Its Not Oil and Water:
Blending Climate Solutions &
Sustainable Development
Cameron Wake
Carbon Solutions New England
Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, & Space (EOS)
University of New Hampshire
Twitter: @TheClimateDr
6 Dec 2012
US Green Building Council
NH Chapter Annual Meeting
Were You Ready for the Storm?
Were You Ready for the Storm?
NASA Earth Observatory Image 30 October 2011
Quadrennial Defense Review 2011
“Although they produce distinct types of
challenges, climate change, energy
security, and economic stability are
inextricably linked.”
http://www.defense.gov/qdr/
www.climate.gov
Mauna Loa,
HawaiiLoa,
CO2Hawaii
Record CO2
1958
- 2012
Mauna
Record
1958 - 2012
http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/trends/#mlo_data
carbon dioxide (ppmv)
Vostok CO2 Record
1000
Business as Usual
800
600
Clean Energy & Efficiency
400
Current
Vostok Ice Core
200
400,000
300,000
200,000
Years Before 2100 AD
100,000
0
IPCC 2001
National Fossil Fuel Carbon Emissions: 1950-2008
http://cdiac.
.gov/
Arctic Sea Ice Extent 18 Sept. 2012
Global Temperature 1880-2010
(meteorological stations)
http://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp/
Northeast Winter Temperature Trends 1895-2008
Burakowski et al., 2008, JGR
Northeast Winter Temperature Trends 1965-2008
Burakowski et al., 2008, JGR
4 Inch Precipitation Events by Decade 1948 - 2007
Durham, NH
Lawrence, MA
Costs from Presidentially Declared Disasters
And Emergency Declarations in NH
Relative Sea Level Rise 1856 - 2011
Saco. Maine 17 Apr 2007
Nantucket, MA 18 Apr 2007
Northeast Climate Impacts Assessment
• Collaboration between Union
of Concerned Scientists and
50 independent scientists
• Geographic Scope
Nine Northeast states, from
Maine to Pennsylvania
www.climatechoices.org
• Peer Review
Climate Dynamics, 2007
14 papers in Adaptation and
Mitigation of Climate
Change, 2008
Projecting Future Climate Change for the Northeast:
Greenhouse Gas Emission Scenarios
Projecting Future Climate Change for the Northeast:
Rising Annual Temperatures
Higher:
6.5-12.5oF
Lower:
3.5-6.5oF
2oF warming
since 1970
Summer heat index:
How hot summers will “feel” in
Days per year over 90oF
New Hampshire
Extreme Precipitation Events Increase
• Heavy rainfall events are becoming more frequent across the
Northeast
• Under both emissions scenarios
-rainfall is expected to become more intense
-periods of heavy rainfall are expected to become more frequent
Bridge over Axe Handle
Brook, Rochester, NH
May 2006.
credit: Associated Press
Vulnerability of Ski Resorts
to Climate Change
Higher
Emissions
Projection of Sea Level Rise from 1990 to 2100
79
Sea Level Change (inches)
71
63
55
47
40
32
24
16
8
0
Vermeer and Rahmstorf (2009) Global sea level linked to global temperature. PNAS 106, 21527–21532.
Portsmouth NH
7 feet storm surge
5 feet SLR
12 feet flood height
Cameron Wake
Elizabeth Burakowski
Eric Kelsey
Carbon Solutions New
England
Institute for the Study of
Earth,
Oceans, and Space
University of New Hampshire
Katharine Hayhoe
Anne Stoner
Texas Tech University
Chris Watson
Ellen Douglas
Univ. of Massachussets
Boston
http://CarbonSolutionsNE.org
NH Climate Action Plan
•One of the largest, most diverse collections
of leading NH citizens
•Promotes growth of new jobs and
renewable energy development
•Reduces energy costs
•Identifies 67 recommended actions
buildings
electricity generation,
transportation & land use
natural resources
government action
adaptation
•Reduce greenhouse gas emissions
44% below 2005 levels by 2025
86% below 2005 levels by 2050
More info at:
http://CarbonSolutionsNE.org
Overarching Strategies to Achieve Goals
1. Maximize energy efficiency in buildings & transportation
2. Increase renewable & low-emitting heat & electric power
sources
3. Protect our natural resources to enhance the amount of
carbon sequestration
4. Develop an integrated education, outreach and workforce
training program
5. Develop plans to adapt to existing and potential climate
change
New Hampshire Climate Action Plan (March 2009)
New Hampshire Economic Benefits vs Avoided CO2e Emissions in 2025
Cumulative Costs – NH Residential Building Renovations
NH Gross State Products Vs. Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Stanford Social Innovation Review, Fall 2012
Percentage of Americans who believe anthropogenic global warming
has already begun, according to their political party identification
Were You Ready for the Storm?
Were You Ready for the Storm?
Satellite image of Hurricane Sandy, 28 Oct 2012. NASA image.