Creating a vibrant environment for a robust economy
More on Sustainability
Unless many smart, well educated people are mistaken, climate change is likely to become the issue of our time. There is broad consensus that a 2 degree rise in average global temperatures (3.6 F.) will have catastrophic consequences. Most of the climate change forecasts have proved too conservative. Climate change is occurring more rapidly that anticipated.Climatologist Malte Meinshausen has generated probabilities of an increase of two degrees. If greenhouse gases rise to a concentration of 475 parts per million (PPM) there is an average 64% chance that average temperatures will rise 2 degrees. Only if concentrations are kept at 400 PPM is there is a low chance temperatures will rise over two degrees (average 28% chance). We can only begin to appreciate the scale of the challenge before us when we learn that the current concentration of greenhouse gases is 459 PPM.
Governor Gregoire has formed a Climate Advisory Team (CAT) to formulate plans to reduce carbon emissions in Washington to 1990 levels by 2020. Mayor Hession serves on both the CAT and the Transportation Technical Workgroup that will make decisions regarding how to make those reductions. As the transportation sector accounts for 49% of emissions in Washington (compared with 28% nationwide) transportation will have be a major source of carbon emissions reduction. Please thank Mayor Hession for his service on CAT and encourage him to make Spokane a model for the rest of the state. By planting street trees in the city's 27,000 available spaces and creating a walkable, bike-friendly city, we can significantly reduce our carbon load and create a better quality of life simultaneously.
PAID FOR BY FRIENDS OF RICHARD RUSH • PO BOX 714 • SPOKANE WA 99210-0714