Climate Change Accelerates. Jacksonville, a coastal city does Nothing.

[stephendare]

 Global warming 'is three times faster than worst predictions'
By Geoffrey Lean, Environment Editor
Published: 03 June 2007
http://environment.independent.co.uk/climate_change/article2609305.ece

Global warming is accelerating three times more quickly than feared, a series of startling, authoritative studies has revealed.

They have found that emissions of carbon dioxide have been rising at thrice the rate in the 1990s. The Arctic ice cap is melting three times as fast - and the seas are rising twice as rapidly - as had been predicted.

News of the studies - which are bound to lead to calls for even tougher anti-pollution measures than have yet been contemplated - comes as the leaders of the world's most powerful nations prepare for the most crucial meeting yet on tackling climate change.

The issue will be top of the agenda of the G8 summit which opens in the German Baltic resort of Heiligendamm on Wednesday, placing unprecedented pressure on President George Bush finally to agree to international measures.

Tony Blair flies to Berlin today to prepare for the summit with its host, Angela Merkel, the German chancellor. They will discuss how to tackle President Bush, who last week called for action to deal with climate change, which his critics suggested was instead a way of delaying international agreements.

Yesterday, there were violent clashes in the city harbour of Rostock between police and demonstrators, during a largely peaceful march of tens of thousands of people protesting against the summit.

The study, published by the US National Academy of Sciences, shows that carbon dioxide emissions have been increasing by about 3 per cent a year during this decade, compared with 1.1 per cent a year in the 1990s.

The significance is that this is much faster than even the highest scenario outlined in this year's massive reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) - and suggests that their dire forecasts of devastating harvests, dwindling water supplies, melting ice and loss of species are likely to be understating the threat facing the world.

The study found that nearly three-quarters of the growth in emissions came from developing countries, with a particularly rapid rise in China. The country, however, will resist being blamed for the problem, pointing out that its people on average still contribute only about a sixth of the carbon dioxide emitted by each American. And, the study shows, developed countries, with less than a sixth of the world's people, still contribute more than two-thirds of total emissions of the greenhouse gas.

On the ground, a study by the University of California's National Snow and Ice Data Center shows that Arctic ice has declined by 7.8 per cent a decade over the past 50 years, compared with an average estimate by IPCC computer models of 2.5 per cent.

In yesterday's clashes, masked protesters hurled flagpoles, stones and bottles and attacked with sticks forcing police to retreat. The police said they were suffering "massive assaults" and that the situation was "very chaotic". They put the size of the demonstration at 25,000; organisers said it was 80,000.

Further reading: Go to pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.0700609104

[riverkeepered]

While the Governor, Cabinet, and Florida Legislature are preparing to take action to address climate change on a statewide level, Jacksonville has consistently turned a blind eye toward the looming problem.  Dr. Stephen Mulkey, a professor at UF and the science advisor to the Century Commission for a Sustainable Florida, recently met with Governor Crist and the Cabinet for nearly 3 hours to present the science of climate change, potential impacts to Florida, and the opportunities and solutions that are available to our state.  Our local politicians and leaders need to be briefed by experts, as well.  I recently e-mailed Dr. Mulkey, and he indicated that he would be willing to give a presentation to local elected officials and community leaders. 

I would like to challenge to some of our local elected officials to demonstrate leadership on this issue by first taking Dr. Mulkey up on his offer.  One of the problems that we have locally is a general lack of understanding of the science of climate change and how this could impact our local community and economy.  I get the sense that many of our local politicians don't really know where to begin or how to address this potential problem, either.   I think Dr. Mulkey's presentation would go a long way toward getting local politicians and community leaders up to speed on this issue and might be a catalyst for future action. 

At a minimum, they might want to read this op-ed from Mulkey that was in the Gainesville Sun.
http://gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070218/EDITORIALS0101/70218029/-1/editorials

[JUSTDAVE]

If there is another city in the world where the average student travels further to school then meets other students who live a larger distance away on the average I would be surprised. We are clearly the worst at transporting students (students are people who need other people to drive them AND THEN TURN AROUND AND DRIVE BACK) There is no other easily changed part of the problem that is this obvious. Get rid of the magnet program STEP 1.

[SustainableJax]

I believe Dr. Mulkey did recently present during the April 14th Forum, put on by Jacksonville Carbon Neutral Initiative.  Though a lot of people did attend, I don't think there were many city leaders there. 

Check out JCNI's new web site by the way: http://www.jaxgreen.org

When I interned with the Convention and Visitor's Bureau a while ago, I tried to stress how important it was that the local tourism industry lead the way in promoting and adopting sustainability policies.  Tourism industries have major impacts on local environments.  It's up our local tourism decision-makers to determine whether their environmental impact will be positive, or negative.  Their answer was "We're thinking about it," and that was all I ever heard, despite my experiences with, and contacts to, local environmental and ethics resources.

Then I read in the Jacksonville Business Journal that the Convention Center Task Force took a recent field trip to view the Tampa Convention Center, to get ideas, etc. The advice from Tampa?  Go green.

As an article http://www.metrojacksonville.com/content/view/476/112/ posted on this site today reported, the Convention Center Task Force conclusions so far suggest that Jacksonville's infrastructure is lacking, that downtown especially needs a lot more work, if it is going to support a new center. 

If that's the case, then I say NOW is the time to go green.  NOW.  While we are still building and further developing the infrastructure that a new Convention Center requires.   What we need is SMART growth.  It's a lot easier, and less costly, than "OOPS" growth.

[zoo]

I would say local govt does "little" rather than "nothing" -- ok, maybe very little, though the city's fleet is now running on biodiesel (on some level).

Private industry has to lead the way, and this is where Jacksonville falls down. Private industry here does little to encourage workers to be green (short of providing recycling bins, which I guess is better than nothing). But approach any one of the big companies downtown and ask them to report on how many of their employees live within 5 miles of downtown. Even companies MOVING into downtown from outer locations are doing nothing to encourage employees to think about living closer, ride sharing, or pressuring JTA to provide an eco-friendly solution. JTA's solution is to set up fuel-guzzling BRT or private bus routes (Citi and Orange Park) to shuttle workers, rather than helping companies encourage living closer to employment centers.

An even sillier part of this is that if downtown companies did have employees living in the Enterprise/Empowerment zones (primarily north side of downtown), each of these employees would cost them considerably less -- $3,000 or so, I think -- thanks to federal and state tax credits. Of course, the people in these companies that know about this are the most conservative, suburbanite-types in the city (short of the old money)... the accountants and CFOs. Do you think they are going out on a limb with their CEOs or boards to say "we need to recommend our employees live closer in, and help make that possible"

There is some developer in Springfield that seems to get it. They build in-fill thus encouraging people to move back to the downtown (commuting reduction), and they are even encouraging use of an all-electric car in the downtown neighborhoods. They are giving it away with their houses, and I think they are now the local dealer for the car. Their business is home-building, so pushing environmental cars is really going out of their way.

In Jax, even when a private company tries to encourage green, which has been rare, the city has regulations in place that make implementation difficult or cost-prohibitive. Is it lost on anyone that our mayor is an oil company heir? I'm guessing he won't be signing the U.S. Mayor's Climate Protection Agreement, though it now has more than 500 mayors throughout the country on board. I can see how it is against his future professional interests to sign on -- that being the case, I guess we have to give him some props for short-term city interests and the fleet/bio-diesel thing...

I still think integrating downtown transportation options through smartcard technology will help with green, and is so forward-thinking, it would be appealing to the young "creative class".

Well, that's it for this post -- I think I've stepped outside of enough of Jacksonville's boxes in an hour!

[riverkeepered]

Sustainable Jax is correct that Dr. Mulkey spoke in April to a large group of citizens.  However, I did not see one elected official or prominent business leader in the audience.  While it is important for local citizens to be informed and take action, it is equally or more important that local decision/policy-makers do the same. 

By the way, over 400 mayors across the U.S. have signed on to the Mayor's Climate Protection Agreement, including 21 in Florida ( http://www.coolmayors.com/common/directory/browse_mayors.cfm?ClientID=11061&ThisPage=2).

Companies and entire industries are beginning to recognize that it is in their best interest to take action.  Recently, a partnership of major businesses and environmental groups was forged to address climate change called U.S. Climate Change Action Partnership.  http://www.us-cap.org/
On Friday, Steve Siebert, the Executive Director of the Century Commission for a Sustainable Florida, addressed a JCCI gathering and called for a more sustainable path in Florida. 

Despite efforts around the state and nation, Jacksonville has yet to take serious action.  Hopefully, the new JCCI report, "Energy, Environment and the Economy", that calls for a Sustainability Officer and a plan to address climate change will be the catalyst for change.  Now, we just need the leadership that will move us forward with a sense of urgency, purpose and commitment. 

[zoo]

What is the value of an auto commute? Negative in dollars for sure, and now everyone is starting to get it's negative on time, too. When you get in your car to go to work, is your company paying you for that time? When you get in the car to go home, is your company paying you for THAT time? Unless you are in sales, and paid to be in your car traveling from appt to appt, the time you spend commuting in your car is YOUR PERSONAL TIME. Is that how you want to spend it?

At least if you are on a ferry, or in a train/light rail car, you can read work reports, work on your laptop, and safely make calls -- though your company won't be paying you for that, either, so maybe you just want to read the paper, text your pals, or do isometrics (HA!)

[SustainableJax]

I spend my commute on a darling little green motorcycle.  Not only does 8 bucks fill up the gas tank, it also lasts me a full week. 

I've been 15 years without a car, during that time I've lived in Seattle, Chicago, South Florida, and now here.  If everyone rode scooters, motorcycles, and bicycles; our streets would be less dangerous, and our environment less threatened.   

[ELeroyReed]

Hello all,

I've been reading behind the scenes for a while now, but thought this topic would be a good place to jump in...

My name is Ellen and I work for a commercial general contractor here in Jacksonville (very proudly building a delightful bookstore on Laura Street, along with a much-needed expansion to a family practice on the Eastside).

Many of you may be aware of these statistics, but they are pertinent to the subject.  Do you know that the construction and demolition industry dumped more than 136 million tons of debris into US landfills last year?  Do you know that buildings use 48% of all energy in the country (well more than transportation)? 

Pretty simple to say that by decreasing the carbon footprint of buildings we can make a significant difference.  Which is why this subject is vitally important to me and my industry.

I'm proud to say that my company promotes sustainable construction and LEED standards.  We have a green philosophy, both internally and externally.  The building industry across the board has stepped up and many are voluntarily making changes.

Having said that, I will say that it's a significant challenge to pursue Green Building in Jacksonville for a number of reasons:

1.  Despite the desire by some of us to promote sustainability, we in the construction industry are often at the mercy of a competitive hard bid process, most notably when doing work for the City of Jacksonville.  Even though the cost gap is closing quickly, green building still holds a degree of premium, especially as the size of the project increases.  Therefore, even if we bid on a project with LEED certification in mind, there is still a chance that a traditional contractor with no thoughts of green building will bid and win the project.

2.  Many developers are looking at flipping the property and the life-cycle savings mean nothing to them.

3.  There is still a unknown factor associated with Green Building, especially when determining an appraised value.  We put a very high value on the indoor air quality of a building, but ask an actuary to put a price on that and you'll get blank stares.  Until LEED has a quantifiable history, it will be difficult to place a higher value on a green building to match an occasional higher price.

4.  Learning about and promoting LEED and sustainable construction in Jacksonville seems to be low on the totem pole of interest throughout government.  There's apparently too many other things higher on the "to do list".

This list could probably go on.....

The AIA has been promoting sustainability for quite some time...  some architects say that it's simply 'common sense' design.  The building industry is actively promoting in via USGBC's LEED standards.  Even BOMA is promoting energy efficiency in their buildings.  It would be wonderful to see government step up and make it happen as well.

How far down on the list of things to do is it, though?

Ellen Reed
www.sustainabuild.net

[gatorback]

Kudos SustainableJax!  Lou Gerstner ( http://www.forbes.com/2002/11/11/cx_ld_1112gerstner.html ) once said, "I don't need vision, I need execution."  Gerstner, if you didn't know saved IBM from being cut up and spun off into smaller companies that wouldn't have been as valuable as the single giant it is today.  I know, I work for IBM.  My point is that blogging is just lip service unless something tangible results.   I solute you bloggers that invest more then just inspiration!

[riverkeepered]

You are right Ellen and Gatorback.  At this point, we need to see meaningful and significant actions (and not just words) taken to address climate change.  Each of us must take personal responsibility by reducing our individual carbon footprint.  Also, our elected officials and policymakers need to take the lead and set the example by getting serious about implementing, promoting, and encouraging "green" building practices.  There is no reason that every new public building shouldn't be built to LEED standards.  Why is Mayor Peyton or any other public official driving a huge gas-guzzling SUV on the taxpayer dime when affordable energy-efficient hybrids are available?  Has an energy audit been conducted of all public buildings and operational practices and activities to determine how to make them more energy-efficient?  If so, have the recommendations been implemented?  Pollution and waste are by-products of inefficient business and government practices.  Going green is good for business, good for the taxpayers, and good for our overall quality of life.

[riverkeepered]

Well, the Gov seems to be sincere about addressing climate change.  In fact, he just kicked off his Climate Change Summit today in Miami.  If anyone is interested, the Summit continues tomorrow and you can watch a live stream from the website - http://www.myfloridaclimate.com/agenda

I just hope all of this hype (summits, Live Earth, celebrities driving hybrids, etc) and efforts to raise awareness will lead to meaningful action.  I especially hope that it will get some traction here in NE FL.  I am just waiting for the day when just one City Council member, person in Peyton's administration, or prominent business leader lets "climate change" or "global warming" roll off of their tongue.

[gatorback]

I work at LEED campus in TX and I can say it sure is a nice place. Does JaX have LEED spaces?

[ELeroyReed]

gatorback,

There are several LEED certified buildings in Jacksonville (but, not nearly enough in my opinion).   

The PHH Building built by Stellar received LEED certification and UNF Social Science Building built by Elkins also holds LEED certification.  Both were LEED for New Construction.

TLC Engineering for Architecture just received their LEED Silver for Commercial Interiors only a few weeks ago. They have a beautiful office and really promote LEED standards.  We often hold our USGBC steering committee meetings in their offices.  I'm always impressed by the indoor quality.

My company is currently working on two LEED for Commercial Interiors projects, but they are in phased work, so I'm not sure about the dates of completion.  We're pretty excited about our corpoate HQ, as we're shooting for LEED Platinum for Commercial Interiors, which may be the first in Florida.  Wish us luck. 

There's a perception that LEED buildings cost a great deal more.  That gap is closing quickly.  And, if you're looking at life-cycle analysis the time to recoup cost is also shortening.  It'll be exciting to see more buildings embracing LEED.

Ellen Reed

[gatorback]

I can honestly say Jacksonville has done something about climate change accelerating.  We've contributed to it.
I know we're no Shishmaref Island, but perhaps we could start planning our leaving the coast as our Native American Alaskan brothers are.

For giggles, I googled Coastal Alsakan Islands and found this nugget. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/27/us/27newtok.html?ex=1337918400&en=7e93b10cdd7c61d0&ei=5090

I wonder how urban dicationary defines global warming.

wow.  27 definitions.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=global+warming