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Dr. Alan Robock, Professor of Climatology in the Department of Environmental Sciences at Rutgers University and Associate Director for its Center for Environmental Prediction.
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With glacial melting, extinctions of species will be more obvious, there will be more precipitation, and stronger hurricanes. Coastlines will be vastly different globally. This will become a security issue in all parts of the world. We should begin mitigation now. We need to reduce our impact on natural environments, including the atmosphere. We need to become energy efficient, and to adapt our current practices. There was an energy panel on climate change in 1988 where 3,000 scientists from 150 nations conferred on these issues. By 1995 it was evident to the scientists that human activity was “likely” to be the principal cause of greenhouse gases concentrations. By 2007 this was changed to “very likely.” Scripps Institute, and then NOAA, have been monitoring data on global warming since 1958. The carbon dioxide concentration measured last spring was the highest in 20 million years. As the ocean warms, carbon dioxide is released more rapidly and reduced plant cover slows its pickup through photosynthesis.
Dr. Robock presented NASA climate model graphs that show temperature changes, focusing on global mean surface temperature anomalies. Every continent is warmer now. He stated that there has been nothing equal to this phenomenon in 2 million years. Human influence is evident in this upward trend, partly because we have underestimated the rate of global warming. Computer data can be used to project various scenarios. For example, droughts will be widespread, warming tendencies will lead to more severe hurricanes and a higher number of heat waves. The northeast United States will eventually have temperatures like those of Georgia. In the oceans, coral reef destruction will increase since the carbon dioxide making its way into the oceans causes the sea water to become more acidic. In 2007 there was a record low level of sea ice, much lower than had previously been predicted. Many species will be doomed to extinction because of climate change.
Dr. Robock said that moves can be made to slow the rate of warming. He recommended participating fully in the Kyoto and Rio environmental mandates, and providing leadership for working towards solutions. He closed by showing a picture from the Washington D.C. Metro of graffiti referring to global warming in a subway, saying that it reminded him of the words of a song by Bob Dylan, “…The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls.” (The text of this presentation, including the charts used to illustrate climate change, can be found on the following website: http://climatechange.rutgers.edu/resources/presentations.)
Rebecca Pearl, Sustainable Development Program Coordinator at the Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO).
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Women’s contributions are extremely important in affecting climate change. They are the ones who search for resources. They are the ones who walk for water, firewood, and food resources. They conserve water whenever possible. When Hurricane Mitch struck Honduras, the Red Cross had provided an early warning system, and the women were the ones who kept it going. No casualties occurred when these women were prepared. During droughts women often know how to find water, but their input in such matters is often ignored. In Bangladesh when floods came, fatalities data showed that up to 90 percent of the women and children did not leave their homes because they did not know how to swim.
WEDO is trying to put a human face on climate change and to look for ways to help poor women adapt. NGOs around the world can help. Gender equality is essential. We need a network of female ministers of the environment, and governments should be required to be aware of, and provide figures regarding, the range of persons in the population, and that they have different needs. The U.N. needs to come up with publications and accompanying research focused on these issues and provide practical tools to integrate the latest thinking on environmental problems that affect women and that need rapid attention. Internships are available for students who are interested in addressing these issues.
Dr. Steven T. Frantz, Sustainability Education Coordinator for the Scarsdale School District and a member of the Westchester County (NY) Task Force on Global Warming.
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Scarsdale schools are exploring what is being done negatively, and how this can be turned around. What can be done to get environmental issues into the classroom, faculty meetings, and community meetings? They address issues like energy, water, food, recycling, purchasing, general citizenship, appreciation of nature, biodiversity, and conservation of resources by daily exemplification of best practices.
Dr. Frantz stated that nationally, universities are ahead of public school districts along these lines at present. School districts and teachers feel other pressures from a number of outside sources. In Florida, for instance, science lessons were suspended for seven weeks so that students could fully focus on preparing for the standardized tests.
The staff in Scarsdale works to develop behaviors and attitudes that environmental concerns are everyone’s responsibility. Thus, students as well as staff are responsible for recycling; turning out lights is everyone’s responsibility. The Scarsdale school district took their carbon footprint, and members are working to reduce it. The goal is to be 10 percent lower in 2020 than the 1990 levels. There is a district web site where ideas are available (www.scarsdaleschools.org).
Dr. Frantz closed with a reference to the Dr. Seuss book, The Lorax. “Could it be you?” he asked. He urged those present to be stewards, to be responsible citizens of the world. “What are we waiting for?” he asked. “We need to make decisions now. We are the people we are waiting for!”