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Presentation to The Henderson County School Board
March 10, 2008
Good evening School Board. My name is Carole Repici and I am here to speak on
behalf of the Global Warming Task Force of Henderson County.
When The American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American
Geophysical Union, The American Meteorological Society and the International
Panel on Climate Change all agree that carbon emissions have changed the
climate, it is time to heed their warning. The National Academy of Sciences
issued a report seven years ago which stated that, "Greenhouse gases are
accumulating in Earth's atmosphere as a result of human activities, causing
surface air temperatures and subsurface ocean temperatures to rise." We are
already beginning to see the damaging effect to our planet that these new
increased pollutants are causing including melting polar regions, droughts, and
intensified storms.
Carbon Dioxide is the heat trapping gas that human activities are releasing in
enormous quantities. Carbon Dioxide which measured 280 ppm at the pre industrial
era has now risen to 380 ppm. In a recent presentation Dr. Ann Waple, climate
scientist with the NOAA Climate Center in Asheville, stated that global warming
is not a gradual uniform occurrence as is often mistakenly believed. It is
rapid, non-uniform, and damaging. According to Dr. Waple, scientists believe
than an increase of 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Farenheit) from
pre-industrial norms “is the point of no return, at which all bets are off as to
what could happen, including global catastrophe.” To avoid catastrophic results,
we must begin to mitigate and “peak out” on our emissions by 2015, only seven
years from now. It is projected that a mere 550 ppm CO2 concentration will send
us to the 2 degree threshold and we are now at 380 ppm. The average temperature
has already risen approximately 1 degree Farenheit (0.6 degrees Celsius) in the
last 100 years with most of it occurring since 1980.
Who will be on the front lines of this battle? You will. It is education that
will inform, teach and nurture creative solutions to this critical issue facing
our world. The next generation must be equipped with all the information and
strategies needed to turn this crisis around. We are here this evening to ask
that you form a Climate Change Task Force for the school system that can work to
recommend suggestions for implementing instruction within the classroom and
reducing the carbon use of the school’s physical plants itself.
For example we know that US tailpipe pollution contributes a third of our carbon
pollution and the US transportation sector emits more CO2 than all but three
other countries' emissions from all sources combined. (ucsusa.org) We also know
that engine idling is harmful to an engine, wastes fuel and pollutes the air.
Could we implement within our driver education program the importance of not
idling a car unnecessarily? Could our computer classes design wind turbines for
energy? Could our schools start a composting project? Would the school
facilities director be willing to look at less night time electrical use without
sacrificing security? Would the school system be willing to create a new
transportation policy that encourages more students to ride buses in order to
reduce the long lines of cars that arrive daily for student dropoff and pickup?
The Global Warming Task Force wants to commend Bo Caldwell for the outstanding
job he has done as Senior Director for Facility Management in implementing
sustainable and energy reducing strategies and facilities into our school
system. We believe a Climate Change Task Force would only compliment his work
and be a ready source of new ideas.
Honored members of the School Board, the future is grave unless we act now with
all due haste. Let’s teach our children that no task is impossible for those who
possess the will. If you can dream it, you can achieve it.
Thank you.
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