From Science Daily | Reducing Greenhouse Gases May Not Be Enough To Slow Climate Change

Georgia Tech City and Regional Planning Professor Brian Stone is publishing a paper in the December edition of Environmental Science and Technology that suggests policymakers need to address the influence of global deforestation and urbanization on climate change, in addition to greenhouse gas emissions.

According to Stone’s paper, as the international community meets in Copenhagen in December to develop a new framework for responding to climate change, policymakers need to give serious consideration to broadening the range of management strategies beyond greenhouse gas reductions alone.

“Across the U.S. as a whole, approximately 50 percent of the warming that has occurred since 1950 is due to land use changes (usually in the form of clearing forest for crops or cities) rather than to the emission of greenhouse gases,” said Stone. “Most large U.S. cities, including Atlanta, are warming at more than twice the rate of the planet as a whole — a rate that is mostly attributable to land use change. As a result, emissions reduction programs — like the cap and trade program under consideration by the U.S. Congress — may not sufficiently slow climate change in large cities where most people live and where land use change is the dominant driver of warming.”

According to Stone’s research, slowing the rate of forest loss around the world, and regenerating forests where lost, could significantly slow the pace of global warming.

“Treaty negotiators should formally recognize land use change as a key driver of warming,” said Stone. “The role of land use in global warming is the most important climate-related story that has not been widely covered in the media.”

Stone recommends slowing what he terms the “green loss effect” through the planting of millions of trees in urbanized areas and through the protection and regeneration of global forests outside of urbanized regions. Forested areas provide the combined benefits of directly cooling the atmosphere and of absorbing greenhouse gases, leading to additional cooling. Green architecture in cities, including green roofs and more highly reflective construction materials, would further contribute to a slowing of warming rates. Stone envisions local and state governments taking the lead in addressing the land use drivers of climate change, while the federal government takes the lead in implementing carbon reduction initiatives, like cap and trade programs.

“As we look to address the climate change issue from a land use perspective, there is a huge opportunity for local and state governments,” said Stone. “Presently, local government capacity is largely unharnessed in climate management structures under consideration by the U.S. Congress. Yet local governments possess extensive powers to manage the land use activities in both the urban and rural areas.”

Full | Reducing Greenhouse Gases May Not Be Enough To Slow Climate Change

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I don’t think I could have chosen a better time to relaunch Aribra.com. The response has been incredible and we’re just getting started. Today is Blog Action Day, the largest social change event on the web  and Aribra.com is apart of the effort. Our mission is to bring awareness to the importance of a collective conversation regarding issues related to the built environment to include climate change. Whether you think the issue is real or important, at this point, is a non-issue; it’s here.

The Copenhagen Climate Summit is just 52 days away and the US has yet to agree on a comprehensive climate bill. Have we not learned our lesson? We can lead the world in consumption but when it comes to making tough decisions, it’s questionable. I’ve traveled the world and have witnessed the devastation climate change is causing in less wealthier countries. I find it encouraging to know that we have the opportunity to shift gears.

My Challenge

Talk to your friends, family and colleagues about climate change, educate yourself on the issues and learn how you can get involved. Find an organization to support who advances sustainability and have taken a stand to fight climate change. CARE is one I’ve found to be a strong voice in the effort. I don’t profess to be a climate change expert or even an environmentalist but a global citizen who believes we can do better. Contact your representatives and tell them it’s time. We cannot afford to accept complacency as a position any longer. It’s our time to get this right for future generations. We hope to be apart of the generation that stood up and said no more!

Resources:

• Facts and Figures
• Climate Change 101
• MNN’s 15 Best Carbon Calculators
• The Top 100 Effects of Climate Change