Download The National Audubon User`s Guide for "Global Warming Solutions"

January 2008
Prepared by Audubon and NWF Staff:
Judy Braus, Audubon
Kevin J. Coyle, J.D., NWF
Laura S. Hickey, NWF
Julia Levin, Audubon
Dianna Parker, Audubon
Jaclyn Zubrzycki, Audubon
Mary Ford, Audubon
Craig Tufts, NWF
National Audubon Society 2008 ©
Note to presenters: Feel free to include a slide with your name and contact information
to go along with your introduction and opening comments. You can also include that
information at the end.
Slide: Global Warming: Science,
Solutions, Action
TALKING POINTS: This slide is an introduction to the presentation on global warming: it
provides some scientific background, but focuses on solutions and action.
Note: National Audubon prefers
the term “global warming” to
“climate change” because it helps
people visualize more clearly that
there is a problem that is caused
by people’s actions and that the
Earth’s temperatures are rising.
Climate change refers to the same
concept, but it sounds more longterm and natural (climate change
has been occurring since the dawn
of time) and audiences often don’t
feel that it’s a negative thing.
• Identify yourself and explain why
the subject of global warming is important to you in a personal way.
• Identify your connection to your
audience (the birding community,
wildlife enthusiasts, general conservationists, activists, etc.), and why you
think they should hear this message.
Slide: Why Audubon 1
TALKING POINTS: Audubon believes that global warming
is the single greatest threat to biodiversity. There is no
question that global warming is happening and that
human actions are a primary cause. Audubon is
adding its voice to the growing chorus of individuals and
organizations calling for action on global warming.
Illustration source: Bob Martinka
Slide: Why Audubon 2
TALKING POINTS: Audubon is uniquely positioned to
make a difference because of our extensive network of
Chapters, online activists, and Centers across the country.
Illustration source: Bob Martinka
Slide: What’s At Risk?
TALKING POINTS: It’s helpful to include your audience in
the discussion. Consider asking some questions about
what they know about global warming. Here are a few
teasers:
When you hear the words “global warming,” what comes
to mind? A huge, unsolvable problem? A process that
might influence the planet in the future? A problem
that’s just too big for individuals like us to tackle? Something that corporations and the
government can fix? Do you wonder how it will affect birds? Other animals? What do
you think is at risk because of global warming?
Illustration Source: US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
Slide: Everything
TALKING POINTS: This picture of our planet illustrates
what is at risk. Here’s one way to talk about it, but use
something that is most comfortable for you:
The truth is that global warming is real, and all of us
need to learn more about it. It is will impact all living
things— birds and people included—and it has the potential to impact future generations even more than it will affect us. But you can play a
role in helping to reduce the effects—for birds, wildlife, and people.
A few degrees increase in average U.S. temperature will have a powerful effect on living
things. In a lower emissions scenario, U.S. scientists predict that temperatures will increase at least two degrees Fahrenheit. A high emissions scenario projects that U.S.
temperatures will increase 10-15 degrees Fahrenheit. Even small changes in temperature can cause big changes in our climate. Winter and nighttime temperatures might be
milder, but summer heat will increase, causing drought in many areas.
Illustration Source: NASA Apollo 17
Slide: Increased Storm Frequency
DESCRIPTION: Illustration Source: NOAA
This is an image of Hurricane Katrina.
TALKING POINTS: Many people started making the connection between powerful hurricanes like Katrina and
Rita and increasing global temperatures when these hurricanes hit in 2005. Now scientists have confirmed that
the strongest hurricanes are becoming more intense—major storms in the Atlantic and
Pacific have increased in duration and intensity by about 50% since the 1970s.
(Continued on page 4)
The reason is that hurricanes draw their strength from the heat in ocean surface waters…
so as the ocean waters grow warmer, hurricanes will, all other factors being unchanged,
become more powerful on average—a trend that is already evident over the past 35 years.
Illustration Source: NOAA
Data: IPCC, Pew Center for Climate Change
Slide: Sea Level Rise and Coastal
TALKING POINTS: Many of the predictions that scientists
have made in the past about the impact of global warming on sea level and ice melt are already happening—
glaciers are melting and sea ice is beginning to disappear.
One of the most serious impacts of global warming is
sea level rise. It’s caused by a combination of melting glaciers all over the planet and
“thermal expansion” of oceans as their temperatures rise. By the end of the century, if
nothing is done, sea levels may be three feet higher than they are today – and they’re
projected to keep rising.
Some of the impacts are obvious. Low-lying coastal areas will be flooded, from Bangladesh to the Everglades and the Outer Banks. In the United States, more than 50 percent of the population lives in close proximity to the coasts and could be affected by sea
level rise.
Illustration Source: Roger J. Braithwaite, University of Manchester School of Geology.
Data: IPCC Third Assessment Report
Slide: Catastrophic Fires
TALKING POINTS: Moderate fire is natural and critical to
some ecosystems, but catastrophic, drought-fueled wildfires can destroy vast expanses of wildlife habitat. In the
American West, there has been a 400 percent increase in
the number of major fires and a 600 percent increase in
the area of forest burned since 1986 compared to the
period between 1970 and 1986. This trend corresponds
with warmer springs and an expansion of summer dry
periods. Many factors--such as fire suppression, extensive
grazing, and forest management practices-contribute to the frequency and intensity of
fires, but these recent trends have occurred during a period when land use practices
have not changed significantly. Many scientists believe it is likely that climaterelated variables are playing a role in
Background: An area that has burned to
wildfire activity.
the same degree as the one shown here will
not regenerate quickly. Foresters refer to a
The San Diego county fires that occurred
particularly hot fire such as this as
in 2007 are a bit different from forest
“catastrophic.” This is because it burns with
fires as they occurred in chaparral/brush
such intense heat that it not only consumes
habitat that is meant to burn periodically.
all the plant material but also burns much
But as human populations continue to
of the organic material in the soil, leaving it
become denser and denser, and climate
infertile for future growth.
changes increase the temperature and
the potential for droughts, such wild fires
will become more frequent and potentially more catastrophic.
Illustration Source: www.forestryimages.org
Data: D. McKenzie, et al., “Climate Change, Wildfire, and Conservation,” Conservation
Biology, Vol. 18, No. 4, August 2004: 1-13.
Slide: More Invasive Species
TALKING POINTS: Like oceans and other habitats, forests
are already under increasing stress from logging, development, and agriculture. Warming temperatures are adding
another stress.
One piece of evidence is the rise of a hungry forest pest—
the mountain pine beetle. These tiny beetles are wreaking
havoc on lodgepole pines and white bark pines—and their
impact has increased dramatically as the climate has
changed. These beetles burrow into mature trees and lay their eggs. When the eggs
hatch, both larvae and adults feed on the trees’ pulp. As they feed, these beetles can
also transmit blue stain fungi, which attack the tree and combine with the beetles’ feeding to kill millions of trees.
(Continued on page 6)
Warming temperatures have allowed these beetles to spread farther north. In the past,
“hard” freezes helped keep their numbers and damage in check. But warming weather
means that hard freezes don’t always come, so the larvae can survive from one season to
the next and the trees can’t always fight them off. These beetles have now chomped
through a swath of forest the size of Maryland, and entomologists are concerned that this
is just the start of big changes in the forest ecosystem, as beetle populations begin to attack new species.
Illustration Sources: Top: Bark Beetle – Paul Bolstad, University of Minnesota,
www.forestryimages.com; Bottom Left – Bark Beetle Larvae and Bottom Right – Larvae
Tracks – Scott Tunnock, USDA Forest Service, www.forestryimages.com.
Data: http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hts/pubs/beetledoc_oct29LO.pdf
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=4e21d69f-b3e3-4776-99cf2da3b2ee1104&k=38792
Slide: Increased Drought
TALKING POINTS: Global warming will not just affect wildlife—it will have a direct impact on all living things, including humans. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change has already documented examples of increased
drought that scientists fear will get worse as the temperature increases. For instance, desertification in Africa is increasing— the northern Sahara is expanding and affecting
many surrounding countries. The Southwestern United
States is experiencing an on-going drought that
scientists predict will continue throughout the coming decades.
Many other parts of the
country are also experiencing warmer and drier
Note: Many farming practices—from burning fields to usweather. These drought
ing gasoline powered machinery—are significant contribuconditions will cause
tors to the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
changes in agricultural
Rice production is one of the largest single producers of
patterns, which lead many
methane. According to some estimates, agriculture is reto fear increased poverty
sponsible for about one fourth of the greenhouse gases
and famine in many parts
that are altering the Earth’s climate. (World Wildlife Fund)
of the developing world.
For example, climate
change may render soil in
Africa and parts of Asia and South America incapable of supporting wheat and other basic crops.
Illustration Source: istock photos.
Data: IPCC, The Pew Center on Global Climate Change
Slide: Economic Toll
TALKING POINTS: “The costs of stabilizing the climate
are significant but manageable; delay would be dangerous and much more costly.”
Sir Nicholas Stern, Head of the Government Economic
Service and Advisor to the Government in the United
Kingdom, reported in 2006 that the costs of acting on
global warming now are far less than what it will cost if
we do nothing.
The report’s biggest message:
•
“Using the results from formal economic models, the Review estimates that if we
don’t act, the overall costs and risks of climate change will be equivalent to losing
5% of GDP (global gross domestic product), each year, now and forever. If a wider
range of risks and impacts are taken into account, the estimates of damage could
rise to 20% of GDP or more.”
• “In contrast, the costs of action—reducing greenhouse gas emissions to avoid the
worst impacts of climate change—can be limited to around 1% of GDP each year.”
Data: Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change, Executive Summary, http://
www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/9/9/CLOSED_SHORT_executive_summary.pdf
Slide: Human Toll
The
Human
Toll
The
Human Toll
• 100s of millions of environmental
refugees in this century*
• Increase in air pollution
• Spread of tropical diseases
• Water shortages and contamination
*United Nations Environment Program and IPCC 4 Assessment
TALKING POINTS: “All countries will be affected. The most
vulnerable – the poorest countries and populations – will
suffer earliest and most, even though they have contributed least to the causes of climate change. The costs of
extreme weather, including floods, droughts and storms,
are already rising, including for rich countries.”
“[Scientists] expect heat waves, floods, storms, fires, and
droughts related to global warming to contribute to increased rates of death, disease, and injuries for millions around the world.”
th
“Developing countries, many of which are already under stress, could experience increases in the incidence of diarrheal diseases and malnutrition and consequent disorders, affecting child growth and development. The populations most vulnerable to harsh
living conditions in any nation—the elderly, children, and poor—may be unable to cope
with further climate change.”
Data: Stern Report, http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/9/9/
CLOSED_SHORT_executive_summary.pdf
Union of Concerned Scientists, summary of findings for IPCC, climate change impacts,
http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/science/ipcc-highlights2.html
Slide: Number of Studies
TALKING POINTS: There is no longer disagreement over
whether climate change is happening, or whether the
increases in temperatures since 1970 are caused by human activity, primarily by the burning of fossil fuels.
There is still speculation concerning certain aspects of
global warming, but it ISN’T speculation or disagreement
about whether or not global warming is happening or
about whether or not humans
Note: You could also talk about why this isn’t just
are a major cause. Despite de“normal” climate change. Global temperatures have
bates about details - will it be
experienced natural shifts throughout human hiswetter and drier in some given
tory. For example, the climate of the Northern
decade - scientists agree on
Hemisphere experienced a relatively warm period
those two major issues. They
between the eleventh and fifteenth centuries and a
also agree that these wellperiod of cooler temperatures between the sevenestablished effects will have
teenth century and the middle of the nineteenth
some serious impacts, including
century. However, scientists studying the rapid rise
intensified hurricanes, heat
in global temperatures during the late twentieth
waves and wildfires, and recentury say that natural variability cannot account
duced mountain glaciers, snow
for what is happening now. (PEW Center for Climate
pack and Arctic sea ice.
Change) They say the main culprit is emissions of
carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from
Those who are skeptical of
human activities. (Most comes from burning of fossil
global warming and the reality
fuels, but deforestation, agriculture, other land use
of human contributions to it are
practices, and industrial processes all contribute sigoften not scientists publishing
nificantly.)
peer-reviewed science papers;
they tend to come from other
fields and special interest groups and present their critiques in popular media overwhelmingly more often than in scientific journals.
Data: Science Magazine, December 3, 2004, Vol. 306, Issue 5702, 1686.
Slide: IPCC 2007 Report
TALKING POINTS: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has released several reports detailing
advances in the understanding of the science, impacts,
and policy implications of climate change.
The IPCC reported that it is “very likely” (>90 percent)
that heat-trapping emissions from human activities have
caused “most of the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since the mid-20th century.” (UCS)
In addition, sea level rose some 7 inches during the 20th century. Conservative projections predict additional sea level increase of 10 to 23 inches in this century, with much
(Continued on page 9)
greater increases possible due to melting ice sheets (the effects of melting ice sheets
cannot be quantitatively predicted with much confidence by known theories). Although
some cite this uncertainty as a reason
to relax, it is in fact a key vulnerability.
Note: The IPCC was established by the World
Meteorological Organization and the United
Nations Environment Programme to assess
Data: IPCC, February 2007, “Climate
the risks from climate change, its potential
Change 2007: The Physical Science
impacts, and options for adaptation and mitiBasis Summary for Policymakers;” and
gation. Over 130 governments participate in
IPCC Fourth Assessment Report,
the construction and review of the IPCC Re“Summary for Policy Makers,” 2007
ports, making them the most peer-reviewed
consensus documents in the world.
Union of Concerned Scientists, http://
www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/
science/ipcc-highlights2.html
Slide: Science, Choices, Benefits
TALKING POINTS: Now that we know what is at stake,
what can we do to change things?
Slide: Important Crossroads
TALKING POINTS: We have important and urgent
choices to make now. Momentum in Congress gives us
an unprecedented opportunity to mobilize the tens of
millions of Americans who care about birds, wildlife, and
habitat to influence elected officials and engage others
to help pass federal and state legislation that will reduce
global warming and its impacts for generations to come.
We also have opportunities to influence businesses and
take personal actions that can help turn the tide.
Slide: We Can Prevent the Worst
Impacts
TALKING POINTS: Bernie Sanders is a congressional
leader on global warming issues. To learn more about
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and his leadership, visit
the global warming section of his website - http://
www.sanders.senate.gov/news/index.cfm?code=Global%
20Warming&pheader=Global%20Warming.
Slide: We Have the Tools We Need
TALKING POINTS: Because of their potential impacts on
birds and bats, wind towers must be carefully sited and
managed.
“We have the potential to produce almost all of our electricity from clean energy sources. Today, we have the
technology and the know-how to move beyond our dependence on polluting power plants by using clean, safe,
and affordable renewable energy. By harnessing renewable sources of energy like the
sun and the wind, we can transform how we produce electricity. Today's solar panels
efficiently transform sunlight into electricity while blending into the design of homes and
office buildings. Modern wind turbines rise high above the ground, capturing the strongest winds to produce reliable electricity.”
“A clean energy future will rely not just on renewable energy, but also on better use of
the energy we currently produce. By making the energy we produce last longer, or by
increasing "energy efficiency," we can avoid the need for new polluting power plants.
We can increase energy efficiency by using available technologies that do the same
amount of work but use less energy, like a computer that goes to sleep when it's not in
use.”
“Clean, renewable energy like solar and wind power currently produces about 2 percent
of our electricity nationwide. In contrast, nearly 90 percent of our electricity still comes
from polluting sources of energy like coal and nuclear power. Coal-burning power plants
are the nation's largest source of carbon dioxide, the heat-trapping pollutant that
causes global warming. Coal-fired power plants are also responsible for pollution that
increases asthma attacks and worsens environmental problems like acid rain, haze,
smog, and other air and water pollution.”
Data:, Sierra Club, “Clean Power Comes on Strong, How Renewable Energy and Energy
Efficiency Can Fuel Our Future,” http://www.sierraclub.org/globalwarming/cleanenergy/
solutions.asp.
Slide: We Need Leaders
TALKING POINTS: Many local leaders are taking steps to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions in their state. For instance, almost 800 mayors nationwide have joined Cool
Mayors for Climate Change, a coalition dedicated to reducing carbon emissions in their cities. Governors like
California Governor Schwarzenegger are also taking
steps to pass statewide laws.
Find out if your mayor is a Cool Mayor, at www.coolmayors.com, or find your state’s
Climate Action Plan at the Pew Center on Global Climate Change at
www.pewclimate.org/what_s_being_done/in_the_states/action_plan_map.cfm
Slide: We Need Individuals
TALKING POINTS: While individual action is important,
government action is absolutely essential to get us the
path we need to be on to reduce global warming pollution. This is a national and global problem that requires
national and international solutions.
Slide: Business As Usual
DESCRIPTION Graph showing carbon emissions by 2055
under a “business as usual” (BAU) scenario, vs. gigatons
of carbon emitted if we implement needed carbon emission reductions to avoid the worst impacts of global
warming.
TALKING POINTS: “Substantial scientific evidence indicates that an increase in the global average temperature
of more than two degrees Celsius (°C) above pre-industrial levels (i.e., those that existed prior to 1860) poses severe risks to natural systems and human health and wellbeing.”
“Scientific studies indicate that, to have a reasonable chance of preventing temperatures from rising above this level, we must stabilize the concentration of heat-trapping
gases in the atmosphere at or below 450 parts per million CO2-equivalent (450 ppm
CO2eq—a measurement that expresses the concentration of all heat-trapping gases in
terms of CO2). This “stabilization target” would provide a roughly 50 percent chance of
(Continued on page 12)
keeping the global average temperature from rising more than 2°C, or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit, above pre-industrial levels, and a 67 percent chance of rising less than 3°C. Therefore, any policy that seeks to avoid dangerous climate change should set a maximum stabilization target of 450 ppm CO2eq.”
Data: Union of Concerned Scientists, http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/science/
emissionstarget.html
Slide: Introducing the Wedge
TALKING POINTS: This graph projects how energy use
could climb if we continue with business as usual. The
scale on the left side shows projected carbon pollution.
Just to keep our annual carbon emissions flat for the
next 50 years, we will need to reduce our cumulative
carbon emissions by more than 200 billion tons below
what they are otherwise projected to be, and annual
emissions must be reduced by more than 40% below
their projected 2050 levels. And if we want to stabilize atmospheric concentrations under 450 parts per million equivalent carbon dioxide, which is what cautious scientists
recommend, we need to cut emissions even further, by at least 80% below current levels—a level endorsed by the Schwarzenegger administration in California.
So how can we do this? Many smart people have been thinking about what it will take
to reduce the threat from global warming and get the world on a path toward a cleaner
energy future.
The Six ‘Wedges’ of Progress to Stop Global Warming – Two Princeton University
researchers, Pacala and Socolow, identified a total of 15 categories of technology that
stores carbon, provides energy without producing carbon emissions, or improves the
efficiency of carbon-based energy supplies. They state that the large-scale use of any
one of these technologies can reduce global
Background: We can’t delay: Much of
carbon emissions by at least one billion
the carbon dioxide we put into the attons a year by the year 2054. They show
mosphere now lasts 100 years or more.
how each of the 15 options they identified
We’re adding 7 billion tons of carbon
could be pieced together to prevent at least
emissions to the atmosphere annually
one billion tons of carbon pollution per
and the figure is estimated to double by
year.
2056 without some action.
1. Energy Efficiency: As NRDC says, “the
cheapest and fastest way to cut global
warming pollution is to make things that use electricity more efficiently.” More efficient
use of electricity in production and product usage is a great place to start.
2. Other End Use Efficiency: Creating more energy-efficient buildings and businesses
is another critical step towards reducing global carbon emissions.
3. Vehicle Efficiency: The manufacturing of higher mileage cars and trucks that use
less fossil fuel and vehicles that use alternative energy sources will make a huge difference.
(Continued on page 13)
4. Other Transportation: Improved mass transit systems and increasing efficiency in
business transportation systems can produce
significant gains in energy efficiency.
Background: The Pacala/Socolow
study concentrates on carbon diox5. Renewable energy sources: Another key is
ide. It is the most abundant of the
decreasing our use of fossil fuels by increasing
greenhouse gases and is a byreliance on renewable energy such as wind and
product of burning fossil fuels such
bio-fuels.
as coal, natural gas and oil. Historically, changes in atmospheric car6. Carbon capture and storage: New techbon dioxide levels have been dinologies to capture, condense, and store carbon
rectly linked to changes in temperaemissions from power plants and industrial
ture. Current levels of global emissources show great potential to reduce our carsions of carbon dioxide contain 7
bon footprint. These technologies would be simibillion tons of carbon per year. That
lar to pollution control devises we use to keep
amount is actually projected to rise
pollutants out of our air and water.
to 14 billion tons per year in the
next 50 years as the world population increases and people consume
Data: Robert Socolow and Stephen Pacala,
more energy. To keep the level of
Princeton University
emissions stable, technologies and
Charts: Natural Resources Defense Council
conservation efforts would have to
prevent 7 billion tons worth of emissions per year by mid century.
Slide: What Do We Want?
TALKING POINTS: Some 60 million Americans watch and
feed birds. That’s a lot of people. We have the power to
change our world for the better – to use our potential to
attain strong federal legislation to reduce global warming
pollution.
Slide: We Want Emissions
Reduction!
TALKING POINTS:
This chart compares legislative climate change targets in the 110th congress.
•
•
•
The red line represents “business as usual” from the Dept. of Energy’s Energy Information Administration.
The light blue line represents the Lieberman-Warner bill, which is the legislation that
has the most political “legs” and is moving through the Senate.
The dark orange line represents the “gold standard” for global warming legislation
introduced by Sens. Sanders and Boxer and Cong. Waxman.
This graph is best used as a visual for demonstrating how different proposals get us
down the path of reducing global warming emissions. Avoid getting into the details of
the legislation other than mentioning Lieberman-Warner as the bill most likely to move.
For more research into these proposals, visit the World Resources Institute,
http://www.wri.org/climate/topic_content.cfm?cid=4265
For more details on comparisons among the bills presented in the graph, see NRDC fact
sheet, “Solving Global Warming, Your Guide to Legislation” - http://www.nrdc.org/
legislation/factsheets/leg_07032601A.pdf.
Data: World Resources Institute, http://www.wri.org/climate/pubs_description.cfm?
PubID=4343
Slide: Federal Legislation
TALKING POINTS:
Our legislative goals focus on three areas:
•
• Passing National Cap and Trade Legislation to reduce
emissions by 80 percent by 2050.
• Supporting national and state efforts to enact Renewable Electricity Standards. We need a national RES
of 20 percent by 2020.
Continuing to promote higher fuel economy standards for vehicles.
Slide: Cap & Trade Legislation
TALKING POINTS: See notes from PowerPoint.
For further background, see the cap and trade portion of
the Union of Concerned Scientists’ website at:
http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/solutions/capand-trade.html
RES-Federal Legislation
DESCRIPTION: Photo of wind farms, with the following
text: Enact nationwide RES, 20 percent by 2020 from
wind, solar, and other clean renewables.
TALKING POINTS: The second key area is working to help
pass renewable electricity standards and to strengthen
the standards currently in place. A renewable electricity
standard or RES is a
market-based mechanism that requires utility
Background: The House
companies to increase the portion of electricity
passed a 15 percent nationproduced by renewable resources such as wind,
wide RES in its version of the
biomass, geothermal, and solar energy, or to purenergy bill late in 2006. It didchase credits from other participating utilities.
n’t make it through the SenAdopting a national standard is critical to reaching
ate. RES represents an
our goal of reducing emissions by 80 percent by
important first step down the
2050. Our goal is to have 20 percent of our elecpath to a cleaner energy futricity coming from renewable sources by 2020—
ture. For an October 2007 upincluding solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, and
date of a Union of Concerned
very small hydro. The good news is that many
Scientists analysis of the 15
states already have Renewable Electricity Stanpercent RES passed in the
dards.
House energy bill, see http://
www.ucsusa.org/
There’s more good news about renewable electricclean_energy/
ity. Compared to energy from burning fossil fuels,
clean_energy_policies/cashingrenewable electricity produces less air and water
in.html. This analysis includes
pollution and less habitat loss to mining, drilling,
state-specific benefits.
and transport of fossil fuel. Moreover, studies
show that renewable electricity supports more
jobs per dollar than fossil fuels do.
For more on current federal and state legislation updates, go to Audubon.org and click
on global warming updates.
Illustration Source: Tennessee Valley Authority
Slide: RES-Federal Legislation
TALKING POINTS:
Benefits of an RES aren’t limited to global emissions reductions, they’re state-specific as well. The Union of
Concerned Scientists recently published a report called
Cashing in On Clean Energy, which highlights statespecific benefits of having a 20 percent RES. For instance, New York would create 7,330 new jobs and see a
reduction in natural gas prices by $1.1 billion. Florida,
which has enormous solar potential, will see creation of 3,500 new jobs and $1.2 billion
in new capital investment.
Fast Fact: Many of the technological advances that make
daily life more convenient rely on solar energy, including
highway traffic signs, cell phones, automated teller machines,
pagers, global positioning systems, microwave transmissions,
and direct TV. (NRDC)
Fast Fact: Solar energy employs more than 20,000 Americans in high-tech, high-paying jobs. (NRDC)
Fast-Fact: One million solar energy systems will be installed
on rooftops across the United States by 2010. The Department of Energy’s Million Solar Roofs program kicked off in
1998 and is already ahead of schedule. The installation of
these systems could eliminate carbon dioxide emissions equal
to the amount produced by 800,000 cars each year. (NRDC)
Go to the UCS
website to see if they
have a report for your
state. Otherwise, focus
on national numbers:
http://
www.ucsusa.org/
clean_energy/
clean_energy_policies/
cashing-in.html
Slide: CAFE-Federal Legislation
TALKING POINTS: The third critical mechanism for lowering global warming emissions is to adopt an increase in
fuel economy standards for vehicles (CAFE standards)
Late in December 2007 the U.S. House and Senate
passed an energy bill that contained a fuel economy standard that would require a fleet-wide (cars and trucks) increase to an average of 35 mpg
by 2020. Much flexibility is built into the proposal to allow automakers to reach the
goal. For instance, the Department of Transportation can create an “attribute-based”
system, where heavier trucks are held to much lower standards than light cars. Under
this system, it is likely that companies like Ford, which make more trucks, will not have
to reach the 35 mpg average, while companies like Honda, which make smaller cars,
will reach a much higher average. Audubon supports the CAFE standard, and recognizes
that any weaker proposal will not help us save oil or reduce global warming emissions
to the necessary levels.
Illustration Source: Dept of Energy
Slide: CAFE-Federal Legislation
TALKING POINTS:
U.S. fuel economy policy had not changed in 30 years.
Many auto companies argued that increasing CAFE
standards will be costly—both in money and in jobs.
However, the benefits far outweigh the costs. By requiring automobiles to average 35 mpg by 2020, the United
States will save 1.2 million barrels of oil A DAY. That’s
roughly equal to half of what we import from the Persian
Gulf, and that number is projected to increase to 2.5 million barrels per day by 2030.
It will also remove about 200 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from the air, and
save consumers about $25 billion at the pump (this number is based on $2.55 per gallon, using the 2005 dollar).
UCS also estimates that meeting CAFÉ standards will help create 170,800 jobs nationwide.
Data: Union of Concerned Scientists, October 2007, http://www.ucsusa.org/
clean_vehicles/fuel_economy/senate_fuel_economy_compromise.html
Slide: Efficiency-Federal Legislation
TALKING POINTS: “An important strategy for reducing
our dependence on fossil fuels is improving energy efficiency (that is, getting more use out of the electricity we
already generate). Energy efficiency measures such as
advanced industrial processes and high-efficiency motors, lighting, and appliances, have the potential to provide significant reductions in energy use while saving
consumers money in the long run.” (UCS)
“Policies that support improved efficiency include federal appliance and equipment efficiency standards, enhanced building codes, tax incentives, and industrial energy efficiency measures.” (UCS)
We need federal policies, but homeowners can take steps on their own to save money
and energy. Companies like ENERGY STAR offer appliances, heating and cooling, lighting, electronics, and office equipment that use significantly less energy than their counterparts. In 2006, ENERGY STAR users saved energy that is equivalent to taking 25 million cars off the road and about $14 billion.
Illustration Source: iStock
Data: Union of Concerned Scientists, August 2005, http://www.ucsusa.org/
clean_energy/energy_efficiency/
Energy Star: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=about.ab_index
Slide: What Do We Need to Do?
TALKING POINTS: If you’ve never been politically active, don’t be daunted: it’s not as hard or complicated as
you might think. There are many ways to get involved.
And if you are already a pro, then take these as reminders that we still need your help!
Find sources you trust and keep up with new developments in the environmental world: this will help you determine what you believe and what you want to support. You can join groups that have
systems for keeping you up to date, like Audubon and the National Wildlife Federation.
For example, Audubon’s e-activist system allows you to get periodic updates when important issues are before Congress. Many groups have action networks to help you stay
informed and make it easy to take action.
Slide: Pass Federal Legislation : Face
to Face Meetings
TALKING POINTS: See PowerPoint
It is VITAL to the progress of global warming legislation
that constituents meet with their Senators or Congresspeople (or their staff). Representatives need to know
that their constituents care about solutions and want
votes to pass federal legislation on their behalf. Remember—when you get there, it’s
OK if you don’t know the answer to a staff person’s question. Write it down, and you
can always have a DC policy person contact them later.
Slide: Pass Federal Legislation: Contact Your Legislators
TALKING POINTS: See PowerPoint
Slide: Pass Federal Legislation : Use
the Media
TALKING POINTS: The media is a great way to reach new
audiences and touch millions with your messages.
How many of you have written a letter to the editor of
your local paper about global warming or a local energy
(Continued on page 19)
issue? If you haven’t, it’s a great way to highlight global warming issues and let your voice
be heard. Elected officials pay close attention to opinions voiced in newspapers, radio, and
television in their district/state. More people read letters to the editor than almost any
other newspaper section (except the comics). Be sure to know the newspaper’s rules for
letters to the editor. Many won’t publish letters containing more than 250 words. Also,
timeliness is everything. The sooner you send a letter to a paper in response to an article,
event, etc., the more likely it is to be published.
You can also start a global warming blog, influence local cable stations to cover global
warming issues, or write feature articles for a website or publication.
Also see PowerPoint slide notes.
Slide: Pass Federal Legislation : Join
Audubon Action Center
TALKING POINTS: Sign up for Audubon’s timely action
alerts and monthly Audubon Advisories on important issues. See PowerPoint slide notes.
Slide: Take Action and Vote
TALKING POINTS: Educate yourself before you vote! Find
out the environmental platforms of candidates running in
elections. Will the candidate be a good leader? Will he or
she take the necessary steps to enact strong legislation to
reduce global warming pollution? Ask questions. Speak
up, and organize others to do so. Attend local events featuring candidates. Let candidates for elected offices know
that their constituents care about global warming and
want to see 80 percent reductions in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. And, of course,
VOTE!
Slide: Is Congress the Only Answer?
TALKING POINTS: Individuals, businesses, communities
must all contribute to solving global warming.
See PowerPoint slide notes.
Slide: Individual Actions Add Up
TALKING POINTS: Now is a good time to engage
your audience again. Ask them if they know what
steps people in their communities have taken to
reduce their global warming emissions. Do they
know if their local governments, schools, or businesses have taken action? If not, ask them what
they think can be done around their communities.
Slide: Educate Others to Take Action
TALKING POINTS: Everyone can help by educating others about these issues. You can take this presentation
and adapt it to present to your colleagues and other
conservation groups, as well as schools, businesses, service organizations, and other groups that are looking to
learn more about how to get involved. Don’t underestimate the value of talking to other people and helping
them see how they can get involved. We need to really
motivate others and use the multiplier effect to reach more people to create long-term
change.
Slide: Take Action in Your
Community
TALKING POINTS: It’s not hard to get involved! There
are many local coalitions looking for volunteers to help.
Organizations like the Audubon Society, National Wildlife
Federation, and Sierra Club have chapters around the
country that are actively participating in local events. If
you don’t want to volunteer, look to events like Step It
Up, which are organized events intended to send a message to Congress.
Look to http://stepitup2007.org/ for information on local events, or go to your local
Audubon Chapter for information at http://www.audubon.org/states/index.php
Slide: Take Action in Your Community
TALKING POINTS: Building greener cities—cities planned to
protect biodiversity and create healthier living conditions for
people—is another way to reduce the impact of global
warming. Smarter housing, less concrete, more efficient
transportation, and other enhancements to the built environment can help achieve the 80 percent reduction we
need.
“Poorly planned development threatens our environment, our health, and our quality of life
in numerous ways...Sprawl pollutes our air and water. As reliance on cars and pavement of
more and more roads increases, so does smog and pollution from water runoff. Today,
more than half all Americans live in areas where the air is unsafe to breathe. Sprawl destroys more than two million acres of parks, farms and open space each year.”
Information on global warming and sprawl is available at http://www.sierraclub.org/
sprawl/globalwarming.pdf
Illustration Source: Chris Gierszewski, Flickr.com
Slide: Take Action in Your
Community
TALKING POINTS: Using less water is always a good
idea—especially in areas that have water shortages. But
using less hot water can reduce your energy consumption by a huge amount. Wash clothes in cold or warm
water instead of hot water. This can reduce carbon dioxide by 500 pounds a year. You should also make sure to
use low-flow showerheads to save hot water and water in general. This can reduce carbon
dioxide emissions by 350 pounds a year.
Other tips: Run your dishwasher only when full and then use the air-dry option to reduce
energy use. When you have to replace your washing machine, choose a new highefficiency front-loader. It uses less water, electricity, and detergent.
Establish a “green roof” and plant trees around your house. Planting rooftop gardens and
planting trees near your home can significantly shield your home from the elements, reducing energy use for air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter. One study
showed that shade trees can reduce energy use for air conditioning by up to seventy percent. Trees also absorb and store carbon dioxide (CO2), which is the gas primarily responsible for global warming. Over an average life-span of a tree, it can remove a ton of CO2
from the atmosphere.
Reduce the threat of invasive species and incorporate a diversity of native plants into your
landscape. Global warming will contribute to a dramatic expansion of invasive, non-native
plants and animals, which are able to take advantage of weakened ecosystems and outcompete native species. Gardeners can play an important role in minimizing the threat of
invasive species expansion by removing invasive plants from the garden and choosing an
array of native alternatives.
Data: NWF, http://www.nwf.org/news/story.cfm?pageId=0564AA7E-15C5-5FE8B0CBCBF79CCDB9ED
Slide: Take Action: Increase Energy
Efficiency
TALKING POINTS: Replacing a single incandescent light
bulb (a technology from the 1800’s) with a low-energy
spiral (CFL) bulb would save 500 lbs of coal over the life
span of the (CFL) bulb. This would avoid some 1,430
pounds of carbon dioxide pollution and save $30 over
the life of the bulb. We need to be turning off the incandescent bulbs and turning on compact fluorescent bulbs instead. This is an action that
really will add up if millions of Americans make the switch!
Background on Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) Bulbs: Replacing a single incandescent light bulb (a technology from the 1800’s) with a low-energy spiral (CFL) bulb
saves 500 lbs of coal over the life span of the (CFL) bulb. This helps avoid some 1,430
pounds of carbon dioxide pollution and saves $30 over the life of the bulb. We need to
be turning off the incandescent bulbs and turning on compact fluorescent bulbs instead.
This is a small action that will have big results if millions of Americans make the switch!
If every American home replaced just one incandescent light bulb with an ENERGY
STAR® -rated CFL, we would save enough energy to light more than 2.5 million homes
for a year and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of nearly 800,000
cars.
ENERGY STAR® -qualified CFLs:
• Use at least 2/3 less energy than standard incandescent bulbs to provide the
same amount of light, and last up to 10 times longer.
• Save $30 or more in energy costs over each bulb’s lifetime.
• Generate 70 percent less heat, so they’re safer to operate and can cut energy
costs associated with home cooling.
• In addition to other quality requirements, most turn on instantly, produce no
sound, and fall within a warm color range or are otherwise labeled as providing
cooler color tones.
• Are now available in different sizes and shapes to fit in almost any fixture, for
both indoors and outdoors.
Slide: Take Action at Home
TALKING POINTS: According to Audubon’s 2006 Green
Energy Guide, your annual savings can be:
• $7 per bulb if you switch to incandescent.
• $60-$70 if you seal air leaks.
• $4-$8 per window for weather stripping and caulking.
• $160-$236 if you tune up your furnace. Check out
more savings in Audubon’s Green Energy Guide at: http://
audubonmagazine.org/features0609/energyGuide.html
Illustration source: Sherrie York, Audubon At Home
Slide: Take Action at Home
TALKING POINTS: Replacing older appliances with new
energy efficient models can cut appliance-based carbon
dioxide by 20 percent to 50 percent. New refrigerators
use about 50 percent less energy than those made just
10-15 years ago. Amazingly, refrigerators consume
about 10 to 15 percent of the energy used in an average home.
Slide: Take Action: Drive Less
TALKING POINTS: Consider driving less by taking public transportation, walking, bicycling, or carpooling. If
you leave your car at home two days a week, you can
reduce your carbon dioxide output by 1590 pounds per
year. A sizable portion of our trips could be eliminated
by a modicum of coordination among family members
and drivers. Have household members join in on the
planning of efficient trips and they, too, will be hooked
on greener habits.
When you need to buy a new car, go for the most energy efficient and least-polluting
car you can find. Hybrids get amazing gas mileage and produce fewer harmful emissions. Over the average lifetime of an American car, a 40mpg car will save roughly
$3,000 in fuel costs compared to a 20mpg. The US Department of Energy estimates
that you’ll save anywhere from $250-$1,200 on fuel costs per year with a hybrid, and
could even be eligible for a tax deduction. Go online and find out how many tons of
carbon dioxide your car emits! http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/findacar.htm
Make sure to keep you tires inflated and your car tuned up. This can increase gas
mileage by more than 3 percent. Take off rooftop carriers when they’re not in use and
change your air filter regularly.
Slide: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and
Reject
TALKING POINTS: You’ve heard about the 3Rs or the
4Rs…and might not think it makes any difference. But
your third grade teacher was right – it really does. By
reducing your waste, recycling whatever you can (and
doing it regularly), reusing and rejecting projects that
are not environmentally friendly, you can help reduce
energy use. Recycling half of your household waste
can reduce carbon dioxide by 2400 pounds a year.
Fast Fact: Recycling half of your household waste can reduce carbon dioxide by 2400
pounds a year.
Illustration Source: FreeFoto.com, Ian Britton
Slide: Take Action At Home
Talking points: Solar energy for your home may be a little
tougher, but the benefits are enormous. While expensive at
the onset (the cost will depend on how big your home is
and where you are living), those in solar homes have
significantly lower electricity bills each month. These
systems also last for a long time, preempting any inflation
in energy costs.
There are a number of companies out there offering home solar installations, so shop
around and find one that’s right for you.
Slide: Our Actions All Add Up
TALKING POINTS: Now is a good time to reflect on
what you’ve said, and stress the urgency. We need to
do all of these things—and fast! See PowerPoint for
more notes.
Slide: The Silver Linings
TALKING POINTS: We have so much to lose if global
warming continues, but we have much to gain if we
reverse the damage. Think about what you want for
yourself, for the next generation, and for the country:
clean air, wetlands, forests, clean water, freedom from
limited resources like oil and coal, and new jobs. There
is a world of benefit if we do this right!
Slide: Our Actions All Add Up
TALKING POINTS: It’s not impossible or even difficult
to get involved in global warming solutions. The smallest efforts can make a world of change. Urge the government to act, but don’t wait for them to act before
you take action on your own.
Slide: It’s Your Actions that Matter
DESCRIPTION: Image of a bird singing.
TALKING POINTS: Your actions will help make the difference—for all living things and the future of life on Earth.
We encourage you to sign up with AudubonAction to start
making a difference today. Visit Audubon.org and get involved.
Illustration Source: Bob Martinka
Some useful websites:
Website of Global Warming Expert, Stephen H. Schneider: www.climatechange.net
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Energy Star: www.energystar.gov
Union of Concerned Scientists: ucsusa.org
Princeton University: www.princeton.edu
University of East Anglia: www1.uea.ac.uk/cm/Home
CSIRO Australia: www.csiro.au/
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research: www.pik-potsdam.de/
Audubon Action Center: www.audubonaction.org/audubon