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GLOBAL WARMING IMPACTS IN FLORIDA · and water vapor trapped ... • Many counties in Florida...
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Sea level rise could damage or destroy all buildings within 250 feet of the coast by 2100. GLOBAL WARMING IMPACTS IN FLORIDA FL coal‐fired power plants produce 55,601,039 tons of CO2 each year. Human activities are the primary cause of global warming. Deforestation and unsustainable agricultural practices coupled with the burning of fossil fuels to transport goods, drive our vehicles, heat our homes, and generate electricity have increased WHAT IS GLOBAL WARMING? The consequences of global warming have impacted public health, safety, the environment and the global economy for decades. NASA reports that 2000 to 2009 was the hottest decade ever recorded. Extreme temperatures and weather events in 2010 made headlines and set new records worldwide. carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases in our atmosphere to dangerous levels. CO2 levels are currently 30% higher than any time over the past 800,000 years. Without strong policies that lower global warming pollution, CO2 levels are expected to skyrocket to 2‐3 times this level by 2100. Excess CO2 and water vapor trapped in our atmosphere drive up temperatures and significantly alter weather systems worldwide. Other impacts, such as more extreme weather, rapid melting of glaciers, sea level rise and many others are expected to become more severe and intense over time as global warming continues to go unchecked. WHY SHOULD I CARE? • Global warming will likely cause sea level to rise 2‐3 ft. along Florida’s coast by 2100. Permanent flooding will damage or destroy all buildings within 250 ft. of the shoreline and put Florida’s $15 billion beach tourism industry at risk. • Global warming could devastate Florida’s eco‐tourism, hunting and fishing industries that employ over 120,000 people and bring in nearly $8 billion. Sea level rise could force saltwater up to 10 mi. inland threatening drinking water supplies. The Everglades could shrink to half its size causing irreparable damage to the ecosystem. • Global warming has caused Florida summers and winters to become more extreme, impacting the livelihoods of farmers, particularly citrus growers. Scientists project that Florida will have more than 165 days per year over 90°F, up from 60 days in the 1960’s and 1970’s. • Many counties in Florida combine . Areas such as Miami‐ Dade County and Little Haiti have increased risk, and little to no means to protect themselves, their property or their culture. • Ocean acidification caused by global warming threatens the survival of corals, other marine organisms and plankton, the very base of the ocean’s food chain.
Transcript of GLOBAL WARMING IMPACTS IN FLORIDA · and water vapor trapped ... • Many counties in Florida...
Sealevelrisecoulddamageordestroyallbuildingswithin250feetofthecoastby2100.
GLOBALWARMINGIMPACTSINFLORIDA
FLcoal‐firedpowerplantsproduce55,601,039tonsofCO2eachyear.
Humanactivitiesaretheprimarycauseofglobalwarming.Deforestationandunsustainableagriculturalpracticescoupledwiththeburningoffossilfuelstotransportgoods,driveourvehicles,heatourhomes,andgenerateelectricityhaveincreased
WHATISGLOBALWARMING?
Theconsequencesofglobalwarminghaveimpactedpublichealth,safety,theenvironmentandtheglobaleconomyfordecades.NASAreportsthat2000to2009wasthehottestdecadeeverrecorded.Extremetemperaturesandweathereventsin2010madeheadlinesandsetnewrecordsworldwide.
carbondioxide(CO2)andothergreenhousegasesinouratmospheretodangerouslevels.CO2levelsarecurrently30%higherthananytimeoverthepast800,000years.Withoutstrongpoliciesthatlowerglobalwarmingpollution,CO2levelsareexpectedtoskyrocketto2‐3timesthislevelby2100.ExcessCO2andwatervaportrappedinouratmospheredriveuptemperaturesandsignificantlyalterweathersystemsworldwide.Otherimpacts,suchasmoreextremeweather,rapidmeltingofglaciers,sealevelriseandmanyothersareexpectedtobecomemoresevereandintenseovertimeasglobalwarmingcontinuestogounchecked.
WHYSHOULDICARE?• Globalwarmingwilllikelycausesealeveltorise2‐3ft.
alongFlorida’scoastby2100.Permanentfloodingwilldamageordestroyallbuildingswithin250ft.oftheshorelineandputFlorida’s$15billionbeachtourismindustryatrisk.
• GlobalwarmingcoulddevastateFlorida’seco‐tourism,huntingandfishingindustriesthatemployover120,000peopleandbringinnearly$8billion.Sealevelrisecouldforcesaltwaterupto10mi.inlandthreateningdrinkingwatersupplies.TheEvergladescouldshrinktohalfitssizecausingirreparabledamagetotheecosystem.
• GlobalwarminghascausedFloridasummersandwinterstobecomemoreextreme,impactingthelivelihoodsoffarmers,particularlycitrusgrowers.ScientistsprojectthatFloridawillhavemorethan165daysperyearover90°F,upfrom60daysinthe1960’sand1970’s.
• ManycountiesinFloridacombine.AreassuchasMiami‐
DadeCountyandLittleHaitihaveincreasedrisk,andlittletonomeanstoprotectthemselves,theirpropertyortheirculture.
• Oceanacidificationcausedbyglobalwarmingthreatensthe
survivalofcorals,othermarineorganismsandplankton,theverybaseoftheocean’sfoodchain.
TAKEACTIONAGAINSTGLOBALWARMING
1. Uselessofallkindsofenergybybeingenergyefficientathomeandatwork.
2. Findalternatemodesoftransportationasoftenaspossibletolessenyourfuelconsumption.3. Shopandeatlocally.Doingsowillhelpreduceyourcarbonfootprint.
Tofindoutotherwaystoreduceyourcarbonfootprint,clickhereorvisitwww.cleanenergy.org!
STATERESPONSE
Currently29statesplusD.C.haveRenewableEnergyStandards(RES).AnRESrequiresacertainpercentageofenergytocomefromrenewablesourcessuchaswind,solarandbiomass.TheSoutheastlagsthenationinimplementingthesepolicies.NCleadsastheonlystateintheregionwithastate‐styleRESthatrequires12.5%ofenergyproducedtocomefromrenewableenergyandenergyefficiencyby2021.
FLcandobetter!Twoindependentreports(1)(2)foundthat~20%ofFL’senergycouldcomefromrenewablesources.Ifastrong,federalRESwascreatedwecouldgoalongwaytowardmakinguseoftheselocal,sustainableresources.
PERSONALRESPONSE
NATIONALRESPONSE
Nationalclimateandenergypoliciesareimperativetoensureprotectionfromtheworstimpactsofglobalwarming.
Chinaleadstheworldinrenewableenergyinvestment,spendingalmosttwicetheU.S.
Callyourlegislatorsandtellthemwemustleadthewayinclimateandenergypoliciesthat:
•Putascience‐basedcaponcarbonemissions;•Investincleanenergytechnologyandindustriesthatcreatejobs;•Holdpollutersaccountableandendfossil‐fuelsubsidies;•PreserveandstrengthentheCleanAirAct.
TAKEACTIONTODAY!
FindandContactyourLegislatorshttp://tiny.cc/xxdbr
BecomeaMemberofSACEToday
www.cleanenergy.org
JointheFloridaClimateAlliance
www.floridaclimatealliance.groupsite.com
