Global climate change reports and studies are influencing the way wetland scientists and state wetland managers think about wetlands. From wetlands protection to management, there are many new and emerging factors included in a growing body of knowledge about climate change and its effects on wetlands. Sea level rise, carbon sequestration and invasive species are among the many topics in recent discussion and reports on wetlands and climate change. ASWM has established this webpage to identify the issues and help wetland managers address the questions around how to reevaluate wetland management practices in consideration of global climate change. Several wetland managers and scientists have been gracious enough to help us get started and we would like to thank them for their valuable contributions to this webpage as ASWM develops it more fully over the coming months. It is ASWM's goal to facilitate a working dialogue and to establish an informative resource on this ever-increasingly important topic.

RECENT REPORTS/STUDIES/PROJECTS

ASWM NEWS

MEDIA COVERAGE (Updated 4/22/08)

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

STATE CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION PLANS

SCIENTISTS CONDUCTING RESEARCH ON WETLANDS & CLIMATE CHANGE

RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES

CLIMATE CHANGE AND WETLAND EVENTS

RESOURCES/PUBLICATIONS (Updated 4/26/08)

BLOG ON WETLANDS AND CLIMATE CHANGE

USEFUL LINKS & RESOURCES

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RECENT REPORTS/STUDIES/PROJECTS

Sea Level Rise Sea Level Rise: Overview of Causes and Effects by James Titus and Michael Barth, EPA paper 12/2006 http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/effects/ downloads/greenhouse.pdf Coastal erosion in Maine Maine Geological Society photo Washington State Sea Levels Could Rise Considerably By End of Century

By Vince Stricherz – University of Washington News Release – January 17, 2008 Melting glaciers in Greenland and Antarctica, combined with other effects of global climate change, are likely to raise sea levels in parts of Western Washington by the end of this century, though geological forces will offset the rising water in some areas. A new report suggests a moderate scenario is for sea levels on the Washington Coast and in the Puget Sound Basin to rise an average of 6 inches by 2050 and 14 inches by 2100. The analysis, conducted by the Pacific Northwest Climate Impacts Group at the University of Washington and the Washington State Department of Ecology, suggests that a worst-case scenario could raise sea levels in some places as much as 22 inches by 2050 and 50 inches -- more than 4 feet -- by 2100. For full press release, go to: http://uwnews.washington.edu/ni/article.asp?articleID=39136 For a direct link to the report, go to: http://www.cses.washington.edu/db/pdf/moteetalslr579.pdf

Coast 2050: A New Approach to Restoration of Louisiana Coastal Wetlandsby Denise Reed & Lee Wilson (2004) University of New Orleans, LA http://www.ees.uno.edu/restoration/Reed%20and%20Wilson%202050.pdf

Impacts of Future Sea Level Rise on the Coastal Floodplain 2006 Study by Peter A. Slovinsky and Stephen M. Dickson A report prepared by the Maine Geological Survey for the Maine Coastal Program/ Maine State Planning Office in partnership with NOAA http://www.maine.gov/doc/nrimc/mgs/explore/marine/sea-level/mgs-open-file-06-14.pdf

Revised Coastal Sand Dune Rule (Chapter 355 of the Natural Resources Protection Act) http://www.maine.gov/dep/blwq/topic/dunes/CH355_4-20-06_revised_%20w_ leg_chgs_on%203_30.pdf

Protecting Maine’s Beaches for the Future: A Proposal to Create an Integrated Beach Management Program (2006)  (this led to the revision of the above sand dune rule) http://www.maine.gov/spo/mcp/downloads/beaches%20future/Protecting%20 Maines%20Beaches_Feb06.pdf

Simulating Sea Level Rise in Maine (2006-07) Peter A. Slovinsky and Stephen M. Dickson, Maine Geological Survey Abstract (only) is available at this time; final report to be published in spring 2007. http://www.aswm.org/member/wetlandnews/february/simulating_sea_level_rise_in_ maine.pdf

Potential Impacts of Sea Level Rise in Massachusetts (1987) Dr. Graham Giese, Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies in Massachusetts http://www.necci.sr.unh.edu/necci-report/giese.pdf

Hurricanes, Sea Level Rise, and New York City Columbia University, Center for Climate Systems Research http://www.ccsr.columbia.edu/information/hurricanes/

Sea Level Rise and the Hackensack Meadowlands By Dr. Beth Ravit http://www.hackensackriverkeeper.org/newsletters/Winter2007/12_Winter_2007.htm http://www.hackensackriverkeeper.org/newsletters/Summer2002/009_Summer_2002.htm

The Disappearance of Relict Permafrost in Boreal North America: Effects on Peatland Carbon Storage and Fluxes Authors: Merritt Turetsky, R. K. Weider, D.H. Vitt, R.J. Evans, K.D. Scott. Global Change Biology. (Online articles: doi:10.1111/j.1365-2486.2007.01381.x) Boreal peatlands in Canada have harbored relict permafrost since the Little Ice Age due to the strong insulating properties of peat. Ongoing climate change has triggered widespread degradation of localized permafrost in peatlands across continental Canada. Here, we explore the influence of differing permafrost regimes (bogs with no surface permafrost, localized permafrost features with surface permafrost, and internal lawns representing areas of permafrost degradation) on rates of peat accumulation at the southernmost limit of permafrost in continental Canada. Net organic matter accumulation generally was greater in unfrozen bogs and internal lawns than in the permafrost landforms, suggesting that surface permafrost inhibits peat accumulation and that degradation of surface permafrost stimulates net carbon storage in peatlands. To determine whether differences in substrate quality across permafrost regimes control trace gas emissions to the atmosphere, we used a reciprocal transplant study to experimentally evaluate environmental versus substrate controls on carbon emissions from bog, internal lawn, and permafrost peat. Emissions of CO2 were highest from peat incubated in the localized permafrost feature, suggesting that slow organic matter accumulation rates are due, at least in part, to rapid decomposition in surface permafrost peat. For more information, go to: http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2007.01381.x

Climate Change Will Have a Significant Impact on Transportation Infrastructure and Operations Contacts: Maureen O'Leary – The National Academies – March 11, 2008 While every mode of transportation in the U.S. will be affected as the climate changes, potentially the greatest impact on transportation systems will be flooding of roads, railways, transit systems, and airport runways in coastal areas because of rising sea levels and surges brought on by more intense storms, says a new report from the National Research Council. Though the impacts of climate change will vary by region, it is certain they will be widespread and costly in human and economic terms, and will require significant changes in the planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of transportation systems. For full news release, go to: http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=12179 Another study, led by the Environmental Protection Agency joined by other agencies, expresses a similar warning on infrastructure and adds a concern for beaches, wetlands and fresh-water supplies that also are threatened due to encroaching saltwater. For more information or to read the report on coastal sensitivity to sea level rise, visit: http://climatescience.gov/Library/sap/sap4-1/public-review-draft/

Sea Level Rise: Implications to Coastal Engineering and Coastal Management An Interview with Leslie Ewing, P.E., M. ASCE – COPRI Waterways Spring 2008 http://email.asce.org/copri/SeaLevelRise.html

Effects on Wetlands & Management Issues

CSO Releases Climate Change Adaptation Report This week, the CSO Climate Change Work Group released a report entitled The Role of Coastal Zone Management Programs in Adaptation to Climate Change. The Work Group prepared this report to explore the current and future roles of state coastal zone management programs in addressing the increasing impacts of climate change to the coastal zone. This report aims to: Inform Congress and federal agencies of the role of state coastal zone management programs in addressing climate change; Inform efforts to reauthorize the Coastal Zone Management Act; Inform federal agencies of key research, information, and policy needs; and Provide for information of exchange among coastal states and territories. To download a copy of the report, please go to the following link: http://www.coastalstates.org/documents/CSO%20Climate%20Change%20Final%20 Report.pdf

Past and Future Changes in Climate and Hydrological Indicators in the US Northeast By Katharine Hayhoe, Cameron P. Wake, Thomas G. Huntington, Lifeng Luo, et. al. Clim Dyn (2007) 28:381–407; Published online: 16 November 2006, Springer-Verlag 2006. To assess the influence of global climate change at the regional scale, we examine past and future changes in key climate, hydrological, and biophysical indicators across the US Northeast (NE). http://www.aswm.org/science/climate_change/2007_climate_dynamics_ne.pdf

Vulnerability of Northern Prairie Wetlands to Climate Change by W. Carter Johnson,  Bruce V. Millett,  Tagir Gilmanov, et. al. 2005)  http://www.naturalstatecoalition.org/report.pdf

Impact of U.S. Department of Interior and U.S. Department of Agriculture Programs and Ecological Services Derived from Restored Prairie Wetland and Adjacent Grasslands (2004) by Dr. Ned “Chip” Euliss, Jr. and Dr. Robert Gleason, both with Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, USGS; this report discusses sequestration, too ftp://ftp-fc.sc.egov.usda.gov/NHQ/nri/ceap/studyplanweb14dec06.pdf

The Impacts of Climate Change in Coastal Marine Systems Christopher D. G. Harley, A. Randall Hughes, Kristin M. Hultgren, Benjamin G. Miner, Cascade J. B. Sorte, Carol S. Thornber, Laura F. Rodriguez, Lars Tomanek, Susan L. Williams (2006) Ecology Letters 9 (2), 228–241. http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1461-0248.2005.00871.x? cookieSet=1

Chesapeake Bay, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, “Living Shorelines” Natural Approaches to Shoreline Management, Erosion Control, etc. ftp://ftp-fc.sc.egov.usda.gov/MD/web_documents/programs/rcd/shore_esrcd.pdf Shoreline Changes online project http://shorelines.dnr.state.md.us/sc_online.asp

Climate Change and Consequences for Georgia: Rising Seas and Drying Rivers Dr. Ron Carroll, Director-Science, River Basin Center, UGA PowerPoint presented Jan. 12, 2007 http://www.rivercenter.uga.edu/education/carroll/climate_change.pdf

Ontario (CAN) Ministry of Natural Resources’ Biodiversity Strategy 2005 report http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/pubs/biodiversity/OBS_english.pdf

Effects of Global Climate Change on Great Lakes Wetlands (1999-2003) Lead on project: Dr. Douglas Wilcox, USGS, Great Lakes Science Center http://www.nrel.colostate.edu/projects/brd_global_change/proj_31_great_lakes.html

Integrating the Effects of Land Use and Global Climate Change on Hydrology and Vegetation of Northern Great Plains Wetlands, United States (1999-2003) Lead on project: Glenn R. Guntenspergen, USGS, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center http://www.nrel.colostate.edu/projects/brd_global_change/proj_51_land_use.html

Potential Effects of Elevated Carbon Dioxide on the Structure and Function of Coastal Marshes (1999-2003) Lead on project: Dr. Karen L. McKee, USGS, National Wetlands Research Center http://www.nrel.colostate.edu/projects/brd_global_change/proj_41_marsh_co2.html

Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Communities: Vulnerabilities to Climate Change by Mortsch, L., J. Ingram, A. Hebb and S. Doka (eds). 2006. http://www.fes.uwaterloo.ca/research/aird/wetlands/index_files/page0012.htm

Carbon Sequestration Switchgrass Fuel Yields Bountiful Energy: Study By Timothy Gardner – Reuters News Service – January 10, 2008 Switchgrass, a crop touted by venture capitalists and environmentalists alike as a next-generation ethanol feedstock, yields about five times more energy than it takes to grow it, making the plant a far more efficient fuel source than corn, a new study said. In addition, the life cycle of the switchgrass ethanol -- which includes growing the crop, making the fuel, and burning it in vehicles -- emits about 94 percent less of planet-warming carbon dioxide than the life cycle of gasoline, said the study, published on Tuesday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. For full article, go to: http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/46338/story.htm For more on switchgrass and carbon sequestration, visit: http://www.agmrc.org/agmrc/commodity/biomass/switchgrass/switchgrassprofile.htm Economics of Sequestering Carbon in the U.S. Agricultural Sector By Jan Lewandrowski, Mark Peters, Carol Jones, Robert House, Mark Sperow, Marlen Eve, and Keith Paustian -- Economic Research Service -- Technical Bulletin No. (TB1909) 69 pp, March 2004 Atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases can be reduced by withdrawing carbon from the atmosphere and sequestering it in soils and biomass. This report analyzes the performance of alternative incentive designs and payment levels if farmers were paid to adopt land uses and management practices that raise soil carbon levels. At payment levels below $10 per metric ton for permanently sequestered carbon, analysis suggests landowners would find it more cost effective to adopt changes in rotations and tillage practices. At higher payment levels, afforestation dominates sequestration activities, mostly through conversion of pastureland. For full report, go to: http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/TB1909/ Or for direct link to full report PDF: http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/tb1909/tb1909.pdf RMFU Carbon Credit Program Expands Rocky Mountain Farmers Union Newsletter - May 3, 2007 Rocky Mountain Farmers Union (RMFU) announced today that the Chicago Climate Exchange has approved the expansion of its carbon credit program for agriculture producers in Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico. The program has been created through a partnership with the National Farmers Union (NFU) and approved by the Chicago Climate Exchange to enroll agriculture producers’ acres into blocks of credits that will be traded similarly to other agricultural commodities. The program, which was introduced last year on a limited basis, has expanded and will be available to 22 Colorado counties, 10 Wyoming counties and 16 New Mexico counties. Producers in these counties who qualify for the program can be compensated for establishing conservation tillage (including no-till) and long-term grass seeding practices (including alfalfa for hay). These practices store or “sequester” carbon and reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, reducing greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. "The Rocky Mountain Farmers Union's carbon credit program is an example of how the New Energy Economy can benefit our rural communities," said Colorado Governor Ritter. "Bringing a new revenue stream to agriculture that also works with our efforts to address climate change is a great example of how Colorado can benefit from these innovative programs." This year’s deadline to enroll in the program is August 15, 2007. For full story, go to: http://www.rmfu.org/News/Releases/ShowNews.cfm?ID=318

Prairie Wetlands and Carbon Sequestration-- Assessing Sinks Under the Kyoto Protocol Edited by David Wylynko; summary from Oak Hammock Marsh meeting in Winnipeg, sponsored by Ducks Unlimited Canada, Wetlands International and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (1999) http://www.iisd.org/wetlands/wrkshp_summ.pdf

Northern American Prairie Wetlands are Important Nonforested Land-based Carbon Storage Sites by Dr. Robert Gleason and Dr. Ned “Chip” Euliss, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, USGS http://www.aswm.org/member/wetlandnews/north_american_prairie.pdf

The Carbon Balance of North American Wetlands By Scott Bridgham, Patrick Megonigal, et. al. (This appeared in the December 2006 issue of Wetlands, from the Society of Wetland Scientists.) http://www.aswm.org/wbn/carbon_balance_of_north_american_wetlands.pdf

Wetland, Climate Change and Carbon Sequestering By Jon Kusler, Esq. Ph.D., Association of State Wetland Managers (2006) http://www.aswm.org/propub/11_carbon_6_26_06.pdf

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ASWM NEWS

Wetlands and Global Climate Change, by Leah Stetson

Seas rise and reshape barrier islands, coastal shorelines and estuaries. Wetlands store a significant amount of carbon.  In response to global climate change, wetland scientists and decision-makers have posed the questions:  How do we manage wetlands with added understanding about climate change and its direct, indirect and long-range effects? Are there ways to mitigate the effects of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere in order to protect wetlands? What are the effects of rising sea levels on coastal wetlands? What other climate change factors will have an impact on wetlands? Who is studying these effects and impacts to wetlands? [For full story in PDF format, click here.]

Wetlands and Climate Change: Management Options, by Jon Kusler, ASWM (PDF)
Common Questions: Wetland, Climate Change, and Carbon Sequestering by Jon Kusler,, Association of State Wetland Managers, Inc. (06/26/06)

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MEDIA COVERAGE

Climate Change and Wetlands: Invasive Species By Suzanne Teller – Wetlands Sights & Sounds – April 2008 From temperature increases and drought to flooding and severe storms, climate change impacts are directly affecting wetland ecosystems in a number of ways. http://www.iwla.org/publications/enews/ss/volume4_issue7.htm

Illinois Promotes Light Bulb Switch for Earth Day ENN – April 17, 2008 To lighten the planet’s load of greenhouse gases in observance of Earth Day, Illinois EPA Director Doug Scott is encouraging state residents to switch from traditional incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs, or CFLs. For full article, go to: http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/34850 For related story, CFL Bulbs Have One Hitch: Toxic Mercury, go to: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7431198 and for FAQ on CFLs, visit: http://www.energystar.gov/ia/partners/promotions/change_light/downloads/Fact_Sheet_Mercury.pdf

Climate Change and Wetlands: Severe Storms By Suzanne Teller – Wetland Sights and Sounds – May 2008 Recent evidence reveals that increasing temperatures are not only altering precipitation patterns, they are also boosting storm intensity. Scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the National Climatic Data Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration report that a warming climate is to blame for an increasing number of severe hurricanes in the Atlantic over the past 15 to 20 years. According to the Institute of Global Environment and Society, the United States has seen a much higher than normal occurrence of storms with large precipitation amounts since 1970. Additionally, an increasing amount of precipitation falling in the U.S. is coming from severe storms. For full article, go to: http://www.iwla.org/publications/enews/ss/volume4_issue5.htm

Dangerous Assumptions (Climate Change) By Roger Pielke, et. al. – Nature – April 3, 2008 How big is the energy challenge of climate change? The technological advances needed to stabilize carbon-dioxide emissions may be greater than we think, argue Roger Pielke Jr, Tom Wigley and Christopher Green. - The United Nations Climate Conference in Bali in 2007 set the world on a two-year path to negotiate a successor to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. Yet not even the most rosy-eyed delegate could fail to recognize that stabilizing atmospheric carbon-dioxide concentrations is an enormous undertaking. Here we address the magnitude of the technological changes required to meet that challenge. We argue that the size of this technology challenge has been seriously underestimated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), diverting attention from policies that could directly stimulate technological innovation. For full article, visit: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v452/n7187/full/452531a.html

PLJV Assessing Impacts of Climate Change on Playa Region Playa Lakes Joint Venture – April 2008 In an effort to conserve birds now and into the future, the PLJV is conducting an assessment of the ongoing and predicted impacts of climate change on playas and other bird habitats in the region. The JV is working with Dr. John Matthews, Climate Adaptation Specialist for the World Wildlife Fund on the assessment, and a summary of Dr. Matthew’s findings is now available as a Microsoft Power Point presentation. “A better understanding of climate change is absolutely necessary if the PLJV is going to be successful in meeting its future wildlife goals,” said PLJV Chairman Jeff Ver Steeg. “That’s why the Joint Venture commissioned an assessment of the impact of climate change on the PLJV region. We hope the information will stimulate both dialogue and action among our many friends and partners.” For full article, go to: http://www.pljv.org/cms/latest-news#Story2

Snowe and Feinstein Want EPA to Release Finding That Greenhouse Gas Emissions Are Public Health Threat Free Press Online – April 2008 In the face of EPA’s failure to comply with the Supreme Court’s mandate in Massachusetts v. EPA, issued one year ago, U.S. Senators Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) introduced legislation last week to set a deadline for EPA to complete an endangerment finding on the public health threat from greenhouse gas emissions. The bill would require action within 60 days of enactment. For full story, go to: http://www.freepressonline.com/features.cfm

Legislation in the 110th Congress Related to Global Climate Change News from Pew Center on Global Climate Change Members of the 110th Congress (2007-2008) are introducing legislation related to global climate change at a faster pace than any previous Congress. As of March 2008, lawmakers had introduced more than 195 bills, resolutions, and amendments specifically addressing global climate change and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions—compared with the 106 pieces of relevant legislation the previous Congress submitted during its entire two-year (2005-2006) term. For more information, visit: http://www.pewclimate.org/what_s_being_done/in_the_congress/110thcongress.cfm

Gore Launches Ambitious Advocacy Campaign on Climate By Juliet Eilperin - The Washington Post – March 31, 2008 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/30/AR2008033001880.html? wpisrc=newsletter

USGS to Host Congressional Briefing on Climate Change Impacts on Coastal Communities Contact: Jessica Robertson – U.S. Geological Survey – March 19, 2008 U.S. coastal communities, environments, and economies are especially vulnerable to sea-level rise and other climate change impacts. At the same time, they face continuing challenges from population growth, coastal erosion and storms, and habitat loss. Coastal zone managers and policy-makers require sound information and science-based tools to prepare for and respond to changing coastal conditions in the coming decades. Come learn how the USGS and its partners are working to provide and apply the science needed to anticipate and address climate change impacts on our vulnerable coasts. What: The USGS will host a congressional briefing on how science can be used to anticipate and address the impacts of climate change on our vulnerable coasts. Who: David B. Carter, Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Margaret A. Davidson, NOAA, National Ocean Service E. Robert Thieler, USGS Where: 2325 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, D.C. When: Friday, March 28, 2008, 10:00 a.m. For more information about the briefing, visit www.usgs.gov/solutions.

Climate Change and Wetlands: Droughts and Floods By Suzanne Teller – Wetland Sights & Sounds – March 2008 Izaak Walton League of America http://www.iwla.org/publications/enews/ss/volume4_issue4.html

Eskimo Village Sues Over Global Warming ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- A tiny Alaska village eroding into the Arctic Ocean sued two dozen oil, power and coal companies Tuesday, claiming that the large amounts of greenhouse gases they emit contribute to global warming that threatens the community's existence. For the full article, go to: http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/02/26/us.warming.ap/index.html

Producers Help Wildlife and Warming via Carbon Banking Playa Post – Playa Lakes Joint Venture – March 2008 Agricultural producers across the PLJV region are raising a new commodity that reduces global warming and benefits wildlife – carbon banking. Conservation practices such as no-till, grass restoration and range management keep carbon in the soil and wildlife on the land, all while benefiting producers’ pocketbooks. “Anything we can do to make conservation practices more attractive and cost beneficial to agricultural producers, the better,” said Liz Mathern, Program Specialist for the National Farmers Union (NFU) Carbon Credit Program. The NFU is a carbon offset aggregator, meaning they pool offsets generated by multiple producers engaged in carbon sequestration practices and sell them on the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX), then give the profits back to landowners. For more, go to: http://www.pljv.org/cms/latest-news

Biofuels Deemed a Greenhouse Threat By Elizabeth Rosenthal – New York Times – February 8, 2008 Almost all biofuels used today cause more greenhouse gas emissions than conventional fuels if the full emissions costs of producing these “green” fuels are taken into account, two studies being published Thursday have concluded. The benefits of biofuels have come under increasing attack in recent months, as scientists took a closer look at the global environmental cost of their production. These latest studies, published in the prestigious journal Science, are likely to add to the controversy. For full article, CLICK HERE

IL: Value in the land By Clare Howard – PJ Star – January 13, 2008 Three men hiking up a snowy river bluff on the western edge of Emiquon wetland restoration discussed solutions to a global environmental problem many scientists consider more critical than global warming. The problem quite literally flowed by them just beyond a distant tree line. Once the men reached a plateau and gazed out over the vastness of Emiquon's 7,000 acres, talking ceased momentarily ... a silence imposed by the sheer enormity of a landscape devoid of human activity stretching five miles to the horizon. […]  "Wetlands are the best carbon sink we have," he said. "Acre for acre, there is no question: Reforestation is not as effective as marsh restoration." For full story, visit: http://www.pjstar.com/stories/011308/HEA_BFEDIHR1.027.php

For Climate Change Mitigation, Don’t Forget the Peatlands By Alana Herro, Worldwatch Institute – December 26, 2007 Protecting peatland areas can be a cost-effective way to reduce as much as 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new report launched December 11 in Bali, Indonesia. “Just like a global phaseout of old, energy-guzzling light bulbs or a switch to hybrid cars, protecting and restoring peatlands is perhaps another key ”low hanging fruit’...for climate change mitigation,” said Achim Steiner, United Nations Under-Secretary General and the executive director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). For full article, go to: http://www.enn.com/climate/article/28173

Peatland destruction is releasing vast amounts of CO2 By Catherine Brahic – NewScientist Environment – December 11, 2007 Burning, draining, and degrading peat bogs emits carbon dioxide equivalent to more than one tenth of the global emissions released from burning fossil fuels, warns a new report. And two thirds of those emissions come from Southeast Asia, primarily Indonesia. In spite of this, the high-level climate negotiations taking place on the Indonesian island of Bali at the moment are not looking to protect the peatlands. While the figures may look bleak, the good news is that degraded peatlands can be restored, notes a report published by the UN Environment Programme in collaboration with Wetlands International and launched at the Bali climate change meeting in Indonesia on Tuesday. For full story, visit: http://environment.newscientist.com/article/dn13034-peatland-destruction-is-releasing-vast-amounts-of-cosub2sub.html  For an additional story on climate change, visit: http://www.voanews.com/english/Science/2007-12-11-voa27.cfm For more information about wetlands and climate change, visit: http://www.aswm.org/science/climate_change/climate_change.htm

OpEd: The real answer to climate change is to leave fossil fuels in the ground By George Monbiot – Guardian Unlimited – December 11, 2007 On a filthy day last week, as governments gathered in Bali to prevaricate about climate change, a group of us tried to put this policy into effect. We swarmed into the opencast coal mine being dug at Ffos-y-fran in South Wales and occupied the excavators, shutting down the works for the day. We were motivated by a fact which the wise heads in Bali have somehow missed: if fossil fuels are extracted, they will be used. Most of the governments of the rich world now exhort their citizens to use less carbon. They encourage us to change our lightbulbs, insulate our lofts, turn our televisions off at the wall. In other words, they have a demand-side policy for tackling climate change. But as far as I can determine, not one of them has a supply-side policy. None seeks to reduce the supply of fossil fuel. So the demand-side policy will fail. Every barrel of oil and ton of coal that comes to the surface will be burned. For link to OpEd piece, go to: http://politics.guardian.co.uk/columnist/story/0,,2225383,00.html

Historical Aerial Photographs Show Kenai Open Wetlands Shrinking at an Accelerating Rate By Ed Berg with Kacy McDonnell – Kenai National Wildlife Reserve Notebook – December 7, 2007 I always enjoy looking at old family photo albums to see the pictures of how my kinfolk and I have changed over the ever-accumulating decades of our lives. Time and tide wait for no man, and these family photos show the inexorably flight of time’s arrow through the generations of our family. Time’s arrow also passes over the landscapes on which we dwell, although the photo album may not be so easy to view. On the Kenai we are privileged to have aerial photography dating back to the early 1950s. A second set of aerial photos covers the central Peninsula in 1968, and the entire Kenai was photographed in 1996. The most noticeable change recorded on these photos is the spread of human infrastructure: the roads, subdivisions, and logged areas. The human footprint is large indeed, and reflects the Peninsula population growth rate of 2.2% per year, a doubling of people every 30 years or so. But beyond the expanding human footprint there are more subtle changes occurring on the landscape. Much of the forest has turned grey from spruce bark beetle mortality, although the forest is now greening up with more hardwoods and thriving young spruce. For direct link to this article, go to: http://kenai.fws.gov/overview/notebook/2007/dec/7december2007.htm For a link to the wildlife reserve in Alaska, visit: http://kenai.fws.gov/index.htm

Climate Change 2007 – Fourth IPCC Assessment Report Released The IPCC Fourth Assessment Report (AR4), was recently completed. Earlier this year, the three IPCC Working Groups contributions to the AR4 were released. On the 17 of November, the last part of the AR4 was launched: “The Synthesis Report.” For a direct link to the fourth report, go to: http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/syr/ar4_syr_spm.pdf To access online copies of the other three assessment reports, visit: http://www.ipcc.ch/#

Experts Speak on Climate Change By Austin Bogues – Daily Press – November 18, 2007 Norfolk, VA Jay Taylor isn't worried about people inventing a way to protect themselves from the effects of global climate change. He just wants them to pick up the tools to do it. He fears what could happen if the problem goes on. Taylor and other experts predict that over the next century the sea level might rise 2 to 3 feet in Hampton Roads. Taylor serves on the board of directors for Wetlands Watch, a conservation group dedicated to the preservation of wetlands. At a discussion Saturday hosted by the National Environmental Trust, Taylor addressed a handful of people at the Five Points Community Farmers Market at MacArthur Center. Strategically placed near a skating rink, they discussed the topic, "Is Virginia on Thin Ice?" For full story, go to: http://www.dailypress.com:80/news/local/dp-news_climatechange_1118nov18, 0,2315922.story

White House Censors CDC Official's Testimony on Climate Change and Health By Brandon Keim – Wired Blog Network – October 24, 2007 The White House gutted CDC director Julie Gerberding's testimony to a Senate hearing on the public health challenges posed by global warming, reports the Associated Press. While Gerberding spoke freely to the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on Tuesday, the testimony entered into the Congressional record shrunk from 12 to six pages under the watchful pen of the White House Office of Management and Budget. Removed were details about specific health risks and diseases that will be worsened by climate change. For full story, go to: http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2007/ 10/white-house-cen.html For a direct link to read what the IPCC says on effects of climate change on human health, go to: http://www.grida.no/climate/ipcc_tar/wg2/348.htm

At the Poles, Melting Occurring at Alarming Rate By Doug Struck – Washington Post - October 22, 2007 For scientists, global warming is a disaster movie, its opening scenes set at the poles of Earth. The epic already has started. And it's not fiction. The scenes are playing, at the start, in slow motion: The relentless grip of the Arctic Ocean that defied man for centuries is melting away. The sea ice reaches only half as far as it did 50 years ago. In the summer of 2006, it shrank to a record low; this summer the ice pulled back even more, by an area nearly the size of Alaska. Where explorer Robert Peary just 102 years ago saw "a great white disk stretching away apparently infinitely" from Ellesmere Island, there is often nothing now but open water. Glaciers race into the sea from the island of Greenland, beginning an inevitable rise in the oceans. For the full story with graphic, visit: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/21/AR2007102100761.html?hpid=topnews&sid=ST20071021007

Can this muck save the planet? By Tom Pelton – Baltimore Sun – October 9, 2007 Digging through the muck of a marshy island, Brian Needelman is hunting for an antidote to global warming. The University of Maryland scientist is measuring how much carbon dioxide has been trapped in the soil of wetlands planted four years ago. Needelman hopes to prove that creating salt marshes is better than planting trees for removing global warming gases from the atmosphere. If he's right, power companies in search of pollution credits might be willing to invest millions of dollars to build more wetlands here, which could mean a corporate-financed reconstruction of the Chesapeake Bay's largest breeding ground for birds, fish and crabs. “Tidal marshes have the highest rates of sequestering carbon of any kind of land," said Needelman, as reeds hissed around him in a stiff wind. "And captured carbon is a commodity worth a certain amount of money." For full story, go to: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-te.md.blackwater09oct09,0,2037612.story

Warming to Change Great Lakes Ecosystem? By Chuck Quirmbach – GLRC The Environment Report - October 8, 2007 Some researchers say global warming will impact fish habitat in the Great Lakes. Chuck Quirmbach reports: Some scientists have projected that more global warming will mean less rain and snow falling into the Great Lakes and the continuation of low water levels. Researcher Brian Shuter is with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. He says if the projection comes true, there will be more stress on the millions of Great Lakes fish: "I mean the space for fish to live in is just gonna shrink and the less space there is, the less fish there will be." Shuter also anticipates higher summertime water temperatures and less ice cover in the lakes. That's a change that could lead to more warm water fish like bass and fewer of the cold water fish like salmon and trout that people like to eat. Shuter says the change could also promote the growth of invasive species that favor warmer water temperatures. So, he encourages tighter controls on invasives and more water conservation programs. For full report and related stories, go to: http://www.environmentreport.org/story.php3?story_id=3672

Climate Change and Permafrost Thaw Alter Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Northern Wetlands

Contact: Merritt Turetsky – Michigan State University News Release – August 8, 2007 Permafrost – the perpetually frozen foundation of North America – isn’t so permanent anymore, and scientists are scrambling to understand the pros and cons when terra firma goes soft. Permafrost serves like a platform underneath vast expanses of northern forests and wetlands that are rooted, literally, in melting permafrost in many northern ecosystems. But rising atmospheric temperatures are accelerating rates of permafrost thaw in northern regions, says MSU researcher Merritt Turetsky. In the report, “The Disappearance of Relict Permafrost in Boreal North America: Effects on Peatland Carbon Storage and Fluxes,” in this week’s online edition of Global Change Biology, Turetsky and others explore whether melting permafrost can lead to a viscous feedback of carbon exchange that actually fuels future climate change. “The loss of permafrost usually means the loss of terra firma in an otherwise often boggy landscape,” Turetsky said. “Roads, buildings and whole communities will have to cope with this aspect of climate change. What this means for ecosystems and humans residing in the North remains of the most pressing issues in the climate change arena.” For the full news release, go to: http://www.newsroom.msu.edu:80/site/indexer/3138/content.htm For a link to more information about the article itself, visit: http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2007.01381.x

In Hot Water: Water Management Strategies to Weather the Effects of Global Warming

Report by NRDC. Drought and dry conditions withering the western United States are likely to persist and intensify, jeapordizing the region's water supply and water quality, compromising the health of rivers and lakes, and increasing the risk of flooding for Western communities. As stewards of these scarce resources, water managers can lead the response to the effects of global warming on water in the West. This NRDC report breaks new ground by analyzing the effects of global warming on a full range of water management tools and offering recommendations to meet the challenge. For more information and a link to this full report, visit: http://www.nrdc.org/globalWarming/hotwater/contents.asp

As Sea Level Rises, Disaster Predicted for Va. Wetlands By David A. Fahrenthold Washington Post - June 7, 2007 More than half of the wetlands along Virginia's coastlines could be drowned by rising sea levels in the next century, destroying wildlife habitats and natural filters for the Chesapeake Bay, according to an estimate released yesterday by an environmental group. The Norfolk-based group Wetlands Watch examined maps of low-lying marsh areas along the bay and the Atlantic Ocean and compared them with projections that water levels may rise 1 1/2 feet or more in this area by 2107, Executive Director Skip Stiles said. For the full story, go to: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/06/AR2007060602479.html

Many Strong Voices Join Forces on Climate Change June 01, 2007 — By CICERO Driven by the need to protect the cultures and economies of countries and regions most affected by climate change, representatives of Arctic communities and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) from the Caribbean, and Pacific have formed an alliance called Many Strong Voices to press for significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. In a passionate and forthright address in which he supported the establishment of the Many Strong Voices alliance, Honourable John Briceno, Deputy Prime Minister and Environment Minister of Belize said "we need action now, not tomorrow." He urged participants to raise their voices and insist that those responsible for climate change be held accountable for their actions. The participants, who came from 16 countries and regions, including Alaska, the Caribbean, Fiji, the Canadian Arctic and the Overseas Countries and Territories Association of the European Union, including Greenland and French Polynesia, met in Belize City to prepare a five-year action plan. The strategy includes plans to push for deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It also includes an assessment of the SIDS to adapt to climate change and a plan to inform and warn the world of the dramatic effects of climate change in their regions. For full story, go to: http://www.enn.com/net.html?id=1991 For more information on the organization, visit: http://www.manystrongvoices.org/

Scientists Urge Half of Canada Forest Be Protected By Randall Palmer, Reuters - May 15, 2007 (CAN) Canada's vast forests should be protected much more than they are now to preserve wildlife and water and to fight global warming, a group of 1,500 scientists from around the world said Monday. The scientists say Canada's Boreal Forest, stretching from the Alaskan border and running north of the plains all the way to Newfoundland on the Atlantic, is one of largest intact forest-and-wetland ecosystems remaining on earth. The mainly coniferous forest is the single largest terrestrial carbon storehouse in the world, which helps stem the greenhouse effect. It supports 3 billion migratory songbirds, the world's largest caribou herds and large populations of bears, wolves, lynx and fish. For the full article, go to: http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=12765

Adapting to Climate Change Lester Graham - The Environmental Report (Great Lakes/University of Michigan) May 14, 2007 Businesses are beginning to talk about climate change in different terms. Instead of debating whether humans are causing it, there's a lot more talk about what climate change might mean to the business climate. Lester Graham reports there are questions about what might happen to affect business as global temperatures and weather patterns change: For the last couple of decades, the people who've been arguing that we have to do something to reduce the greenhouse emissions causing global warming avoided one subject: "People did not want to talk about adaptation or coping with climate change because that was seen as a cop-out." That's Rosina Bierbaum. She was a science advisor during the Clinton administration and is now the Dean of the School of Natural Resources and Environment at the University of Michigan. The fear was, if you could figure out a way to cope with global warming, you wouldn't do anything to reduce the emissions causing it. For the full story, go to: http://environmentreport.org/transcript.php3?story_id=3433 To listen to the story, go to: http://environmentreport.org/

Climate Change Threatens California Water Supply by Leonard Anderson - Reuters News Service - May 10, 2007 California could lose 30 percent to 70 percent of the snowpack to the ills of greenhouse gases and global warming, Steven Chu, director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the 1997 winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics, told Reuters. A "bad scenario" of atmospheric carbon could mean the loss of 70 percent to 93 percent, Chu said in an interview, citing published climate models. California depends on the snowpack to generate hydroelectricity, help irrigate the biggest agricultural economy in the United States, fill reservoirs, and support wildlife and recreation on the state's rivers. "I think that's a much more serious problem than the gradually rising sea level, unless Greenland just completely melts," Chu said. "This is a huge water supply concern for California and the Southwest." For the full story, go to: http://www.planetark.com:80/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/41798/story.htm

Migratory Birds, Whales Confused by Warming, UN Says By Alister Doyle, Reuters -- ENN -- May 8, 2007 Birds, whales and other migratory creatures are suffering from global warming that puts them in the wrong place at the wrong time, a U.N. official told 166-nation climate talks on Monday. A warmer climate disrupts the biological clocks of migratory species including bats, dolphins, antelopes or turtles, said Lahcen el Kabiri, deputy head of the U.N.'s Bonn-based Convention on Migratory Species. "They are the most visible warning signs -- indicators signalling the dramatic changes to our ecosystems caused in part by climate change," he told delegates on the opening day of a May 7-18 U.N. meeting searching for new ways to offset warming. For the full article, visit: http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=12727

Supreme Court Decision in Massachusetts et al vs. EPA on Clean Air Act PEW Center on Global Climate Change -- April 3, 2007 On April 2, 2007 the Supreme Court released its ruling in the case of the state of Massachusetts vs. the Environmental Protection Agency. Massachusetts and eleven other states, along with several local governments and non-governmental organizations (petitioners), sued the EPA for not regulating the emissions of four greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide (CO2), from the transportation sector. The petitioners claimed that human-influenced global climate change was causing adverse effects, such as sea-level rise, to the state of Massachusetts. In a 5-4 decision, the court ruled in favor of Massachusetts et al, finding that EPA has the authority to regulate CO2 and other greenhouse gases. For a link to the PEW Center on Global Climate Change and the rest of this issue’s summary, visit: http://www.pewclimate.org/epavsma.cfm

Sea Level Rise Topic of Forum: Local Effects and Response to be Discussed Daily Banner, Eastern Shore of Maryland -- March 21, 2007 Dan Soeder, a hydrologist from the U.S. Geological Survey, will be one of several speakers at an April 4 forum addressing changing sea-level and how it may affect Dorchester County, to be held at the County Council Meeting Room in Cambridge. Mr. Soeder has worked on wetland projects in the Chesapeake Bay, including studies at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. He will discuss “Past and Future Sea Levels in the Chesapeake Bay,” tracing the geologic history of sea levels from the end of the last Ice Age, following the course of the rising seas 400 feet upward and many miles inland from the edge of the continental shelf to the present-day coastline of the Chesapeake Bay. [...] The April 4 meeting where Mr. Soeder will speak, “High and Rising Tides — Effects on South Dorchester County — A Forum,” will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Registration is requested by calling the Dorchester County Extension Office at (410) 228-8800. Other speakers will present state and local initiatives for dealing with potential future shoreline changes over the next 50 to 100 years, and suggestions for some ways local populations adapt. For the full article, visit: http://www.newszap.com:80/articles/2007/03/21/dm/eastern_shore_of_maryland/cam01.txt

Al Gore Seeks Earlier Start to Kyoto Pact Successor

By Reuters -- March 13, 2007

Former U.S. Vice-President Al Gore called on Tuesday for Kyoto countries to bring forward by two years the start date of a new global warming treaty, to 2010, given the urgency of the global warming problem. The Kyoto Protocol ties some 35 industrialised countries to 5 percent emissions cuts from 1990 levels by 2012, and the signatories to the pact are currently negotiating a successor. The United States pulled out of the pact on the basis of the possible costs and job losses, but climate change campaigner Al Gore said the next U.S. president, to be installed in 2009, could push for the country's inclusion in a new treaty. "If we were to move to a 2010 start the energies of the American political system could (complete) this within the first two years of the president's term," he said. Gore cited scientists' warnings that the world has just 10 years to curb rising carbon emissions. "Do we want to take five of those 10 years and wait for the United States and China?" he asked. China has ratified the present Kyoto Protocol but does not face emissions limits. For full article, visit: http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=12381

Scientist Says Sea Level Rise Could Accelerate

By Michael Byrnes, Reuters -- March 13, 2007

Data from satellites is showing that sea-level rises and polar ice-melting might be worse than earlier thought, a leading oceanographer said on Monday. Sea levels, rising at 1 millimetre a year before the industrial revolution, are now rising by 3 millimetres a year because of a combination of global warming, polar ice-melting and long natural cycles of sea level change. "All indications are that it's going to get faster," said Eric Lindstrom, head of oceanography at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), told Reuters on the sidelines of a global oceans conference in Hobart. For full article, go to: http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=12376

Climate Is Big Issue for U.S. Hunters, Anglers By Ed Stoddard, Reuters -- ENN -- March 8,2007 As the snow melts from the towering peaks in the distance, Culebra Creek (CO) runs fast and the trout are biting. But Van Beecham, a fourth generation fishing guide, is uneasy. "When I was a kid we never had regular run-off from the mountains in February or March. This is global warming," Beecham said. The early run-offs are one of many signs of warming temperatures that have caught the attention of hunters and anglers around the United States -- an influential group that has its pulse on the outdoors. "If you have early runoffs then you have less water in the summer and autumn," said Oregon-based Jack Williams, a senior scientist with conservation group Trout Unlimited. For full story, visit: http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=12354

"Global Warming a Threat to Shores" By Pamela Wood, The Capital, February 25, 2007 The predicted effects of global warming in Maryland are scary: the Chesapeake Bay spilling over its shores, stronger storms and a shake-up of the species that can survive here. Some experts say the relative sea level rise here could be more than 2 feet by the end of the century, flooding many low-lying areas of Anne Arundel and Queen Anne's counties. And that potential fallout has some lawmakers in Annapolis concerned - and inspired to do something about it. "Thirty years ago, people called global warming science fiction," Sen. Paul Pinsky told his colleagues in Annapolis last week. "Today, scientists around the globe simply call it science." As Mr. Pinsky pitched his plan for Maryland to combat global warming, the main question in the room wasn't whether or not global warming is a problem. The central question was: Should Maryland residents and businesses be forced to do something about it? For full article, visit: http://www.hometownannapolis.com:80/cgi-bin/read/2007/02_25-68/TOP

Wetlands Can Play Part in Climate Change Solution

By Leigh Patterson -- Ducks Unlimited Canada News -- February 12, 2007 Oak Hammock Marsh, Man.—One of Canada’s foremost experts on the role of wetlands in carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas cycling is urging Canadian governments and policy makers to not overlook the natural abilities of these systems when seeking to solve the climate change puzzle. “We know for certain that wetlands have the ability to absorb carbon dioxide,” says Dr. Pascal Badiou, a research scientist with Ducks Unlimited Canada’s Institute for Wetland and Waterfowl Research (IWWR). “Carbon dioxide is the predominant greenhouse gas (GHG) in the atmosphere responsible for climate change.” For the full story, go to: http://www.ducks.ca/aboutduc/news/archives/2007/070212.html

“Global Warming Affects Bay Restoration Decisions” By Donald F. Boesch, The Patriot News, February 11, 2007 Last November, the Supreme Court heard arguments on whether the Environmental Protection Agency can continue to refuse to regulate carbon dioxide emissions under the Clean Air Act. The petition, brought by 12 western and northeastern states, argued that the act mandates regulations of all pollutants that might endanger public health or welfare, including effects on climate and weather. This hearing punctuated a remarkable shift in awareness and concern about global warming among the U.S. public and political and opinion leaders. For full article, visit: http://www.pennlive.com/columns/patriotnews/review/index.ssf?/base/opinion/1171049156 20020.xml&coll=1

"Evidence is Now 'Unequivocal' That Humans are Causing Global Warming - UN Report" United Nations News Release February 2, 2007 Changes in the atmosphere, the oceans and glaciers and ice caps now show unequivocally that the world is warming due to human activities, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said in new report released today in Paris. Welcoming the findings, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon pointed to the "scientific consensus regarding the quickening and threatening pace of human-induced climate change" and called for the global response "to move much more rapidly as well, and with more determination." In a statement released by his spokesman, the Secretary-General said the new study and expected follow-up IPCC reports "will be critical guides for the UN's response to anthropogenic climate change," and will support action by those concerned globally, nationally and locally. For full article, go to: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=21429&Cr=climate&Cr1=change

“Burning Wetlands Unleash Sequestered Mercury In Wake of Climate Change” Science

Daily/Michigan State University News Release, August 2006 Climate change appears to be contributing to the waking of a dangerous sleeping giant in the most northern wetlands of North America – mercury. Released into the atmosphere most prodigiously with the launching of the industrial age, the toxic element falls back onto Earth, and accumulates particularly in North American wetlands. A Michigan State University researcher working closely with the U.S. Geological Survey finds wildfires, growing more frequent and intense, are unleashing this sequestered mercury at levels up to 15 times greater than originally calculated. The report, “Wildfires threaten mercury stocks in northern soils,” appears this week in the online edition of Geophysical Research Letters. “This study makes the point that while peat lands are typically viewed as very wet and stagnant places, they do burn in continental regions, especially late in the season when water tables are depressed,” said Merritt Turetsky, Assistant Professor of plant biology and fisheries and wildlife at MSU. For full article, visit: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/08/060822101752.htm An abstract of the study mentioned, “Wildfires threaten mercury stocks in northern soils,” can be found at: http://www.agu.org/pubs/crossref/2006.../2005GL025595.shtml

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