Pittsburgh350.org is a broad coalition of individuals, grassroots groups, and environmental organizations, working to target Climate Change is the single biggest problem that needs addressed NOW! www.Pittsburgh350.org Can We Afford to Continue Doing Nothing? NO! Climate Change is Real! Stay Connected & Spread the Word! How Can You Help? Educate Yourself, Your Friends and Family Call, Write To or Meet With your Elected Officials Attend talks, neighborhood meetings and utilize online resources. Make Public Comments to the Allegheny County Council at their scheduled meetings. Use Social Media to Create Unified Awareness. GET INVOLVED! Our Focus Divestment/Investment Divesting from companies that generate pollution we can Re-Invest in a cleaner, better future. Clean Energy Demanding the immediate shift from dirty fossil fuel industries we can lead the world and infuse the economy while developing Clean Energy Solutions. Carbon Fees By pursuing policies that charge carbon polluters and providing a rebate to consumers we will shift resources positively. Green Infrastructure All new construction and development should be incentivized to be GREEN in every design and construction. Tax Shifts We need to remove tax breaks for the fossil fuel industries and polluters to new GREEN, environmentally friendly industries to encourage their growth, development and success. Pittsburgh350.org Climate Change is Real! WE ALL NEED TO CARE… Our Vision We envision a future where policies and actions at the local, state, federal and international levels will have ensured a stable climate that provides an opportunity for all people to achieve health, prosperity and fulfillment. Our Mission We will promote an understanding of the devastating impact of climate change on the urban and rural Unified Voices will be heard… communities in the region. WE ALL NEED TO SPEAK UP AND DO SOMETHING BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE! www.Pittsburgh350.org Friends and Allies The EPA and Climate Change Information quoted directly from the EPA web site - http://www.epa.gov/climatechange Weather and Climate Creating the political will for a livable world by empowering individuals to experience breakthroughs in exercising their personal and political power. http://citizensclimatelobby.org http://alleghenysc.org Solarize Allegheny is a project funded by the Heinz Endowments and managed by non-profit SmartPower – to double the amount of solar energy throughout Allegheny County. http://www.solarizeallegheny.org In recognition of our shared principles, we call on Pittsburgh’s Mayor, City Council, and Pension Board to protect our futures. http://divestpittsburgh.com http://thomasmertoncenter.org/projects/environmental-justice http://www.natureabounds.org/ Greenhouse Gases U.S. and Global Temperature U.S. Greenhouse Gases Average temperatures have risen across the contiguous 48 states since 1901, with an increased rate of warming over the past 30 years. Seven of the top 10 warmest years on record have occurred since 1998. Average global temperatures show a similar trend, and the top 10 warmest years on record worldwide have all occurred since 1998. Within the United States, temperatures in parts of the North, the West, and Alaska have increased the most. In the United States, greenhouse gas emissions caused by human activities increased by 5 percent from 1990 to 2012. However, since 2005, total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions have decreased by 10 percent. Carbon dioxide accounts for most of the nation’s emissions and most of the increase since 1990. Electricity generation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, followed by transportation. Emissions per person have decreased slightly in the last few years. High and Low Temperatures Many extreme temperature conditions are becoming more common. Since the 1970s, unusually hot summer temperatures have become more common in the United States, and heat waves have become more frequent— although the most severe heat waves in U.S. history remain those that occurred during the “Dust Bowl” in the 1930s. Record-setting daily high temperatures have become more common than record lows. The decade from 2000 to 2009 had twice as many record highs as record lows. Global Greenhouse Gases Many Worldwide, net emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities increased by 35 percent from 1990 to 2010. Emissions of carbon dioxide, which account for about three-fourths of total emissions, increased by 42 percent over this period. As with the United States, the majority of the world’s emissions result from electricity generation, transportation, and other forms of energy production and use. U.S. and Global Precipitation Atmospheric Concentrations of Greenhouse Gases Total annual precipitation has increased in the United States and over land areas worldwide. Since 1901, precipitation has increased at an average rate of 0.5 percent per decade in the contiguous 48 states and 0.2 percent per decade over land areas worldwide. However, shifting weather patterns have caused certain areas, such as Hawaii and parts of the Southwest, to experience less precipitation than usual. Concentrations of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have increased since the beginning of the industrial era. Almost all of this increase is attributable to human activities. Historical measurements show that current levels of many greenhouse gases are higher than any levels recorded for hundreds of thousands of years, even after accounting for natural fluctuations.