Village Engagement Sessions 1. Increase Columbias resilience to - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Questions? Email Dr. Sara Via, svia@umd.edu 1

Columbia Association Climate Change & Sustainability Advisory Committee

Village Engagement Sessions

Columbia Association recognizes the impacts of climate change & the importance of increasing climate preparedness and community sustainability

• Dr. Sara Via, Dr. Tracey Manning, Dr. Chiara D’Amore, Kim Drake,

Rachel Matney Climate.Sustainability.Committee@gmail.com

Presented by Dr. Sara Via, svia@umd.edu

Climate Change & Sustainability Advisory Committee Goals of the Committee (established 2018):

• 1. Increase Columbia’s resilience to climate change by

engaging Village Boards, businesses & residents in discussions about climate & sustainability.

• 2. Collaborate w/ other organizations to boost motivation

for action on climate & sustainability.

• 3. Help CA staff to find new ways to reduce Columbia’s

environmental impact.

• 4. Recommend best practices to CA that will reduce

climate-related risks & increase Columbia’s resiliency to climate impacts.

Sustainability:

Satisfying our needs in ways that protect the ability of future generations to satisfy their needs.

Source: SAGA Learn

Climate Change

• Long-term global change in patterns of temperature and

precipitation

• The scientific evidence is now overwhelming;

97% of scientists agree that climate change is real

• Impacts on Maryland’s people & economy here now
• Without significant action, things will get much

worse. We know what to do: More sustainable agriculture & transportation, use more clean renewable energy

2018 2017 2018

Questions? Email Dr. Sara Via, svia@umd.edu 2

Yale Climate Opinion Maps 2018

75% of Marylanders think climate change is occurring but only 57% think that scientists agree

Yale Climate Opinion Maps 2018

Public Opinion Estimates, Howard County, Maryland 2018

There is an important “blind spot”

*

18 of 19 hottest years all since 2000– WHY?

Last four years the hottest since 1884

http://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp/gr aphs/

source: Berkele y Ea rth

1oC above pre-industrial

http://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp /graphs/

Greenhouse gas molecules interfere with heat waves as they move toward space

*more gas molecules,

**slower heat loss ***more warming

The Greenhouse Effect slows heat loss from Earth, so air warms

• carbon dioxide
• methane
• nitrous oxide

Questions? Email Dr. Sara Via, svia@umd.edu 3

Already happening: changes in temperature

• Maximum & minimum

temperature higher in every season

• More days over 80o

and more over 90o

• More nights over 70o

and more over 80o

• Heat waves last longer
• Extreme heat affects

health, air quality, water availability, food safety, power usage

Changes in patterns of rainfall

• more rain now falling as downpours
• this causes injury/death, damages property & crops,

increases water pollution

Storms more severe, summer & winter

Hurricane Florence

• Sept. 13, 2018

It is now cheaper to fix climate change than to pay for disasters $306 billion for disasters in 2017 (Citibank, 2015)

2018

We are at a decision point…

We can choose the future we want

4th National Climate Assessment 2018, Fig. 2.2

8.5oF 2.5oF

Current path Current path

Questions? Email Dr. Sara Via, svia@umd.edu 4

The Path Forward

Mitigation

Reduce atmospheric CO2 to avoid the worst outcomes

Adaptation

Cope with conditions that now can’t be avoided

denverpost.com

We need both-- adaptation alone is not enough

Climate Action Already Underway

State: Maryland making good progress toward 40% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2030 Howard County:

• 2015 Climate Action plan to be updated
• Calvin Ball just announced a whole slate of climate

actions to reduce energy use and increase sustainability

Climate Action Already Underway

Columbia Association

• Significant GHG reductions & energy efficiency

improvements- ongoing effort

• Solar farms provide 25% of CA’s energy, totally

power Columbia Gym & the Athletic Club

• Lighting retrofits

to LED

• EV charging stations
• Energy Audits
• Purchasing clean

energy to offset use

• CA has just won award

from Energy Star!!

Using plants to remove carbon from the atmosphere and store it

• Plants capture CO2 for photosynthesis and can

store it long-term in soil and wood

• A “natural climate solution” w/ multiple co-benefits
• Howard Co and CA want to use proven conservation

practices to increase carbon storage: * woody and grass buffers to reduce stream erosion * deep-rooted native grass & pollinator meadows * tree and shrub planting

(no playing fields or playgrounds affected)

Questions? Email Dr. Sara Via, svia@umd.edu 5

makeachange1.wordpress .com

Climate Action- We can do even more

• Improve energy efficiency in

buildings & homes-- save 20%

• Reduce food waste, participate

in HoCo composting program

• Buy only what you really need
• Increase recycling & reuse
• Switch to renewable clean energy

through BGE (ask us how!)

• Use water wisely
• Reduce vehicle miles traveled;

carpool, mass transit, combine errands

• Move toward plant-based diet
• Climate-friendly landscaping

Discussion

• What do you see as key climate concerns and

environmental issues in your village?

• Are there populations that are particularly vulnerable

to climate impacts in your village?

• What sort of climate education & outreach efforts

would be a good fit for your community-- talks, discussions, activities?

• Workshops on
• individual actions?
• conservation landscaping &

climate-friendly gardening?

Community Ecology Institute: 2019