Drastic cuts in global carbon dioxide emissions are necessary to prevent the worst effects of climate change. Still, decades of human-generated carbon emissions have already locked the planet into some degree of warming and change, climate scientists say. 

In other words, the only relevant question is, just how bad will it be? And the answer depends on whether countries across the world can agree to sharp cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, chiefly carbon dioxide.

Local governments should, at a minimum, develop plans to deal with current and anticipated hazards caused by climate trends, such as flooding and strong storms, said Mark Lowery, a climate policy analyst with the State Office of Climate Change. Lowery was the featured speaker at the Rochester chapter of the Sierra Club’s annual environmental forum, which was held last night at First Unitarian Church.

“The costs of action pale in comparison to the costs of inaction,” Lowery said.

Lowery ran through the science of climate change, but also pitched the state’s Climate Smart Communities program. Through the voluntary initiative, local governments develop plans to reduce emissions and prepare for the local effects of climate change. The state provides participating communities with technical assistance in their planning efforts.

Governments and communities in New York need to prepare for a range of problems that climate change will likely make worse. Downpours and strong storms are already happening more often and they’re becoming more intense, Lowery said. As a result, flood-prone areas face the potential for more flooding.

Researchers also project that the region will experience more extremely hot days and heat waves. That could lead to more heat-related deaths and could stress utility systems, Lowery said.

One of the audience members, Williamson Supervisor Jim Hoffman, asked what the impact of climate change might be on Wayne County’s apple crop. Wayne County is the largest apple-producing county in the second-largest apple-producing state.

Changing temperature patterns won’t necessarily mean longer growing seasons, as they might for some other crops, Lowery said. In fact, they could stunt the crops. 

“It’s not good,” Lowery said.

This article appears in Apr 16-22, 2014.

Covers county government and whatever else comes my way. Greyhound dad; vegetarian; attempted photographer with a love for film and fixer; sometimes cyclist.

5 replies on “Making the case for local communities to act on climate change”

  1. Though many were invited, only one media in Rochester NY reported on state expert’s presentation of Climate Change’s local effects.

    Climate Change is not only happening, it is happening in Rochester, NY—just like it is all over the world. Mostly, as you attend to local Rochester media there’s nary a mention of Climate Change.

    Folks, this is not merely disappointing, disappointing that our local media cannot get off their collective butts and check out what the state of New York is doing about Climate Change, it is an outrage! The latest IPCC reports make it clear we (meaning all of us) are not going to reach a tolerable level of greenhouse gases unless we make a dramatic turn in our behavior towards fossil fuel use.

    Thankfully, we have at least one publication, Rochester City Newspaper, who feels compelled to report on local activity on the most important crisis in our time.

    This Earth Day demand that your media report on Climate Change; do not shrug your shoulders and say there is nothing you can do.

  2. All of that information and suggestions for local action was good. But I don’t believe enough change can happen without a federal level carbon tax: A big enough tax that it can massively reduce the immediate need for personal income taxes. This will create the incentive for rapid development of alternative energy and reorganization of our physical structure and land-use arrangements to reduce the need for more energy. Then, we’ll have significant reduction of greenhouse gases. What can we do to get Congress on board with this idea, when so many of them are funded by the fossil fuel industry?

  3. That’s all we need: another big-government program that raises taxes in an attempt to create an ‘incentive’. How is a sham ‘carbon tax’ related to personal income tax? And what is to prevent business from passing on the cost of huge tax hikes to consumers? Do you think they will simply absorb the cost? I’m highly suspicious of the ‘carbon tax’. It’s a scheme to extort a lot of money from companies. Where does the money go and what is it supposed to be used for? More “Earth Day Awareness” celebrations?

  5. Troll Wisperer: “Brad, carbon taxes are a conservative think-tank creation.”

    Brad: I don’t care. A bad idea is a bad idea. Period. I call ’em like I see ’em.

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