News

We Have A Global Warming Problem

 

The first step dealing with any problem is admitting that you have one.  But, as they also say, denial is not just a river in Africa.  Consequently, Minnesotans have a tendency to think that global warming is a problem somewhere else impacting somebody else.  But science tells us a more sobering message.

 

Greenhouse gases (such as carbon dioxide) trap the sun’s heat inside the earth’s atmosphere, keeping our planet warm.  Most of the greenhouse effect is natural and needed to maintain the planet's average temperature.  Without this natural greenhouse effect, the earth’s temperature would drop dramatically.
        
However, human activity -- mostly in the form of burning gasoline in our vehicles, coal and heating oil in our homes and in our power plants – has caused carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases to increase astronomically.  If they keep rising at an unchecked rate, it will have a huge impact on Minnesota.

 

Around the world we already see the effects of global warming:  polar ice caps melting at an alarming rate, record high temperatures, and rising sea levels. 

 

Here in Minnesota climate change means more intense storms, drier and hotter summers,  disease carrying insects migrating north from the tropics, and new disasters as yet unidentified and unanticipated.

  

Minnesota will experience more intense heat waves, longer droughts, more severe storms and an increased occurrence of flash floods.  These changes will have a big impact on state’s economy, environment, and overall quality of life. 

 

Farmers will have to cope with uncertainty in crop and live stock production caused by longer droughts and flash storms.  Rising temperatures also threaten to change the flora and fauna throughout our state, adversely impinging on the tourism industry.

 

So what can Minnesotans do to stop this from happening?  Well, a lot, as the science proves to us.

 

As individuals, we can change the bulbs in our lamps and light fixtures to long-lasting, energy saving fluorescent bulbs.  We can turn the thermostat up a few degrees in the summer and down a few degrees in the winter to save on air conditioning and heat.  We can replace appliances with new Energy Star appliances, and we can plant trees, nature’s miracle system for converting carbon dioxide to oxygen.

 

But as a society, there’s a great deal that we can do as well.  Faced with the dangers of climate change, the insurance industry and other business leaders, clergy, and a large array of civic leaders are calling on our elected officials to pass legislation that limits greenhouse gas emissions and allows market forces to identify the most cost-effective solutions for meeting the cap.

In addition to combating global warming, this legislation would also open up new economic opportunities.  New markets would emerge as the private sector is encouraged to invest in energy efficiency and new sources of energy that don't give off large amounts of greenhouse gas pollution. 

 

Right now foreign companies are getting a windfall of new investment to develop energy efficient technologies, because most industrialized countries have already capped greenhouse gas emissions.  Minnesota businesses can get in on the action if America joins the effort to limit greenhouse gas pollution. 

 

Taking these actions will also help us achieve energy independence.  If our overall economy does not use as much fossil fuels we will not have to import as much oil from the Middle East and other unstable regions of the world.

 

In the future, people will look back and see that we made a choice; either we went forward and addressed the growing problem of global warming, or we missed an opportunity to protect our environment and improve our economy.  The choice is ours.