Earth Day confronted by a warming earth

Three locals assess where we are today

By Cliff Newell

The Lake Oswego Review, Apr 17, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (4 Reader comments)

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The movement to convince the world that global warming is a genuine threat made tremendous progress over the past year.

But so has global warming.

That is the reality that confronts the celebration of Earth Day on Tuesday, April 22. An estimated 1 billion people all over world will be taking part in some kind of Earth Day activity, but there will be one overriding issue: How to keep temperatures from rising those all-important few degrees.

Lake Oswego has become a bulwark in the movement to prevent global warming, with a city government that is highly sustainability oriented and many groups and citizens committed to the good fight against a too-hot earth.

Three of the most outstanding are Eban Goodstein of Lewis & Clark College, founder of Focus the Nation; Duke Castle, one of the founders of Oregon Natural Step, an organization that has been greatly successful in encouraging businesses to adopt sustainable practices; and Jean Baumann, a “soldier” in Al Gore’s Climate Project and an outstanding example of what one committed person can accomplish in an epic cause.

With Earth Day fast approaching, they were asked to comment on the status of global warming. And while all three are genuinely optimistic that measures can be accomplished before the sands in the hourglass run out, they are also realistic about the fact that global warming is proceeding at an even faster pace than predicted by scientists.

Getting the ear of

the powerful

Goodstein had every reason to feel gratified when Focus the Nation was held Jan. 31. The turnout across the country, especially in the Portland area, showed that the work over the past year by Goodstein and the other event organizers had not been in vain.

“It was such a success that it has really amped up our expectations for 2009,” Goodstein said. “We had really good media coverage, we had young people directly engaging with politicians. We contacted 75 congressmen, senators and governors. Now our goal is to get half of Congress, the Senate and governors into dialogues.”

Certainly, Earth Day will be a big day for Goodstein and Focus the Nation. They are publicizing several events, including the plan to make one million phone calls to members of Congress.”

Yet if Goodstein is optimistic, no success could come too fast to meet the challenge of global warming, as proven by some recent events.

“The biggest development over the last six months is that scientists say that the Arctic will be ice free within a decade,” he said. “The previous estimate was 30 to 40 years.

“But that won’t raise the sea level. What will significantly raise the sea level is the possibility of Greenland and Antarctica becoming ice free in the coming years.”

Still, the increasing number of people recognizing this danger makes Goodstein optimistic.

“If we act aggressively over the next couple years, we can hold the warming to 3 or 4 degrees Fahrenheit and forestall catastrophic results. Presidential candidates of both parties have been candid about wanting to cut emissions.

“The big question is whether we can develop real champions and leaders in the House and Senate. That will determine whether we really tackle this issue.”

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