Brought To you by the DOC HQ Sustainability Committee

EarthFuture

Earth's Future

“We know that we must respond to climate change; this report highlights the need to act immediately,” says Gov. Chris Gregoire (D-WA). “Changes to coastal habitats will have not only consequences for fish and wildlife, but for the business and workers that depend on them for survival.”

Pacific Northwest Sea Level Rise

Puget Sound, home to already-imperiled salmon, orcas and shorebirds, could be further jeopardized by rising sea-levels brought on by global warming, according to a new report from the National Wildlife Federation. Sea-Level Rise and Coastal Habitats in the Pacific Northwest take an unprecedented look at global warming’s impact on the coastal habitats of Washington and Oregon.

According to the new Pacific Northwest Sea Level Rise Report, the impacts may be dramatic:

  • Beaches where rivers meet open water will be inundated and eroded for a 65 percent loss
  • As much as 44 percent of tidal flat will disappear
  • 13 percent of inland fresh marsh and 25 percent of tidal fresh marsh will be lost

PB2

15 Bare Facts About Earth's Future

How are we affected if the existence of the Earth is under threat? This needs a little bit of thinking, as visualizing the future of the Earth is not so easy. Scientists have off and on speculated upon the changes in the Earth’s composition, be it global warming or depletion of mineral resources. How might we be affected by environmental changes, and in what ways will Earth undergo change?

  • Global warming is an inevitable phenomenon affecting the climatic conditions on Earth. Devastating storms, heat waves, tsunamis and famine causing drought will continue to occur despite efforts to control pollution and the environment. The Earth might continue to exist, but we as human beings may cease to exist, if the fury of nature is not controlled.
  • The slight increase in earth’s rotation would affect us in many ways. Epic floods would damage  areas of the Earth. Glaciers could disappear completely, resulting in widespread water shortages, disease and famine. Certain animals and plants would go extinct.
  • Currently, more people live in cities than in rural areas. Cities are overcrowded and polluted affecting the health of the people living in them. We could see changing patterns of land use.
  • There would be an increase in oil production between 2008 and 2018, but once it attains it's peak, it will begin to decline. This would trigger a global recession, conflicts between nations, and food shortages. Oil is essential for every nation to carry on with its production activities. Any shortage on this front would affect the daily lives of the citizens.
  • Rainfall would be less, resulting in less agricultural production. It appears 2020 would be a difficult period with flash floods on the increase in all parts of Europe. By 2020 the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that the world population will grow to approximately 7.7 billion people.
  • Disease has the potential to increase due to increased pollution, particularly in lesser advantaged countries.
  • By 2030 about 18% of coral reefs will be lost due to climatic changes and environmental stresses according to Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). By 2030, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that the world population will grow to approximately 8.3 billion people.
  • By 2040, the Arctic sea may be ice free during summer.
  • Due to droughts and the disappearance of glaciers, electricity production for the present hydroelectric stations will decrease.
  • Some areas will dry up , while others get inundated.
  • The level of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere will continue to rise.
  • Earth's oceans may disappear in a billion years time due to increased temperatures and intensity of the sun.
  • Earth’s gravity may become weaker.
  • The question that arises is whether Earth can support us if depletion of its resources continues.
  • The harmful effects of human activities would affect the global system in a negative way. Wars, as an example, can damage Earth in many ways.

Endangerd Habitats & Wildlife

Protection of species and their habitats, preservation of clean land and water, reduction in waste, and care of the land should be a concern.  Some wildlife species hardest hit by current polution and global warming include:

  • Polar Bears: are literally drowning from global warming, unable to swim the increasingly longer distances between land the receding sea ice
  • Birds: over 1 million die yearly from strangulation and plastic bag consumption
  • Turtles: 33-50% of all turtles found in American waters have plastic impacted in their stomachs

grnltWhat Switched on Your "Green" Light?

sust_committeeContact us with your comments, questions, or feedback at:

Sustainability Coordinator
Washington State Department of Corrections
PO Box 41112
Olympia, Washington 98504-1112
(360) 725-8396
Email Us @ SustainableDOC@doc1.wa.gov

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