Humans can mitigate climate change or lessen its severity by reducing greenhouse gas concentrations through processes that move carbon out of the atmosphere or reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Actions taken by individuals, communities, states, and countries all influence climate. Practices and policies followed in homes, schools, businesses, and governments can affect climate. Climate-related decisions made by one generation can provide opportunities as well as limit the range of possibilities open to the next generation. Steps toward reducing the impact of climate change may influence the present generation by providing other benefits such as improved public health infrastructure and sustainable built environments. Jump to: “Humans can mitigate climate change impacts”
Culture, Climate Science & Education
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Principle Nine: Humans can Take Action
The Cultural Values are Level-headedness, Creativity, Resourcefulness, and Reciprocity
Episode Nine: Buffalo
Episode 9: Buffalo
Transcript with Description of Visuals
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Audio |
Visual |
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(Alyssa and Rylee’s grandfather, Johnny Arlee, praying in Salish) |
Johnny Arlee stands before a group of four or five bison, talking to them in a prayer-like way in Salish, his hands gesturing as he speaks. The bison, on a green grassy ridge with juniper trees in the background, watch him. Several move forward in his direction. |
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(soft instrumental music) |
An aerial view of a green mountain, a river flowing at its base. Snow covered peaks rise up in the background. |
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Rylee: |
Rylee, Alyssa, and Johnny stand together beneath a blue sky, the sun shining above them. |
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My Sx̣epeʔ says that q̓͏ʷiq̓͏ʷáy has always been at the center of our lives. |
A loan cow bison standing in grass atop a mountain, the river far below in the distance, flows through a mountain valley. |
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Alyssa: |
Johnny talking to Alyssa and Rylee with a few bison standing in the distance. Snow-covered peaks are in the distance. |
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So we journeyed across the mountains to the grasslands to go after buffalo as our people had done for thousands of years. |
An aerial view of a lush green landscape with wooded mountains in the background. A few scattered bison graze as the camera moves away across a grass covered plain. |
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(Johnny Arlee singing the Buffalo Calling Song) |
Johnny is singing to a group of bison. |
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Alyssa: |
A historical black and white photo of cowboys riding horseback behind a herd of two dozen or so bison. |
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Johnny Arlee: |
A lone bull bison stands in the grass, looking at the camera. |
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They were being slaughtered just for their hide. Their carcasses were left out in the prairies. |
A lone bull, lying in the grass. |
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Their lives are just so parallel with ours. |
Johnny standing with Alyssa and Rylee, looking at bison, with the snow covered peaks in the background. |
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Alyssa: |
An aerial scene of a green, grassy plain with five bison grazing on it. The camera slowly flies over the plain. |
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The tens of millions of buffalo that had once blanketed the Plains, the animals that fed and clothed our people for thousands of years, were gone. |
Camera is looking up at Johnny, the sun behind his head. He has a sad, thoughtful expression on his face. |
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Rylee: |
Gray clouds moving quickly over a landscape of dry hills. |
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Alyssa: |
A group of bison walking through the grass, the river in the background. Another group of perhaps two dozen bison feeding in a grassy field with wildflowers. |
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They became the nation's trust of free-roaming wild bison. |
A group cow bison close up, a calf walking along side its mother. |
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The animals were taken to Canada and Yellowstone, and helped bring buffalo back to the landscape. |
More bison, some with calves, feeding on a hillside above a large river flowing in the distance. |
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Johnny Arlee: |
Johnny talking to Alyssa and Rylee. |
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that you was up here close to the buffalo, that we sang a song for him, to honor him, for his many years yet to come. |
A cow bison licking her calf. Other bison graze nearby. |
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For our children, for our great-great-grandchildren, and generations yet to come. That they'll still have beauty around them. |
Johnny talking to Alyssa and Rylee. |
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Alyssa: |
A large bull bison rolls in the dirt, sending up a cloud of dust that is carried away by the wind. |
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During that time, they saw all kinds of changes, and they survived. |
Camera pans out to show many bison scattered across the landscape. |
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Now the earth is changing again. |
The tops of several teepees with the sun behind them, the teepee poles reaching high into the sky. Scene changes. |
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The climate is changing, but we are resilient Native people. |
Alyssa stands near a teepee. She is dressed in a fine beaded dress and holds a fan of white feathers and a beaded purse. |
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We know how to take care of the Earth, how to give back, and we know how to adapt when the Earth does change. |
She walks forward a confident, subtle smile on her face. |
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Rylee: |
The camera is looking up at Johnny, the sun shining behind him. He is looking out across the landscape and has a broad smile on his face. |
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(soft instrumental music) |
The following credits in white text over a black background: |
Principle 9
What You Need to Know About Principle 9: Humans can take actions to reduce climate change and its impacts
We can choose to minimize our impacts, build resilient communities, and protect the ecosystems that sustain us all. But it will require acknowledging the reality and the seriousness of human-caused climate change and addressing the important social, economic, and environmental issues climate change presents by implementing solutions based on the best available science. Read more…
What You Need to Know About Principle 9: Humans can take actions to reduce climate change and its impacts
We can choose to minimize our impacts, develop and employ technologies to remove carbon from the atmosphere, build more resilient communities, and protect the ecosystems that sustain us all. But it will require acknowledging the reality and the seriousness of human-caused climate change and addressing the important social, economic, and environmental issues climate change presents by implementing solutions based on the best available science.
As the impacts of climate change become more prevalent, Americans face choices. Especially because of past emissions of long-lived heat-trapping gases, some additional climate change and related impacts are now unavoidable. This is due to the long-lived nature of many of these gases, as well as the amount of heat absorbed and retained by the oceans and other responses within the climate system. The amount of future climate change, however, will still largely be determined by choices society makes about emissions. Lower emissions of heat-trapping gases and particles mean less future warming and less-severe impacts; higher emissions mean more warming and more severe impacts. Efforts to limit emissions or increase carbon uptake fall into a category of response options known as “mitigation,” which refers to reducing the amount and speed of future climate change by reducing emissions of heat-trapping gases or removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
The other major category of response options is known as “adaptation,” and refers to actions to prepare for and adjust to new conditions, thereby reducing harm or taking advantage of new opportunities. Mitigation and adaptation actions are linked in multiple ways, including that effective mitigation reduces the need for adaptation in the future. Both are essential parts of a comprehensive climate change response strategy.
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- Understanding climate science and integrating that knowledge into human society is key
Climate science can be used to reduce vulnerabilities or enhance the resilience of communities and ecosystems affected by climate change. But that knowledge must be integrated into human society. Jump to: “Understanding Climate Science and Integrating that Knowledge into Human Society is Key”
- Humans can mitigate climate change impacts
- Humans can also take measures to reduce their vulnerabilities
Humans can reduce their vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. Actions such as moving to higher ground to avoid rising sea levels, planting new crops that will thrive under new climate conditions, or using new building technologies represent adaptation strategies. Adaptation often requires financial investment in new or enhanced research, technology, and infrastructure. Jump to: “Humans can take measures to reduce their vulnerabilities”
- Tribes can lead the way
To meet the challenge of climate change, we will need to adopt policies and practices—a way of life really—that ensures future generations can enjoy the beauty and plentitude of the earth that past generations have. Because tribes thrived in North America for thousands of years, we can learn from their practices, their cultures, their ways of life, as we navigate this new terrain in a way that guarantees a healthy and livable world for future generations. Jump to: “Tribes can lead the way”
Principle 9a
Understanding climate science and integrating that knowledge into human society is key
Climate information can be used to reduce the vulnerability of communities and ecosystems and to ensure they are more resilient. That’s why it important to improve our scientific understanding of the climate system and to get reliable information to policy makers.
Reducing human vulnerability to climate change depends not only on our ability to understand climate science, but also on our ability to integrate that knowledge into human society.
Decisions that involve Earth’s climate must be made with an understanding of the complex interconnections among the physical and biological parts of the environment and how the consequences of decisions will affect humans—socially, economically, and culturally.
Threat of Salmon Extinction Turns Small Tribe Into Climate Researchers
As glaciers disappear, fish are expected to follow. But the Nooksack tribe of Washington state has a plan to keep nearby rivers and streams cool.
Source: http://www.yesmagazine.org/people-power/threat-of-salmon-extinction-turns-small-tribe-into-climate-researchers-20160906
Gary MacWilliams wants to save his heritage. A member of the Nooksack Indian Tribe of northwestern Washington state and an occasional fisherman—a job at which he sheepishly says he did “reasonably well”—the 63-year-old has seen ups and downs in local fishing. Nonetheless, he says, there’s a clear trend: Salmon, the bedrock of his culture, are under increasing threat from climate change.
Located some 100 miles north of Seattle, the Nooksack Indian Reservation sits at the base of Mount Baker. Its traditional lands rise from sea level to nearly 11,000 feet in elevation, and what happens on the peaks affects the ground below. As the climate warms, mountain glaciers are receding. These glaciers feed the streams and rivers on which the tribe depends for annual runs of the endangered spring Chinook salmon. As the glaciers disappear, the fish are expected to follow.
Glaciers supply rivers and streams with a reliable flow of cool water. As air temperatures rise under climate change, many local stream and river temperatures are expected to exceed what the cold-water-adapted salmon have evolved to tolerate, according to recent scientific analyses. If temperatures get too high, scientists warn, the fish will disappear. However, MacWilliams has a plan to help cool the water down, and his efforts are now informing state and perhaps federal policy on how to deal with the mounting threats of climate change.
“Salmon [are] an important part of our heritage, our culture,” MacWilliams says. “If we want to hold onto salmon, we have to do something about climate change.” As director of his tribe’s natural resources department, MacWilliams has been running a sophisticated environmental research and restoration effort aimed at helping spring-run Chinook salmon and other culturally important species survive.
His goal is to grow large trees close to the banks of streams and rivers, providing shade over the water. He also plans on creating in-stream habitats made of logs under which fish can cool off when things heat up. This won’t stop what’s happening to the nearby mountain glaciers, MacWilliams stresses, but it will offer some relief.
As the glaciers disappear, the fish are expected to follow.
Later this year, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Washington State Department of Ecology are set to release a plan outlining the impacts climate change is expected to have on the Chinook and other climate-threatened fish species on Nooksack lands. The plan will designate rising water temperatures due to climate change as a pollutant to the fish under the Clean Water Act, making lowering temperatures a “clean-up” priority.
This won’t be the first time the Clean Water Act has been used to regulate overly warm temperatures as a pollutant to fish. However, this is expected to be the first time climate change will be part of the equation. This means the Nooksack’s restoration efforts will consider not only warming that has already happened, but also warming that is projected to happen in the future. That long-term planning makes it a notable first.
For roughly five years, the Nooksack have quietly made their case in meetings with the EPA and the Washington State Department of Ecology that climatic changes, especially those seen on local glaciers, should be included in the agencies’ stream restoration work. To strengthen its argument, the tribe has worked to draft a comprehensive climate adaptation strategy for 720,000 acres of traditional hunting and gathering lands just south of the Canadian border.
The Nooksack have hired scientists, enlisted the help of researchers at local universities to create computer models simulating how stream temperatures could rise in the future, and worked with a leading glacier expert to set up a stream and glacier monitoring program on icy Mount Baker. Due in large part to their efforts, climate change is now front and center in the EPA and state’s current project on the tribe’s land.
If temperatures get too high, scientists warn, the fish will disappear.
The project focuses on the South Fork of the Nooksack River, one of three forks of the river with headwaters in the snow and glacier-capped peaks of Mount Baker and other mountains in the Cascades range. Of the three, the South Fork suffers from the worst temperature extremes, and the state lists the river as too warm for salmon and, therefore, not in compliance with the Clean Water Act.
“If we do nothing, the stream temperatures become lethal over significant lengths,” says Steve Hood, a researcher at the Washington State Department of Ecology overseeing the project at the South Fork.
To cool things down and get the South Fork back in compliance, Hood and the EPA are expected to recommend the same types of restoration efforts that MacWilliams and the Nooksack have been pushing for. These include planting trees and dumping large piles of logs—called log jams—into the river for fish to huddle under. A draft of the project has not yet been released, but Hood says the tree heights his agency is recommending will be taller than they have been in the past. This is the result of the Nooksack pushing the EPA to reassess its numbers to account for the fact that the region’s trees were taller before widespread logging and agriculture came on the heels of European settlement.
Since colonization, the Nooksack’s lands have been altered dramatically. A landscape once dominated by conifer and riparian forests has become a mix of farms and commercial and national forest lands. The changes have significantly impacted the area’s ecology and have been linked to a rise in stream temperatures.
Due in large part to their efforts, climate change is now front and center in the EPA and state’s current project on the tribe’s land.
In a 2012 paper published in the journal Climatic Change, Oliver Grah and Jezra Beaulieu, both non-tribal researchers hired by the Nooksack, outlined some of how the tribe’s cultural and natural resources will be affected by climate change. They discovered that local salmon runs are estimated to be a mere 2 to 8 percent of what they were in the late 1800s. These low numbers make the fish—all nine salmon species in the Nooksack River—especially vulnerable to even the smallest changes. And climate change will be a huge change, one that could lead to local extinctions.
“Climate change impacts could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back,” Grah says. “[It] will likely have an effect on the ability of tribal members to harvest fish.”
Following his initial analysis, Grah has led the tribe’s glacier monitoring effort on Mount Baker. He has talked regional climate researchers into computer modeling the tribe’s watershed, and he’s pushed the department of ecology to include many of the tribe’s findings in its current South Fork project.
Last year was the hottest on record in both Oregon and Washington, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and appeared strikingly similar to how climate researchers think the middle of this century will look under climate change.
“Of the 32 years we’ve got measurements for, last year was the worst year by far,” says Mauri Pelto, a professor at Nichols College in Massachusetts, who works closely with Grah. The effect of melting glaciers is hard to miss, he says.
Of the 10 glaciers Pelto originally began studying in the north Cascades, three have disappeared and most have lost at least 20 percent of their volume, he says. Of particular interest to the tribe is the Sholes Glacier on Mount Baker. During the hot, late summer months, it sends icy flows downstream, helping to keep water temperatures cool.
The Sholes has melted into three separate glaciers. The culprit, Pelto says, is rising temperatures that are not only melting the ice but also producing rain where once there was snow. New snow adds to a glacier’s mass and, lying on top of it, tends to melt before a glacier itself. As temperatures rise, Pelto says, glaciers experience a double whammy: with less snow the glacier gains less mass and melts sooner.
“Sholes glacier is not going to survive,” Pelto says. “There are many years when it retains no snow. With Sholes, it’s just a matter of time.”
The Nooksack face yet another problem in their efforts to adapt to climate change: Much of the restoration the tribe wants to accomplish will need to happen on private land.
The Nooksack reservation is tiny, only about 2.2 acres in size. But through their guaranteed treaty with the U.S. government, members of this sovereign nation—some 2,000 in total—have the legal right to hunt, fish, and gather traditional foods on 720,000 acres of surrounding land.
However, these treaty guarantees don’t give the Nooksack the authority to direct private landowners on how to manage their properties. Likewise, the EPA and the state can’t legally require local landowners to comply with restoration recommendations, such as planting trees or preserving forest in order to increase shade along the banks of the South Fork.
The reason has to do with the tricky way the law defines pollution. The Clean Water Act was designed primarily as a way to regulate sources of pollution in which a single polluter is on the hook—for instance, chemicals coming from a factory. However, the Clean Water Act also recognizes things like agricultural run-off from multiple farms that produces an algae bloom killing a large population of fish. But how do you assign legal responsibility across multiple polluters? The law effectively says you can’t. Instead, it recommends voluntary compliance and incentives.
Stream temperature warming from climate change is just such an indeterminate, or “nonpoint,” source of pollution and is hard to regulate, says Nina Bell, executive director of the environmental group Northwest Environmental Advocates.
“If the state fails, the EPA doesn’t have to do anything about nonpoint sources,” Bell says. “Basically, what you have is a situation where the states are captive to the landowners.” Northwest Environmental Advocates is one of several environmental groups that have sued the EPA over its handling of nonpoint pollution. The EPA declined to comment on the success of past efforts in the Northwest to protect salmon and other fish from warming temperatures.
“Climate change impacts could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back,” Grah says. “[It] will likely have an effect on the ability of tribal members to harvest fish.”
For his part, MacWilliams says he is familiar with these critiques of the Clean Water Act. However, he says working together, not assigning blame, should be the focus. And the Nooksack are reaching out to their neighbors for help with adaptation efforts.
“We need to work with the landowners. We have to. We’ll have to just feel them out and see how this goes,” he says.
Since 2006, MacWilliams says, the local farmers and ranchers the tribe has worked with have been good neighbors, adding that the political climate where he lives is much better than in much of the rest of the country.
A soft-spoken man with a wry sense of humor, MacWilliams says he is disheartened that much of America continues to deny the reality of climate change, a reality that he says is already apparent to many Native Americans.
“We have already seen a definite impact on tribal fishermen. Temperatures have been increasing on the South Fork of Nooksack River, and it’s been a problem for at least 10 years, and we’ve seen less [river] flow,” he says.
MacWilliams’ hope is that salmon will survive the coming climate crisis, providing a legacy for generations to come.
“I have seen it firsthand, how it is necessary to get the youth involved in traditional methods and exercise their treaty rights,” MacWilliams says. “We would like to steer them in the right direction. Many young people are now interested in the traditional ways, and I find that encouraging.”
Read a Fact Sheet on How The Nature Conservancy is working to protect Pacific Northwest Resilience
This fact sheet describes a report that identifies key areas for conservation based on stable land characteristics that increase diversity and resilience, and will not change in a changing climate.
8 Tribes That Are Way Ahead of the Climate-Adaptation Curve
Source: http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2013/10/15/8-tribes-are-way-ahead-climate-adaptation-curve-151763
Much has been made of the need to develop climate-change-adaptation plans, especially in light of increasingly alarming findings about how swiftly the environment that sustains life as we know it is deteriorating, and how the changes compound one another to quicken the pace overall. Studies, and numerous climate models, and the re-analysis of said studies and climate models, all point to humankind as the main driver of these changes. In all these dire pronouncements and warnings there is one bright spot: It may not be too late to turn the tide and pull Mother Earth back from the brink.
None of this is new to the Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island. Besides already understanding much about environmental issues via millennia of historical perspective, Natives are at the forefront of these changes and have been forced to adapt. Combining their preexisting knowledge with their still-keen ability to read environmental signs, these tribes are way ahead of the curve, with climate-change plans either in the making or already in effect.
1. Swinomish Tribe: From Proclamation to Action
On the southeastern peninsula of Fidalgo Island in Washington State, the Swinomish were the first tribal nation to pass a Climate Change proclamation, which they did in 2007. Since then they have implemented a concrete action plan.
The catalyst came in 2006, when a strong storm surge pushed tides several feet above normal, flooding and damaging reservation property. Heightening awareness of climate change in general, it became the tribe’s impetus for determining appropriate responses. The tribe began a two-year project in 2008, issued an impact report in 2009 and an action plan in 2010, said project coordinator and senior planner Ed Knight. The plan identified a number of proposed “next step” implementation projects, several of them now under way: coastal protection measures, code changes, community health assessment and wildfire protection, among others.
The tribe won funding through the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and the Administration for Native Americans to support the $400,000 Swinomish Climate Change Initiative, of which the tribe funded 20 percent. When work began in 2008, most estimates for sea level rise by the end of the century were in the range of one to one-and-a-half feet, with temperature changes ranging from three to five degrees Fahrenheit, said Knight. But those estimates did not take into account major melting in the Arctic, Antarctica and Greenland, he said.
“Now, the latest reports reflect accelerated rates” of sea level rise and temperature increases, Knight said. Those are three to four feet or more, and six to nine degrees Fahrenheit, respectively, by 2100. “We are currently passing 400 ppm of CO2, on track for [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change] worst-case scenarios.”
Since the Swinomish started work on climate issues, many tribes across the country have become active on these issues as they also realize the potential impacts to their communities and resources. The Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) has been funded over the last few years to conduct climate adaptation training, Knight said, “and probably more than 100 tribes have now received training on this.”
2. Jamestown S’Klallam: Rising Sea Levels and Ocean Acidification
Jamestown S’Klallam tribal citizens live in an ecosystem that has sustained them for thousands of years, on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State. Over the past two centuries they have successfully navigated societal changes, all while maintaining a connection to the resource-rich ecosystem of the region. Though they have also adapted to past climate variations, the magnitude and rapid rate of current and projected climate change prompted them to step it up. That became apparent when tribal members noticed ocean acidification in the failure of oyster and shellfish larvae.
The Jamestown S'Klallam are dealing with rising sea levels and ocean acidification. (Photo: ClimateAdaptation.org)
“Everyone who was part of the advisory group all had their personal testimony as to the changes they’d seen,” said Hansi Hals, the tribe’s environmental planning program manager, describing a meeting of a sideline group. “Everybody had something to say.”
Tribal members brought their concerns to the attention of the Natural Resources committee and tribal council three years ago, Hals said. This past summer they released their climate vulnerability assessment and adaptation plan, which identified key tribal resources, outlined the expected impacts from climate change and created adaptation strategies for each resource. It included sea-level-rise maps are for three time frames, near (low), mid-century (medium) and end of century (high).
3. Mescalero Apache: Bolstering Tribal Resilience
Tribal lands of the Mescalero Apache in southwestern New Mexico flank the Sacramento Mountains and border Lincoln National Forest, where increased frequency and intensity of wildfires is due to drought-compromised woodlands. Mike Montoya, director of the Mescalero Apache Tribe’s Fisheries Department, executive director of the Southwest Tribal Fisheries Commission and project leader for the Sovereign Nations Service Corps, a Mescalero-based AmeriCorps program, has observed climate-driven changes to the landscape in his years in natural resource management.
Mescalero Apache Tribe’s holding pond can contain 500,000 gallons of water and nourishes the community garden. (Photo courtesy Mescalero Apache Tribe)
The tribe has undertaken innovative environmental initiatives to help bolster tribal resilience to climate change impacts, Montoya said. One example is a pond constructed for alternative water supply to the fish hatchery in the event of a catastrophic flood event. It holds 500,000 gallons of water from a river 3,600 feet away.
“It’s all gravity fed,” Montoya said. “Now, with the aid of solar powered water pumps, we are able to supply water to our community garden.”
4. Karuk Tribe: Defending the Klamath River
With lands within and around the Klamath River and Six Rivers National Forests in northern California, the Klamath Tribe is implementing parts of its Eco-Cultural Resources Management Draft Plan released in 2010. The plan synthesizes the best available science, locally relevant observations and Traditional Ecological Knowledge to help the Karuk create an integrated approach to addressing natural resource management and confront the potential impacts of climate change.
5. Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes: Strategic Planning
Fire management planning on Salish and Kootenai tribal lands in Montana. (Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
These tribes, who live in what is today known as Montana, issued a climate change proclamation in November 2012 and adopted a Climate Change Strategic Plan in 2013. The Tribal Science Council identified climate change and traditional ecological knowledge as the top two priorities for tribes across the nation in June 2011, according to Michael Durglo, the tribe’s division of environmental protection manager and climate change planning coordinator, as well as the National Tribal Science Council’s Region 8 representative.
So did the Inter-Tribal Timber Council, which his brother, Jim Durglo, is involved with. In fall 2012 the confederated tribes received financial support through groups affiliated with the Kresge foundation and from the Great Northern Landscape Conservation Cooperative to develop plans, Michael Durglo said. A year later, in September 2013, the tribes’ Climate Change Strategic Plan was completed and approved by the Tribal Council. Next the tribes will establish a Climate Change Oversight Committee.
“This committee will monitor progress, coordinate funding requests, continue research of [Traditional Ecological Knowledge], incorporate the strategic planning results into other guiding documents such as the Flathead Reservation Comprehensive Resource Management Plan and others, and update the plan on a regular basis based on updated science,” said Michael Durglo.
6. Nez Perce: Preservation Via Carbon Sequestration
More than a decade ago the Nez Perce Tribe, of the Columbia River Plateau in northern Idaho, recognized carbon sequestration on forested lands as a means of preserving natural resources and generating jobs and income, while reducing the amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere. In the mid to late 1990s the Nez Perce Forestry & Fire Management Division developed a carbon offset strategy to market carbon sequestration credits. The purpose of the afforestation project, about 400 acres in size, was to establish marketable carbon offsets, develop an understanding of potential carbon markets and cover the costs of project implementation and administration. 
Nez Perce project before and after. (Photo: NAU ITEP)
As carbon markets soften and actual project development slows, the tribe cites the increased awareness and education of other tribes of the carbon sales process and opportunities for more carbon sequestration projects in Indian country as its biggest accomplishment of the last two years.
Photo: NAU ITEP
7. Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians: Attacking Greenhouse Gas Emissions
This tribe in southern California has taken numerous steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address the impacts of climate change on tribal peoples, land and resources. In 1998 the tribe formed the Santa Ynez Chumash Environmental Office.
“We are also looking into opening a public compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling station, replacing our fleet with CNG vehicles, are installing EV charging stations, implementing an innovative home, and building upgrade training program through an EPA Climate Showcase Communities grant,” said Santa Ynez environmental director Joshua Simmons.
SYCEO’s projects are numerous and have had impressive results, including major reductions of greenhouse gas emissions. An example is the Chumash Casino’s implementation of a shuttle bus program that eliminated 800,000 car trips in 2009, replacing them with 66,000 bus trips. The casino is reducing its energy consumption, chemical waste and use of one-use materials. It also has an extensive rainwater and gray water collection and treatment system. Many of these initiatives have economic benefits and provide a model and economic incentive for tribal and non-tribal businesses to implement similar changes.
8. Newtok Village: Ultimate Adaptation Plan—Evacuation
This Native village on the western coast of Alaska is home to some of the U.S.’s first climate refugees. They leapfrogged over mere adaptation-mitigation as sea and river cut through and then eroded the permafrost beneath their village and a 1983 assessment found that the community would be endangered within 25 to 30 years. In 1994 Newtok began work on what then seemed the ultimate adaptation plan: relocation.
They selected Mertarvik nine miles to the south as the relocation site in 1996. Their efforts intensified when a study by the Army Corps of Engineers found that the highest point in the village would be below sea level by 2017. The Newtok community, government agencies and nongovernmental organizations formed the Newtok Planning Group in 2006, but as Newtok’s administrator Stanley Tom searched for funding he struck little pay dirt. Mostly, he hit walls. Now Tom is calling for evacuation, exposing it as the true ultimate in adaptation.
"It's really happening right now,” He told the Guardian last May. “The village is sinking and flooding and eroding."
Tom told the British newspaper that he was moving his own belongings to the new, still very sparse village site over the summer–and advised fellow villagers to start doing the same.
Read more at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2013/10/15/8-tribes-are-way-ahead-climate-adaptation-curve-151763
4 PATHS TO BUILDING RESILIENT CITIES AND COUNTIES
Resilient communities are better able to bounce back from disasters and disruptions in a sustainable way and maintain a good quality of life for all. They are better prepared for uncertainties and able to adapt to changing conditions.
There is no one-size-fits all approach to building resilience, because the challenges our communities face vary from place to place. Local governments define their own goals based on local priorities. But many leading cities and counties have prioritized the follow actions in response to extreme weather, energy, and economic challenges.
1. Prepare for Climate Change and Extreme Weather
- Evaluate local vulnerabilities to extreme weather and a changing climate, from heat waves and air pollution to droughts and floods.
- Adopt and implement preparedness policies that protect vulnerable populations and natural resources from extreme weather and other climate impacts.
- Reduce the carbon emissions causing destructive extreme weather to help reverse climate change and avoid the costs of adapting to more severe climate impacts.
- Transition to a renewable energy future to achieve greater energy independence, protect communities from price spikes, and ensure more reliable power during heat waves and other disruptions. Create new jobs in the process.
- Implement energy efficiency programs that help residents, businesses, and municipal government save money and energy, lower carbon emissions, and reduce demand on the grid during severe weather events.
- Upgrade or protect critical infrastructure against extreme weather and other threats.
- Create new models to finance improvements and manage risks to community assets through engagement with the private sector.
- Harness innovations in information technology and green infrastructure to optimize performance and reduce costs through more efficient operation.
- Work to retain and attract investment by safeguarding businesses from extreme weather and ensuring reliable access to energy, water, and other key resources.
- Support the private sector in creating more diversified local economies that are more resilient to economic downturn, through job creation in sectors such as clean energy, advanced manufacturing, and local agriculture.
Source: http://www.resilientamerica.org/how-we-build-resilience/paths-to-resilience/
Principle 9b
Humans can mitigate climate change impacts
Humans may be able to mitigate climate change or lessen its severity by reducing greenhouse gas concentrations through processes that move carbon out of the atmosphere or reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A combination of strategies is needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Read more…
Humans can mitigate climate change impacts
Humans may be able to mitigate climate change or lessen its severity by reducing greenhouse gas concentrations through processes that move carbon out of the atmosphere or reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A combination of strategies is needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The most immediate strategy is conservation of oil, gas, and coal, which we rely on as fuels for most of our transportation, heating, cooling, agriculture, and electricity.
Short-term strategies involve switching from carbon-intensive to renewable energy sources, which also requires building new infrastructure for alternative energy sources. Long-term strategies involve innovative research and a fundamental change in the way humans use energy.
Actions taken by individuals, communities, states, and countries all influence climate. Practices and policies followed in homes, schools, businesses, and governments can affect climate. Climate-related decisions made by one generation can provide opportunities as well as limit the range of possibilities open to the next generation.
Steps toward reducing the impact of climate change may influence the present generation by providing other benefits such as improved public health infrastructure and sustainable built environments.
Renewable Energy Takes Root In Northwest Indian Country
PENDLETON, Ore. — You can spot one of the Eastern Oregon’s newest renewable energy projects from Interstate 84. It doesn’t look like other wind projects east of the Cascades.
A single wind turbine rises over the Tamástslikt Cultural Institute on the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.
The turbine blades gain momentum as the wind picks up. The tribes’ executive director, Dave Tovey, said this cultural institute turned out to be the perfect spot for the first turbine erected in Northwest Indian Country. The place where the tribes broke ground for the cultural institute is notoriously windy.
“A lot of our elders would just shake their heads as say, ‘You guys know, the wind always blows up there.’ We always thought, like Indian tribes, and like we do with so many other things here, we turn a seeming disadvantage into an advantage, or even an opportunity,” Tovey said.
Many Northwest tribes have been exploring ways to get more of their electricity from renewable sources that don’t pollute, like coal-fired power plants do, or harm fish — a concern when it comes to hydroelectric dams.
David Mullon is the chief counsel for the National Congress of American Indians, based in Washington, D.C. He said renewable energy is one way tribes can protect natural resources.
“A major portion of the tribal population is located on the reservation homelands. Protecting and conserving the resources on those very small places is an important consideration,” Mullon said.
There are plenty of examples in Northwest Indian Country: Idaho’s Nez Perce Tribe and Washington’s Yakama Nation are looking into generating electricity by burning woody debris in biomass plants. The Colville Tribes in Eastern Washington get energy from biomass and solar panels, too.
In Oregon, the turbine at the Tamástslikt Cultural Institute will generate about 25 percent of the building’s electricity.
Jess Nowland helps manage the building, which serves as a gathering place and museum for the Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla tribes.
Before putting up the wind turbine, the tribes were working on conservation at the center. Nowland said they’ve reduced its energy consumption by about 70 percent, saving more than $700,000.
“The reality is that there are buildings everywhere that you can achieve this kind of savings on,” Nowland said.
This wind turbine is the beginning of renewable energy on the Umatilla reservation.
The Northwest's First Wind Turbine On Tribal Lands
A reservation in Eastern Oregon is home to the Northwest's first wind turbine on tribal lands. Tribes across the region are considering renewable energy projects to protect the land.
How Northwest Tribes Joined Forces to Beat Fossil Fuel Initiatives
Their victories have been inspiring to members of the Standing Rock Sioux in the fight against the Dakota Access pipeline.
Terri Hansen posted Nov 29, 2016
Source: http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/50-solutions/whats-helping-a-tribal-coalition-resist-fossil-fuel-expansion-along-the-west-coast-20161201
The Quinault Indian Nation encompasses 200,000 acres of magnificent, productive forests, swift-flowing rivers, gleaming lakes, and 23 miles of pristine Pacific coastline. The Quinault River flows from deep in the Olympic Mountains through a lush temperate rainforest to Lake Quinault before emptying into the Pacific Ocean. It’s a short hike from the Lake Quinault Lodge to visit some of the tallest hemlock, Douglas-fir, and Western red cedar trees, and the largest Sitka spruce tree in the world.
The Quinault own and manage Lake Quinault and the Quinault River from the lake to the Pacific Ocean, and co-manage the fisheries throughout their fishing areas—inland and at sea. But the tribe’s ancestral lands and resources are under threat by Houston-based Westway Terminals, which has applied for permits to expand its current crude oil shipping and storage facilities in Grays Harbor, Washington.
If approved, the expansion would add capacity to receive, store, and ship about 17.8 million barrels of oil annually by rail, and store an additional million barrels on site. It’s one of many proposed projects that would increase the transfer of raw fossil fuels to proposed ports on the Pacific coast, dubbed the “gateway to the Pacific,” for export to lucrative Asian markets.
In response, the Quinault have joined a growing coalition of other governments and allies to form a resistance to fossil fuel expansion along the West Coast, at the heart of which is hundreds of years of treaty rights and case law.
“We are a fishing, hunting, gathering people who care deeply about our land, water, and resources, as well as all life dependent on a healthy ecosystem,” said Fawn Sharp, the nation’s president. “These proposals threaten our economy, our environment, and our culture.”
Treaties, according to the U.S. Constitution, are the supreme law of the land, and do not expire. Many agreements between the federal government and tribal nations affirm a tribe’s right to hunt and fish on its ancestral land beyond current reservation boundaries. But projects like those proposed by Westway would degrade salmon and other cultural foods habitat, said Paul Lumley, executive director of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, which represents four Columbia River Treaty fishing tribes. Oil spills and coal train derailments are just some of the environmental threats that could infringe the tribes’ treaty-protected rights to hunt and fish their lands.
These treaties have proven to be a potent legal mechanism in environmental protection in the Pacific Northwest, already racking up victories based on industry violations of generations-old government-to-government agreements.
In May, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers denied a permit for Gateway Pacific’s massive coal terminal, ruling that the project would impact the Lummi Nation’s fishery at Cherry Point, which is protected under the 1855 Treaty of Point Elliott. “This is a historic victory for treaty rights and the constitution,” said Lummi Chairman Tim Ballew II in a statement after the decision.
These treaties have proven to be a potent legal mechanism in environmental protection in the Pacific Northwest.
The Lummi had formed an alliance of nine tribal nations, each of which had at some point dealt with their own development issues. Thousands of activists and environmental groups such as the Sierra Club stood in solidarity with the Lummi and spoke out at public hearings, wrote letters, and submitted comments. The National Wildlife Federation and the Association of Northwest Steelheaders issued a report on the potential impacts of coal projects in the Pacific Northwest, stating: “The coal industry is rushing to build without studying the full consequences of their proposals.”
Full consideration of the consequences must include full consultation with tribes. Tribes in Washington have won court victories over fossil fuel projects because they were not properly consulted with during the permitting processes, said Indian law expert Gabe Galanda.
The outcome of those court decisions have been inspiring to Standing Rock Sioux Chairman David Archambault II in his tribe’s stand against the Dakota Access pipeline. “We’ve seen the success our friends from Washington state have had in their battles to protect treaty rights against the transport of fossil fuels,” Archambault told Indian Country Today Media Network. “Their support is crucial.”
Yet there are still more fossil fuel proposals pending on the Columbia River and coastal Washington that tribes have to contend with, and resisting the big-money-backed pressure is an arduous task that diverts tribes’ attention away from other pressing matters.
“We know this country can’t break its addiction to oil overnight.”
“We have to stop all the productive work we’re doing … to address the crude oil transit through our territories,” Lumley said. For the Quinault, that work includes moving half of their flood-prone village out of the path of rising sea levels, and all of the tribes in western Washington have been grappling with this year’s disastrous salmon runs.
Sharp, who is also president of the 57 Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians, said the best solution to the challenges created by what she called “the temperament of greed in this country” is the grassroots momentum that rises when the people—both tribal and nontribal—share a common vision and take action in their votes, voices, lifestyles, and the lessons they convey to their families.
“We know this country can’t break its addiction to oil overnight,” she said. “But we know that, over time, it has to be eliminated from use, and we know that process of elimination is a task that must be undertaken now.”
At Grays Harbor, the state’s final environmental impact statement for one of the last remaining fossil fuel proposals found “significant and unavoidable environmental impacts to health and safety if a crude oil spill, fire, or explosion occurs,” as well as impacts to tribal resources. It recommended more than 70 mitigation measures to reduce those risks, should the city of Hoquiam approve the proposal.
Throughout the Pacific Northwest, strength against the persistent intimidation of the fossil fuel industry has been found in this tribal-led coalition. “Tribal people are now, and have always been, the caretakers of the land,” Sharp said. “Our words have not always been heard. But when it comes to our sacred land, air, and water, we will always take a stand on behalf of life and the natural heritage we have inherited.”
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- What You Can Do
- At Home
1. Change five lights
Replace your five most frequently used light fixtures or the lightbulbs in them with ENERGY STAR® qualified products and you will help the environment while saving $70 a year on energy bills. ENERGY STAR lighting provides bright, warm light; generates 75% less heat; uses about 75% less energy than standard lighting; and lasts from 10 to 50 times longer.
2. Look for ENERGY STAR
When buying new products for your home, look for EPA's ENERGY STAR label to help you make the most energy-efficient decision. You can find the ENERGY STAR label on more than 60 kinds of products, including appliances, lighting, heating and cooling equipment, electronics, and office equipment. Over their lifetime, products in your home that have earned the ENERGY STAR label can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 130,000 pounds and save you $11,000 on energy bills.
3. Heat and cool smartly
Heating and cooling accounts for almost half your energy bill--about $1,000 a year! There is a lot you can do to drive down this cost. Simple steps like changing air filters regularly, properly using a programmable thermostat, and having your heating and cooling equipment maintained annually by a licensed contractor can save energy and increase comfort, while helping to protect the environment. Depending on where you live, you can cut your annual energy bill by more than $200 by replacing your old heating and cooling equipment with ENERGY STAR-qualified equipment.
4. Seal and insulate your home
Reduce air leaks and stop drafts by using caulk, weather stripping, and insulation to seal your home's envelope and add more insulation to your attic to block out heat and cold. A knowledgeable homeowner or skilled contractor can save up to 20% on heating and cooling costs and significantly enhance home comfort with comprehensive sealing and insulating measures.
5. Reduce, reuse, recycle
Reducing, reusing, and recycling in your home helps conserve energy and reduces pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from resource extraction, manufacturing, and disposal. If there is a recycling program in your community, recycle your newspapers, beverage containers, paper, and other goods. Also, composting your food and yard waste reduces the amount of garbage that you send to landfills and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Visit EPA's Individual WAste Reduction Model (iWARM) to learn about the energy benefits of recycling, rather than landfilling, common waste products.
6. Use water efficiently
It takes lots of energy to pump, treat, and heat water, so saving water reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Saving water around the home is simple. Three percent of the nation's energy is used to pump and treat water so conserving water conserves energy that reduces greenhouse gas pollution. Reduce the amount of waste you generate and the water you consume whenever possible. Pursue simple water-saving actions such as not letting the water run while shaving or brushing teeth and save money while conserving water by using products with the WaterSense label. Did you know a leaky toilet can waste 200 gallons of water per day? Repair all toilet and faucet leaks right away. Running your dishwasher only with a full load can save 100 pounds of carbon dioxide and $40 per year. Be smart when irrigating your lawn or landscape. Only water when needed, and do it during the coolest part of the day; early morning is best. See EPA's WaterSense site for more water saving tips.
7. Be green in your yard
Composting your food and yard waste reduces the amount of garbage that you send to landfills and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. EPA's GreenScapes program provides tips on how to improve your lawn or garden while also helping the environment.
8. Purchase green power
Power your home by purchasing green power. Green power is environmentally friendly electricity that is generated from renewable energy sources such as wind and the sun. There are two ways to use green power: You can buy green power, or you can modify your house to generate your own green power. Buying green power is easy. It offers a number of environmental and economic benefits over conventional electricity, including lower greenhouse gas emissions, and it helps increase clean energy supply. There are a number of steps you can take to create a greener home, including installing solar panels and researching incentives for renewable energy in your state.
9. Calculate your household's carbon footprint
Use EPA's Household Carbon Footprint Calculator to estimate your household greenhouse gas emissions resulting from energy use, transportation, and waste disposal. This tool helps you understand where your emissions come from and identify ways to reduce them.
10. Spread the word
Tell family and friends that energy efficiency is good for their homes and good for the environment because it lowers greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. Tell five people and together we can help our homes help us all. - At School
High School Students
- Track your school's climate impact: High school students can investigate the link between everyday actions at their high school, greenhouse gas emissions, and climate change. Using EPA's Climate Change Emission Calculator Kit (Climate CHECK) (WinZip of Excel spreadsheet, 3.4MB), students can learn about climate change, estimate their school's greenhouse gas emissions, and identify ways to mitigate their school's climate impact. Students gain detailed understandings of climate-change drivers, impacts, and science; produce an emission inventory and action plan; and can even submit the results of their emission inventory to their school district. They can also use Portfolio Manager to compare the energy use of your school with other schools nationwide, and earn the ENERGY STAR for your school if it qualifies as a top performer.
- Spread the word.
- Give a presentation to your family, school, or community group that explains how their actions can cause or reduce climate change. You can use EPA's “Create a New Climate for Action” presentation or develop your own. Get creative, and think of more ways to help others make a difference!
College Students
College students can play an important role in reducing greenhouse emissions at their colleges or universities by reducing their emissions from energy they use in dorm rooms. Students can also work with school administrators to develop an inventory, increase energy efficiency on campus, and reduce their school's greenhouse gas emissions by using green power.
Educators- Teach students about climate change and ecosystems
- Use the teacher resources on EPA's Students Guide to Climate Change. Use the Climate Change, Wildlife and Wildlands: A Toolkit for Formal and Informal Educators to learn about the science of climate change and its potential effects on our nation's wildlife and their habitats. Download and share EPA's eight-page brochure, Frequently Asked Questions About Global Warming and Climate Change: Back to Basics (PDF) (8 pp, 1.6MB, About PDF), which provides illustrated answers to frequent questions.
- Engage middle school students in estimating emissions.
- Enhance critical-thinking skills by introducing the Global Warming Wheel Card Classroom Activity Kit to middle school students. A hand-held wheel card and other resources help students estimate household greenhouse gas emissions in order to encourage students to think about ways they can reduce their personal, family, school, and community contributions to climate change. If you are an informal educator, simply use the Global Warming Wheel Card as a part of your field activities.
- Learn from other educators
- Investigate what other schools and organizations are doing to educate their audiences on climate change by clicking on Educators' Links, a database offering links to resources such as lesson plans, videos, books and toolkits.
Administrators- Save money and the environment
- The least efficient schools use three times more energy than the best energy performers. By partnering with the highly successful ENERGY STAR for K-12 School Districts and using Portfolio Manager to track and rate the energy performance of your portfolio of school buildings, school districts can serve as environmental leaders in their community, become energy efficient, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and save money! If you're considering a new building, EPA's voluntary School Siting Guidelines can provide tips for reducing climate and health impacts.
- Estimate your emissions and take the challenge
- School administrators can also work to reduce their school's greenhouse gas emissions by developing an inventory of their school's emissions or by taking the College & University Green Power Challenge.
- Reduce, reuse, recycle
- Recycle school or classroom paper, newspapers, beverage containers, electronic equipment and batteries. Reducing, reusing, and recycling at school and in the classroom helps conserve energy, and reduce pollution and greenhouse gases from resource extraction, manufacturing, and disposal. You can reduce, reuse, and recycle at school or in the classroom by using two-sided printing and copying, buying supplies made with recycled content, and recycling used printer cartridges. For your old electronics, donate used equipment to other organizations, or investigate leasing programs to ensure that used equipment is reused and recycled.
- On the Road
1. Buy smart: Purchase a fuel-efficient, low-greenhouse gas vehicle
When shopping for a new or used vehicle (or even renting a vehicle), choose the cleanest, most fuel-efficient vehicle that meets your needs. With a wide range of clean, fuel-efficient vehicles available today, it’s easier than ever to go green—for the environment, and for your wallet. Check out EPA's Green Vehicle Guide or www.fueleconomy.gov to find the best, most comprehensive information on vehicle emissions and fuel economy.
Gasoline Vehicle Label
You can also learn more about the fuel economy and environment label that you’ll see on all new vehicles. The label has been redesigned and updated for even easier comparison shopping. These new window stickers provide fuel economy and environmental ratings for all new vehicles, including advanced technology vehicles like electric cars and plug-in hybrids. And while at the showroom, you can scan the QR Code® on each vehicle’s label to be connected to additional information online, including personalized cost and energy-use estimates.
2. Drive smart
To improve your fuel economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, go easy on the brakes and gas pedal, avoid hard accelerations, reduce your time spent idling (no more than 30 seconds), and unload unnecessary items in your trunk to reduce weight. If you have a removable roof rack and you are not using it, take it off to improve your fuel economy. Use cruise control if you have it, and for vehicles with selectable four-wheel drive, consider operating in two-wheel drive mode when road conditions make it safe to do so.
For more information, take a look at these tips for driving more efficiently.
3. Remember maintenance...
Get regular tune-ups, follow the manufacturer’s maintenance schedule (which can be found in your owner’s manual), and use the recommended grade of motor oil. A well-maintained car is more fuel-efficient, produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions, is more reliable, and is safer!
For more details, including potential fuel savings, check out these tips for keeping your car in shape.
4. ... and don’t forget your tires!
Check your tire pressure regularly. Under-inflation increases tire wear, reduces your fuel economy, and leads to higher greenhouse gas and other air pollutant emissions. If you don’t know the correct tire pressure for your vehicle, you can find it listed on the door to your vehicle’s glove compartment, or on the driver's-side door pillar.
And when it’s time for new tires, consider purchasing tires with “low rolling resistance,” an energy-saving feature.
5. Give your car a break
Use public transportation, carpool, or walk or bike whenever possible to avoid using your car. Leaving your car at home just two days a week can reduce your greenhouse gas emissions by an average of two tons per year.
Also consider telecommuting (working from home via phone or the Internet), which can reduce the stress of commuting, reduce harmful emissions, and save you money. And when driving, try combining your errands and activities into one trip.
- At Home
- What We Can Do as a Society
- Our Energy Supply
Switch over to renewable heat and power sources (hydropower, solar, wind, geothermal and bioenergy); where renewables are not possible switch from coal to gas; develop advanced renewable energy, including tidal and wave energy, concentrating solar, and solar photovoltaics. See what major corporations are committing to do.
- Our Means of Transportation
Require more fuel-efficient vehicles; hybrid vehicles; cleaner diesel vehicles; modal shifts from road transport to rail and public transport systems; non-motorised transport (cycling, walking); land-use and transport planning; higher efficiency aircraft; advanced electric and hybrid vehicles with more powerful and reliable batteries
- Our Buildings
Efficient lighting and daylighting; more efficient electrical appliances and heating and cooling devices; improved cook stoves, improved insulation; passive and active solar design for heating and cooling; alternative refrigeration fluids, recovery and recycling of fluorinated gases; integrated design of commercial buildings including technologies, such as intelligent meters that provide feedback and control; solar photovoltaics integrated in buildings
- Our Farms and Ranches
Improved crop and grazing land management to increase soil carbon storage; restoration of cultivated peaty soils and degraded lands; improved rice cultivation techniques and livestock and manure management to reduce CH4 emissions; improved nitrogen fertiliser application techniques to reduce N2O emissions; dedicated energy crops to replace fossil fuel use; improved energy efficiency; improvements of crop yields
- Our Forests
Establish forests where in areas where there is not now a forest (afforestation); reforestation; forest management; reduced deforestation; harvested wood product management; use of forestry products for bioenergy to replace fossil fuel use; improved remote sensing technologies for analysis of vegetation/soil carbon sequestration potential and mapping land-use change
- Our Waste
Landfill CH4 recovery; waste incineration with energy recovery; composting of organic waste; controlled wastewater treatment; recycling and waste minimisation; biocovers and biofilters to optimise CH4 oxidation
- Put a Price on Carbon
Many countries are lowering their carbon emissions very effectively by putting a price on carbon. This short video explains how that might be done either by taxing carbon or by instituting a cap and trade system.
- Our Energy Supply
Principle 9c
Humans can Take Measures to Reduce their Vulnerabilities
Humans can reduce their vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. Actions such as moving to higher ground to avoid rising sea levels, planting new crops that will thrive under new climate conditions, or using new building technologies represent adaptation strategies. Adaptation often requires financial investment in new or enhanced research, technology, and infrastructure.
Featured Story
Click to open the tabs to learn about climate change impacts on tribal communities and ways they can reduce their vulnerabilities
Vulnerabilities and Impacts
Higher temperatures will cause a shift or loss of traditional fish, plant and animal species
Earlier snowmelt will cause barriers to fish species migration/ movement; shift or loss of traditional fish, plant, and animal species
More rain, less snow will cause greater stress on cold-water species from warmer runoff; shift or loss of traditional fish, plant, and animal species
More extreme flood events will cause reduced water quality for traditional aquatic species; habitat disturbance/loss
Longer, more frequent droughts will cause reduced productivity/ greater stress on traditional fish, plant, and animal species
More erosion will cause reduced water quality for traditional aquatic species; stream channel changes; habitat disturbance/loss
More frequent & intense wildfires will cause reduced water quality for traditional aquatic species; increased sedimentation in streams; habitat and species disturbance/ loss
Cumulative Impacts on tribes include dietary changes; loss of local food resources; change in hunting/ gathering practices, and loss of culture & traditional medicinal plants and materials for jewelry, sculptures, ceremonial pieces, basketry, nets, and lodgings.
Ways to Reduce Vulnerabilities
Higher Temps: Restore habitat to provide thermal refugia (i.e. riparian corridors); manage ecosystems to promote native species; promote traditional practices to restore traditional landscapes; promote policies that ensure tribal rights for subsistence practices
Earlier Snowmelt: Restore habitat to remove barriers to fish migration; restore meadows restoration and implement forestry practices that help retain water in upper watersheds
More rain, less snow
Restore habitat to provide thermal refugia for cold water species; manage ecosystems to promote native species; promote traditional practices to restore traditional landscapes; promote policies that ensure tribal rights for subsistence practices
More extreme flood events
Restore and enhance exisiting floodplain and wetland habitat; restore and manage watersheds to reduce erosion
Longer, more frequent droughts
Restore and manage habitat to promote native species; implement land use practices that promote water retention on-site; remove or minimize invasive species
More erosion
Restore and enhance riparian corridors; promote ranch land and forest management practices that reduce erosion
Longer wildfire season/ More frequent & intense wildfires
Reduce forest density where needed via mechanical or hand thinning and/or prescribed burning; restore soil mantle; construct and maintain fuel breaks; restore meadows to help retain water; remove or minimize invasive species
Source: http://www.water.ca.gov/climatechange/docs/ClimateChange_TribalMatrix_Final_2014.pdf
Vulnerabilities and Impacts
Higher temperatures will cause a shift or loss of traditional fish, plant and animal species
Earlier snowmelt will cause reduced streamflows in summer/fall
More rain, less snow will cause reduced streamflows in summer/fall
More extreme flood events will cause damage to sacred sites; temporary inaccessibility to sacred sites; exposure of sacred artifacts and remains
Longer, more frequent droughts will cause a reduction in streamflows; reduced productivity/ greater stress on traditional fish, plant, and animal species
More erosion will cause damage to sacred sites; loss of access to sacred sites; exposure of cultural resources
More frequent & intense wildfires will cause damage to sacred sites; species disturbance/loss
Cumulative Impacts on tribes include loss of traditional materials for ceremonies; loss or exposure of sacred sites, artifacts, & remains; changes in traditional timing of spiritual practices
Ways to Reduce Vulnerabilities
Higher Temps: Restore and manage ecosystems to promote traditional materials/ native species; promote traditional practices to restore traditional landscapes
Earlier Snowmelt: Restore forests and implement practices that help retain water in upper watersheds; promote traditional practices to restore traditional landscapes
More rain, less snow
Restore and manage ecosystems to promote traditional materials/ native species; promote traditional practices to restore traditional landscapes
More extreme flood events
Restore habitat to buffer sacred sites; build infrastructure (i.e., levees, sea walls) to protect sacred sites
Longer, more frequent droughts
Restore and manage habitat to promote native species; impement land use practices that promote water retention & reduce forest fuels; remove or minimize invasive species
More erosion
Restore habitat to buffer sacred sites; build infrastructure to protect sacred sites
Longer wildfire season/ More frequent & intense wildfires
Manage fuel loads to reduce fire severity; create fire breaks to protect sacred sites; remove or minimize invasive species; restore habitat
Source: http://www.water.ca.gov/climatechange/docs/ClimateChange_TribalMatrix_Final_2014.pdf
Vulnerabilities and Impacts
Higher temperatures will cause changes in runoff timing reducing seasonal availability; higher water demands
Earlier snowmelt will cause reduced reliability; less groundwater recharge; decrease in summer/ fall runoff
More rain, less snow will cause changes in runoff timing reducing seasonal availability; less groundwater recharge; reduced reliability
More extreme flood events will cause damage to conveyance infrastructure; increased treatment; service interruptions
Longer, more frequent droughts will cause reduced availability and reliability of surface water; less groundwater recharge; increased treatment; increased potential for overdrafting groundwater
More erosion will cause damage to conveyance infrastructure; increased treatment
More frequent & intense wildfires will cause damage to conveyance infrastructure; increased treatment; service interruptions; sedimentation
Cumulative Impacts include reductions in water availability; reduced quality or increased contamination of local surface and groundwater supplies; increase in water- related illnesses; potential conflicts over water rights; higher human water demands reduce water needed to support ecosystems/ species
Ways to Reduce Vulnerabilities
Higher Temps: Increase storage capacity; improve conjuctive mgmt; conserve water; restore habitat
Earlier Snowmelt: Increase storage capacity; facilitate groundwater recharge basins; conserve water and energy; restore habitat in upper watersheds
More rain, less snow
Increase storage capacity; facilitate groundwater recharge basins; conserve water and energy; restore habitat in upper watersheds
More extreme flood events
Reinforce or relocate vulnerable conveyance infrastructure; improve treatment capacity
Longer, more frequent droughts
Increase storage capacity; improve conjuctive managment; conserve water and energy; promote reduction of forest fuels
More erosion
Protect vulnerable conveyance infrastructure with habitat buffers; improve treatment capacity
Longer wildfire season/ More frequent & intense wildfires
Create fire breaks to protect infrastructure; improve treatment capacity; manage fuel and restore habitat to reduce risk
Source: http://www.water.ca.gov/climatechange/docs/ClimateChange_TribalMatrix_Final_2014.pdf
Vulnerabilities and Impacts
Higher temperatures will cause an increase in water-borne illnesses; taste and odor issues; decrease in dissolved oxygen increase in algal blooms; impacts to aquatic species
Earlier snowmelt will cause seasonal changes in quality due to decreased summer/fall runoff
More rain, less snow will cause seasonal changes in quality (such as reduced dissolved oxygen) due to decreased summer/fall runoff
More extreme flood events will cause wastewater spills; contaminated stormwater runoff; turbidity
Longer, more frequent droughts will cause increase in water-borne illnesses; taste and odor issues; higher contaminant loading; increase in algal blooms; decrease in dissolved oxygen; impacts to aquatic species
More erosion will cause damage to conveyance and wastewater infrastructure; increased turbidity
More frequent & intense wildfires will cause damage to infrastructure, increased turbidity/ sedimentation
Cumulative Impacts include reductions in water availability; reduced quality or increased contamination of local surface and groundwater supplies; increase in water- related illnesses; potential conflicts over water rights; higher human water demands reduce water needed to support ecosystems/ species
Ways to Reduce Vulnerabilities
Higher Temps: Improve treatment capacity; promote use of wetlands in wastewater treatment
Earlier Snowmelt: Habitat restoration that help retain water in upper watershed to support summer/fall baseflows
More rain, less snow
Habitat restoration to support summer/fall baseflows; groundwater recharge/ conjunctive use
More extreme flood events
Improve wastewater systems to avoid spills; use green infrastructure to filter stormwater runoff
Longer, more frequent droughts
Improve treatment capacity; promote use of wetlands in wastewater treatment
More erosion
Protect vulnerable conveyance and wastewater infrastructure; improve treatment capacity
Longer wildfire season/ More frequent & intense wildfires
Fire breaks to protect infrastructure; improve treatment capacity; fuel management and habitat restoration to reduce risk
Source: http://www.water.ca.gov/climatechange/docs/ClimateChange_TribalMatrix_Final_2014.pdf
Vulnerabilities and Impacts
Higher temperatures will cause increased mortality rates (especially for children and elderly); poor air quality; allergens increase; illnesses1 exacerbated; increased health care costs
Earlier snowmelt will cause reduced water supply reliability and quality
More rain, less snow will cause a change in prevalence & spread of disease; reduced water supply reliability and quality
More extreme flood events will cause a change in prevalence & spread of diseases; mortality; displacement
Longer, more frequent droughts will cause a change in prevalence & spread of diseases; mortality; reduced water supply reliability; increased malnutrition; increased health care costs
More erosion will cause displacement; poor water quality; mudslides
More frequent & intense wildfires will cause poor air and water quality; displacement; illnesses exacerbated, esp. respiratory illnesses; mortality; mudslides
Cumulative Impacts include an overall reduction in community health; increase in chronic and infectious diseases; increased heath care costs; impacts associated with displacement
Ways to Reduce Vulnerabilities
Higher Temps: Establish community cooling centers; develop renewable energy sources; provide education and outreach on heat-related illnesses
Earlier Snowmelt: Improve water supply reliablity and water quality (see stratgies above)
More rain, less snow
Provide education and outreach on disease prevention; improve water supply reliability and water quality
More extreme flood events
Provide education and outreach on disease prevention; establish emergency shelters; establish funding for recovery assistance
Longer, more frequent droughts
Education and outreach on disease prevention; establish emergency water supplies; establish funding for assistance programs
More erosion
Establish emergency shelters and water supplies; establish funding for recovery assistance
Longer wildfire season/ More frequent & intense wildfires
Establish emergency shelters and water supplies; establish funding for recovery assistance
Source: http://www.water.ca.gov/climatechange/docs/ClimateChange_TribalMatrix_Final_2014.pdf
For a good summary of climate change vulnerabilities for indigenous peoples in the U.S., visit the National Climate Assessment:
For a summary of how the Northwest is adapting to climate change impacts and vulnerabilities, click the button below:
Reducing Vulnerabilities: Tribal Profiles
Tribes across the United States are leading the way with innovative efforts to address climate change through adaptation and mitigation strategies. The Tribal Climate Change Profiles are intended to be a pathway to increasing knowledge among tribal and non-tribal organizations interested in learning about climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts. The Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals also publishes these profiles, as well as additional profiles they generate on their Tribes & Climate Change website: www4.nau.edu/tribalclimatechange/tribes/northwest.asp.
Nooksack Indian Tribe: Rivers and Glaciers —Keeping salmon and the ecosystem healthy in light of climate change and distressed ecosystems. In response to concerns about the Nooksack River and the glaciers that drain into it, the Nooksack Indian Tribe is undertaking efforts to address climate change and its impacts on Nooksack Usual and Accustomed lands and its people. Specifically, the Tribe is exploring climate impacts facing their lands as a way to address the continued health of salmon: riparian ecosystem health, stream and river temperatures, sediment loading in the watershed, and impacts of climate change on glaciers and the hydrology of the Nooksack River. Salmon in the Nooksack River are already severely stressed by a variety of factors including wide scale-watershed alteration by forest practices, channelization of the river, pollution and human-induced habitat loss. Climate impacts, therefore, have the potential to cause major additional harm to salmonid populations in the Nooksack River. Mitigating the impacts of climate change is therefore an integral part of ensuring that the Nooksack watershed is able to continue supporting salmon at harvestable levels. This profile draws on the work of the Nooksack Indian Tribe to address climate change impacts on the hydrology of the Nooksack River and salmon survival and recovery.
Nez Perce Tribe: Clearwater River Subbasin Climate Change Adaptation Plan. In an effort to prepare for changes to their homelands’ ecology, the Nez Perce Tribe’s Water Resources Division created a climate change adaptation plan for the Clearwater River Subbasin in 2011. The plan focuses on climate impacts to water and forestry resources, two areas of natural resource management that are both culturally and economically important to the Nez Perce Tribe. The adaptation plan includes an assessment of existing conditions in the subbasin, and data on how changes in climate may impact forests, waters, and the local economy. This profile highlights the efforts of the Nez Perce Tribe to increase awareness of climate change issues in their region through this plan, as well as their strategies for integrating adaptation into existing and future management plans. http://www4.nau.edu/tribalclimatechange/tribes/northwest_nezperce_clearwater.asp
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes: Climate Change Strategic Plan In response to growing concerns about the impacts of climate change on tribal members and on their homelands, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes have developed a Climate Change Strategic Plan. The Tribes worked with several partners, including Salish-Pend d’Oreille Culture Committee, Kootenai Culture Committee, Next Seven Group LLC, the Great Northern Landscape Conservation Cooperative (LCC), the Kresge Foundation, and the Roundtable of the Crown Continent Adaptive Management Initiative, to develop a plan to inform the tribal policy and actions moving forward. This plan brings together the knowledge of elders with scientific observations to document existing impacts and prepare for future changes. http://www4.nau.edu/tribalclimatechange/tribes/northwest_kootenai.asp
Jamestown S’Klallam Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Plan In order to promote climate resilience in their community, the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe has developed a Climate Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Plan. Drawing on an Environmental Protection Agency Indian General Assistance Program (IGAP) grant, and in collaboration with Adaptation International and Washington Sea Grant, the Tribe developed a plan that addresses sea level rise, ocean acidification, salmon health, natural disasters and shifts in species ranges. The plan drew on input from tribal leaders, elders and technical staff to ensure that tribal concerns were considered. The Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe sees climate adaptation as a process, not an outcome; this plan is part of an ongoing effort by the Tribe to prepare for climate impacts on their community. http://www4.nau.edu/tribalclimatechange/tribes/northwest_skallam.asp
The Swinomish Tribe and Tsleil Waututh First Nation Correlation and Climate Sensitivity of Human Health and Environmental Indicators in the Salish Sea
In 2012, the North Pacific Landscape Conservation Cooperative awarded over $300,000 to seven projects aimed at increasing the use of TEK in climate change adaptation and natural and cultural management. The Swinomish Tribe and Tsleil Waututh First Nation, two peoples of the Salish Sea, collaborated together on one of these projects. By bringing together data on environmental, cultural and human health impacts, the project partners are refining their understanding about what areas within their communities may be most sensitive to climate impacts. In doing so, the Swinomish Tribe and Tsleil Waututh First Nation are gaining a more complete understanding of how climate change may affect their communities. This innovative approach builds upon previous work done by the Swinomish Tribe and has potential as a model for other tribal communities aiming to better understand climate impacts to their people and homelands. http://www4.nau.edu/tribalclimatechange/tribes/northwest_swinomish_tsleil.asp
South Central Climate Science Center: Tribal Climate Change Variability Workshops In the South Central US, particularly severe climate impacts are projected to occur. With support from the South Central Climate Science Center (SCCSC) and Southern Climate Impacts Planning Program (SCIPP), the University of Oklahoma (OU) hosted a series of five intertribal workshops on climate impacts. Paulette Blanchard, a Master’s candidate at OU who played an instrumental role in organizing the workshops, brought together native filmmakers with tribal participants to discuss ways that native people can document their experiences and challenges with climate impacts. These workshops also provided an opportunity for tribes and governmental agencies such as the SCCSC to establish working relationships. http://www4.nau.edu/tribalclimatechange/tribes/plains_sccsc.asp
Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians: Climate Change and Environmental Management Programs Concerned about the effects of climate change on their homeland and surrounding environment, the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians have taken numerous steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address the impacts of climate change on tribal peoples, land, and resources. This profile describes the climate change programs implemented by the Santa Ynez Chumash Environmental Office and the Chumash Casino Resort to address climate change adaptation and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. http://www4.nau.edu/tribalclimatechange/tribes/southwest_chumash.asp
Indigenous Peoples and Northwest Climate Initiatives: Exploring the Role of Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Resource Management
In 2012, the North Pacific Landscape Conservation Cooperative (NPLCC) and the Northwest Climate Science Center (NW CSC) awarded funds to seven projects that facilitate the use of traditional ecological knowledge to help inform natural and cultural resource management. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service provided funds to the NPLCC for these projects, with two of the projects co-sponsored by the Northwest Climate Science Center. This profile is the first step in an ongoing effort to share information about these tribally led projects. It provides information on each of the grants awarded to tribes and First Nations in the NPLCC, and includes an overview of the NPLCC and the NW CSC. The profile showcases projects and shares the diverse ways in which tribal, First Nations and Alaska Native communities are gathering TEK, integrating this knowledge into resource management, and addressing gaps in climate change information. http://www4.nau.edu/tribalclimatechange/tribes/tdk_nplcc.asp
Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Healthy Ecosystems Summit
In August 2012, the Snoqualmie Tribe of Washington celebrated indigenous knowledge systems by hosting the Traditional Knowledge and Healthy Ecosystems Summit. The Summit, held at the Skamania Lodge near Stevenson, WA, brought together indigenous leaders, tribal members, resource managers, academics and students to discuss and learn about the importance of traditional knowledge in natural resource management and in everyday ways of life. Participants came from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Alaska, and British Columbia to partake in the various presentations, roundtables, panels, and workshops that formed part of this event. This profile describes some of the highlights from the event, including talks from keynote speakers Daniel Wildcat and Larry Merculiefff, storytelling by elders, presentations on traditional knowledge in contemporary resource management and indigenous health, and field trips featuring traditional sites and activities.
Vulnerability of Coastal Louisiana Tribes in a Climate Change Context
Living among the bayous in southern Louisiana, coastal tribes have a long history of vulnerability to and impacts from a range of environmental and human-caused events, including storms, subsidence, land sinking and shrinking, sea-level rise and oil spills. These events have posed uncommon challenges to these indigenous communities. In January 2012, several tribal communities from coastal Louisiana (including Grand Bayou Village, Grand Caillou/Dulac, Isle de Jean Charles and Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribes) met to “share knowledge, support, cultural connectivity and adaption strategies” in response to the significant environmental changes they face. This meeting, convened by the tribes and attended by the National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), brought together local tribal members, national tribal leaders, faith leaders, government agency representatives, and resource specialists to share information on the various opportunities, resources, and programs available to tribal communities experiencing the impacts of large-scale environmental change. This profile explores the ways in which climate change may exacerbate the challenges already facing coastal Louisiana tribes and potential strategies to assist these tribes in addressing their vulnerability. http://www4.nau.edu/tribalclimatechange/tribes/gulfcoast_lacoastal.asp
First Stewards Symposium: Coastal Peoples Address Climate Change
In July 2012, four coastal treaty tribes from Washington State: the Hoh, Makah, and Quileute Tribes and Quinault Indian Nation, hosted the First Stewards Symposium at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington DC in recognition of the rapid changes coastal tribes are experiencing from climate change and changes in marine ecosystems. The Symposium convened coastal people from across the United States to discuss the impacts of climate change and strategies for mitigation and adaptation. Tribal leaders, governmental and non-governmental agency representatives, academics, and non-profit indigenous advocates came together to demonstrate the impacts of climate change in regions throughout the U.S. and its territories and how indigenous adaptations to climate change can guide society moving forward. The Symposium emphasized strategies to promote actions in society-at-large to adapt to climate change and discussed the opportunity for native people to be leaders and provide models for other native and non-native communities. The First Stewards Symposium led to a resolution illustrating the impacts of climate change on traditional ways of life and culture and calling for the formal recognition and inclusion of indigenous communities in the formation of policies, management and other government action. This profile highlights the speakers, issues and outcomes from the First Stewards Symposium. http://www4.nau.edu/tribalclimatechange/tribes/tdk_firststwrds.asp
Siletz Tribal Energy Program The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, located on the Oregon coast, have created an innovative renewable energy program. The Siletz Tribal Planning Department created the Siletz Tribal Energy Program (STEP) through a grant from the Administration for Native Americans in 2009. STEP works within the tribal community to encourage efficient energy use and reduced energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Much of their work is focused on improving tribal buildings and homes. STEP prioritizes community involvement as a way to increase awareness of tribal members, promote skills-training in the tribal community and promote tribal independence in energy; tribal outreach is a major aspect of STEP’s work. This profile examines the ranges of their programs, including weatherization and energy efficiency, conservation, renewable power and solar. http://www4.nau.edu/tribalclimatechange/tribes/northwest_siletz.asp
Karuk Tribe: Integrating Traditional Ecological Knowledge within Natural Resource Management Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) plays a significant role in the Karuk Tribe’s approach to natural resource management, which is guided by a respect for the relationships between species, their habitats and the belief that fostering ecosystem resilience is critical to ensuring sustainability. In 2010, the Karuk Tribe released a draft Eco-Cultural Resources Management Plan to create a long-term adaptation strategy for the protection, enhancement and utilization of cultural and natural resources. The Eco-Cultural Resources Management Plan establishes a framework for considering a wide range of human and environmental stressors to the Karuk Tribe, including climate change. This profile explores the role of traditional ecological knowledge in the Karuk Tribe’s Eco-Cultural Resource Management Plan, the ways in which this unique approach may contribute to tribal efforts to address climate change, and the importance of the federal-tribal relationship in addressing climate change. http://www4.nau.edu/tribalclimatechange/tribes/northwest_karuk.asp
First Foods and Climate Change (Download First Foods Profile) Indigenous populations in North America face significant threats from climate change. One area of great concern is how first foods will be impacted by climate change. Because of the vital role that first foods play in the physical, mental and spiritual health of native communities, impacts from climate change on first foods may negatively affect tribal culture and livelihood. This profile explores the challenges that indigenous peoples face in maintaining their historically important relationships with first foods in the context of climate change. The profile also outlines the impacts that climate change may have on many first foods, describes challenges facing indigenous peoples in continuing their relationship with first foods, and explore ways in which they have adapted or responded to these challenges. Also available at: http://www4.nau.edu/tribalclimatechange/tribes/tdk_firstfoods.asp
The Lummi Nation: Pursuing Clean Renewable Energy (Download Lummi Nation Profile)
The Lummi Nation has launched a number of renewable energy projects to reduce its environmental impact and to contribute to its goal of energy self-sufficiency. These projects include conducting a wind energy development feasibility assessment, lighting a walking trail with solar LEDs, installing a geothermal heat pump system for a new administrative building, and developing a strategic energy plan to coordinate future efforts. This profile provides detailed information on the wind energy development feasibility assessment project and also examines the opportunities and motivation that inspired the Lummi Nation to explore the options for renewable energy on their tribal lands. Also available at: http://www4.nau.edu/tribalclimatechange/tribes/northwest_lummi.asp
Climate Change: Realities of Relocation for Alaska Native Villages (Download Alaska Native Relocation Profile)
As temperatures across the Arctic rise at twice the global average, the impacts of climate change in Alaska are already being felt (IPCC 2007). Alaska Natives are among the most impacted in this region, and, according to the Government Accountability Office in 2004, flooding and erosion affected 86% of Alaska Native villages to some extent, and by 2009, the GAO reported that flooding and erosion imminently threatened thirty-one villages. This profile examines the challenges of relocation and offers examples from three Alaska Native villages working to protect their people, culture and natural resources. Also available at: http://www4.nau.edu/tribalclimatechange/tribes/ak_inupiaq_AkRelocation.asp.
Swinomish Climate Change Initiative: At the Forefront of Planning for Climate Change (Download Swinomish Profile)
In 2007, the Swinomish Tribe passed a climate change proclamation in response to growing concerns about potential impacts of climate change on the Swinomish Indian Reservation. This profile highlights the projected climate change impacts on the tribe, the tribe’s planning process for the impact assessment and action plan development, as well as key partners and project successes and challenges. Also available at: http://www4.nau.edu/tribalclimatechange/tribes/northwest_swinomish.asp
Climate Change and the Coquille Indian Tribe: Planning for the Effects of Climate Change and Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions (Download Coquille Profile)
In 2008, the Coquille Indian Tribe established a Climate Change Committee to engage tribal government, tribal members, and natural and cultural resource managers in the development of a Climate Change Action Plan. This profile highlights key concerns and potential climate change impacts to the Coquille Tribe, and initial tribal strategies to address climate change. Also available at: http://www4.nau.edu/tribalclimatechange/tribes/northwest_coquille.asp
Nez Perce Tribe: Carbon Sequestration Program (Download Nez Perce Profile)
In the 1990’s, the Nez Perce Forestry & Fire Management Division began developing a carbon offset strategy to market Carbon Sequestration Credits. This profile describes the tribe’s initial trial afforestation project, and their strategies for reinvesting revenue from the sale of carbon to invest in additional afforestation projects, wildlife rehabilitation and forest development. Also available at: http://www4.nau.edu/tribalclimatechange/tribes/northwest_nezperce.asp
Principle 9d
Tribes can Lead the Way
Much of the world's plant and animal communities has been in the hands of traditional peoples—societies of hunters and gatherers, herders, fishers, agriculturists—for a great many generations. In fact, pre-scientific, traditional systems of knowledge and management have been the main way that societies have managed the land and natural resources for many thousands of years. Those uses of the land and systems of management are sustainable. They do not compromise the interests of future generations because they enable societies to use their environment in a way that maintains the integrity of their local ecosystems.
In that sense, traditional systems of knowledge are not just curiosities, but are important for rediscovering principles and techniques for how our modern societies, in the face of a major climate crisis, can mitigate and adapt and in the end develop sustainable ways of living. Tribes throughout the Americas and around the world are working hard to deliver this message as the video below shows.
click the image to enlarge it
Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) is different from science. Using your knowledge of what science is, can you identify some differences between what TEK encompasses and what science encompasses? Can you identify some similarities? Traditional knowledge is complementary to western science, not a replacement for it. It enriches and expands our knowledge of the natural world and can teach us how we can live more sustainability in the world.
It's not just talk: The Evidence Speaks for Itself
Indigenous rights are key to preserving forests, climate change study finds
Leaving forests in communal hands cuts carbon emissions from deforestation, helps communities and offers long-term economic benefits: ‘Everyone wins’
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/nov/02/indigenous-rights-forests-climate-change-study
Jonathan Watts in Rio de Janeiro Wednesday 2 November 2016 09.43 EDT
Ashaninka girls walk through a forest path as they return to their village in the Peruvian Amazon. Photograph: Rodrigo Abd/AP
The world’s indigenous communities need to be given a bigger role in climate stabilisation, according to a new study that shows at least a quarter of forest carbon is stored on communal land, particularly in Brazil.
The research by a group of academic institutions and environmental NGOs is the most comprehensive effort yet to quantify the contribution of traditional forest guardians to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases.
Authors say the expansion of tribal land rights is the most cost-effective way to protect forests and sequester carbon – an issue that they hope will receive more prominence at the upcoming United Nations climate conference in Marrakech.
The paper by the Rights and Resources Initiative, Woods Hole Research Centre and World Resources Institute aims to encourage governments to recognise indigenous land rights and include tribal input in national action plans. Currently this is not the case for 167 of 188 nations in the Paris agreement, including Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which are home to some of the world’s biggest forests.
It is also likely to feed into a growing debate in Brazil, which has won kudos for recognising more indigenous land than any other country in the past decade but is now under a new government that has yet to be tested in international climate talks.
Based on satellite surveys of 37 tropical countries, the study estimates community-claimed lands sequester at least 54,546m tonnes of carbon – roughly four times the world’s annual emissions.
Ownership of a 10th of that land is public, unrecognised or contested, which raises the risk that it could fall into the hands of developers, farmers, miners or others who want to clear the forest for short-term financial gain at the expense of long-term environmental costs.
Rainforest is cleared for agriculture in Amazonas state, Brazil. However, forest cover plays a vital role in rainfall levels and irrigation, which benefits farmers. Photograph: Brazil Photos/LightRocket via Getty Images
The authors argue there is a greater economic benefit from leaving the property in the hands of traditional residents and strengthening their ownership rights so they can protect the land.
Alain Frechette of Rights and Resources, one of the report’s authors, urged national governments and negotiators to make indigenous communities a more central part of climate policies.
“When communities have secure forest rights, not only are forests better protected, but communities fare better. It’s what economists call an optimal solution. Everyone wins,” he said. “By contrast, large-scale development initiatives produce quick wins, but the long-term environmental, economic and political costs are not taken into account. They are just pushed on to future generations.”
“As well as reducing 20-30% of carbon dioxide emissions, the forests provide benefits of clean water, pollination, biodiversity, flood control and tourist attractions that are said to be worth $523bn to $1.165tn in Brazil, $54-119 bn in Bolivia, and $123–277bn in Colombia over the next 20 years.
The data shows the most important region is Latin America, where 58% of emissions come from deforestation, more than double the global rate of 24%. Without protection, much more could yet be released. Five of the top 10 countries for forest carbon are in the continent. Brazil with 14,692 megatonnes has twice the amount of the next biggest country, Indonesia.
Having expanded indigenous land considerably since 2003, Brazil – and later Bolivia and Colombia – initially slowed deforestation. The World Research Institute estimates that tropical forests without such protection were two to three times more likely to be cleared.
But in recent years, forest destruction in Brazil has started to creep up again and many environmentalists are worried that the new centre-right government of Michel Temer could accelerate this trend.
Since the impeachment of former president Dilma Rousseff in September, the new government has cut the budget for the National Indian Agency (better known by its acronym Funai), and removed many of its key personnel.
“There are causes for concern,“ said Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, UN special rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples. She urged Brazil not to backtrack. “As this report shows, if Brazil enhances its respect for indigenous peoples’ rights, they will be able to contribute more to the Paris agreement. It will be to their benefit. They can measure that in terms of the amount of tonnes of carbon that are being conserved.”
Paulo Moutinho, director of the Amazon Environmental Research Institute, called on the new government to declare the 71m hectares of currently undesignated public forest – equivalent to all the land cleared in the past 40 years – protected or indigenous land.
Although he acknowledged that this would be difficult to push past the strong agribusiness lobby in congress, he said farmers would eventually realise that strong forests were necessary not just for the global climate but for local rainfall patterns and irrigation.
“There is still time to do something impressive,” he said. “The world expects strong action from Brazil. It would be nice to consolidate and expand protected areas. Otherwise, it will be impossible to achieve what we have promised to the world.”
TEK Complements Western Science
Traditional Ecological Knoweldge
Traditional or Tribal Ecological Knowledge (TEK) refers to the way native people understand and pass on knowledge about the relationships between plant and animal species, ecosystems, and ecological processes. Because it encompasses knowledge that spans thousands of years and many, many generations, it has the potential to play a vital role in climate change adaptation. Not only does it hold relevance for tribes, it is also recognized as providing valuable contributions to larger climate change discussions at regional, national, and international levels. The table below identifies some of the most important differences between Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Western Scientific Knowledge.
Traditional Ecological Knowledge
Encompasses oral history, place names, and a spiritual relationship with the creator and creation
Encompasses ethical considerations, for example, relations between humans and the natural world that are based on the principle of reciprocity and obligations toward community and other beings
Holistic approach concerned with complete ecological systems rather than with the analysis of, treatment of, or dissection of it into parts
Acquisition of knowledge over multiple generations and over periods as long as thousands of years
Long-term wisdom (not just information but information paired with wisdom)
Prediction in local areas
Weak in predictive principles in distant areas (cannot necessarily predict how other landscapes will respond)
Models based on cycles, accepting variability
Explanations based on examples, anecdotes, parables, spiritual beliefs, and experience spanning generations
Western Scientific Knowledge
May encompass elements from written history but generally considers only data collected through experiments
Strives for objectivity so generally does not consider moral or ethical obligations
Compartmentalized approach (tends to dissect and look at individual parts of an ecological system)
Rapid acquisition (often data is collected in timespans of years or a few decades)
Short-term prediction
Predictability in natural principles (depending on the type of data collected)
Weak in integrated, local areas of knowledge (because of tendency to specialize or compartmentalize)
Linear modeling as first approximation
Explanations based on hypothesis, theories, laws, and scientific process and judgment
Traditional ecological knowledge involves the accumulation of highly localized, experiential, placed-based wisdom over a long period, most often passed down orally from generation to generation.
The two knowledge systems — TEK and western science — share some similarities. Both are founded on observations and critical evaluation of the landscape, processes, or plant or animal of interest. Both rely on observation in natural settings and on pattern recognition. Both allow for revisions in the way they understand the environment or a given phenomena when initial facts and assumptions are disproven or improved upon through additional experience or testing. Both relying on repetition to validate an assumed fact.
Traditional ecological knowledge can contribute qualitative, historical field data that Western science may lack, while Western science typically provides more quantitative data.
As it pertains to climate change, contributions from both knowledge systems are critical. Traditional ecological knowledge can identify on-the-ground climate-related changes occurring at a local level and contribute traditional management practices that have been time-tested.
Qualitative data deals with descriptions. The data can be observed but not measured, and includes descriptions of behavior, processes, timing, cycles, colors, textures, smells, tastes, appearance — information that characterizes but does not measure.
Quantitative data deals with numbers. The data are measurements — length, height, area, volume, weight, speed, time, temperature, humidity, sound levels, cost, members, ages, etc. Information that is a measure of something is quantitative.
Principle 9e
Local Relevance
Swinomish Climate Change Adapation Action Plan
This Climate Adaptation Action Plan presents the first comprehensive assessment of strategies and options to address an array of climate change issues. In presenting this Action Plan, the discussion keys in on the following:
- Review of the impacts and process of assessment leading to this report;
- The particular significance of these issues to a tribal way of life going back generations;
- The process and methodologies for evaluating strategy options to address impacts;
- Major priority issues and key recommendations; and
- Critical considerations for implementation of recommendations.
Principle 9f
Misconceptions about this Principle
The Misconception
CO2 limits that will mitigate climate change will harm the economy.
The misconception or myth goes something like this: “Passing laws to limit greenhouse gas emissions hurt the economy and damage the Gross Domestic Product “GDP” growth of developing countries [...] This in turn will increase poverty.”
The Science
Economic studies show that, while environmental regulations (like reducing CO2 emissions) may cost companies money, their net benefits often greatly exceed their costs.
In recent years, the U.S. set a 17% target [for emissions reduction]; the country is on track to meet that. At the same time, the U.S. has doubled our production of clean energy — wind-energy production is up three-fold, solar is up twenty-fold (as of 2015). All this while we have come out of the worst recession in the nation’s history. So, we've been able to grow the economy from the depths of a deep recession while emitting less carbon than we did previously. Read more…
The Science
Economic studies show that, while environmental regulations (like reducing CO2 emissions) may cost companies money, their net benefits often greatly exceed their costs.
In recent years, the U.S. set a 17% target [for emissions reduction]; the country is on track to meet that. At the same time, the U.S. has doubled our production of clean energy — wind-energy production is up three-fold, solar is up twenty-fold (as of 2015). All this while we have come out of the worst recession in the nation’s history. So, we've been able to grow the economy from the depths of a deep recession while emitting less carbon than we did previously.
Also, auto and truck regulations are on track to double the fuel efficiency of our vehicles by 2025 (saving consumers $1.7 trillion). America has been able to do all this while creating millions of jobs and dropping the unemployment rate. And none of the disasters that some predicted from those regulatory steps have taken place.
Four major factors account for this: increased use of low-carbon energy sources instead of fossil energy sources; increased efficiency in energy generation; increased energy efficiency on the consumer side; and a move away from energy-intensive manufacturing towards less energy-intensive service sector work.
The biggest driver has been the reduced cost of renewable energy, particularly solar power.
Renewables are the only source of energy that is continually getting cheaper. In many parts of the world, solar and wind power have become cost competitive with coal. Renewables are, increasingly, offering the best return for your money, in terms of new investments.
It is true that environmental regulations impose compliance costs on businesses, and can raise prices, and that can hurt economic growth. But it is also true that those regulations create jobs by requiring pollution clean-up and prevention efforts. And perhaps even more importantly, they save the economy billions by avoiding pollution’s harmful health effects and long-term economic costs. Particles from smoke stacks, for example, are implicated in respiratory diseases, heart attacks, infections and a host of other ailments, all of which require billions in health-care costs per year to treat. Preventing those particles from going into the air means healthier and more productive citizens, who can go spend that money on something other than making themselves well again. Another example is carbon emissions, which will impose costs on the economy in the form of future disruption to food supplies, destruction from extreme weather, and other upheavals if they’re not curbed.
The Office of Management and Budget* (OMB) study looked at a range of regulations across the economy, and found the benefits of regulations outweighed their costs across the board. The blue and red bars below represent the range of estimates for what the costs (in red) and benefits (in blue) of regulations were. In very few instances was even the very upper limit of cost estimates equal to the very lower limit of benefit estimates.
Source: Office of Management and Budget
But no where was the effect greater than with EPA regulations themselves. Over the last decade, they imposed as much as $45 billion in costs on the economy, but they drove as much as $640 billion in benefits (benefits are 14 times greater than costs).
The OMB study found that a decade’s worth of major federal rules had produced annual benefits to the U.S. economy of between $193 billion and $800 billion and impose costs of just $57 billion to $84 billion. Benefits far outweigh costs.
Rules from the EPA added significantly to both sides of the ledger. “It should be clear that the rules with the highest benefits and the highest costs, by far, come from the Environmental Protection Agency and in particular its Office of Air and Radiation,” the OMB study said.
So fighting climate change will provide a boost for the economy while helping to protect the planet from the catastrophic changes unabated global warming would bring.
* The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is the largest office within the Executive Office of the President of the United States (EOP). The main function of OMB is to produce the President's Budget. OMB also measures the quality of agency programs, policies, and procedures and checks to see if they comply with the president's policies.
Adapted from: http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/05/03/1955891/new-omb-study-the-economic-benefits-of-epa-regulations-massively-outweigh-the-costs/
How much will greenhouse gas emission controls impact growth rates?
Our best guess is that keeping greenhouse gas concentrations within "safe" limits (430-480 parts per million of carbon equivalent) would mean global average annual consumption growth rates of between 1.54% and 2.94% rather than between 1.6% and 3%.
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