Contacts:
Dr. Robert Twilley, Director Wetland Biogeochemistry Institute, Louisiana State University: 225-578-8806
Micah Walker Parkin, Program Director, Alliance for Affordable Energy, 504 258-1247
Vicki Murillo, Program Director for Water Resources, Gulf Restoration Network, 525-1528, ext. 204
Report Warns of Dangers of Rising Arctic Temperatures
The critical impacts of global climate change have been studied and documented in a report being released today by the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment Group, sponsored by the eight nations within the Arctic territory including Canada, Denmark, the Russian Federation, Sweden and the United States. The study was conducted and reviewed over four years by 250 scientists and representatives of six organizations representing Arctic native communities. The report concludes that the continued release of greenhouse gases will result in a significant increase in global temperatures which will in turn have grave impacts on not only the Arctic people and wildlife but also the rest of the world.
The release of gases such as carbon dioxide and methane is a result of burning fossil fuels, like coal, oil and natural gas. The release of these gases will cause an average annual temperature increase of about 1.4-5.8 degrees C over the next century according to the report, causing vast changes in our atmospheric and oceanic circulation patterns.
The Arctic is especially vulnerable to these changes. Temperatures there are predicted to increase by twice what global temperatures will increase, melting sea ice, snow, and permafrost and making the survival of many Arctic species, such as polar bears, and the way of life of indigenous people at great risk. The rise in temperature will drastically impact the unique wildlife, culture, and landscape of the arctic as well as the important economic resources it provides. The snow and ice of the Arctic currently serves to reflect a large amount of sunlight, losing this resource will increase the amount of dark land mass, furthering the absorption of heat and contributing to rising temperatures.
The extensive impact that rising temperatures will have on the Arctic will in turn affect the rest of the world. The melting of glaciers and sea ice will not only have profound changes on the Arctic environment, but will cause a rise in sea level internationally, slowing ocean circulation and destabilizing the global climate. The International Panel of Climate Change predicts a sea level rise of 1-3 feet in the next century, escalating flooding, erosion, and saltwater intrusion into freshwater supplies. Rising sea levels will also increase flooding and erosion in all coastal areas.
The IPCC listed New Orleans as North America’s most vulnerable city to the impacts of climate change because of its low elevation, exposure to hurricanes, and rapidly eroding protective coastal wetlands. “The rising sea level will have immense impacts on Louisiana’s coastlands, destroying habitats and fisheries,” said Vicki Murillo of the Gulf Restoration Network. The intrusion of salt water into Louisiana’s freshwaters will limit drinking water and agricultural irrigation supplies. The drastic changes in ocean currents and temperatures may intensify hurricanes and storms. These storms, along with higher sea-levels, puts our unique landscape, infrastructure and citizens at risk from higher storm surges, especially considering the coastal land loss that is already occurring, according to Confronting Climate Change in the Gulf Coast Region, a report co-authored by Dr. Robert Twilley of LSU.
“The Arctic Climate Impact Assessment comprehensively addresses the impacts of climate change on the Arctic, but these impacts also have severe consequences for the rest of world, especially New Orleans,” said Micah Walker Parkin of the Alliance for Affordable Energy. “In order to avoid drastic changes in our climate, landscapes, and lifestyles, significant reductions in the amount of greenhouse gases are necessary, and fortunately, solutions are available to help us achieve these reductions,” said Parkin. “Policies are needed to jumpstart the use of technologies, such as renewable energy and energy efficiency, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help American businesses keep up with the rest of the world.”
Russia recently signed onto the Kyoto protocol, which will now go into effect next year despite the Bush administration’s refusal to sign on. The McCain-Lieberman Climate Stewardship Act, a U.S. cap and trade program that would reduce greenhouse gases to 2000 levels by 2010, has been proposed as an alternative, but has so far failed to receive the votes necessary to go into effect. The Act would take a first step in dealing with this environmental threat by requiring industry to control the amount of pollution that they emit into the atmosphere. The Act gives power plants, oil companies and factories until 2010 to collectively reduce their emissions to the levels they emitted in 2000. By creating an emissions trading system under which companies can sell excess reductions to companies that are unable to meet these requirements, the Act encourages innovation and helps reduce the costs of environmental progress.
The Arctic report and other media materials are available at: http://amap.no/acia/ or http://www.acia.uaf.edu/
For TV interview, contact Micah Walker Parkin 504-258-1247.
B Roll Coordinates:
Date: Monday, November 8, 2004
Time:15:00 - 15:15 ET
Satellite: IA 6, Transponder 16
Satellite type: C band
Orbital position: 93 Degrees W
Downlink Polarity: Horizontal
Downlink Frequency: 4020
Audio: 6.2/6.8
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