Global Warming News

Environment California Applauds Global Warming Leaders, Calls for Federal Action

Sacramento — As the California Air Resources Board unveil their final scoping plan for reducing global warming pollution statewide, Environment California Research & Policy Center released a new report documenting that the average 2007 temperatures across California, including in the Central Valley, are on the rise.  Globally, the year 2007 tied for the second warmest year on record, and for the United States it was the 10th warmest year on record.  These record temperatures are part of a trend toward rising temperatures resulting from global warming.

“Throw out the record books because global warming is raising temperatures in California, and especially the Central Valley,” said Bernadette Del Chiaro, advocate with Environment California Research & Policy Center. “While a difference of one or two degrees may not seem like much, just as any parent with a sick child knows, even a small rise in temperature can have a big effect.”

According to NASA, seven of the eight warmest years on record globally have occurred since 2001.  These above-average temperatures led Environment California Research & Policy Center to more closely examine recent temperature trends at the state level. 

“Feeling the Heat: Global Warming and Rising Temperatures in the United States” compares government temperature data for the years 2000-2007 with the historical average, or “normal,” temperature for the preceding thirty years, 1971-2000.  Our data were collected at 255 weather stations – those with the highest quality data – in all fifty states and Washington, DC. 

Key findings for California include:   

• In 2007, the average temperature was 1.4 °F above normal in Redding, 0.1 °F in Sacramento, 1.5 °F in Stockton, 1.6 °F in Fresno and 0.5 °F in Bakersfield.

• The Central Valley’s above-average temperatures in 2007 are part of a warming trend.  Between 2000 and 2007, the average temperature was between 0.5°F and 1.8 °F above the historical average across the Valley.  Nationally, the average temperature during this eight-year period was at least 0.5°F above normal at nearly 90 percent of the weather stations.   

• In 2007, the Central Valley also experienced above normal average maximum temperatures — the highest temperatures recorded on a given day.  

• According to the National Climatic Data Center Other data, in 2007, as well as from2000-2007, the average temperature in California was 60.0 degrees F, which is 1.1 degrees above the 20th century average temperature.     

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – the prestigious United Nations body that won a Nobel Prize last year for its work – has concluded the evidence of global warming is “unequivocal” and that human activities are responsible for most of the increase in global average temperatures.  Burning fossil fuels to power cars, homes, and industry produces most U.S. global warming emissions. Meanwhile, a recent Bush administration report said “it is very likely” that more people will die in the United States during extremely hot periods in the future.  In addition, the report identified water shortages from early snowmelt, degraded air quality, wildfires, heat waves, drought, more powerful tropical storms, extreme rainfall with flooding, sea-level rise as particular risks for the Pacific region

As California’s Air Resources Board takes another giant step toward reducing global warming pollution with the release of the scoping plan today, energy issues and global warming have featured prominently in both presidential and vice-presidential debates this election season.

“We’re at a crossroads on energy, and it’s up to the next President to choose a new path that curbs global warming and helps recharge our struggling economy,” said Del Chiaro. “Repowering America with wind and solar power will not only curb global warming but will be a key driver helping heal our troubled economy.”

According to the latest climate science, the United States and the world must break its dependence on fossil fuels and transition rapidly to 100 percent clean, renewable energy if we hope to avoid the most catastrophic effects of global warming. Specifically, the United States must reduce its global warming emissions by at least 20 percent by 2020 and by 80 percent by 2050 and make energy efficiency improvements and the acceleration of renewable energy development the centerpiece of our environmental and economic development policies.

Recently, more than 150 members of Congress, including Congresswoman Matsui of Sacramento, endorsed strong principles for action on energy and global warming.  Environment California urged that those principles be the blueprint for action for the next President and Congress. 

“Climate change is one of the most perilous challenges facing America today.  In addition to investing in clean technologies, we need a responsible cap-and-trade system that reduces greenhouse gas emissions,” said California Congresswoman Doris Matsui.  “As a member of the Energy & Commerce Committee, I will continue to work with my colleagues to craft forward-looking climate change legislation that will allow us to hand a cleaner and safer planet to future generations.”

“We commend Gov. Schwarzenegger, the legislature, the California Air Resources Board and congressional leaders such as Congresswoman Matsui, for their leadership on this critical issue,” said Del Chiaro. “We urge all of California’s congressional representatives to follow the state’s lead and support strong science-based policy that would put the United States on track to solving global warming.”

CA-AverageTempTrendLine.pdf

feeling_the_heat_ca.pdf