Buxton, Erika

There is little disagreement that the Earth’s climate is changing. Temperatures are rising, causing many potentially catastrophic changes in our ecosystem. Scientists have been studying the possible causes of climate change since the 1950’s and have found convincing evidence that fossil fuel use since the Industrial Revolution is the cause for Earth’s increasing temperature. Specifically, Greenhouse Gases appear to be responsible for the majority of the damage to our planet.

The majority of scientific evidence supports the theory that the increase of certain gases in the atmosphere are causing a phenomenon known as The Greenhouse Effect. The four gases that are considered to be the most dangerous are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and sulfur hexafluoride. These gases are extremely efficient at trapping heat in the Earth’s atmosphere. The sun hits our planet with radiation daily as both visible light and invisible ultraviolet and infrared rays. Approximately thirty percent of the radiation is reflected away from Earth by clouds and other reflective particles in the Earth’s atmosphere. The other seventy percent is absorbed by the surface of the Earth. This energy is then released again by the Earth’s surface and should be able to escape. However, Greenhouse gases interfere and the ray’s energy are absorbed instead of being released into space. This ultimately has caused the temperature on Earth to increase.

Carbon dioxide is the most damaging of the Greenhouse Gases because of its longevity and prevalence in our environment. Since all life on Earth is carbon based, carbon dioxide is constantly being released through many different natural processes. Earth has historically kept the carbon dioxide levels to a safe concentration because plants use it as part of photosynthesis. However, human beings have created a much larger concentration of carbon dioxide on Earth due in large part to our burning of fossil fuels. At the same time, we have been replacing forests with housing and other structures that do not use carbon dioxide like plants do. Since the Industrial Revolution, carbon dioxide concentrations within the Earth’s atmosphere have increased from about 278 parts per million (ppm) to 410 ppm, as of April 18^th of this year. This represents a 38% increase in atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide since the start of the Industrial Revolution. Currently this number is increasing by approximately 2 to 4 ppm per year. Scientists have been able to reconstruct past carbon dioxide levels from air bubbles preserved in bubbles in ice cores and ancient preserved trees. Their data shows that this is the first time in human history that carbon dioxide levels have reached this point.

Rising temperatures on Earth have a myriad of negative effects on life, but the most troubling result of increased carbon dioxide levels is the effect they are having on our oceans. Bodies of water absorb carbon dioxide from the air and when too much is absorbed, it uses up the buffering effect of the water and the acidity of the water increases. In the oceans, this is having the effect of decreasing the amount of calcium carbonate in the water. This prevents creatures from forming shells, which endangers many species of sea life and in turn threatens the entire food web. More than one billion people’s food supply could be affected if carbon dioxide levels remain at their current level. The acidity level of oceans is currently 30% higher than it was prior to the Industrial Revolution. One of the most dramatically visible effects of this increased acidity is the death of entire coral reefs which used to be home to many species of sea life.

According the the UC Berkeley carbon footprint analysis tool, my carbon footprint is 25.3% better than the average household of the same size. We currently try to offset our carbon footprint by driving a hybrid and an electric vehicle. We also actively recycle and watch our energy consumption in general. Our future plans include replacing our landscaping with edible plants in some areas and low water native plants in others. We currently have solar panels on our roof but they do not produce enough energy to meet our needs so we are looking into a larger system. The only area where we could improve immediately is with our consumption of goods. We probably purchase more than we need in many areas. We also consume more packaged food than is ideal. Cooking more meals from fresh ingredients would be better for our health and the environment. However, it would increase our use of natural gas for cooking which may negate the benefits.

DVC could reduce its carbon footprint by utilizing solar panels for more of its energy needs. Continuing to actively educate students on how to protect the Earth is probably the most profound way that DVC can contribute to a solution for our current environmental crisis. It is vital to counteract the ignorance that leads some people to deny that global warming is real. It is also important to shine a light on the more sinister motivations behind denying climate change. Oil companies have a great deal of power and are more motivated by profits than survival, evidently.

The only way that significant change can occur quickly is if the government makes the environment a true priority and funds initiatives that make it more attractive for corporations to change their behavior in terms of how they impact the environment. Currently it is less expensive for them to continue to destroy our environment than it is to develop cleaner technology. The government must also find ways to make alternative energy more accessible for all citizens. Currently, solar power is still too expensive for the average landlord to justify investing in it for their rentals, for example. Also, leased solar systems are affordable for many homeowners but cause problems if they need to sell their home, so many avoid getting solar panels.

Scientists believe that the planet would need to decrease its carbon emissions by fifty percent in order to stop the damage that has been done to our environment. So far, the increase in solar power use and larger number of electric and hybrid vehicles on the road have not appeared to slow down the effects of global warming. Evidently, much more needs to be done immediately if we want to continue to enjoy living on Earth.