STAR Communities | Shared Resources. Climate & Energy | News. Climate & Energy | Shared Resources. 0. Ambassadors' Carbon Footprint. US Greenhouse Gas Emissions Executive Summary 2012. Sweden: Potential of Biochar to Enhance Environmental Sustainability. Microsoft Environment. Microsoft is Going Carbon Neutral Microsoft instituted a companywide commitment to achieve carbon neutrality beginning in fiscal year 2013.
The foundation of our commitment is an internal carbon fee, which places a price on carbon based on current market pricing for a portfolio of renewable energy and carbon offset projects. Learn more » How is Microsoft making cities energy-smart? More than half the world's people call cities home. Find out how we're leveraging the cloud to make cities more energy efficient. Learn more » How do our products and services help save energy? We see information technology (IT) as a key tool that can help address the daunting energy and environmental challenges facing the world today. Learn more » Who does Microsoft work with to enable environmental sustainability? We work with technology partners, government agencies, nonprofits, policymakers and researchers to understand, measure, develop and deliver IT solutions that address environmental challenges.
Learn more » Apple – Environmental Responsibility – Climate Change. Climate Impacts in Pacific Northwest. This page provides a comprehensive but brief overview of the impacts of climate variability and change on the Pacific Northwest (PNW): A summary of projected changes in major drivers (e.g., temeprature, precipitation, sea level rise) of Pacific Northwest climate change impacts is available here in PDF format (version date: March 2012). This summary table was prepared by the CIG for the Washington Department of Ecology's ongoing adaptation planning efforts.
Impacts of Natural Climate Variability on PNW Climate El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) are important factors for PNW climate due to their influence on atmospheric circulation over the North Pacific and North America. Analysis of past ENSO and PDO events shows that: El Niño winters tend to be warmer and drier than average.
These connections between ENSO and PDO and PNW climate are useful, since they allow us to predict regional climate a few seasons to a year in advance. Click images to enlarge. Projected Changes in Major Drivers of Pacific Northwest Climate Change Impacts. King County Motion 2010 on Climate Action. Greenhouse Gas Emissions in King County. King County Cities Climate Collaboration Pledge (2011) King County: Cities Climate Collaboration. King County and the cities of Issaquah, Kirkland, Mercer Island, Redmond, Renton, Seattle, Shoreline, Snoqualmie, and Tukwila are collaborating through the King County-Cities Climate Collaboration (K4C) — a partnership between the County and these cities to coordinate and enhance the effectiveness of local government climate and sustainability efforts. Through the King County-Cities Climate Collaboration, county and city staff are collaborating on: All King County cities are encouraged to join into this effort, which is supporting and enhancing projects and programs in focus areas such as green building, using and producing renewable energy, sustainability outreach and education, and alternative transportation.
King County-Cities Climate Collaboration – founding cities K4C Recent Accomplishments Examples of recent activities of the Collaboration are outlined here: Calendar of Trainings, Workshops, and Educational Opportunities Inventory of Climate & Sustainability Projects Pod Trainings. Annual Reports of King County Climate Action. Seattle Climate Action Plan. Home | Climate Solutions. Northwest Ocean Acidification. The hidden costs of fossil fuel pollution Every day, oceans do us a huge favor by absorbing about a third of the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by human activities. But as we burn more fossil fuels and clear forests, our oceans absorb more and become more acidic.
The result is water that’s potentially lethal to a large swath of creatures that play a huge role in aquatic ecosystems, the Northwest economy, and our dinner plates. Sightline’s primer on ocean acidification examines the problem of ocean acidification in the context of the Pacific Northwest. Only a few years ago, researchers thought acidification would be a problem that was decades-out. But once they started looking for it, they found it nearly everywhere in waters from British Columbia to Baja California. What is ocean acidification and how does it work? “Sightline Institute’s primer does an excellent job explaining the significance of ocean acidification to Pacific Northwesterners.
See also: Microsoft Environment. EPA What You Can Do At School. Did You Know? By 2015, consumer electronics and small appliances will be responsible for almost 30% of all household electricity use. In 2020, the average home is expected to be 5% larger and will rely on even more electricity-powered electronics. (EIA) Students, educators and school administrators can all play a key role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Here is a directory of some education and action-planning resources to help you: Students Middle school students: Explore climate science and solutions Explore A Student's Guide to Global Climate Change to learn more about the science and impacts of climate change.
Educators Teach students about climate change and ecosystems Use the teacher resources on EPA's Students Guide to Climate Change. Administrators Save money and the environment The least efficient schools use three times more energy than the best energy performers. 2012 Climate Motion. EPA Climate Change. How is the climate changing in the U.S.? Observations across the United States and world provide multiple, independent lines of evidence that climate change is happening now. Learn More What are climate change and global warming? Global warming refers to the recent and ongoing rise in global average temperature near Earth's surface. It is caused mostly by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Global warming is causing climate patterns to change. However, global warming itself represents only one aspect of climate change. Climate change refers to any significant change in the measures of climate lasting for an extended period of time. Climate change is happening Our Earth is warming. The evidence is clear. Learn more about the signs of climate change in the United States.
Top of Page Humans are largely responsible for recent climate change Greenhouse gases act like a blanket around Earth, trapping energy in the atmosphere and causing it to warm. LBC | Living Future. 2010 King County Energy Plan. How Rollover Solar Credits Make A Difference In California. California’s solar rollover-credit program is creating quite a buzz across California.
More commonly know as “net energy metering,” the solar rollover-credit program is helping Californians install solar on their homes and businesses as part of the state’s transition from dirty fuel sources to a more vibrant, clean-energy economy. The solar credit program benefits all Californians, both environmentally and economically. The program works like cellphone rollover credits for your electric bill. If you have solar panels on your roof and produce more energy than you use, you receive a credit. This credit is used to offset your energy bills for the times during the week (nighttime) when your panels aren’t generating electricity. The more clean power you put back into the grid, the less you have to pay on your energy bill. By reducing the need for natural gas, solar net- metering programs also help clean up our air. Image via Shutterstock California and solar power go hand in hand. How Government Financing Can Help Clean Energy.
Each year the U.S. government loans hundreds of billions of dollars to American households and businesses through federal credit programs. This credit is extended throughout the economy in a number of sectors, ranging from education to agriculture, housing, and small businesses. In his Climate Action Plan released last month, President Barack Obama announced new ways that this money would also be used to support clean energy. The Climate Action Plan is a comprehensive approach to addressing climate change. It: Each of these efforts requires unique tools, but federal credit—loans and loan guarantees that the government offers to businesses and households—is a theme that runs through every effort.
In some cases, the plan explicitly details the use of federal credit: But other objectives in the plan could also be supported by federal credit: While some of these programs may sound small, their impacts add up. Image via the White House Federal credit: Good for taxpayers, good for clean energy. Office of Sustainability & Environment - Environment | seattle.gov. The Office of Sustainability & Environment (OSE) collaborates with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders to develop innovative environmental solutions that foster equity, vibrant communities and shared prosperity. Information on OSE's work as well as Seattle's citywide environmental programs is also included in this site SEATTLE BUILDING ENERGY: NEXT STEPSMonday, September 14, 11 am Building owners and managers can learn about Seattle's climate goals, proposed next generation building energy efficiency policy, and resources available from local utilities and partner organizations.
Monday, September 14, 2015 11 am to 1 pm Bertha Knight Landes RoomSeattle City Hall - 600 4th Ave. More information on this work here. The Office of Sustainability and Environment delivers cutting-edge policies and effective programs to address Seattle's environmental challenges while creating vibrant communities and building shared prosperity. We develop and test forward-looking approaches. Home.