PARK NEWS

FIND A PARK

FIND AN ACTIVITY

ADMINISTRATION

Online Services

Our Government

News and Events

Maps, Facts & Stats

State & Federal

 

Naturalist Corner     "We travel together, passengers on a little space ship, dependent on its vulnerable reserves of air and soil; all committed for our safety to its security and peace; preserved from annihilation only by the care, the work, and I will say, the love we give our fragile craft." – Adlai E. Stevenson II Former Vice President of the US "We sometimes emphasize the danger in a crisis without focusing on the opportunities that are there. We should feel a great sense of urgency because it is the most dangerous crisis we have ever faced, by far. But it also provides us with opportunities to do a lot of things we ought to be doing for other reasons anyway. And to solve this crisis we can develop a shared sense of moral purpose." - Al Gore Former Vice President of the US WHERE DID IT COME FROM ? Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not. - Dr. Seuss, The Lorax WHAT WILL IT AFFECT ?   WHERE DID IT COME FROM ? Climate change is a natural process. But human activity can and has intensified the effects by increasing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases are gases that trap outgoing radiation and heat up the earth. In the Washington, D.C. area, 65.6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide were emitted in 2005. That's the equivalent weight of 796 Washington Monuments! That's also more carbon dioxide produced than several medium-size European countries. These gasses result from our traffic and coal-fired power plants. Humans burn fossil fuels in power plants to generate electricity. Electricity is great! It helps manufacture goods, power our appliances and provide our homes with light, heat, and air conditioning. Fossil fuels also provide energy for cars, buses, and airplanes. About 84% of all US greenhouse gas pollution comes from burning fossil fuels for energy. The rest can come from things like cutting down forests for development. Global warming, or the increase in the Earth's average temperature, is a result of the increased greenhouse gas concentrations in our atmosphere. The earth's global temperatures are expected to increase 6°F by 2100. Doesn't sound like much? If there were a decrease of 9°F, like we saw in the last ice age, New York City would be under 1,000 feet of ice!   WHAT WILL IT AFFECT ? Scientists have found that as the global climate has been warming, the length of seasons has changed. In the Northern Hemisphere, summer is arriving earlier and fall is arriving later. Summer temperatures have also reached record highs, while winters in some areas are becoming more extreme. Imagine what the temperature and humidity in Virginia will be like during summer and winter in 2095! As the Earth's atmosphere warms, so do the oceans warm. As water warms, it expands which will cause sea level to rise. Many of the beaches we now enjoy may disappear under water. Because half the US population lives within 50 miles of the coastline, this would be a disaster. In other places, the increasing temperatures will lead to more frequent and severe droughts. The lengthening of summer and the high temperatures will especially affect agriculture. For some plants and animals, their habitats are changing faster than they can adapt or move into new locations - which may lead to extinction. More species are invading new areas and pushing out the natives in many places. Humans are also taking away more of their natural habitats as our development increases.   YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE Walk or bike to work and play   We have miles of bike and hiking trails all over the county. Inflate your tires & change your air filter   Check them monthly to insure your car runs efficiently. Under-inflated tires cause cars to use more fuel & wear out tires faster. Buy hybrid or fuel-efficient cars   Save thousands of pounds of carbon dioxide and a lot of money every year. Carpool or use public transportation & don’t idle your car   Save on fuel and money while generating less pollution. Explore your backyard   Avoid travel by plane. A 200 mile flight (VAàNYC) generates 60kg of CO2 – that’s the   equivalent of over 2000 hours of light from an energy efficient bulb. Use 100% post consumer recycled paper Buy local, seasonal and organic products   Enjoy tastier food from a Fairfax County Farmer’s Market. Food transported from far away creates pollution. Chemicals used in modern agriculture pollute the water supply & require energy to produce. Reduce garbage   Recycle food waste by composting!  Buy minimally packaged products to reduce waste by 10%. Recycle paper, plastic, glass and cans.  Plant a tree or a garden  Trees absorb CO2 and make the air cleaner. Bring cloth bags to the market   Reusing your own bag instead of plastic or paper bags reduces waste & requires no additional energy.  Don’t let the water run while brushing & take shorter showers   Showers account for 2/3 of all water heating costs. Buy better bulbs   Compact fluorescent long-life, energy-saving light bulbs cut your CO2 and lower your bills. Keep your heat    Insulate attics, walls, hot water pipes and heaters to cut energy bills and CO2 emissions.    Weatherize your home by adding caulk and weather strips to your doorways and windows.    Block off fireplaces not in use to prevent loss of expensively heated or cooled air. Two degrees down    A programmable thermostat to adjust 2° down in winter and 2° up in summer can cut energy bills efficiently without depending on your remember.    Keep your water heater no higher than 120 °F. Put on a sweater in the winter. Replace old appliances    Look for Energy Star labeled products that work more efficiently, including double-pane windows. Unplug un-used electronics    Even when devices are turned off, they use energy. Turn off your computer or conserve energy by using the “sleep mode” instead of a screensaver. Unplug cell phone & mp3 player chargers. Cold wash laundry and air dry clothes Park Authority Cool Counties Related Actions Encourage teleworking in general, especially on code orange/ red days Encourage employee use of public transit and carpooling Episodic bans on code red/orange days: Reduced mowing No non-essential fueling of vehicles Promote natural landscaping and reduce mowing (member of the county Natural Landscaping Committee) Promote forest health and planting of trees (member of the Tree Action Plan committee) When feasible, replace 2-cycle equipment with 4-cycle Educate employees and the public Established an energy manager position Will be retrofiting lighting at select facilities (with funding from Board of Supervisors in support of their Environmental Agenda and Cool Counties) Discourage use of VOC paints Use water based pesticide products