Facts about Global Climate Change

This is a topic that concerns me greatly.  Even in our environment (the mountains in Colorado) - creeks that used to run year round and have never gone dry in recorded history, are becoming 'seasonal'.  Folks who live in towns and cities may not see the immediate impact (Because it is a man made environment).  Farmers, Ranchers - and people who live in rural areas have been noticing unpleasant changes lately.  I've made up this brief guide on the topic to present some of the basic facts and theories - some are controversial, but I would suggest further reading on the topic.  There are very good books, and a great deal online.  This is something that every citizen of the world should be paying attention to.


CO2 (carbon dioxide) is a 'green house gas' which is created by the burning of carbon based fuels.  Green house gasses serve to trap heat at the surface of Earth.  Some is good, too much is a problem.  There are other green house gasses which are important but for the sake of this guide we'll focus on CO2 because it is the most significant contributor to global warming - it stays in the atmosphere for centuries - so the consequences of todays actions will be with the Earth for a long time to come.   Present CO2  levels in the atmosphere are rapidly approaching 400 ppm.  In the last 100 years, CO2 levels have increased over 50%.  Most of the increase has been in the last 30 years.  The current concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is higher than it's been in over 600,000 years.  Without extreme measures it will most likely be around 500ppm in about 40 years.


About 80% of the worlds current energy is produced by fossil fuels.  Unlike wood, or other renewable bio fuels, the use of fossil fuel unlocks carbon which has been locked up underground for millions of years, and releases it into the atmosphere.

Almost all of the 20 hottest years on record have occurred within the last 30 years.


Pictured above is the controversial 'hockey stick' graph.  Many would dispute it's accuracy and there are surely flaws with it.  It is interesting however to even look at the last 100 years, when increases in actual measured temperature seem to correspond pretty directly with increases in CO2.

The hottest years on record since the mid 1800's: 1998, 2002, 2003, 2001, and 1997.

US residents on average use about 10 times the energy as the average human, and about twice the energy that the average European resident consumes.  The United contains less than 5% of the worlds population and consumes approximately 25% of the worlds energy.

In the last century the Earth has warmed  about 1 deg F,  most of this has happened in the last 30 years.   The impact is less at the equator and more extreme towards the poles.  Average temperatures have increased about 5 deg on average in Alaska, Western Canada, and in parts of Russia over the last 50 years.

There is a direct correlation between CO2 levels in the atmosphere and global temperature.  Almost all climatologists agree that this has  and will continue to have an impact on the worlds climate.

The United states should 'lead the world' rather than stand in the way as a road block on these issues.

Here is a list of 'known facts' which I've taken off the EPA's website:

- Human activities are changing the composition of Earth's atmosphere. Increasing levels of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide in the atmosphere since pre-industrial times are well-documented and understood.

- The atmospheric buildup of CO2 (carbon dioxide) and other greenhouse gasses is largely the result of human activities, mainly the burning of fossil fuels.

- A warming trend of about 0.7 to 1.5°F occurred during the 20th century. Warming occurred in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, and over the oceans.

- The major greenhouse gases emitted by human activities remain in the atmosphere for periods ranging from decades to centuries. It is therefore virtually certain that atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases will continue to rise over the next few decades.

- Increasing greenhouse gas concentrations tend to warm the planet.

You can find similar information on websites run by Chevron, and British Petroleum.  I think it's a sign that we should take this seriously when we see major oil companies getting concerned.

What are the consequences?

There are lots of theories  and predictions, most are scary.  It's generally agreed upon that there will be change (too much damage has already been done).  The more CO2 we spew into the atmosphere the greater the effect.  Odds are the arctic will no longer have an ice cap in 50 years - even if we cap off emissions at current levels.

Some say that if we continue 'business as usual' and make no changes we can expect over 50% of species on Earth to be extinct within 100 years.

We can expect more extreme weather events.

Large parts of the world can expect drier soil.  On the US governments website there are some predictions about what different parts of the US might expect.  For our area it suggests higher temperatures, less ground water and overall drier conditions.  This seems to be happening already.

Sea levels will rise - how much is an issue of controversy.

There may be some winners, and some losers - overall it seems a bit unpredictable.  There is little argument that there will be changes and they will not be convenient.  We need to do what we can now to minimize climate change.

Shall we gamble with planet Earth?

Some still consider the concept of 'global warming' to be controversial.  There have been studies that support an opposing point of view and there are some uncertainties.  There are also some fairly indisputable facts.  As important as the issue is, I don't think we should wait for 'more data', the time to act is now.  Perhaps the nay-sayers are correct - perhaps we can continue business as usual, continue to burn up the remaining fossil fuels in the earth, dump tons of CO2 into the atmosphere daily and there will be no consequences.  I doubt this very much and I don't think the future of the Earth is the sort of thing we should be gambling with.  Even if we take extreme measures now, it's probably too late to prevent significant change.  If we don't act now we can probably expect catastrophic climate change.  The bottom line is that our lifestyle in the '1st world' and our reliance on fossil fuels as our primary energy source is unsustainable.  Currently developing nations look at the US and Europe as an example and they strive to achieve our 'standard of living'.  This is scary stuff - if everyone in China and India were to do as we do the impact would be profound.  So we need to set an example and we should not wait for our Government to do this for us.  We need to act on an individual basis and the time is now. 
There is a lot to all this and this guide barely scratches the surface.  There are several good books on the topic.  'The Weather Makers' by Tim Flannery is one of my favorites. 

What you can do to help

We need to reduce our consumption of fossil fuels now.  Doing so will benefit us immediately by lowering our energy cost.  Often times a few small changes in habit and a small outlay of cash now, will pay for itself in a very short time.


Number one is controlling the climate in our homes - most energy is consumed by heating, or cooling our homes.  Obviously good insulation, good windows, and making things a bit more airtight can help a great deal.  Another big one - don't live in a bigger home than you need.  It's incredible to me to look at new subdivisions going up here on the Front Range of Colorado with 4000+ square foot homes, built with 2x4 construction with whole walls of windows pointing North away from the sun.  What are people thinking??  Setting the thermostat a couple degrees warmer (in warm climates) or a bit cooler (in cold climates) goes a long ways.  Swamp coolers work well in some places, and they use a fraction of the energy than a air conditioner.  (they also cost less)



Reduce your consumption of electricity.  The most obvious - if you're not using it turn it off.  We live off the grid, our home is powered by wind and the energy is stored in batteries so we're very aware of our consumption.  It's amazing to me to drive down our canyon.  You get 11 miles down (where the power lines are) at night and suddenly everyones home is lit up like a Christmas tree - lights on in every room, televisions glowing, lights on outside etc.  That sort of behavior would kill us in just a couple hours.  Turn stuff off unless you need it on.  If you want out door lights for security - put motion sensors on them.  Doing so will benefit the planet and your pocket book.


Buy efficient appliances.  A few dollars saved on a cheaper fridge or a cheaper television may well be spent in just a couple years - except you wind up with a cheaper appliance and the power company gets wealthier.  An LCD television (or computer monitor) uses less than half the power as a cathode ray tube unit.  Before you purchase new appliances do research, look for efficient ones.  Look at 'energy star' appliances.  Use compact fluorescent lights in every socket - they use about 1/4 the energy as a slightly cheaper incandescent bulb.


Drive less and don't drive a larger vehicle than you need.  If you can use public transit or carpool.  The new diesels and the hybrid cars get very impressive fuel economy and produce fewer greenhouse gasses.  People complain about high fuel prices - I think it would be a good wakeup call and force good habits upon us if fuel prices were double what they are now.  We're going to have to change our ways sooner or later - we may as well get into good habits now, save ourselves some money and do future generations a favor.


Use renewable energy whenever possible.  In many places (including here on the Front Range of Colorado) folks can opt to pay a bit more for electricity, and the utility is then forced to generate the amount of electricity you use with renewable means (often times wind power).  You can also generate your own electricity with solar, or (in more rural areas) wind.  The cost of doing this is coming down as the technology moves forward, and in many places there are tax credits and other subsidies that make the cost very reasonable.  Solar heat through both passive (logical home design) and active (hot water panels) works very well and can be very cost effective.  I expect energy costs will increase in the future - so an investment now may pay back sooner than you think.

After doing what we can as individuals, it makes sense to encourage other folks and institutions to do the same.  Talk to your employer, your neighbors, your church, your local schools and local government.

Some changes of lifestyle make be difficult or expensive, but I believe most of them will only serve to save money, set a good example and in the long run future generations will thank us.  I believe this issue is the most important dangerous issue that humans have ever been faced with and it demands immediate attention.