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In partnership with
Mecklenburg County LUESA Air Quality and
Solid Waste Divisions, and
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities
Sponsored by the
Environmental Assistance Office (EAO) for
Small Business at UNC Charlotte, The Environmental Corner
is designed to serve as an environmental
management and pollution prevention resource
SEPTEMBER 2006
Almost weekly, there is
an article about climate in our regional and local
newspapers. The headlines announce a correlation
between a warming climate and the occurrence and
severity of hurricanes in the Atlantic or the
headlines announce the opposite: no correlation
between climate and occurrence and severity of
hurricanes. There are strong opinions on both sides
of the Global Warming issue.
Recent headlines include:
US Groups Sue Government
Agency Over Global Warming
by Jim Lobe
http://www.gaspig.com/epasuit.htm
Arctic Ice Melting at Record
Rate
by
Cat Lazaroff
http://www.gaspig.com/arcticicemelting.htm
A
world without oil
Iceland is
already
preparing by
Alanna Mitchell
http://www.gaspig.com/withoutoil.htm
As a small business owner/operator and community
citizen you may have questions about the global
warming scientific data, or you may be curious about
the potential effects of global warming on everyday
weather, or you may be wondering what, if any,
actions you and your employees can undertake to
reduce the human contribution(s) to global climate
change?
This newsletter will
address these questions or concerns and provide
research information on the following questions:
According to the National Academy of Sciences, the
Earth's surface temperature has risen by about 1
degree Fahrenheit in the past century, with
accelerated warming during the past two decades.
There is new and stronger evidence that most of the
warming over the last 50 years is attributable to
human activities. Human activities have altered the
chemical composition of the atmosphere through the
buildup of greenhouse gases – primarily carbon
dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide.
More Info>>
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Scientists know for certain that human activities
are changing the composition of Earth's atmosphere.
Increasing levels of greenhouse gases, like carbon
dioxide (CO2 ), in the atmosphere since
pre-industrial times have been well documented.
There is no doubt this atmospheric buildup of carbon
dioxide and other greenhouse gases is largely the
result of human activities.
The delicate balance of carbon dioxide and other
elements in our atmosphere has always been regulated
by plant/animal decomposition and precipitation up
until the industrial revolution, during which the
burning of fossil fuels has enhanced the
heat-trapping capability of Earth’s atmosphere.
Human activities in the United States now accounts
for 98% of carbon dioxide, 24% of methane, and 18%
of nitrous oxide emissions. Although energy is the
primary source of greenhouse emissions (through the
burning of coal, oil, and gas), increased
agriculture, deforestation, landfills, industrial
production, and mining also contribute a
considerable portion of emissions.
More Info>>
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Regional and state
impacts are harder to predict than large regional or
global impacts. Regional models indicate these
possible impacts in North Carolina:
-
Sea level rise
could lead to flooding of low-lying areas,
erosion of beaches, loss of coastal wetlands,
intrusion of salt water into water supplies, and
increased vulnerability of coastal areas to
storms and hurricanes.
-
As climate
changes, this could cause some plants and
animals to go extinct, some to decline or
increase in population, and others migrate to
areas with more favorable conditions. For
example, along the coast, fish that need colder
temperatures to survive could migrate north,
while more tropical varieties could move up the
coast into North Carolina.
-
Diseases and
pests that thrive in warmer climates could
spread into North Carolina, such as the West
Nile virus that used to be confined to the
Mid-East and only recently has spread to the
United States.
-
Crops and
trees that need cooler climates may not grow as
well in North Carolina, while more tropical
varieties might do better. For example, the
spruce and fir trees growing at high altitudes
in North Carolina’s mountains could die out if
temperatures increase.
-
More severe
storms and droughts could affect crop
production, pests and growth rates.
Even if global
average temperature increases in the year 2100 are
in the lower-range of the IPCC scenarios, the models
project ongoing increases in temperatures and sea
levels well beyond the end of this century. Thus the
eventual impacts may be delayed but not avoided.
Source:
http://www.ncclimatechange.us/background-impacts.cfm
More info>>
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The June
27, 2006 BuisnessWeek Online article, Global Warming
on Main Street, written by Byron Kennard and Scott
Hauge, suggests that unless the consensus on climate
change includes small business, it will be ignored
or undermined by programs seeking to address the
problem. The authors state that it is increasingly
likely that a mandatory program to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions will come to pass. The authors further
state “this prospect of further government
regulation is one reason small business owners
should pay attention. But it's not the only one.
Small firms could well be among the hardest hit
victims of climate change.” The authors go on to
discuss the effects of global warming on small
business and why the small business lobby should be
included in legislative discussion and concludes “if
scientists are right about a warming world, all of
us, big businesses, small businesses, and consumers
alike, are going to have to adjust. The small
business community would do well to take up the
challenge now, while there is time to deliberate and
to craft cost-effective responses it can live with.”
Source:
http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/jun2006/sb20060626_603752.htm
More Info>>
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The Environmental Assistance Office for Small
Business provides non-regulatory,
client-confidential pollution prevention assistance
to small businesses in the greater Charlotte region.
The EAO is designed to assist regional businesses in
their efforts to voluntarily prevent pollution. The
EAO staff can provide timely assistance for
pollution prevention planning, including information
about industry-specific case studies, waste-specific
case studies, and new technologies. The office
provides links of resources to needs between the
region's business community, government,
municipality, and university. If there is a
particular issue or question you would like to see
in an upcoming edition, please send an e-mail to
EAOforSB@email.uncc.edu
Contact Information:
Environmental Assistance Office for Small Business:
9201 University City Blvd. 258 Cameron Building, UNC
Charlotte, Charlotte, NC 28233-0001
Phone number: 704-687-3968 Fax number: 704-687-3115
Email:
EAOforSB@email.uncc.edu
Services:
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Assistance with Air Permits - Assistance for small
businesses in completing paperwork for EPA air
permits.
-
Educational Materials - Educational pamphlet,
brochures, flyers, and other materials to relate
facts on pollution prevention.
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Educational Outreach - Develop educational outreach
campaigns and presentations for the public or
employee training.
-
University Resources - Library information, faculty
expertise, student projects and research at both
graduate and undergraduate levels.
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