With the 2015 Climate Change Conference wrapped up in Paris and the adoption of the Paris Agreement, one question remains – what action can we take here in the San Francisco Bay Area?
We all know that we are experiencing a period of warming due to the greenhouse gases building up in the atmosphere, trapping in more energy than is radiating back out to space. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) research shows that carbon dioxide (CO2) makes up 74% of those greenhouse gas emissions, with 57% just from fossil fuel use. That trapped energy contributes to a warmer atmosphere, impacting ocean temperatures, sea-ice pack, sea levels, and vegetation and animal habitats.
As the conservation nonprofit American Forests reminds us, “healthy forests are our most efficient, inexpensive, and natural systems to combat climate change.”
Both natural and urban forests play an essential role in reducing the main contributor to climate change – CO2.
American Forests – Forests & Climate Change
Arbor Day Foundation – How Trees Fight Climate Change at Home
Arbor Day Foundation – How Trees Fight Climate Change in Your Community
BBC – Climate Change Deal: In Summary
BBC – Six Graphics That Explain Climate Change
BBC – What is Climate Change?
EPA – Carbon Footprint Calculator
Forestry Commission – How Trees Can Help Reduce Climate Change
U.S. Forest Service – How Trees Help Fight Climate Change – All Over the World
U.S. Forest Service – Urban Forests and Climate Change Resources