Oregon Secretary of State Bill Bradbury gave a presentation

Oregon fighting global warming

Secretary of State Bill Bradbury addresses global warming, asks students to join official efforts

By: Candice Ruud

Posted: 4/25/08

Last night, Bill Bradbury, the Oregon Secretary of State, came to the MU Lounge to speak about global warming to a crowd of about 40 people.

The presentation, which echoed Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" and even used the cartoon featured in the film, ran from 6:30 to 8 p.m., after which Bradbury opened up to the audience for questions.

Bradbury noted that many people have the misconception that the atmosphere is a lot thicker than it is, but that if you covered an orange with a coat of varnish, this would be a relative example of the thickness of Earth's atmosphere.

The average temperature on Earth is 59 degrees Fahrenheit.

According to Bradbury's presentation, nine out of 10 of the hottest years on record have occurred in the last decade, with the hottest year being 2005.

Flash foods, extreme droughts and tropical storms with 50 percent higher intensity and duration than before have also been documented effects of climate change.

Bradbury discussed issues close to home, such as the increasing temperature of bodies of water and their effect on the salmon population.

He also mentioned the Ocean Dead Zone, which is an ocean area around the coast of Oregon that is experiencing depleted amounts of oxygen to the extent that fish and crabs are dying on the ocean floor.

Bradbury said these climate changes will also positively affect the economy of the Pacific Northwest and negatively influence the economy of California. Because pinot noir grapes like to be in environments with cool nights, as temperatures increase wineries are having to move further north and toward coastal regions.

Wine grapes less finicky than pinot are moving north, which could potentially be devastating to California because it is a vineyard hotbed where wine is a significant part of its culture and economy.

Towards the end of the presentation, Bradbury said that a 3- to 4-degree Fahrenheit temperature increase has already taken place on Earth, which means that the existence of 20 percent of plant and animal life is at risk.

Furthermore, an increase of 6 degrees Fahrenheit in Earth's temperature would threaten 50 percent of all creation, according to Bradbury.

In offering solutions to these problems, Bradbury said that if every American traded just one incandescent bulb in their home for a fluorescent bulb, it would be the equivalent of taking 1 million cars off the road.

He also suggested planting trees, because every tree can absorb around 250 pounds of carbon per year.

"We need to put a cap on carbon emissions now," Bradbury said.

The Oregon Environmental Council recommends setting your thermostat to no more than 68 degrees in the winter and no cooler than 78 degrees in the summer, which would cut carbon dioxide emissions by 10 to 20 percent.

Bradbury closed his presentation by encouraging people to step up to the challenge of reducing our carbon footprint.

He commented on America's stand in trying times in history, noting that Americans have stood up to slavery, fascism, segregation and religious persecution, asserting that it's now time to stand up to global warming.

"This is the kind of challenge we, as Americans, are used to taking on."

Candice Ruud, senior reporter

news@dailybarometer.com, 737-2231