The Climate Change Challenge
It is a widely known fact that carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases are gradually warming the planet but scientists have now concluded that human behavior is responsible for the dramatic increase in atmospheric CO2 in the last century. Unless the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is stabilized in the next 30 to 40 years and then brought down, the natural system of the planet will change profoundly. Changes to the climate will force plants and animals to change latitudes, and cause whole cities to relocate or build massive barriers to new natural forces.
This problem has received global attention and a great majority of the world’s leaders are developing and implementing solutions. Community groups have formed and organized grassroots efforts to have residents use low energy light bulbs, buy hybrid cars and take cloth shopping bags to the grocery store. Universities and technology companies have launched new research programs to find alternative sources of energy and venture capitalists are steering billions of dollars into new companies that are bringing new solutions to the market. Media has embraced the cause, launching radio and television programs on climate change, creating Web sites and producing movies with environmental themes.
The building industry is undertaking wide-ranging efforts to reduce the impacts of construction, operations and maintenance. According to the U.S. Green Building Council (USBGC), buildings account for 33% of CO2 emissions and 40% of material and energy use. In response, the USGBC has developed the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system to encourage the adoption of sustainable building practices. Other standards, like the California Building Code and the GreenPoint rating system, are also changing the way we design and build.
In the United States, the State of California is playing a leadership role, passing the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB32). The Act sets a very ambitious goal: reduce state-wide greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by January 1, 2020. In Executive Order S-3-05 Governor Schwarzenegger set the additional goal of reducing emissions by 80% from 1990 levels by 20501. This reduction must be accomplished as California continues to grow its population, attract immigrants from other states and countries, create jobs, and compete in the global economy.
In California, as in much of the U.S., we have contradictory values. We treasure the outdoors, clean air, our parks and beaches, wildlife and flowers. But we also value having large homes on large lots that are far from schools, work, and shopping. We value large cars, bottled water shipped from Italy and France, and fruits and vegetables that are flown in from South America. We drive to malls and shopping centers to buy the latest fashions and electronics, and send last year’s hot products to landfills. If we are going to protect the climate, some of our values need to change.
We need to embrace two concepts: the BIG HERE and the LONG NOW.
Embracing the BIG HERE means recognizing that we in Silicon Valley are part and parcel of a global crisis, and what we do here, though it may seem small in the global context, is important. It also recognizes that the forms of energy used by villagers in China and Africa, though far away, have an impact on the climate in Silicon Valley.
Embracing the LONG NOW means understanding that the actions we take, or do not take, today will affect the standard of living of our children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren. It can take over a hundred years for a CO2 molecule in the atmosphere to be converted back to oxygen and carbon by a tree, and some greenhouse gases stay in the atmosphere for 300 or 400 years.
Are the actions we’re taking today sufficient and sustainable? Will we permanently cut our energy consumption and install photovoltaic panels on every rooftop, or will we use the savings on our energy bills to buy another television set or a more powerful hair dryer? How can we continue the momentum we have developed when the media is bored with the subject, our job is secure, and the sky is still blue? What steps are necessary to progress from superficial changes to truly augmenting our thinking around consumption and the mark we leave behind for our descendents?
1 Emissions were 436 million metric tons in 1990. Today emissions are about 510 million metric tons. The Governor’s goal is to reduce emissions to 90 million metric tons by 2050. Source: California Institute for Energy and Environment, University of California.