Heads up US Ground Crews

[WiNaDeYo]

If this news is going out in Appalacia, it's good to know for everyone....

http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pb...D=200990226084

Climate change in Southern Appalachians: Take it seriously

Climate defines life in the Southern Appalachians. We depend upon an “average course” of weather for our food, water and air. For our economy and rich biodiversity. For our way of life.
Advertisement
Quantcast

The climate of the Southern Appalachians is changing. The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) tells us that a change in patterns is occurring. Greenhouse gases have impelled us toward an uncertain future. The University of Maryland’s Center for Integrative Environmental Research states, “The southeast states may be some of the hardest hit in the nation by climate change. By 2100, there may be as much as a 20 percent increase in precipitation throughout the region and a rise in heat index of 8-15 degrees F.” Other studies note that precipitation may swing to a 10 percent decrease.

Many impacts likely

How the planet will respond to three times the carbon levels of pre-industrial times is not fully understood. One thing is certain, though: The projected weather changes will impact the rich traditions and the well-being of our region for generations to come.

Climate defines life-support systems such as water. Here at the headwaters for much of the region, we have previewed the effects of drought these past two years as Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and North Carolina have fought for water rights. North Carolina was sued for diverting millions of gallons of water from the Catawba River before it flowed into South Carolina. Georgia disputed its border with Tennessee in an effort to gain access to the Tennessee River.

Temperature and precipitation define vital industries. The fastest growing agricultural sector in North Carolina is the nursery industry, now fourth in the nation. Its annual revenue of $832 million depends upon a predictable water supply and is highly vulnerable to climate variability. Forest products in the Southeast are a multibillion-dollar industry. Climate change will likely alter tree species, pose increased forest fire risk, encourage an increase in destructive invasives and possibly render some higher elevation species extinct.

Population pressures

Energy needs are dictated by temperature and population. Our region’s population is expected to grow 25 percent by 2030. Regional conservation ethic? Not yet. Over the past three years, “per customer” electric use in our region has steadily increased. In 2007, Progress Energy supplied 35 percent of the region’s electricity from nuclear and 46 percent from coal. Coal plants are proven to increase the greenhouse gases that exacerbate climate change. Nuclear plants, as currently designed, consume more water than any other form of energy generation. Drought and prolonged heat threaten their output. We are charging toward higher energy needs with no long-term plan for conservation or significant renewable generation.

Climate defines tourism. North Carolina’s tourism business is seventh in the nation with revenues of more than $16.51 billion a year. In 2007 in Buncombe County alone, tourism revenue grew to $705 million. People come to our mountain sanctuaries to hike, fish, view scenic landscapes, raft and renew. Just last year, drought and heat reduced whitewater for French Broad River paddlers. And regional studies warn that by 2100, a significant percentage of our streams may no longer support certain species of trout. River rafting and recreational fishing are multimillion-dollar-a-year industries.

Tourism also is affected by air quality. With prolonged heat, stagnant air masses trap airborne pollutants and pose a threat to health. This is a risk at all elevations, but above 3,500 feet, a favorite zone for hikers, the mixture will be especially potent.

Call to action

The French dramatist Eugene Ionesco once said, “Ideologies separate us. Dreams and anguish bring us together.” With climate change, we fear the loss of our Southern Appalachians riches. Its threats unite us and call us to action — to plan for the long term, to guide growth with vision, to galvanize as if the quality of life for future generations depends upon acting now.

To start this conversation, Warren Wilson College, The Wilderness Society and Orion magazine will host Headwaters Gathering: Southern Appalachia at the Crossroads … A Call to Action on March 27-29 at Warren Wilson College. The following national leaders will share best practices and call us to act: former World Bank economist Herman Daly (keynote speaker); Majora Carter, a national expert on green labor initiatives; rural development economist Winona LaDuke; NOAA and expert IPCC scientist Thomas Peterson; educator and national climate plan adviser David Orr; national communicators Andrew Revkin of The New York Times, Janisse Ray and Orion editor Chip Blake; Larry Schweiger and Bill Meadows, activists and presidents of the National Wildlife Federation and The Wilderness Society; and retired coal miner Chuck Nelson. Register to participate at www.headwatersgathering.org.

Margo Flood is executive director of the Environmental Leadership Center of Warren Wilson College.

Also see:
Headwaters Gathering shines spotlight on local climate change
http://www.mountainx.com/news/2009/031809buzz4

Peace and Good Will!

[Dominic]

I keep a close eye on the weather and have for years. The weather here in the Pacific northwest has changed. I feel it has to do with the chemtrail/haarp program.Things I have noticed they were testing the program for years now it is implemented full scale. The weather is being used against us for sure. I see and feel the manipulation. Thanks for the post weather affects us all.