Georgia Climate Change Summit

1. Georgia Climate Change Summit 2008

2. IPCC:4th Assessment Report Al Gore:aninconvenienttruth 2007 Nobel Peace Prize

3. INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE WMO UNEP 4th Assessment Report Summary for Policy Makers “Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, as is now evident from observations of increases in global average air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of snow and ice, and rising global average sea level.” “Most of the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations.”

4. What about skepticism and uncertainty? Scientific skepticism is alive and well, as scientists continue to analyze data, refine theories, and improve models Puzzle Analogy While several of the pieces are not yet in place, we have confidence that we know what the overall picture is

6. Local Warming: Georgia • Sea level rise • Heat waves • Droughts & floods • Hurricanes • Air quality • Infectious diseases • Agriculture • Forests • Fisheries/wildlife IMPACTS: economy, ecosystems, public health & safety, quality of life

7. Impacts of drought • Mandatory water use restrictions; running out of water • Lack of reliable water supply will hurt industry, economic development, property development • Impacts energy generation (hydropower, power plant cooling) • Stress on forests; wildfires • Stress on agriculture, livestock • Stress on landscape, tourism, recreation industries • Stress on river ecosystems 2007 drought has cost N. Georgia over $1.3B

8. CLIMATE CHANGE Human interference Exposure Initial Impacts MITIGATION VULNERABILITIES IMPACTS Autonomous Adaptations Net Impacts ADAPTATION Policy responses IPCC, 2001 • Adaptation is alteration of activities to minimise consequences of climate change • Mitigation is reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to prevent dangerous climate change

9. Adapting to an Uncertain World:Georgia’s Water Resource Planning Goals: • Protect public health and environmental quality • Meet future water need while protecting aquifers, in-stream uses, downstream users Strategies: • Increase water conservation, efficiency, reuse • Maximize water returns to the basin of origin • Meet increases for demand through water storage, aquifer management, and reducing demands • Protect water quality by reducing pollutants from discharges and runoff from land

10. Challenges to regional climate change • assessment, mitigation and adaptation • Some uncertainty in climate change projections • Lack of understanding of how to apply this knowledge to support decision making and risk analyses • Impacts of regional climate change and local vulnerabilities have been inadequately studied • Local/regional mitigation/adaptation strategies are further complicated by political, cultural, and economic issues Political will is needed to develop policy and technology options that are practically feasible and cost effective

11. population increase resource consumption climate change environ degradation The Challenge: Sustainable Management of an Ever-Changing Planet

12. http://sustainability.gatech.edu • Integrating research, education, green campus, and • partnerships and innovative policies • Major themes: • Sustainable energy systems • Climate and environmental stewardship • Sustainable enterprise • Sustainable urban systems Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems @ Georgia Tech