You might not be planning for climate change, but the State is
June 2010
Would you like to fly on an airline that didn’t have an emergency landing plan? Remember those laminated cards in the seat pocket in front of you? They graphically depict the airplane, the location of all the exits, and give you instructions about what to do in the event of a crash landing. Knowing that your flight attendants have been trained in evacuation procedures and have rehearsed emergency actions helps alleviate your concerns.
In that same vein, the State of California has a Climate Adaptation Strategy, adopted in December of 2009. The State is taking Climate Change seriously because of its predicted effects on California which include rising sea levels, higher temperatures, more frequent wildland fires, and shifts in the water cycle such as faster snowmelt.
A 2008 report by UC Berkeley and Next 10, a non-profit agency, estimates taking no action to reduce or minimize climate change would result in “tens of billions of dollars per year in direct costs.” Coastal real estate is especially at risk. In November 2008 Governor Schwarzenegger ordered state agencies to develop the Climate Adaptation Strategy which is slated to be updated every two years as we learn more about climate change.
Adapting to climate change does not mean that the State will not work to mitigate climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Rather, it is an admission that we cannot completely reverse the changes that have already been set in motion and acknowledges that we must work on both adaptation and mitigation at the same time.
The report contains data documenting past trends and current predictions as well as recommendations regarding water management and conservation, building in areas vulnerable to future flooding, wildfire prevention and management, energy conservation and increased use of renewable energy, emergency response plans, and other areas of state planning.
The 200-page document including references is formidable. Appendix E contains a table of short term strategies for specified agencies to complete before the end of 2010. The full report is available to download or review at www.climatechange.ca.gov/adaptation/count/click.php.
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