climate change

Dear Supervisor Rodoni, We immensely appreciate your recent efforts to, at long last, reach a compromise that preserves The Last Resort (http://thelastresortlagunitas.org) David Lee Hoffman's property, as a historic landmark. As the process of working with David progresses, we must express the imperative to reinstate Marin County's own Architectural Commission's ruling that David's site is historically important. This would allow the use of the California Historic Building Code as a guideline and protections this code offers. Reinstating the Commission's ruling is ethical and allows for long-awaited progress in complying with reasonable code upgrades and an ultimate resolution.   We do not want to lose The Last Resort, nor do we want to lose David  as a friend, neighbor, and contributor to our community. We feel that David is a visionary who, during the past 40 years, has created solutions to climate change issues that we face as a global community. These solutions lie in the very structures and systems that stand to be destroyed if the Commission's unanimous ruling continues to be discounted or ignored. We believe the demolition of his work would severely endanger the health, safety, beauty and tranquility of Marin County - and the potential for large-scale solutions that David's innovation provides. We request that Marin County, through their receiver, reinstate their own Commission's unanimous ruling, which declared that David's property deserves local historic status. You, too, recently stated in your January 31, 2017 letter to the appointed receiver, “Furthermore, please consider this an official request from my office to include architectural and cultural value determinations on the Hoffman property in your final recommendations.”  The reinstatement of the County Architectural Commission ruling would be the final step in bringing closure to the issue of preserving as much of David’s site as possible without interfering with the work of the receiver.   We believe that if David loses, we all lose -- and we believe the solution is outlined by the steps in this petition.  We are truly thankful to have you addressing these issues. By signing this petition we support the reinstatement of the Marin County Architectural Commission resolution that all 36 structures on the 2-acre property of David Lee Hoffman in Lagunitas constitute a cultural and historic landmark of local importance. Signed,

I. Introduction     Human effects are the main source of global warming, according to the National Climate Assessment, particularly the carbon pollution we generate by burning fossil fuels and the pollution-capturing we prevent by destroying forests. We produce carbon dioxide, methane, soot, and other pollutants into the atmosphere, which acts as a blanket, trapping the sun's heat and causing the world to warm. The earth's climatic system, including its land, atmosphere, oceans, and ice, is changing in profound ways as a result of this warming.      Long-term effects of climate change are expected to include decreased sea ice and increased permafrost thawing, increased heat waves and heavy precipitation, and decreased water resources in semi-arid regions, according to scientists.      Talking about climate change with family and friends is one of the simplest and most important things anyone can do. We understand that these discussions can seem like a formula for strife and resentment. It all begins with getting to know individuals where they are.  II. Objectives Main Objective: The concept paper aims to achieve its general objective of understanding the effects of global warming on the future by focusing on the following specific goals: To clarify what global warming is and what the consequences might be if we don't take this seriously. To add existing knowledge on what we already know about global warming's causes and effects.  To gather data or information regarding global warming's various effects and how these affect humans, nature, animals, food, water, energy, and health.  III. Purpose The purpose of the study is to look at the consequences of Global Warming on us, and the long-term consequences of global warming continues to affect our planet. The study aims to answer the following questions: 1. Does deforestation contribute to climate change? 2. How is climate change affecting people? 3. What happens if we do nothing to stop climate change? IV. Description       Deforestation does, in fact, contribute to climate change in a couple of ways. Because forests are one of our most significant natural carbon storage systems, they lose their ability to store greenhouse gases when they are cut down. Even more, carbon is released into the atmosphere when trees are burned.      Forests are among the most effective "natural climate solutions" available on the planet. We might accomplish up to one-third of the emission reductions needed by 2030 to keep global temperatures from rising more than 2°C (3.6°C) if we can delay or stop deforestation and manage natural land to maintain it healthy. That's the same as putting an end to all oil-burning around the world.      Global temperatures are expected to rise by 2-4 °C (3-7 °F) by the end of the century if we do not take extra effort to reduce the current climate impacts. This level of warming could cause catastrophic melting of the ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica, as well as a rise in sea levels that would drown most major worldwide coastal cities. The wildlife we adore, as well as their habitats, will be eliminated, resulting in mass extinction. Superstorms, droughts, and heat waves would become more frequent and severe, resulting in catastrophic health problems and sickness. A decrease in agricultural production would almost certainly result in global food shortages and catastrophe. Water supplies would be exhausted all throughout the world, leaving certain areas uninhabitable.      Climate change is hurting people all around the world, from stressing agricultural systems to making regions less habitable. You may have noticed how weather patterns are shifting around you, or how storms are becoming more common and violent in the summer. Perhaps you're dealing with more severe flooding or wildfires in your area. Rising sea levels are causing streets to flood during high tides in several areas, resulting in "sunny day flooding." Because the sea level has risen to the point where its original position is no longer habitable, some entire coastal communities in Alaska are being relocated.      Climate change also intensifies the risk of human-caused conflict due to a lack of resources such as food and water, which becomes less reliable as growing seasons change and seasons become less predictable. Many of these consequences are disproportionately experienced by low-income, Indigenous, or marginalized people. Many of the world's poorest countries are the earliest and most severely affected by climate change, despite contributing significantly less to the increase in carbon emissions that produced the warming in the first place. V. Support      This problem does have a massive impact on our planet, especially if we do not take some an action about it, so if you can view this, kindly enlighten each other by deleting unread emails, saving electricity, saving water, driving less, planting more trees, avoiding smoking, unplugging electronics you don't use, using an electric fan instead of aircon, using LED lights, and lastly spreading awareness to your family, loved ones, and friends. Let's tell all this together: LET THE EARTH BREATHE.      I hope you have learned something from me, patunayan natin ngayon ang sinabi ni Rizal noon na: "Ang kabataan ay ang pag-asa ng bayan." VI. Contact Information If you have any questions or concerns about this topic, you can contact me by: Name: Kimberly Monje E-mail Address: Kimberlymonje41@gmail.com Phone Number: 09275139825  

The University of Florida has committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2025. Despite this, the University is considering a fracked gas power plant set to begin construction in 2023. The 34- megawatt Central Energy Plant would draw its energy from fossil fuels extracted through dangerous process of hydraulic fracturing. Fracking poses a serious threat to public health, the environment and to the very future of our climate. It will be the university’s largest source of energy posing huge risks to the air and water of the local community -- and worsening our climate crisis by burning dirty fossil fuels around the clock. On its own, the Central Energy Plant Project fracked gas project would make it virtually impossible to hit the climate goals the City of Gainesville has committed to by 2040. In addition, in the midst of the coronavirus, it is a death sentence for at-risk individuals. While science tells us that climate change is irrefutable, science also tells us that it is not too late to take action to avoid or reduce the worst impacts. The University of Florida, hailed as the sixth best public school in the nation, should be leading the way toward advanced, innovative energy that has a positive impact for the community and state! UF should not be constructing an outdated, harmful power plant to meet so much of our energy needs. Sign below to tell Gov. DeSantis and the University of Florida Board of Trustees to reject the dirty Central Energy Plant Project and all other fracked gas infrastructure and to honor its commitment to renewable energy.

Dear Renaissance Homes: We are a group of longstanding neighbors concerned about preserving the character of our neighborhood as well as the true and rare treasure at 7301 SW 26th, most specifically the forested trees, 100+ years old, home to native wildlife, who count on this wooded sanctuary as their habitat and for survival.  These trees are on the original homestead land and called this neighborhood home long before any other houses were here and when wildlife corridors were uninterrupted. Multnomah Village’s preservation and appreciation of urban trees and their rich history (and what they have offered all of us in terms of quality of living) are an extension of our souls, quality of life, and community spirit. We are requesting the following: 1. We request an in person meeting between Renaissance and neighborhood representatives2. Preservation of the 150-foot mother tree and at least 75% of trees on the lots Thank you  Support articles and explanation for importance of preserving trees: https://www.oregonmetro.gov/news/wildlife-corridors-protect-animals-big-and-small https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/02/climate/trees-cities-heat-waves.html?smid=url-share Trees Reduce Air PollutionTrees and other plants make their own food from carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, water, sunlight and a small amount of soil elements. In the process, they release oxygen (O2) for us to breathe by storing carbon in their roots and trunk and releasing oxygen into the atmosphere. Trees also:-Help to settle out, trap and hold particle pollutants (dust, ash, pollen and smoke) that can damage human lungs.-Absorb CO2 and other dangerous gasses while replenishing the oxygen.-Produce enough oxygen on each acre for 18 people every day.-Trees remove gaseous pollutants by absorbing them through the pores in the leaf surface. Particulates are trapped and filtered by leaves, stems and twigs, and washed to the ground by rainfall. The loss of trees in our urban areas not only intensifies the urban "heat-island" effect, but we lose a principal absorber of carbon dioxide and trapper of other air pollutants as well. Trees Fight the Atmospheric Greenhouse EffectThe greenhouse effect is created when heat from the sun is prevented from radiating back into space by air-polluting gasses. Heat buildup threatens to raise global temperatures to levels unprecedented in human history. About half of the greenhouse effect is caused by CO2.Trees remove the carbon from CO2 and store it as cellulose in the trunk while releasing the oxygen back into the air. This combination of CO2 removal from the atmosphere, carbon storage in wood, and the cooling effect makes trees a very efficient tool in fighting the greenhouse effect. Trees Conserve Water and Reduce Soil ErosionTrees create organic matter on the soil surface from their leaf litter. Their rootsincrease soil permeability for water storage and filtration resulting in reduced water runoff from storms; reduced soil erosion and reduced sedimentation in streams. Trees increase groundwater recharge of our water tables.Trees reduce the amount of chemicals transported to streams.   Trees Modify Local ClimateTrees help cool the "heat island" effect in Portland. These islands result from storage of thermal energy in concrete, steel, and asphalt. The collective effect of a large area of transpiring trees (evaporating water) reduces the air temperature in these areas as well as by providing shade.In our dry summers, trees increase humidity through evaporation of moisture.  They reduce glare on sunny days and moderate damaging winds.