Earth Share of Washington

The Harsh Reality of Global Climate Change

In July of 2003, over 700 U.S. climate scientists submitted a letter to the U.S. Senate on global climate change. The letter highlights the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions clearly stating that the longer we wait, the faster we will have to reduce emissions in order to mitigate the effects of climate change.

The letter was delivered in time for the Senate to debate amendments to "The Energy Policy Act of 2003" (S-14), expected to address the issue of climate change/global warming. A copy of the letter follows.

THE STATE OF CLIMATE SCIENCE: JULY 2003 -- A LETTER FROM U.S. SCIENTISTS:

July 29, 2003
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senators First and Daschle:

Two years have elapsed since the publication of the most recent reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the National Research Council (NRC) on the state of the science of climate change and its impacts on the United States and the rest of the world. As scientists engaged in research on these subjects, we are writing to confirm that the main findings of these documents continue to represent the consensus opinion of the scientific community. Indeed, these findings have been reinforced rather than weakened by research reported since the documents were released.

In brief, the findings are that:

1) Anthropogenic climate change, driven by emissions of greenhouse gases, is already underway and likely responsible for most of the observed warming over the last 50 years, the largest warming that has occurred in the Northern Hemisphere during at least the past 1000 years;

2) Over the course of this century the Earth is expected to warm an additional 2.5 to 10.5 degrees farenheit, depending on future emissions levels and on the climate sensitivity; a sustained global rate of change exceeding any in the last 10,000 years;

3) Temperature increases in most areas of the United States are expected to be considerably higher than these global means because of our nation's northerly location and large average distance from the oceans;

4) Even under mid-range emissions assumptions, the projected warming could cause substantial impacts in different regions of the U.S., including an increased likelihood of heavy and extreme precipitation events, exacerbated drought, and sea level rise;

5) Almost all plausible emissions scenarios result in projected temperatures that continue to increase well beyond the end of this century; and,

6) Due to the long lifetimes of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the longer emissions increase, the faster they will ultimately have to be decreased in order to avoid dangerous interference with the climate system.

Evidence that climate change is already underway includes the instrumental record, which shows a surface temperature rise of approximately 1 degree (F) over the 20th century; the accelerated sea level rise during that century relative to the last few thousand years, global retreat of mountain glaciers; reduction in snow cover extent; earlier thawing of lake and river ice; the increase in upper air water vapor over most regions in the past several decades; and the 0.09 degrees (F) warming of the world's deep oceans since the 1950's.

Evidence that the warmth of the Northern Hemisphere during the second half of the last century was unprecedented in the last 1000 years comes from three major reconstructions of past surface temperatures, which used indicators such as tree rings, corals, ice cores, and lake sediments for years prior to 1860, and instrumental records for the interval between 1865 and the present.

On the subject of human causation of this warmth, the NRC report stated that, "The IPCC's conclusion that most of the observed warming of the last 50 years is likely to have been due to the increase in greenhouse gas concentrations accurately reflects the current thinking of the scientific community on this issue." Indeed, computer simulations do not reproduce the late 20th century warmth if they include only natural climate forcings such as emissions from volcanoes and solar activity. The warmth is only captured when the simulations include forcings from human-emitted greenhouse gases present in the atmosphere.

In summary, the main conclusions of the IPCC and NRC reports remain robust consensus positions supported by the vast majority of researchers in the fields of climate change and its impacts. The body of research carried out since the reports were issued tends to strengthen their conclusions.

Sincerely,
[names of 725 scientists, from 45 states]

To learn more about climate change, visit the following Earth Share of Washington member websites:

Climate Solutions
http://www.climatesolutions.org

Environmental and Energy Study Institute
http://www.eesi.org

Northwest Energy Coalition
http://www.nwenergy.org

Adventures in Environmental Justice!

This summer, Earth Share of Washington member EarthCorps launched Adventures in Environmental Justice (AEJ): a new outreach and community development program for urban youth. The program was designed by EarthCorps ORCA - Outreach, Restoration, Community Action - Apprentices. Two week-long, summer leadership camps brought together teens age 13-18. Week one focused on the Delridge/White Center area and week two brought together youth from the SE Seattle area.

"We wanted to do the program because we found that the concept of environmental justice resonates for urban youth. It connects them to the environment and it relates to their lives," says Kale Rose, EarthCorps ORCA Apprentice.

The Adventures in Environmental Justice program included hands-on work and overnight camping, as well as educational sessions about environmental and social justice issues. A project development workshop helped participants, and the EarthCorps ORCAs, think about next steps. Their goal for AEJ is for it to be a stepping-stone to greater youth involvement in community environmental issues. Challenges this summer included working with first-time campers who were very upset to discover that there wasn't any shower, and working with youth who had never thought about getting involved in a community project.

Developing the program was a great opportunity for ORCA. They look forward to developing exciting new relationships with partner agencies like Community Alliance for Youth and the White Center Community Development Association. AEJ intends to create a lasting legacy of youth-driven community building.

To get involved in the program, please contact Allison Riese at EarthCorps, (206) 322-9296.

Citizens Rally to Remove Spartina from North Sound Bays

- By Jacques White, Habitat Director, People For Puget Sound, jwhite@pugetsound.org

Earth Share of Washington (ESW) member People For Puget Sound has initiated a long-term, community driven approach to Spartina anglica eradication in north Puget Sound. This project involves People For Puget Sound working closely with citizens, state and local weed control agencies and other partners. "The ultimate desired future condition is a Spartina-free, naturally functioning nearshore environment" says Roger Fuller, marine ecologist with The Nature Conservancy, another ESW member.

Spartina is a perennial grass that thrives in tidal flats and salt marches. This native east coast grass wreaks havoc on the nearshore habitat of the west coast. It drastically changes tidal flow, sediment buildup, and chokes the fragile nesting waters of numerous Puget Sound species. In 1995, the Washington Legislature declared Spartina an "environmental emergency" and since that time government and private agencies like People for Puget Sound have been working to eradicate the invasive weed from our waters.

According to Tom Dean, People For Puget Sound's restoration project manager, "The specific objectives for Phase I of the project are to reduce or eliminate the remnant Spartina patches in the north Puget Sound where agencies have concentrated their efforts in recent years. We will identify and help control outliers at the southern and northern ends of known infestations, and involve volunteers in identifying and marking remote infestations and clipping seed heads to reduce the spread of Spartina."

Several volunteer work parties will be organized in Skagit, Snohomish and Island Counties over the summer to dig out plants and clip seed heads in small and widely scattered infestations of Spartina. Check the Earth Share of Washington volunteer pages for updates: http://www.esw.org/help/

To learn more or get involved in Spartina cleanup, call Lisa Markovchick-Nicholls at People For Puget Sound 206-382-7007.

Audubon Protecting Species of the Shrub-Steppe

YAKIMA, WA - The U.S. Army may be the Greater Sage-Grouse's best friend.

In recognition of the vast Yakima Training Center's abundance of native shrub-steppe landscape and the birds like the Greater Sage-Grouse that depend on that habitat, the center was dedicated as an Important Bird Area (IBA) on August 1st.

"The Yakima Training Center contains one of the largest remaining expanses - 360,000 acres - of shrub-steppe landscape in the Pacific Northwest, which is home to 40 percent of the statewide population of these spectacular creatures," said local naturalist Andrew Stepniewski, who noted that the Greater Sage-Grouse exists only in one other place in Washington.

The abundance of sage-grouse and 157 other native species - 68 of which breed here - are the reasons that Audubon Washington designated the Yakima Training Center as an Important Bird Area, or IBA, a critical place that supports significant numbers and species of birds.

According to Leslie Wahl, president of the Yakima Valley Audubon Society, the IBA program is a voluntary worldwide effort that identifies key places with significant bird populations in an effort to help private and public landowners provide sound stewardship for bird conservation and their property. This non-regulatory program, headed in the U.S. by Audubon and worldwide by BirdLife International, provides sound scientific information to help build conservation partnerships and public awareness.

Once found everywhere across the west's arid plains, Greater Sage-Grouse and many other native bird species now survive in isolated populations only in specific landscapes like the Army's training center. Other birds closely associated with native sagebrush and bunchgrass ecosystem that rely on the center land include Ferruginous Hawk, Short-eared Owl, Loggerhead Shrike, Sage Thrasher; and Brewer's, Vesper, and Sage Sparrows.

"The Yakima Training Center IBA is the only site in the region to support widespread and abundant numbers of all the shrub-steppe-dependent migratory species," said Wahl.

Cool Website - September 2003

Earth Share of Washington
http://www.esw.org/

Just in case you missed last month's issue due to Earth Page editor injury, we will repost our cool website for the month (we don't want you to miss out on our great new site).

Proud to toot our own horn, Earth Share of Washington recently unveiled a new and updated website. In addition to the new layout and design, we are excited to feature freshly updated volunteer opportunities, current northwest environmental news (updated daily), searchable archives for news and Earth Page articles, and many more great features. Do you like the site? Please send us your feedback at eswinformation@esw.org and tell us any features that you would like to see in the future.

Check back soon as we will be hosting a non-profit job seekers list online!

And the editor is recovering nicely, thank you.