Thursday, January 03, 2008

Climate Change Effects

In November, the California Air Resources Board staff held a workshop on the development of ARB's scoping plan under AB 32. One of the slides from that presentation describes the likely effects of climate change on California by the years 2070 to 2099. Even assuming the best case (meeting the Governor's target of an 80 percent reduction in emissions, presumably worldwide), California sea levels will rise 6 to 14 inches and there will be a 30-60 percent loss of the Sierra snow pack. With no reduction in emissions, sea levels will rise 2 to 3 feet, and there will be a 90 percent loss of the Sierra snow pack. You can see the slides for yourself here (they are posted on the ARB's scoping plan website).

-Morgan

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