Climate change

Submitted by David Beach  |  Last edited July 1, 2009 - 9:30am

Meltwater stream flowing into a large moulin in the Greenland ice sheet. Photo Courtesy: Roger J. Braithwaite, The University of Manchester, UK

Calculating your carbon footprint

Read the latest blog posts and events
on Climate Change here. 

Planning a climate-neutral region

This section explains how we can respond to climate change in Northeast Ohio — reducing our greenhouse gas emissions to fair, global levels, while stimulating innovation and regional competitiveness.

For the following reasons, it's incredibly important that we do this:

  • There's an overwhelming, international, scientific consensus that climate change is real and poses a serious threat to the future stability of the earth's life support systems and, therefore, to human civilization.
  • Climate change is being caused by unprecedented, human-generated emissions of carbon-based greenhouse gases, mainly carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels.
  • The world community is moving toward market-based trading systems and/or taxes to regulate carbon emissions. It is in economic self-interest of communities and businesses in Northeast Ohio to adapt earlier rather than later.
  • Beyond our economic self-interest, we have a moral obligation to reduce our American, super-sized carbon emissions to a fair level that allows poor people around the world room to achieve a higher quality of life.

The links below take you to pages that discuss our climate challenge in Northeast Ohio. They include:

  • The first detailed analysis of the region's greenhouse gas emissions — our carbon footprint. 
  • Transition plans that explain how we can reduce carbon emissions 90% in the coming decades by improving our power generation, buildings, and transportation system.
  • Toolkits to help you take effective action to save energy.
  • Information about the Cleveland Carbon Fund, an exciting way to reduce your emissions with charitable donations that help the local economy.  
  • A summary of studies about how Ohio's climate could change in the future.
  • Links to much more information about climate science and policy options.