On Thursday, May 30, Climate Reality Leader Scott Murray met with fellow Climate Reality Leader, Congressman Scott Peters. With Members of the Sunrise Movement and San Diego 350, Scott requested that Congressman Peters cosponsor the Green New Deal resolution, agree not to accept contributions from the fossil fuel industry, and to host a town hall meeting to discuss climate change. There was agreement on the importance of addressing the climate crisis, but some differences in the scope and scale of approaches needed toward the solutions. Congressman Peters agreed to consider the contribution request and the town hall meeting.
With Climate Reality Leadership Training you realize you are part of a much larger group of people concerned about the climate crisis. Through activism, you can increase your impact, working with other groups to speak truth to power. Those are valuable skills that make a positive difference in this crisis. We have the tools available right now to stop the damage from polluting fossil fuels. We need even more caring people to help fight as if your world depends on it. Because it does!
Climate 101: Eating for the planet Part 3: Waste Products
Eating for the Planet Part 3: Waste Products
by Climate Leader David Gladson
What’s the connection between what we eat and the atmosphere? In the first two parts of this series we looked at food conversion and land use; today we’ll look at how the waste products of animal agriculture impact our atmosphere.
The most discussed impact is probably the methane burped out by cows, but that is not the only issue. Raising animals in industrial conditions turns what would have been fertilizer into a toxic waste product.
First, the methane thing: It is true that cows digest with the help of microbes in the gut, and those microbes create methane which the cows burp out throughout the day. Methane creates 30x’s more warming impact on the atmosphere than CO2 does, so a little goes a long way. There are ways to manage the amount of methane that cows burp by switching up what they eat, but in general, large numbers of cows are not great for the environment.
But the bigger impact is from all the manure these animals produce. When living in a natural environment, animal poop helps the soil by acting as fertilizer. But, 99% of the animals we eat in the United States are raised on Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, or CAFO’s. When you cram 1000 cows or 100,000 chickens into a single barn on a CAFO, the quantity of poop becomes toxic. Stored in lagoons, CAFO’s create literal lakes of poop. These poop lakes release more methane as bacteria work to break down the waste products. These lakes also impact water quality, contaminating drinking water as the concentrated poop leaches into the soil.
CAFO’s also contribute to ocean dead zones. In reasonable quantities, animal poop contains nutrients that fertilize the soil. But when you concentrate so many animals in a single location, it overwhelms nature’s ability to break down the waste products. When these concentrated nutrients flow down into lakes or the ocean, it create algal blooms as microbes feed on the nutrients. These blooms then use up all the oxygen in the water, creating a dead zone where sea life can’t live.
There are more than 400 ocean dead zones currently. One example is at the mouth of the Mississippi River, where the agricultural runoff from the midwest has decimated the fishing industry along the Mississippi delta. The once thriving shrimp industry has been destroyed by runoff from farms and CAFO’s along the river.
To sum up this three part series, eating animals contributes to climate change in three key ways. It increases the amount of food we have to grow, contributes to deforestation, and creates toxic waste products when animals are raised under industrial conditions. It is possible to raise animals in ways that don’t harm our environment, but not in the quantities we currently eat them. Restoring balance to our food system would require reducing the quantity of animal products we eat by more than 90%.
One of the simplest and most direct actions an individual can take to make a difference in the climate fight is to change what you eat.
Climate 101: Eating for the planet Part 2: Land Use
Eating for the Planet Part 2: Land Use
by Climate Leader, David Gladson
How does what we eat contribute to climate change? In our last article we looked at how converting plant food into animal food requires us to grow more food and increases the carbon emissions from farming activities. Today we’ll look at how land use also contributes to climate change and how not eating meat can help.
Land Use: The largest store of carbon on our planet is in our soils in the form of organic matter, and that organic matter is what gives our soils life. Plants, animals, insects, and microbes work together in an coordinated symphony to turn sunlight into sugar and unlock the minerals we need from the dirt. When left undisturbed, or managed well in regenerative agriculture, the soil is our number one ally in our fight to clean up the atmosphere.
The animals we eat eat a lot of food themselves, which increases the amount of land we need to farm. Growing food to feed to animals doubles the amount of agricultural land we use. Conventional agriculture produces a lot of food per acre of land, but at a high cost to the environment. It releases the soil carbon into the atmosphere, which is bad in and of itself. But this also reduces the land’s ability to grow crops for the next year. Farmers either rely on chemical fertilizers (which burn a lot of fossil fuels to produce), or they must convert new land into farmland, driving deforestation. By eating meat and animals products in the quantities we do, we drive deforestation and carbon emissions.
It is possible to raise animals in ways that don’t contribute to environmental destruction. For example, silvopasture is a farming technique that raises cattle in a forest environment. When done right, the cattle can actually contribute to the forest storing more soil carbon. But, we could not raise enough animals using these techniques to meet our current demands for meat. Switching to regenerative agriculture would require us to reduce our meat consumption by over 90%. Either we all need to drastically reduce the amount of meat and animals products we consume, or we need a whole lot of people to go vegan.
Raising animals to eat in conventional farms requires more farmland, driving deforestation. Furthermore, conventional farming damages the soil, causing farmers to seek new farmland (and more deforestation) or to use large quantities of artificial fertilizers and pesticides.
The simplest solution to this cycle is to consume less meat and animals products. It is possible to raise a small amount of meat and dairy in ways that don’t contribute to climate change, but not anywhere near the quantities we currently consume.
In our next article, we’ll talk about how the waste products from animal agriculture further contribute to climate change. Stay tuned!
Climate 101: Eating for The Planet Part 1: Food Conversion
Eating for the Planet Part 1: Food Conversion
by Climate Leader, David Gladson
So you’ve heard people say that you could stop eating meat to help the planet, and you are wondering, how does what I eat impact the atmosphere? Great question. While you might at first think that a calorie is a calorie, it turns out that different kinds of foods have vastly different carbon emissions in their production. Meat has one of the highest carbon footprints for three key reasons. We’ll look at the first one, Food Conversion, below.
Animals are not very efficient at turning plants into edible animal products. According to a recent National Geographic article, “For every 100 calories of grain we feed animals, we get only about 40 new calories of milk, 22 calories of eggs, 12 of chicken, 10 of pork, or 3 of beef.”
In more natural food system, animals would be eating things that humans can’t eat and adding food to the system. Cows would be grazing grass in a field that was lying fallow, or chickens would be running around the barnyard catching bugs. But that is not how our modern agriculture system works. More than 99% of the animals we eat are raised in some kind of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation, or CAFO. Packed tightly together in large sheds for maximum efficiency, the animals are fed a diet designed to fatten them as quickly as possible - a diet of perfectly edible corn and soy, with some agricultural waste products mixed in.
“For every 100 calories of grain we feed animals, we get only about 40 new calories of milk, 22 calories of eggs, 12 of chicken, 10 of pork, or 3 of beef.” National Geographic
Most beef marketed as free-range still spends time in a CAFO. The cow might graze for the first year, but then spend 6 months fattening up in a CAFO up before slaughter.
By converting human edible grains into animal products, we increase the amount of food we need to grow and increase the emissions from farming . And while many of us grew up believing that eating animals products is essential to human health, they are not. The experience of millions of vegetarians and vegans around the world proves that a balanced and healthy diet without meat is not only possible but easy.
In our next two articles, we’ll look at two other key ways that eating meat contributes to climate change: Land Use and Waste Products.
Outreach at Urban Discovery Academy
The local chapter held an event at the Urban Discovery Academy. Enjoy the photos below.
Letter to UT Editor by Climate Leader, Scott Murray
A "Climate Playbook" proposed by my Congressman, Scott Peters, will work as well as a playbook against the New England Patriots in New England while they are looking over your shoulder. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the gold standard source for policy makers, says we need to take grand, bold action if we are to avoid the worst of climate changes effects. Think drought, wildfires and sea level rise. Peters’ playbook is not that action.
Congressman Peters has a unique opportunity to help fill in the framework of a Green New Deal to make sure our San Diego values are represented. Our communities in San Diego have unique strengths and weaknesses, and unique challenges and opportunities, and our representative should be actively involved in crafting real meaningful solutions. We need an engaged leader to lead the way and take grand and bold steps. Co-sponsor a Green New Deal.
A Brief Climate Change interview with Climate Leader, T. Brian Jones
I was recently asked if I could help some students with a Climate Change research project. They had a list of questions that I answered for them, and I thought the general discussion would be great to share here. I could answer any of these questions with pages of information, but this was my quick response to their team.
What is your occupation? Credentials, titles, schooling?
Volunteer Chair of Business Education for the San Diego chapter of The Climate Reality Project. Chief Technology Officer of a Software Company. Former manufacturing Engineer with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Science communicator on Zengineering Podcast (many climate change interviews and episodes).
What are the major influences of climate change? Is it really caused by humans?
Climate change as is discussed right now is a direct result of pollution humans have released into the atmosphere since the start of the industrial revolution. It's specifically caused by Carbon in the form of CO2 from the combustion and general processing of Fossil Fuels for use in fuels, fertilizers, construction, energy production, etc., etc... Methane from industrial agriculture is another big contributor as are some other greenhouse gasses, but Carbon is the major threat.
It's important to recognize that all types of pollution are NOT contributors specifically to global warming and climate change. The primary concern and main cause of warming the planet and the oceans, and ocean acidification, is the release of more Carbon into the atmosphere than is naturally cycled by the planet's biosphere.
How does climate change affect human health?
The excess carbon being released into the atmosphere and the bi-products of combustion are extremely harmful for your health and our environment. As are many other products that come from these industries: plastics, building materials, industrial use of petroleum based fertilizers, etc. Imagine breathing exhaust from a car. You won’t survive long.
Global warming itself is currently and already creating extreme weather conditions that will continue to make parts of the planet that are currently inhabited, uninhabitable. It is also contributing to mass migrations (plants, animals AND humans) that will interrupt global geopolitical stability. It is very hard to scientifically attribute these affects directly to Carbon emissions, but it is indisputable in my mind that the connection is there. The Syrian civil war was in part forced by mass migrations from extreme drought in the region, for example, which is absolutely contributed to, in some degree, by global climate change.
It’s important not to overstate the correlations here, but generally speaking, there are a lot of very unhealthy industrial, commercial, and individual activities that are enabled by our reliance on fossil fuel based infrastructure. This answer requires more detail and subtlety than I’m able to give in this short response.
How does climate change affect environments? Biodiversity? Resources?
Climate change makes it more difficult or impossible for life to thrive in the way it has been accustomed to. This means animals and plants that can't move or successfully adapt will suffer and or die in those regions. The entire biosphere is being affected. One of the problems is that changes like what we're experiencing right now, have happened many times throughout the Earth's history, but they are today happening at a rate that is more equivalent to a major global natural disaster. It's hard for life of all kinds to adapt that quickly (think, hundreds of years rather than millions of years to migrate and evolve). Many plants and animals will die. Many will actually thrive in new areas too. Life will unquestionably continue on earth, but its form and diversity will be altered dramatically and forever.
What are ways we as individuals can prevent further damage?
Have this conversation every day and make every decision with the planet and the health of our environments in mind. Reduce waste. Eat less beef, sheep, chicken, and fish (in that order). Do everything you can to reduce your carbon footprint by using less energy and buying fewer NEW things. Spend money on experiences that employ other humans rather than on stuff for your house. Vote for policy and leaders that understand climate change and are working to change global behaviors. Realize that to solve this problem will require massive efforts from global governments and businesses, and some new technological innovations that simply are not available yet. Massive investment in these areas will be required.
If our individual carbon footprint won’t create a big change why should anyone bother?
Global Policy won't change if individual behavior doesn't change because individuals won't educate themselves or care. That means your purchases won't drive businesses in sustainable directions, and your votes won't be cast for leaders that will govern for change. Think globally but act locally. Additionally, many of the largest projects in the United States are being driven by states, cities, towns, and universities. Do not overlook the impact a major city, for example, can have when it makes changes that clean up its environment, improves the health of its citizens, and creates environmentally sustainable business opportunities.
Why is it that a significant part of the population disregards climate change?
EDUCATION and TRIBALISM. Some people don't understand what's going on and the complexity and fear surrounding the topic is too much for them to accept. The nature of climate change means that everything the modern world is built upon is contributing in some manner to what is happening. This means the problem is vast and scary, and the science and technology is extraordinarily complicated. It's hard to believe that little tiny humans can affect this giant planet.
Humans also naturally form extremely polarized social environments where people believe whatever the group they associate with tells them to believe even when they don't have enough information to form an honest opinion. This serves a purpose sometimes, but is dangerous. Do your own research. Make up your own mind. Stand up as an individual and take responsibility for your world and the lives of the people around you.
How does the education system stand in providing curriculum regarding climate change?
It does an ok job. I find that the concept of climate change is rolled up in a confusing way with the general topic of environmentalism. Pollution in the oceans, and extinction of animals, and recycling, etc. etc… are all part of the conversation, but the dramatic global existential threat to our world is very specifically TOO MUCH CARBON POLLUTION IN OUR ATMOSPHERE. Getting plastics out of the ocean solves a symptom of the real problem. Both need to be addressed, but one is more immediately important.
Very specifically, I believe we also need to teach more history of the Earth. Understanding geologic timeframes and the changes the Earth has been through in the past will help people understand the dramatic affect we're having on the current biosphere of the planet, and how to address the problems.
Green New Deal Petition Campaign via SanDiego350
Through their Raise the Alarm Campaign, SanDiego350 is targeting four San Diego Congress members as part of a national week of action. RSVP today for one or more Green New Deal petition deliveries.
Let's Quit Waffling on Climate Change
By Fr. Emmet Farrell
In 1988 Jim Hansen, a recognized scientist, said: “It’s time to stop waffling”. It is now an urgent necessity for the people of this democracy “of the people, by the people and for the people” to speak up. We cannot and should not allow the elected leadership of our country to waffle on climate change. Almost one hundred percent of scientists agree that climate change is real and the principle cause is human activity. This refers to the excessive carbon dioxide emissions caused by our burning of fossil fuels, particularly petroleum, gas, and coal.
The Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change, IPCC, and the Pontifical Academy of Science, PAS, have both stated, in essence, that we have one decade to lower fossil fuel emissions to avoid further and catastrophic weather conditions. We are already witnessing more frequent and severe hurricanes and flooding, melting of the polar ice cap causing rising sea levels, the hottest years on record in our air and ocean waters, plus the worst wildfires on record in California, due in part to drought and drying heat conditions. Is it time for people to speak up?
In December of 2015 at the Paris Accords one hundred and ninety-five nations signed a commitment to decrease the fossil fuel emissions. The present U. S. administration backed out of that accord. Our government is going the wrong direction and doing so against the thinking of the majority of our people and that of the great majority of nations of the world. Is it not time for the populace to speak up, to insist that our nation is headed in the wrong direction and to work together in greater solidarity to help us change directions.
Recently one observer told me that we have the technology, but what we do not have is the political will and the financial support to promote and develop it. Our government is joining the oil producing countries to become the world leader in oil production. Our governmental representatives proposed further coal and natural gas use at the COP 24 meeting taking place in Poland and were heckled. Historically, we saw big tobacco avoid the truth in order to continue their profitable business for years before the voice of doctors, scientists and people forced them to change their ways. We are now seeing the same denial by big oil. They have people paid to sow doubt about climate change and its harmful effects in order to continue to protect and promote their profitable sale of fossil fuels.
The one thing we should NOT do is to be indifferent. Pope Francis speaks of the “globalization of indifference”. Edmund burke said: “The only thing necessary for evil to thrive is for good people to do nothing”. Dietrich Bonhoeffer stated: “Silence in the face of evil, is evil itself”. As a person of faith, I feel obliged to speak out and ask others if they too should not speak their minds also.
Benefits & Features of San Diego's Free Tree Program
By: Dave Gladson
The space between the sidewalk and the curb is a kind of no-man’s land — owned by the city, but the responsibility of the homeowner to maintain. It is walked on too much to plant flowers, and too close to the road pollution for vegetables. So what do you do with this little strip of land?
Plant a tree! In fact, if you live in the city of San Diego, the city will come plant a tree there for free as long as you agree to water it. Here are three ways that this program can both fight climate change and help us adapt to the changes we are already seeing.
Image courtesy the city of San Diego
1) Breaking Up The Urban Heat Island
The concentration of asphalt, concrete, and roofing baking in the sun creates an effect called the urban heat island, raising local temperatures significantly. But, adding trees along a city street can reduce temperatures by up to 2C (4F). The trees both provide shade and cool the air through the water they transpire through their leaves (just like sweating helps keep you cool).
During the peak of summer a couple degrees can make a big difference in people’s health, as well as reducing energy consumption by up to 5%.
2) Carbon Sequestration
Trees pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere to build leaves, branches, and roots. They even transfer some of the sugar they produce to soil microbes, storing that carbon safely in the soil.
US emissions of CO2 rose 3.4% last year, and we’ll need to do more than plant trees to bring emissions back to a safe level. But every little bit helps.
3) Improving Air Quality
Trees absorb pollutants released in the exhaust from gas powered cars, including sulfur dioxide, ozone, nitrogen oxides, and soot.
If you are a homeowner with a parkway in front of your house, I’d encourage you to reach out to the city and ask for a tree today. One very small step you can take to help make our world a little bit better.