Global warming is real and we must take it seriously.
Every month or so, a new study is released that says scientists are surprised at how quickly the global warming phenomena is happening.
The news report linked to below is just the latest to provide us with important information about the impacts of global warming.
There are large, worldwide and national actions that can be taken to mitigate the effects of global climate change. The United States should sign-on to the Kyoto Accords, for instance. We need to have renewed international discussions about the impact of the growing human population on this planet. We also should initiate talks and research into the 'Peak Oil' phenomenon and what consequence there may be on us and on the global environment of diminishing sources of 'cheap' petroleum.
In our country, I am supportive of mandating the there be increased fuel efficiency for all new cars sold in America. This is important because a legal requirement equalizes the marketplace for all automobile manufactures. It is entirely possible that simply by increasing miles per gallon by ten percent, our reliance on Middle Eastern oil can be significantly decreased. The other benefit to this course of action is the emission of less carbon per mile -- contributing to less greenhouse gases being placed into the atmosphere.
As the owners of two Toyota Prius hybrid cars and a scooter for short trips, our family can testify that it is not necessary to have any particularly noticable change in one's quality of life by using more fuel efficient vehicles.
I support efforts like the Apollo Alliance and would be in favor of significant and substantial increases in funding for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), headquartered in Golden, to move us forward quickly to energy independence and start ending our reliance on fossil fuels. The day will come in the not so distant future when we will need alternative energy sources to fuel our economy -- the sooner we make a major, top priority commitment to this effort, the better off we all will be.
For Colorado (and the nation), I would also be supportive of 'emissions caps and trading' as a market oriented approach to achieving reductions in the release of carbon dioxide by business and industry. Legislation to implement this kind of program was just recently passed in California.
Finally, we can all do our small but important part in reducing the amount of greenhouse gases set lose into the environment by conserving our use of energy. Our family replaced almost every regular incandescent light bulb in our home years ago with energy efficient fluorescent bulbs -- and we have hardly noticed any difference in quality of lighting of our home. These light bulbs use "66% less energy than a standard incandescent bulb and last up to 10 times longer." And ... that means a bit less coal is burned and a bit less carbon dioxide is emitted into the atmosphere.
If I am elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, protection of our environment will always be very important ... because this wonderful state of Colorado and this beautiful planet is where we live -- the condition and health of our natural environment determines how well we and our posterity live and thrive.
Link: Scientists Find New Global Warming 'Time Bomb’ | Associated Press
Global warming gases trapped in the soil are bubbling out of the thawing permafrost in amounts far higher than previously thought and may trigger what researchers warn is a climate time bomb.
Methane - a greenhouse gas 23 times more powerful than carbon dioxide - is being released from the permafrost at a rate five times faster than thought, according to a study being published today in the journal Nature. The findings are based on new, more accurate measuring techniques.
‘‘The effects can be huge,’’ said lead author Katey Walter of the University of Alaska at Fairbanks said. ‘‘It’s coming out a lot and there’s a lot more to come out.’’
Scientists worry about a global warming vicious cycle that was not part of their already gloomy climate forecast: Warming already under way thaws permafrost, soil that has been continuously frozen for thousands of years. Thawed permafrost releases methane and carbon dioxide. Those gases reach the atmosphere and help trap heat on Earth in the greenhouse effect. The trapped heat thaws more permafrost and so on.
‘‘The higher the temperature gets, the more permafrost we melt, the more tendency it is to become a more vicious cycle,’’ said Chris Field, director of global ecology at the Carnegie Institution of Washington, who was not part of the study. ‘‘That’s the thing that is scary about this whole thing. There are lots of mechanisms that tend to be self-perpetuating and relatively few that tend to shut it off.’’ ...
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