Blog About the Weather

Following Friday’s release of the landmark 2007 report from the United Nations on globalwarming, many papers have been providing awareness-raising coverage of the climate change issue.

Today’s LA Times weighs in with an article that illustrates a major factor in globalwarming awareness: That even with drastic lifestyle and behavior changes from world citizens, there is enough carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere that the impact of globalwarming is likely to last for centuries.

Globalwarming results when the atmosphere is unable to absorb all of the greenhouse gas emissions caused on the planetary surface. A fossil fuel emissions expert cited in the LA Times article estimates that all motor vehicle use in the United States probably represents 7.3% of all global emissions. In fact, if every country on Earth returned to Stone Age technology levels, save China and the United States, globalwarming would continue due to those two nations’ emissions levels.

The article also raises something known by many in the globalwarming awareness community: Some actions, such as buying hybrid vehicles, is an illusory contribution to emission reduction. While driving such vehicles does reduce emissions, even if every vehicle in the US were replaced with such vehicles, overall reduction would be in the single-digit percentages. Bicycling, walking, and public transit are all more effective reducers of globalwarming emissions.

However, even knowing this, it is important to take such steps, and for outspoken advocates to continue to rally political and economic forces to reduce emissions and take further steps towards creating livable communities based on energy-efficient principles. 2007 must be the year for globalwarming awareness!