The second half of calendar year 2009 has been an historic one. It began with the announcement by the Obama administration that the White House intends to earn LEED certification. This is an effort which demands a group effort rivaled only by the significance of its ultimate success.
Measured per capita, the United States consumes more energy than any other nation. Just like the Statue of Liberty, the White House is an American icon. Reducing the energy consumption of such an icon will say as much about our country as dozens of commendable but under-the-radar efficiency projects combined!
Shortly after the Obama administration announced its wonderful initiative to earn LEED Certification, the scientific community reported that 2009 will be the third-hottest Arctic summer on record, exceeded only by 2008 and 2007.
So, the news is very, very good and, by contrast, very, very bad.
What should we do? Well, the answer has not changed. Everyone needs to go carbon-neutral immediately. Our ultimate goal, however, must be for the world to set a hard ceiling on the total atmospheric content of carbon at 350 parts per million. We are at about 400 today.
Ideally, we should set an absolute limit at 300 but a ceiling of 350 will stave off the worst effects, passing the tipping point, which will yield hundreds of millions of environmental refugees and a rate of extinction of flora and fauna which far outstrips the awful pace which we have today. Moreover, achieving global consensus on 350 is far, far easier than 300.
Either way, 350.org is holding a global event for global warming on October 24 and everyone should participate. I provided background details and the relevant hyperlink back in July.
We are mere weeks from October 24 and there are events taking place all over the world. It is likely that there is an event near you and you should go or, better yet, volunteer.
350 is the right number and October 24 is the day to begin to make it happen.
Fomenting the Triple Bottom Line
Corbett Kroehler
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