Earth Hour - United States and Canada

 

WHY EARTH HOUR? UNDERSTANDING CLIMATE CHANGE.

Climate change is perhaps the most significant issue facing our planet today. Just look at the trends:

  • Worldwide, the ten hottest years on record have occurred since 1996, with 2005 being the hottest yet.
  • The number of hot days are increasing and heat waves are becoming more frequent.
  • Drought areas are increasing, as are unusually heavy precipitation events.
  • Tropical cyclones are becoming more intense in some regions.
  • Arctic sea ice has declined to the lowest levels on record, endangering Arctic ecosystems – including polar bears. Studies suggest that two-thirds of the world's polar bear population will be gone by 2050.

The American Geophysical Union explains: "The Earth's climate is now clearly out of balance and is warming. Many components of the climate system-including the temperatures of the atmosphere, land and ocean, the extent of sea ice and mountain glaciers, the sea level, the distribution of precipitation, and the length of seasons-are now changing at rates and in patterns that are not natural and are best explained by the increased atmospheric abundances of greenhouse gases and aerosols generated by human activity during the 20th century."

The Burning Issue: Fossil Fuels

Power plants burn fossil fuels to create electricity. We also burn fossil fuels in our engines to power our cars. Burning fossil fuels releases billions of tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) pollution into the atmosphere and is the largest source of greenhouse gases from human activities.

The Leading Emitter
The U.S. is the world's second largest emitter of carbon dioxide pollution (behind only China):

  • In 2005, total carbon emissions from fossil fuels in the U.S. alone were nearly 6 billion metric tons of CO2 – that's the equivalent to the weight of over 1 billion elephants.
  • The U.S. contributes 21 percent of the world's emissions from fossil fuel consumption–even though we account for less than 5 percent of the world's population.
  • The average American is responsible for 20 tons of CO2 annually–over 4 times the world's average.
  • Carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. have increased over 15 percent since 1990, and the U.S. Energy Information Administration projected in late 2007 that energy–related emissions of CO2 may grow another 25 percent between 2006 and 2030.

    • How We're Using It
    There are four sectors dependent on fossil fuels in the U.S. (percentage in parentheses indicates that sector's portion of total U.S. carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels):

    • Residential. Using electricity in your house for refrigerators, air conditioning, space heating, to power your light bulbs, TV, appliances, water heater and other electronic equipment accounts for most of the emissions. The rest of residential emissions come mostly from using natural gas and heating oil–fuels used primarily for space heating. (21 percent)
    • Commercial. Businesses, shopping malls, restaurants and other commercial entities. (18 percent)
    • Industrial. Iron and steel production, cement manufacture, and other industrial processes. (27 percent)
    • Transportation. Mostly passenger cars and light duty trucks (driving your car to work, running errands, taking the kids to school, etc.). (33 percent)

    Generally, the more energy we consume at home and on the road, the more we contribute to climate change.

    Why Earth Hour?
    Globally, the current growth in emissions must be stopped and reduced as soon as possible. This requires that global emissions peak and begin declining by 2020; and that they be cut by roughly 60-80 percent below current levels by 2050. This is a great challenge, especially given that the U.S. Energy Information Administration has projected a 16% increase of CO2 emissions from fossil-fuel use in the U.S. between 2006 and 2030.

    But we can do something about it. There are many opportunities for us to have an impact by thinking of ways we can curb our emissions in our daily lives. Earth Hour is all about seizing those opportunities. It's about people around the world—individuals, families, businesses and governments—speaking with one voice, signaling a sustained commitment to take actions in our own households and in our own communities to curb our carbon emissions and live more sustainably.

    As World Wildlife Fund's chief climate change scientist, Dr. Lara Hansen, says, "People are finally awakening to climate change and the fact that they need to do something." Earth Hour is a great way to take the first step.

    Confronting climate change won't be easy, but together we can find the solution. Read more about climate change at www.worldwildlife.org/climate/ and for tips on what you can do at home, at work, or at school visit www.earthhour.org/earth-hour-every-day.

    Join WWF and millions of people around the world on March 29th.
    Turn out for Earth Hour!

    Download a PDF of this document.

Sydney - 8pm, March 29, 2008

The Sunday Telegraph