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slo carrizo plain

Climate Change Planning in San Luis Obispo

slo carrizo plainReports:

Climate change is a global phenomenon that has the potential for severe local impacts to agriculture, human health, natural resources, infrastructure, emergency response needs, tourism, and many other facets of society. Climate change impacts are expected to exacerbate the vulnerability of certain populations and sectors of society. By identifying and addressing underlying vulnerabilities early, decision makers in San Luis Obispo can increase the resilience of both the community and the resources it depends on to climate change.

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Actions You Can Take on the Road

(from the EPA at: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/road.html)

1.  Buy smart

There are now a wide range of more fuel-efficient vehicles that produce less greenhouse gas pollution.  Before buying or renting a vehicle, check out EPA’S Green Vehicle Guide and the EPA/DOE Fuel Economy Guide Website. The Green Vehicle Guide describes emissions of air pollution and greenhouse gases for each model, and the Fuel Economy Guide focuses on fuel efficiency, including side-by-side fuel economy comparisons.

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Actions You Can Take at the Office

(from the EPA at: http://www.epa.gov/climate/climatechange/wycd/downloads/wycd-office.pdf)

1.  Reduce equipment energy use

Office equipment and electronics use energy even when idle or on stand-by. To save energy and reduce greenhouse gas pollution, activate the power management features on your computer and monitor, unplug laptop power cords when not in use, and turn off equipment and lights at the end of the day. Consider using a power strip that can be turned off when you’re finished using computers, printers, wireless routers, etc.

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Actions You Can Take at School

(from the EPA at: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/school.html)

1.  Explore the Science of Climate Change

Visit the EPA’s Climate Change Kids website and their Climate Animations to explore the science and impacts of climate change. The site has games to help students, parents, and teachers learn about the science of climate change and what they can do to reduce greenhouse gases.

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Actions To Take At Home

(from the EPA at: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/home.html)

1.  Change 5 lightbulbs

Change a lightbulb, and you help change the world. Replace the conventional bulbs in your 5 most frequently used light fixtures with bulbs that have the ENERGY STAR logo and you will help the environment while saving money on energy bills. If every U.S. household took this one simple action, we would prevent greenhouse gas pollution equal to the emissions from 10 million cars.

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Key Conclusions from the 2009 Reports

Summarized here are 18 statements from two recent scientific reports on global warming and climate change.  The reports are:

Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States (2009)

Presenting the latest scientific consensus report on U.S. climate change impacts, this report by the U.S. Global Change Research Program presents inter-agency findings by a long list of experts enlisted by the U.S. Government (cited here as “US Impacts, 2009”).  All quotes below from this report are from “Key Findings,” pg. 12.

Copenhagen Diagnosis Updating the Latest Global Climate Science (2009)

This was written for policy-makers, stakeholders, the media and the broader public to synthesize the most policy-relevant climate science.  It relies on the 100s of papers published since the editorial cut-off for the Nobel-Prizing-Winning “Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) (2007).”  All quotes below from this report are from the “Executive Summary,” (cited here as “Copenhagen Diagnosis 2009”).

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rogue graves creek clip

Climate Change Preparation in the Rogue River Basin

rogue graves creek clipReports and Handouts:

The Rogue River Basin, located in southwest Oregon, consists of a diverse array of communities, economies and ecological systems. The Basin’s rich history, beautiful setting, and recreational and employment opportunities attract visitors and residents to the region year-round. Climate change is likely to produce significant new stresses and alterations to water quantity and quality, fish, wildlife, plant life, forests and fire regimes of the Rogue Basin.

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upper willamette river

Climate Change Preparation for the Upper Willamette River Basin

upper willamette riverReport:

While reducing carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions is vital to stabilize the climate in the long term, excess emissions already concentrated in the atmosphere will produce significant changes in the global climate now and throughout the next century. These changes are expected to transform natural systems and pose new stresses on native species in the Upper Willamette River Basin. Changes in the climate and in the Basin’s natural systems will, in turn, modify the way the local economy functions and produce new stresses on infrastructure and buildings, human health, and the quality of life of the people who live in and enjoy the Upper Willamette River Basin.

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