{"id":456,"date":"2012-02-11T03:49:42","date_gmt":"2012-02-11T03:49:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nipspeersupport.org\/?page_id=456"},"modified":"2012-02-11T03:49:42","modified_gmt":"2012-02-11T03:49:42","slug":"climate-change-problem-and-solution","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/nipspeersupport.org\/?page_id=456","title":{"rendered":"Climate Change: Problem and Solution"},"content":{"rendered":"

Climate Change: Problem and Solution<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The Problem<\/strong><\/p>\n

Climate change has already damaged our planet severely; it will not be the same for thousands of years, if ever\u2014even if we stopped all carbon emissions today. There is no argument about the science. Global warming exists and human cause it. Southern Arizona, like the rest of our planet, must deal with this crisis, right now, right here, not sometime in our grandchildren\u2019s future and not in some poor, foreign country.<\/p>\n

Last year, the percentage of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere went up 6%–in one year! That is beyond the worst case scenario projected by climate scientists only four years ago! The International Panel on Climate Change just announced that, yes, all this extreme weather is officially due to climate change. Within the last few weeks, our leading climate scientist, James Hansen, has concluded that the widely-accepted, but not-much-acted- upon goal of holding global warming to an increase of 2 degrees Celsius is too high. Even one degree will doom our species to a planet unlike that in which we evolved. Also recently, leading economists have concluded that we only have a few years, until 2020, max to radically reduce fossil fuel consumption.<\/p>\n

For Arizona, this means more and worse temperature increases, forest fires and droughts. Think dust storms every day! Higher temperatures are already killing our pine forests. Food supplies will be disrupted globally, yet Tucson only has 3-5 days\u2019 supply of food on hand. Our average food item is shipped from 1500 miles away\u2014so long as there is fuel to carry it at a reasonable price! The Colorado River won\u2019carry enough water for Los Angeles\u2014much less Arizona! \u00a0No more CAP! We will be drinking the treated water contaminated with TCE, instead of pumping it back into the ground. \u00a0Tucson Water is already planning a billion-dollar water desalination plant!<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, the United States causes much of the problem. We use the most energy per capita. We refuse international agreements, just this month in Durban, South Africa. We subsidize coal, oil and natural gas along with an agriculture and food system dependent on petroleum products. We subsidize more extreme forms of extracting fossil fuels which cost more and emit more carbon: tar sands, \u201cfracking\u201d natural gas and deep, deep sea drilling. We massively subsidize nuclear energy and refuse to invest in renewable energy.<\/p>\n

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Arizona State just withdrew from the multi-state Western Climate Initiative. The state\u2019s investor-owned utilities are reducing incentives for solar energy which is killing that industry which we should lead.<\/p>\n

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Even Tucson does not deal with climate change adequately. The City Council just passed a Sustainability Plan which will only achieve one half of the now far too moderate Kyoto goals set for 2050. A serious plan would reduce emissions by 80%. Tucson business leaders are proposing a \u201cvision\u201d of another million people in Tucson! TEP burns COAL in one furnace on Valencia.<\/p>\n

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A Useful Perspective\u2014Fixing Climate Change Can Be Fun!<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Francis More Lappe reminds us in her new book \u201cEco-Mind\u201d that we already waste more energy than we need to live well. The steps required to end climate change lead to a fun and flourishing life for all of us, with more time spent on relationships than \u201cstuff.\u201d Please take a deep breath. This can be fun!<\/p>\n

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Multiple Action Steps at Multiple Levels Are Required<\/strong><\/p>\n

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There is no \u201csingle\u201d solution to this crisis. Yes, individuals have to change our lifestyles. Yes, we have to come together at the neighborhood level to enable and support those individual changes. However, if every single one of us adopted ALL of the recommendations in Al Gore\u2019s movie th Inconvenient Truth, we would not solve this problem. \u00a0Therefore, we need new policies at the city, county, state, national and international level. We have to take action at ALL these levels. Tucson and Southern Arizona are blessed with a very large number of groups and organizations working on all these levels. We have highlighted a few.<\/p>\n

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Individual\/Household Level Actions<\/strong><\/p>\n

We do need to change our lifestyles to use less carbon<\/span>. You can get help on all these steps listed below at the monthly Sustainable Tucson meeting on the first Monday evening. Representatives of many other organizations also attend these meetings. However, you need a group around you to undertake these steps\u2014in your neighborhood.<\/h3>\n

Food<\/h3>\n

Buy local natural foods.
\nEat at restaurants that serve local natural foods.
\nCultivate a backyard kitchen garden.
\nMake nutrient-rich soil by composting waste.
\nCook with solar ovens.<\/p>\n

Water<\/h3>\n

Harvest rainwater.
\nIrrigate landscape with greywater.
\nUse native landscape plants.
\nUse low-flow toilet.
\nUse front loading washing machine.
\nUse low-flow faucets and shower heads.<\/p>\n

Transportation<\/h3>\n

Share rides with others.
\nUse public transit.
\nWalk more.
\nBicycle more.
\nUse electric cars, scooters, and bicycles.
\nUse bio-diesel made from local feedstock.
\nLobby for expanded sidewalks, bike paths, and transit.<\/p>\n

Buildings<\/h3>\n

Add wall and roof insulation.
\nUpgrade to insulated windows and doors.
\nCaulk air leaks.
\nUse high efficiency air conditioning or coolers.
\nInstall solar-electric panels.
\nInstall solar hot-water system.
\nUse natural lighting and energy-efficient bulbs.
\nShade buildings with trees and shrubs.
\nUse local materials.
\nRecycle solid waste material locally for future uses.
\nDry clothes in sun.<\/p>\n

Social (all of these steps are easier in a group!)<\/h3>\n

Talk with your neighbors.
\nTeach children.
\nListen to others.
\nJoin groups doing sustainability work.
\nHelp people who need help.
\nIntroduce sustainability into your work and social groups.
\nShare work projects with others.
\nBuy Locally. Employ locally.
\nSpend leisure time in Tucson.
\nCelebrate community.<\/p>\n

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Specific Support for Individual Actions<\/strong><\/p>\n

NIPS has researched specific organizations to help you with each of these steps. Their contact information is listed on our website at www.NIPSPeerSupport.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Please let us know how these organizations and companies help you, so that we can update our list.<\/p>\n

NIPS is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization registered with the Internal Revenue Service. Contributions to NIPS are tax-deductible. NIPS does not engage in lobbying or elections.<\/p>\n

This brochure is produced by the National Institute for Peer Support (NIPS) for its climate change project.<\/p>\n

Please return this form to the National Institute for Peer Support: Climate Change Project, 4151 E. Boulder Springs Way, Tucson, AZ 85712.<\/p>\n

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For more information, please call 520-250-0509 or email JimDriscoll@NIPSPeerSupport.org, Our website is: www.NIPSPeerSupport.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Regional Actions: Tucson<\/strong><\/p>\n

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