It’s true the earth’s climate changed dramatically even before humans appeared. But it’s also true that the last 200 years or so have seen a human-created input into the environment. That addition of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases will lead to a climate change, which could potentially be disastrous for human civilization.
Climate
change won’t destroy the planet, but our
civilizations and species have adapted to
a moderate climate, and it is that climate which will change if we don’t take
steps now. People can take steps individually, such as changing personal energy and water use, but
that won’t be enough.
State and national action may be required, and Western States in the U.S. are taking the lead in dealing with climate change.
California
California
has frequently taken the lead in many environmental initiatives. California set car emission standards before the federal
government mandated them. California focuses its building codes on promoting energy
efficiency. Utility companies in California have certain renewable energy
requirements.
The
state is also focused on saving water—and not just because of the recent
drought. In fact, California was taking steps to conserve water
before the drought occurred.
Water
requires a tremendous amount of energy to produce; it’s estimated that water took up 20% of California’s energy
consumption in 2011. Water is also used to produce energy. It takes an average
of 21 gallons of water to generate a kilowatt hour of electric power.
That’s
a lot of water, even if some is recycled.
It takes power to gather, purify and distribute water, so conserving water has
a significant impact on the amount of energy used and the level of greenhouse
gasses emitted.
Most
people don’t realize that as the demand for energy soars, so will the demand
for water. Every source of electricity, whether it is fossil fuel, biofuel or
solar, requires water, and as climate change escalates, our water sources will
deplete even further due to factors like less precipitation and higher temperatures.
California
also has made a state-wide commitment to solar power. The state has committed
so heavily to solar, in fact, that in winter months, Arizona and other states use its
excess electricity.
In
2010, around 15% of California’s electricity was
renewably produced; solar was 0.5% of that amount. By 2016, 27% was
renewable with 9.6% generated by solar plants. An additional 4.2% was generated by rooftop panels. Solar-powered
electricity now costs the same to produce as natural-gas produced power.
Washington State
In 2008, the Washington State legislature
set carbon emission standards for the state. Little was done to fulfill those
standards until 2016 when the Department
of Ecology required large emitters to reduce emissions by an average of 1.7%
per year. Reductions can be achieved by
efficiency programs, electric vehicle charging stations, buying carbon credits
from other companies or simply reducing output.
Washington
voters, on the other hand, decisively defeated Initiative 732, which would have
placed a tax on carbon emissions. The public believed that although being committed
to fighting climate change, the tax would have too large an impact on the state
economy.
Seattle,
the state’s largest city, acted proactively without the direct involvement of
the state in the climate change battle. The city’s building code is a
green-building code, requiring
energy efficiency. The city is aiming to have net-zero greenhouse
emissions by 2050 and is expanding
electric transit services.
Oregon
Many
steps toward avoiding the worst effects of climate change have been taken at the local level. Portland,
Oregon, is an example of one local community that has enacted policies to help
fight climate change.
Portland
has committed to 100%
renewable energy use by 2050. Building on the city’s success in
promoting wind and solar electricity,
electric cars and converting waste into energy, the city, along with more than
24 others, will act to achieve this goal.
The
city will install solar panels at fire stations. The city plans for schools to
tap into geothermal energy for power.
Oregon’s
legislature is considering a “cap and
trade”
bill, which would set a limit on carbon emissions but permit emitters of carbon
to sell allowances to emit to others. Companies which reduce emissions the
quickest have more allowances to sell and can recoup some of the costs for
reducing carbon emissions.
Colorado
Cities
throughout Colorado are also taking steps to combat climate change. Rebates and
incentives are available in many places. Fort Collins, for example, offers low-interest
efficiency loans to consumers. The city is also building shared solar arrays to
supply solar power to people who can’t install solar panels.
Conclusion
As with much of the country, the western
states are taking significant steps, especially
at the local level, to combat climate change.
While
most Americans acknowledge the human
contribution to climate change and want something done about it, they are torn between government action and private
efforts. Until that tension is resolved,
the likelihood a significant national effort is small.
States and localities may be our best bet to find ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions—and many Western states and cities are leading the way.
