Text: “ Global Warming in Oregon: Generation To Generation” (2005 update)

Odyssey Productions/Oregon Department of Energy

This we know: Our ecological systems... from wetlands to estuaries , forests, grasslands , open oceans -- provide the life support systems for all of life on planet Earth.

This we know: Now is a fundamentally different time than any other time on our planet. We're changing our ecological systems in new ways, over larger scales , and at faster rates that ever before.

This we know: These changes will have huge ramifications for future generations .

Despite the fact that scientists don't know everything about the climate system, we do know that human activities have changed the climate system substantially .

Many activities contribute to these changes, including the way we use and generate energy. Our energy choices today will have profound consequences for generations to follow.

What is Global Warming? Naturally occurring gasses in our atmosphere trap the sun's heat... like greenhouse glass . As the sun's rays strike the Earth, the surface is warmed, radiating heat back into the atmosphere. Some heat escapes into space, but the rest is trapped by the greenhouses gasses and warms the Earth. The problem comes when humans add extra greenhouse gasses, upsetting the balance .

Fossil fuels are the primary source for greenhouse gasses... Burning coal, oil, and natural gas for energy.

An international panel of some two thousand scientists from 150 countries has examined very carefully the scientific information about climate change. That panel has concluded, and I quote, "there is new and stronger evidence that most of the warming observed over the last fifty years is attributable to human activities.” In addition, they point out that although the climate system has changed many times during past centuries, now is fundamentally different because of the rate at which human activities are changing the climate.

While all not all scientists agree... the vast majority do point to many documented changes as evidence of worldwide global warming. For example: The global mean temperature increased by more than one degree Fahrenheit in the 20 th century and will continue to increase. Scientific evidence confirms that... since the start of the industrial age ... the concentration of greenhouse gasses has increased: Carbon Dioxide increased 35 percent. Nitrous Oxide increased 17 percent. Methane increased 151 percent. The warmest year on record was 1998, and 2002 and 2003 tied for second warmest . Arctic permafrost is melting . Glaciers are melting. And part of the Greenland ice sheet has already melted.

The Northwest climate is changing as well. The decade of the 1990s was the warmest on record in the Northwest.

Why is this warming trend so terrible in Oregon? Why should we care about a few degrees in Corvallis? Or in Malheur? Or in Medford? The reason is that this seemingly small change in temperature represents the tip of the iceberg . With that change in average temperature, come a whole suite of other changes. Taken together, they represent a substantial change to our ecological systems and to our way of life.

If emission trends continue... concentrations of Carbon Dioxide will rise to levels not seen on the planet for 50 million years. Over the next century, sea level is expected to rise as much as 37 inches. Global temperatures are projected to increase from 2.5 degrees to more than 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Droughts and floods are expected to increase in frequency and intensity . And many infectious diseases are predicted to spread . How will this projected global warming affect Oregon and the Northwest? We may have increased flooding... from more intense bursts of rain... and more quickly melting snowpacks .

Hotter summer months, with lower stream flow , could affect salmon migration and spawning . Agriculture would be affected: Almost half of Oregon's farmed acres are irrigated .

Higher temperatures cause more evaporation , so soils would dry out faster. More irrigation water would be needed... But, smaller snowpacks would mean diminished water supplies. Climate change in Oregon could have serious health effects: For example: heat-related deaths could rise. Warmer temperatures could make Oregon a more hospitable climate for insect-born diseases such as encephalitis and malaria .

With global warming, Oregon's forests could change their character , range , and density . Hotter and more variable weather could mean more frequent and intense wildfires. And forests could become susceptible to new pests. Rising sea levels on the Oregon coast could translate into flooding of low-lying property , erosion of beaches, and loss of coastal wetlands . The habitat for many species could be adversely affected .

The risk of global change has become increasingly apparent. The prudent course of action is to slow the rate of change … then reverse greenhouse gas emissions to reduce the burning of fossil fuels. There are countless opportunities for every person, every business, and every government agency to reduce greenhouse gasses. Everyone can create more efficient homes and buildings and carefully consider energy-wise options for transportation.

Changing our energy practices should be one of our highest priorities . It is foolhardy to continue our present path, in part because the climate system doesn't change over night. It takes time. If we care about the world that we will leave for our children and our grandchildren, we will change our energy practices -- and do it soon.