THE SCIENCE IS QUITE CLEAR FOR THOSE WILLING TO HEED
the signs. Our world is warming at an alarming rate, and there will be
serious consequences if we don’t act. The average worldwide temperature
is rising at twice the rate of 50 years ago. Global surface temperatures have
increased 1. 6 degrees in the past 100 years. That doesn’t seem like a lot, but
for a balanced ecosystem, it’s taking a drastic toll.
In 1910, there were 150 glaciers in Montana’s Glacier National Park.
Today, there are fewer than 30. Polar ice caps are also melting, causing
sea levels to rise—potentially by as much as 32 inches by the end of this
century, according to some models. That will not only wreak havoc on
nice beachfront property but will also have devastating
effects on marine life, commercial fishing, coastal cities,
and our port infrastructures.
We’ve all heard the arguments. Climate change is
cyclical. We had periods when the earth was warmer
and periods of ice ages. Things change, and animals
disappear. It’s part of nature. We don’t have dinosaurs
around anymore, which I guess is a good thing, as that
would make a nice walk in the woods much more of an
adventure.
Yet the changes we’re seeing cannot be explained by
mere natural cycles. Levels of greenhouse gases, such as
carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, have soared
in the past 50 years. That is mostly due to the burning of
fossil fuels.
I realize people have been burning things to cook and stay warm for
thousands of years, yet we are only now seeing a problem? That’s because
global warming is not a result of burning logs in fireplaces. It’s from coal
power plants and internal-combustion engines.
Adding to the problem is there are simply a lot more of us. It took until
1804 for the world’s population to reach 1 billion people. It hit 2 billion
in 1927 and 3 billion only 33 years later in 1960. We will reach 8 billion in
2023. All of us are contributing to the problem.
And it’s only getting worse. Greenhouse gases are cumulative. They
don’t dissipate like smoke from a campfire but stay with us for thousands
of years. The more we add each year, the more there is to cause problems
for future generations.
The U.S. is the worst offender when it comes to greenhouse-gas emissions per capita. Modern transportation networks account for 30 percent
of that, including supply chains. It’s time to set politics aside and stop
pointing fingers. Instead, we need to look at what we can collectively do
within our supply chains to reduce our carbon footprints. I will explore
ways to do that next month.
BIGPICTURE
Editorial Director
It’s time for a sensible approach
to climate change
David Maloney
Editorial Director
dmaloney@dcvelocity.com
Karen Bachrach
Executive Editor
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Senior News Editor
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Senior Editor
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Editor at Large
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Associate Editor
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Editor at Large
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Contributing Editor
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Contributing Editor
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Editor Emeritus
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