Future impacts of climate change include heavier storms, which may over tax our stormwater systems.  Photo: http://www.isustainableearth.com
Future impacts of climate change include heavier storms, which may over tax our stormwater systems. Photo: http://www.isustainableearth.com

On Tuesday, President Obama unveiled a three-pronged strategy to address climate change.  The plan would cut emissions from power plants, fund alternative energy, and help communities enact measures to adapt to rising temperatures that are already occurring as a result of excess greenhouse gases pumped into the atmosphere by human activities in the last century.

The plan would enact a set of rules that would result in reducing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions 17% from 2005 levels by 2020.

HRWC welcomes this development.  As described in HRWC’s  special climate change edition of the Huron River Report, global warming is predicted to have many impacts in our watershed, including stronger storms (resulting in increased polluted runoff), extinctions of native fish species, and hotter drought periods.

Through the Climate-Resilient Communities project, HRWC has been working with communities and local water managers to adapt and become more resilient to predicted changes in climate in our own watershed, so President Obama’s announcement is welcome.

Through the Saving Water Saves Energy project, HRWC has been raising public awareness of the water-energy nexus and teaching homeowners how water efficiency can actually help reduce the energy that is needed to pump, heat and treat water supplies thereby reducing carbon emissions too.

To show your support for federal action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, consider contacting the White House to express your views.

You can also check out the following national groups who are working for more action on climate change:

Natural Resources Defense Council

350.org

The Climate Reality Project