Fighting Catastrophic Climate Change: Maryland's Paltry Proposal

By Karyn Strickler

"If you think mitigated climate change is expensive, try unmitigated climate change."
- Dr. Richard Gammon, Professor of Chemistry, Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Washington

(January 29, Maryland, Sri Lanka Guardian) Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley has proposed legislation, ironically called "The Global Warming Solutions Act," the bill requires reductions in statewide greenhouse gas emissions of 25% from 2006 levels by 2020. Senator Paul Pinsky and Delegate Kumar Barve are sponsors of the bill in the Maryland General Assembly.

The Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) calls this "terrific news," and asks us to thank Governor O'Malley for this legislation. It's likely the legislation got watered down in the negotiation process with labor union leaders, environmentalists and manufacturers, but whatever the reason, it offers way too little, way too late. It amounts to unmitigated climate change. Maryland is fiddling while the earth burns.

If this were an ordinary issue incremental steps may be appropriate. But this crisis is perhaps the most daunting challenge ever faced by humanity. Our survival on this planet may depend on a swift, dramatic response.

There is scientific consensus that we are in the midst of a worldwide emergency with catastrophic climate change -- the human-made, warming-driven destabilization of the earth's climate system. The problem is caused primarily by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere from the burning of fossil fuels (like coal and oil) and deforestation.

In 1990, the statured scientists of the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) told the world that to stop catastrophic climate change we must reduce greenhouse gases, mostly carbon dioxide, by 60-80% immediately.

Nineteen years later, the world has done little to reduce greenhouse gases or avert the threat of catastrophic climate change. In 2001 the IPCC said that global warming was increasing 50% faster than originally believed. And the IPCC are the conservatives in this debate.

What is needed is a cut in atmospheric greenhouse gases, 80% below 1990 levels as soon as possible, but no later than 2025. We need immediate leadership, far bolder than the Maryland legislation – or anything currently proposed. We don't need capitulation to the industries or interest groups that got us into this mess.

Without decisive action to reverse catastrophic climate change, we face devastation from the resulting severe storms, rising sea levels, insect infestation, disease, flooding, drought and fire. Without adequate mitigation, we will likely be unable to cope with the resulting temperature and weather extremes of all sorts.

Ross Gelbspan, author of The Heat is On, says that our response to the crisis of global warming must be "the social counterpart to a climate snap -- a rapid, immense, worldwide gathering of political will " if humanity is to survive.

Susan Solomon, a climate scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, recently concluded that climate change is irreversible. Solomon does not see this prognosis as a reason to give up, but rather as a mandate to get our solution right. She said, "I guess if it's irreversible, to me it seems all the more reason you might want to do something about it," as reported by NPR.

Still there is hope. James Hansen, top climate scientist at NASA said, "We have passed tipping points, but we have not passed a point of no return. We can still roll things back, but it is going to require a quick turn in direction."

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is one of several types of greenhouse gases. CO2 levels have risen higher in the past 100 years, than at any other time in the past 400,000 years. CO2 has a half life of 30 to 100 years. That means that even if we dramatically cut CO2 emissions tomorrow, what's up there in the atmosphere, will take a LONG time to come down.

In his paper, "Target Atmospheric CO2: Where Should Society Aim," NASA climate scientist Jim Hansen said recently, "The evidence indicates…that the safe upper limit for atmospheric CO2 is no more than 350ppm."

The Maryland legislation would cut CO2 emissions, but not cut the CO2 that is already in the atmosphere. If atmospheric levels of C02 stand at 382ppm today and rise 2ppm annually, we'll have 408ppm CO2 in the atmosphere by 2020. Even with the minimal cuts in emissions proposed in the Maryland legislation, we will still be well past the upper limits of the danger zone.

The current situation is dire, but still it provides the opportunity for extraordinarily positive change and a new economy built on renewable energy. We must get off the fossil fuel economy and stop deforestation. One thing is certain: we must act quickly, decisively and boldly if we hope to reverse catastrophic climate change. The time for genuine leadership is at hand.

Copyright Karyn Strickler 2009. Karyn Strickler is the founder and chair of Head Off The Threat Political Action Committee, working to elect candidates to reverse catastrophic climate change. She lives in Maryland. Contact her at Karyn@hottpac.org or visit the website at www.hottpac.org . - Sri Lanka Guardian Read more...

Bye Bye Bush: Washington, America and the World Welcome Barack Obama

"President Obama had some harsh words for terrorists, "You cannot outlast us and we will defeat you," and said that we can no longer ignore the suffering outside our boarders, nor can we consume the world's resources with out regard to the impact on our planet."________________

By Karyn Strickler writes from Washington for Sri Lanka Guradian

(January 21, Washington, Sri Lanka Guardian) Taking the oath of office on the Lincoln Bible and quoting our founding father George Washington, Barack Obama's inaugural address was a low-key call for action with a sober tone. Our new President gave us highlights from history, reminding us that we can do it again, calling this, "a new era of responsibility," saying, "We are ready to lead once more."

The temperature on this sunny morning in Washington, DC, was well below freezing and smiles stretched faces in the crowd almost to the breaking point. The brilliant, accomplished Michelle Obama, dressed in a Jackie -esque, yellow suit, entered the stage as the band played. Michelle gave Hillary Clinton a kiss on the cheek, as a gesture of a renewed, positive spirit that has developed after a crushing primary election.

George Walker Bush, at that moment still President of the United States, and Vice President Dick Cheney were announced on the stage, as some in the crowd booed. In a matter of moments, the George W. Bush administration would come to an end and the Barack Obama era would begin.

At 11:39am, anticipation was high. At 11:42 am the President-elect Barack H. Obama was announced. The sea of flags fluttered with millions of twists of the wrist. People from all across the country had jammed the Mall in Washington, DC and there appeared to be no remaining space. The massive crowd, stretched from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial.

Senator Dianne Feinstein took the podium and introduced Dr. Rich Warren, the controversial pastor of the Saddleback Church who equated homosexuality to incest, stepped to the podium and said, "Let us pray." He said that our commitment to freedom and justice for all is what makes us Americans. "When we fail to treat the earth and all human beings with the respect that they deserve, forgive us."

Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, sang "My Country Tis of Thee," as the spirits of Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King looked on. Sasha and Malia Obama were on stage with their brightly shining young, eager faces.

Justice John Paul Stevens administered the oath of office and Joseph Biden was sworn-in as Vice President of the United States. For a brief couple of minutes, before the oath was administered to Barack Obama, Joseph Biden was officially President of the United States.

At 12:01pm George W. Bush was no longer President, despite the fact that Barack Obama has not yet been sworn-in. The world heaved a giant, collective sigh of relief to the sounds of Yoyo Ma.

The world will reel for a long time to come from Bush's mix of authoritarianism and militarism -- waging an imperial oil war, torturing prisoners of that war, wasting the lives of young American soldiers on false pretenses in Iraq.

Bush's legacy includes allowing victims of Hurricane Katrina to die and rot in their own waste and neglecting those who survived. We won't soon forget his rigging elections, corrupting the justice system, spying on and lying to Americans, twisting and falsifying the results of scientific research.

G.W. Bush ignored the global warming emergency for 7 years and then in his unique, Orwellian way, postured to change the historical record, as though he's been a leader in finding solutions to the challenges presented by climate change. Global warming may change or destroy life on the planet for most of its inhabitants.

Former President (ah, that feels so good) Bush has put us all at the mercy of giant corporations who pollute our air and water and destroy biodiversity, leaving us to deal with the resulting degradation, illness and disease. Those wealthy corporations can now take individual's private property for "economic" development, outsource our jobs, avoid paying Americans a living wage, benefit financially from war, and gouge us at the gas pump.

These corporations reap record-breaking profits, exclusively for the benefit of the very few. Meanwhile the little gal and guy struggle to live, breathe, work, put food and clean water on the table, pay the electric bill, get an education, and find health care.

That's the legacy of George W. Bush and the situation that Barack Obama inherits.

Chief Justice John Roberts administered the oath of office. As Michele looked on, Justice Roberts stumbled as he administers the oath. Barack Obama hesitated for a moment after the stumble, as if in recognition of the gargantuan tasks ahead. Obama flashed a broad smile and recovered nicely to become President of the United States at 12:03pm.

President Barack Obama inaugural address began, "My fellow citizens, I stand here today, humbled by the task before us." He reminded us that every so often the oath is taken among gathering clouds. That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. We are at war and our economy is wrecked. Most significantly, Obama said that the way that we use energy strengthens our enemies and threatens our planet.

Despite the current situation, Obama said, "Challenges will not be met easily or in a short span of time, but hear this America, they will be met."

President Obama had some harsh words for terrorists, "You cannot outlast us and we will defeat you," and said that we can no longer ignore the suffering outside our boarders, nor can we consume the world's resources with out regard to the impact on our planet.

Our new President Barack Obama said, "Your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy."

George W. Bush and his wife Laura, climbed into their green helicopter, now called Special Air Mission One, since he is no longer President -- and the Barack Obama era officially began.

Karyn is a political scientist, grassroots organizer and blogs for the Sri Lanka Guardian; Counterpunch.org and Commondreams.org among others. You can contact her at Karyn@hottpac.org . She is the founder and chair of a new organization called hottpac.org, working to elect candidates to reverse catastrophic climate change. Please visit our website today and sign our petition, make a donation and sign-up to host a housemeeting. - Sri Lanka Guardian

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