National climate assessment released for public review

The sixty member National Climate Assessment and Development Advisory Committee (NCADAC) has released a draft climate report for public review. This is the third national climate assessment released. This is not the final report. It will be reviewed by the public and the National Academy of Sciences before being submitted to the federal government for consideration. The link will take you to a page where you can read about and download the report, or chapters from it. The report includes a “Letter to the American People,” and the site lists the members of the committee. I was surprised to see representatives from Chevron and Monsanto on the committee.

In years past, we have seen reports on the environment get edited by non-scientist members of the White House staff. If you want the unvarnished version, this review may be the best place to start. The report will be under review for three months, ending on April 12, 2013. The report was compiled from the writing of 240 contributors and is developed from the findings of the Global Change Research Program, at a cost of $2.6 billion. It’s your money that paid for the report, so maybe you’ll want to look it over.

The “Letter to the American People” begins with this, “Climate change, once considered an issue for the distant future, has moved firmly to the present.” It goes on to state that evidence of climate change has “strengthened considerably” since the 2009 assessment. Within the last week, I have seen postings on Facebook, as well as Rush Windbag, calling Al Gore a fraud because of his very public stand on global warming, so there are plenty of climate change naysayers out there. Before you depend on the vast scientific knowledge of Rush Limbaugh or Fox News commentators, perhaps it would be a good idea to see what real scientists, who study the environment, think. (yes, the lack of links there, unlike most of my posts, is intentional)

This is NOT a political topic. This is a topic of human concern. As I’ve stated before, I don’t care if it can be proven that mankind is causing global warming. It is happening and whether it’s a part of a natural cycle or a result of our careless use of the planet’s resources, we don’t have to contribute to it, and we should look for ways to slow it down or perhaps even reverse it. That’s one of the main reasons my wife and I drive Chevy Volts, and yes, we’re probably what conservatives would deride as “tree-hugging liberals.” There are those who say taking action would cost jobs. This is absolutely true, in industries that will decline because they are possibly contributing to global warming. But what about the jobs that will be created in renewable energy, carbon remediation technologies, electric vehicles and environmental research? Aren’t those better jobs to have in our economy that those that may be bringing about drastic change to the environment?

If you’ve been considering the purchase or lease of an electric vehicle, like the Volt, Nissan Leaf, Fisker Karma, or Tesla Model S, take a look at the rest of this blog. Although my personal experience is with the Chevy Volt, many of the experiences I’ve had will be similar to the experiences of drivers of these cars. The cost savings of electricity are undeniable. If you get your electricity from a provider that uses renewable energy sources, you can actually have a vehicle that does not generate greenhouse gasses at all!

Don’t continue to be a part of the problem. Be a part of the solution and spread the word.