Force Change

Major shift seen in mountain ecosystem from climate change

The speed with which the effects of climate change can be seen is impressive.  Researchers from UC Irvine recently conducted a study of the ecosystem in the Santa Rosa Mountains in Southern California.  This study revealed that over the past 30 years, 9 out of the 10 plant species analyzed migrated an average of 213 feet up the mountain. 

Basically, all mountainous plants have a range with which the harsh mountain environment will permit them to grow.  The study found that warmer and drier environmental conditions at the lower elevations became too inhospitable for the species to survive, thereby causing them to migrate upwards to cooler air.  The study also looked at fire suppression and air particulate pollution as possible influences, and ruled them out. 

This evidence of a rapid shift in ecosystems relating to our changing climate is another warning sign.  The earth’s climate has shifted in cycles for millions of years, but it is the rapid speed with which this current shift is occurring that should be raising the red flags.  It is one thing for a plant species to migrate so dramatically over a long-term period of hundreds or thousands of years, or even for it to do so rapidly as a result of a discrete event like a volcanic eruption.  But it is entirely different for it to move so dramatically over such a shot period of time, when there is no acute event.  The warning signs of a major shift in our climate continue to pile up.  We can either act now, or the climate can act upon us.  It is one thing for thousands of pine trees to have to migrate up a mountain, it is quite another when the migration is for millions of people.

Photo credit.

No Comments | Posted in » Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Los Angeles

Pelosi indicates willingness to lift ban on offshore drilling

Following in the footsteps of Senator Obama, House Speaker Pelosi indicated recently that she would consider legislation allowing new offshore drilling as part of an overall compromise on a new energy bill.  This comes in response to indications that the Republican support for lifting the federal ban is gaining broad support from the public, which is concerned with high gas prices. 

While we are not in favor of increased offshore drilling, per se, that is not what is so frustrating about this situation.  Instead, it is the failure of our leaders to take the opportunity presented by high fuel prices to make a truly fundamental shift in our energy policy.  Yes, high gas prices are a large burden on the public (albeit a smaller one than in many countries).  However, this short-term pain presents us with an opportunity to make material changes that will benefit us in the long-term.

It is exactly situations like this where good leaders would explain to the public that high prices are an opportunity for a fundamental change, not quick fixes.  But instead, our current “leaders” use this issue as a political game without regards to the consequences of missing this chance for action. Ironically, the only politicians who are being genuine here are the ones that don’t believe the science behind climate change. The rest are just playing short-term political games that will affect the long-term health and security of our country and the world.

No Comments | Posted in » Energy, General, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Los Angeles, Politics, San Francisco, Water Pollution

From around the web…

• UC Berkeley professor asserts “There’s no question that we are in a mass extinction spasm right now”

• Brazilian government says pace of deforestation in the Amazon, the world’s largest rainforest, may stabilize this year on tighter logging rules.

• Energy giant Shell was rebuked by Canada’s Advertising Standards Authority for greenwashing its controversial tar sands project and plan to build the second largest refinery in N. America for calling the projects “sustainable” and implying they would fight climate change.

• Water conservation policies in Long Beach, CA are working, as water use drops 13% from this time last year.

Photo credit.

No Comments | Posted in » General

McCain and Obama miss Senate vote on extending solar and wind tax credits

The Mustache (as Grist.org has taken to calling Tom Friedman) had a column in the NY Times this week about Senator McCain’s failure to show up for all 8 of the votes in the Senate for a bill to renew the tax credits for wind and solar power.  Due to strong Republican opposition to the bill, it has stalled, and we are now facing a situation where these tax credits will expire at the end of the year.  If this happens, it will be a major setback for attempts to build a meaningful renewable energy industry in our country. 

McCain, who has faced significant criticism this year for his voting record (or lack thereof) on the environment, continues to emphasize his green credentials, even showing majestic images of windmills in his campaign commercials running this week during the Olympics.  However, as Friedman points out, not only did McCain not vote all eight times on this issue, but for one of them, “he was even in the Senate and wouldn’t leave his office to vote.”  

With that said, Senator Obama has proved only slightly more genuine on this matter, having missed the most recent vote on July 30, but making the previous three.  However, given how the candidates have been wasting their time bickering over tire pressure and off-shore drilling lately, it is funny (and sad) to see that not only are they not voting to support their positions, but their campaigns are using almost identical windmill footage to promote those “policies.”

The Mustache really puts it best by stating:

Without taxing fossil fuels so they become more expensive and giving subsidies to renewable fuels so they become more competitive - and changing regulations so more people and companies have an interest in energy efficiency - we will not get innovation in clean power at the scale we need.

That is what this election should be focusing on. Everything else is just bogus rhetoric designed by cynical candidates who think Americans are so stupid - so bloody stupid - that if you just show them wind turbines in your Olympics ad they’ll actually think you showed up and voted for such renewable power - when you didn’t.

No Comments | Posted in » Energy, General, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Politics

Cost of gas in America still relatively low compared to world

As the national average price of gas continues to hover around $4 per gallon, and our politicians continue their petty tire gauge politics over who can come up with a better proposal to lower those prices, we thought it would be interesting to take a look at how our cost of gas compares to other countries around the world.  This NY Times chart, from a little over a month ago shows that we still pay substantially less per gallon than most other countries in the world.  The source of the higher costs in other countries can generally be attributed to higher gas taxes in those nations.  Many of the countries with cheaper gas, including China and Indonesia, substantially subsidize the cost of fuel. 

Clicking on the above graphic will enlarge it.

No Comments | Posted in » Energy, General, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Politics, Transportation

California high speed rail plan to prioritize San Francisco to Los Angeles route

The California State Senate passed a bill late last week to amend the bond measure for the high speed rail system that is going before state voters in the November election.  If passed by the Assembly and signed by the Governor, the new language of the measure will ensure that the Los Angeles to San Francisco route (the “backbone” of the system) will get priority in the construction process.  Before this change, the high speed rail system could have been built piecemeal, with different local links being built in any particular order.  While this is smart policy, there are still many obstacles to be overcome before construction on this transit system can begin.  (The least of which, being voter approval of the ballot measure in November.)

No Comments | Posted in » General, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Transportation