story for the Tri-Cities: “We are not coastal, so sea level issues would not impact us locally,” he says. “The Great Lakes do their own thing based on annual and decadal cycles.”
Unfortunately, this doesn’t make us immune to all the aspects of climate change brought on by greenhouse gases.
Hitting our homeland
Our industrial lifestyle forces us to release gases containing carbon, primarily carbon dioxide and methane. The greatest producer of these chemicals is the burning of fossil fuels.
According to Balan, the greenhouse effect is very simple. First, visible light from the sun gets through our atmosphere, and the Earth absorbs this radiation. Then, it is re-emitted as thermal energy — or heat. Balan continues, “This thermal energy that’s released by Earth normally can escape Earth, but as the amount of CO2 goes up, the thermal energy sticks around.”
Methane traps more heat, but breaks down more quickly than carbon dioxide. It is produced by everything from swamps and landfills, to cattle farming and natural gas lines.
Forests can absorb carbon, but once vegetation is burned, the carbon is released to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.
Modern cattle production demands a lot of land, contributing to destruction of forests. Add on top of that the fact that cows themselves emit methane, causing trouble two-fold.
“The science is quite firm that carbon dioxide is increasing – mainly from human activity,” says Klinger. “There is consensus that this will impact the future climate.”
Population growth dictates that the demand for food will also grow. Millions of people in the United States rely on affordable food to survive on, and fast food burgers are cheap. Consuming less meat, driving down the demand for cattle production, and eating a more sustainable diet can help lower emissions.
Balan says, “The solution is that you need community gardens, but then you need communities to be communities, and for there to be communities, things need to be close together.”
Concerning climate change, local groups have taken the stance for sustainability. The Saginaw Valley Sustainability Society is an organization in which, “citizens can explore sustainable solutions.”
One of their recent projects includes reversing the adverse effects of early industry in the Bay Area. Concentrations of phosphorus in Lake Huron are largest in the Saginaw Bay. These high levels support the growth of algae and other aquatic plants, containing dangerous levels of pathogens, alongside the bay’s shoreline.
“The Lake Huron Binational Partnership” journal reported in 2006 that “the Saginaw River added nearly two metric tons of total phosphorus per day to the bay,” during the ‘70s and ‘80s. To combat these levels, the SVSS is working with other organizations to, “educate and guide reduction strategies for… phosphorus pollution loadings.”
It takes a village
The science seems solid on climate change, so why are so many people reluctant to admit this is happening? Balan says that it’s hard to “find someone who denies it,” but that you’re more likely to find, “someone who says, ‘be careful, there are other factors,’ and that’s because things are complicated.”
Then, what can those who stand behind the science do? How can everyday people reverse this?
Klinger says it would be very difficult to actually reduce carbon dioxide in our atmosphere and we likely at best can only slow its growth. “Honest reduction would require economic and cultural upheavals that I’m not sure the people of the world are ready to invest in,” he explains.
However, Balan says there is a ray of light: “A decade ago, it was far less profitable to be ‘green.’ Now it’s becoming profitable to be environmentally friendly.”
For those in the community who wish to take action today, Balan offers several options. “The first is to start at home. Live in houses that are only as big as you need them to be. You can bike everywhere because it is so cheap, and so good for you.”
Additionally, the SVSS is currently “teaching urban dwellers methods [on] how to make their own detergents – all phosphate free.” This community focus is important for environmental sustainability.From there, Balan urges people to study their hometown, look for other inefficiencies and write their mayor.
“Use less, eat less, light less, enjoy life more,” says Balan. “It’s actually super simple: Do less.”
However, if you’d like to do more, you can contact the SVSS at www.sagvalss.org.