Living in the Time-GapBy Emily Lardner When I was a little girl, I was fascinated with the idea of cause and effect. I liked things that were concrete: If we built a dam across a creek, we could watch the water pool upstream. When I brought our rabbits' frozen water dishes inside, the ice melted. Also, though I already knew I was allergic to poison ivy, I tried the following experiment: I rubbed my face and arms with poison ivy leaves and waited for something — anything — to happen. To my relief, nothing hurt or itched. I went to bed as usual, and woke up the next morning with my skin so swollen that I was unable to open my eyes. I was miserable for an entire week, and I experienced my first big taste of the time-gap: that non-eventful delay between an action and its noticeable consequences. We are now living in something like that non-eventful delay. The United Nations' "Human Development Report 2007/2008," (available at: http://hdr.undp.org/en/reports/global/hdr2007-2008/) focuses on fighting climate change. It begins with the observation that the choices we make today will affect the lives of our children and grandchildren to a greater degree than they affect our own lives. At the same time, the authors argue that the dynamics of climate change are such that those of us who impact the climate the most are also the least affected by the results. Cause, in other words, is separated from effect — both geographically and across time. Awareness of the impacts of climate change is growing. I've noticed that in several discussions about the recent flooding in southwest Washington, someone invariably says, "Is this what the climate scientists mean when they talk about increasing winter storms?" It is said that the storm was caused by the unexpected convergence of snow, rain and wind. Whether or not this is a direct result of climate change, we should anticipate more of these unusual weather events. The time-gap in which we have been living is shrinking. The City of Olympia released a written response to climate change this past September (available at: www.olympiawa.gov/community/sustainability/Climate_Change/). It's a document that all of us should read because it points out what we can do locally to lessen the effects of climate change. The report outlines categories for action that include reducing emissions, and an equally complex goal of increasing housing density. Dense areas should have housing near a variety of services, which will reduce the need for unnecessary car trips. Protecting and conserving fresh water, planting more trees, and encouraging local agricultural activities are some of the other important action areas. What's needed next is a community-supported strategy for getting the rest of us involved. The report by the City also suggests a framework for moving ideas into action: As a community, we decide on areas of focus, we draw a baseline to compare our impacts to, we set goals for ourselves, and then we keep track of our progress. Support the City of Olympia's direction on climate change. We have a chance — and a responsibility — to learn to do this important work together. Emily Lardner is an occasional contributor to Green Pages. ---- Public Comments Sought by January 22 on State Climate Advisory Team RecommendationsState residents are invited to review and comment on proposed actions for limiting and preparing for the impacts of climate change in the state. The recommendations are split into three components: "A Comprehensive Climate Approach for Washington" offered by the state's Climate Advisory Team (CAT); "Preparing for the Impacts of Climate Change in Washington" from the state's Preparation/Adaptation Working Groups (PAWGs); and “Citizen engagement and Action Framework” created with help from stakeholders throughout Washington. In February 2007, Governor Gregoire directed the Departments of Ecology and Community, Trade and Economic Development to create the CAT to explore and recommend how the state can reduce climate-changing greenhouse gas emissions. She also directed work to focus on preparing for climate change impacts, while also growing a "clean economy" that increases clean-energy jobs and reduces Washington's dependence on foreign oil. Comments on the draft documents will be accepted until Thursday, January 10 at 5 p.m. The public is encouraged to submit comments online. Advisory team members will review the comments as they prepare final recommendations for their executive order report. The final report will be presented to the Governor on Thursday, February 7, 2008. The three draft documents and detailed instructions for submitting comments are posted at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/climatechange/public_comments_dec2007.htm
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