Earth In Crisis: Inspired To Action
Grim Reports From The Climate Action Front Include A Few Glimmers Of Hope
By Tracey MacDermott
For the GPHN
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The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 is the biggest climate legislation ever passed in U.S. history. Although this landmark legislation wasn’t perfect, it provided a jumpstart on tackling our climate emergency. However, recent news regarding the Colorado River and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) 6th Synthesis report paints a grim future.
A recent study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters notes that the 22-year drought in the Upper Colorado River Basin has been severe. Tree ring analysis reveals the most severe drought in the past 1,200 years.
In August of 2021, the Bureau of Reclamation declared the first-ever water shortage for the area. Colorado’s snowpack from this past winter notwithstanding, reduced precipitation and rising temperatures have been estimated to account for approximately one-third of the decrease in the river. The ongoing drought impacts the availability of water for homes and agriculture, as well as a decrease in hydroelectric power. The picture that is being drawn for the southwest is bleak and requires immediate mitigation.
Last month the Biden Administration announced proposed reductions in water supplies to states in the southwest. The proposal evenly cuts water to California, Arizona and Nevada, and marks an unprecedented move. The Great Salt Lake has lost half of its water volume over the last 150 years. Lake Mead has fallen to record lows due to human consumption and a mega drought worsened by climate change. The current use of the Colorado River is simply not sustainable and with 40 million Americans relying on this water source, saving it from further decline is imperative.
So, what can you do? Here are some basic tips:
• Switch your bath to a shower and try to keep it to under 4 minutes.
• Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth.
• Run your dishwasher only when it is full.
• Use leftover cooking water on your plants and in the garden.
• Fix leaky taps.
• Install low flow aerators on your taps and showers.
• Don’t flush the toilet after every go. If it’s yellow, it’s mellow.
• Re-wear your clothes if they are still clean.
• Install a rain barrel.
• Stop using bottled water.
• Don’t let the tap run when hand-washing dishes. When you do run the tap, collect the water by putting a bowl under it.
• Convert your lawn to drought tolerant plants and grasses.
• Get creative!
Global temperatures are now 1.1° Celsius and it is likely we will hit the critical 1.5° C increase in the next decade. Melting Arctic ice is one of the main reasons why we must keep below the 1.5° C target. Using the Fahrenheit scale, 1.5° C translates to 2.7° F. In Fahrenheit, our summer season has already warmed 2.6° F in Colorado since 1970. This has led to more extreme heat days.
The most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report didn’t have a lot of good news, with some of it underscoring what’s previously been confirmed. Katharine Hayhoe, a world-renowned climate scientist summed up the key takeaways:
1) Climate change has already caused widespread and substantial losses to almost every aspect of human life on this planet. The impacts on future generations depend on the choices we make now.
2) Every bit of warming matters. The warmer the planet gets, the more widespread and pronounced the changes in both average climate and climate and weather extremes become.
3) The impacts are very serious: they directly affect our health, our food sources, our water and more.
4) The percentage of animal species exposed to potentially dangerous conditions increases significantly the faster the world warms. In general, ocean species like coral and tropical species are most at risk.
“The synthesis report is clear: we are not doing nearly enough to avoid dangerous impacts,” Hayhoe said.
In her summation, however, she did provide a point of hope: Many of the solutions, she noted, are (a) already available today, and (b) benefit us in so many ways — addressing health, equity, justice, and even economic concerns while increasing resilience and accelerating the transition to a clean energy future.
Each one of us can act, make sweeping changes in our lifestyles and secure a livable future. We must!
Tracey MacDermott is an at-large member of the board of Greater Park Hill Community, Inc., and immediate past chair. She was trained as a Climate Reality Leader in 2017, and is currently the Statewide Co-Chair of the Climate Reality Project for the 100% Committed Campaign.