Northern Minnesota is warming faster than anywhere else in the United States. What?
According to Mindy Ahler of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby, global temperatures have increased an average of 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit over the past 100 years. Though it may not seem like much, that small temperature change has wreaked havoc in the world’s ecosystems. The polar ice cap is melting away. Five of the Solomon Islands have disappeared in rising sea levels. A third of the coral in the Great Barrier Reef has been destroyed by bleaching from warm sea waters. Catastrophic storms are more prevalent across the globe.
Closer to home, northern Minnesota has seen a record 3-degrees Fahrenheit increase over the past 100 years, twice that of the rest of the country. No one knows why, but these warmer temperatures have brought ticks and Lyme disease to our area, spread poison ivy north and stressed both tree species and moose populations. Cook County is beginning to feel its effects.
Tourism is our major local industry, with well over a million visitors to Cook County each year. Linda Kratt, executive director of Visit Cook County, shared the results of an extensive study of tourism and climate change co-sponsored by the University of Minnesota, North Carolina State University, Carleton College and Sea Grant Minnesota. In 2015 they surveyed over 2,200 tourists at local recreation areas regarding the effects of climate change on their decision to visit the area. In two recent presentations of their data, they shared that 12 percent of the respondents believed climate change is a myth, while 88 percent are convinced it is a reality.
The survey revealed that that the major deterrents to tourism are fire danger, declining wildlife populations, and changes in the forest composition, and 37 percent of the respondents said they would be willing to pay at least $30 to a local organization to plan and adapt recreation resources to climate change. For more information about this study go to northshoreclimate.com.
As winters become milder and storms more severe, more people may be deterred from traveling here, particularly the snow lovers. “Right now,” says Kratt, “our winter tourism is increasing because we’re doing a good job of getting the word out that we have good snow up here in the Arrowhead.”
So what can you do to help allay this impending crisis? Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) has some ideas. CCL is a nonprofit grassroots organization that works to empower citizens to promote political action on climate change. Last August Paul Thompson and Mindy Ahler, CCL regional leaders, held an informational meeting at the Congregational Church with over 30 people attending. At that point Rebecca Wiinanen agreed to take responsibility for organizing meetings, and George Wilkes has joined her to help organize meetings and activities.
“Join CCL on the web,” Wiinanen suggests. “Attend meetings as you’d like and offer help as you are inspired. My hope is that as people learn about Citizens’ Climate Lobby they will share what they have learned with their church groups or clubs as simple but effective steps to take. People working together are more effective, and it’s a lot more fun.”
The local CCL group meets on the second Saturday of each month in the Cook County Co-op meeting room. Their next meeting will be on June 11 at 10:00 a.m. According to Wiinanen over 60 people have attended CCL meetings over the past year.
CCL sees political action as the best route to slowing global warming, and their focus is legislation called Carbon Fee and Dividend. This system would invoke a carbon fee on businesses based on the amount of carbon they emit into the atmosphere. To counteract the increased costs of their services to consumers, the fees levied on these businesses would be distributed evenly among the population through the national tax system, either in paybacks or in tax credits. A number of countries have adopted similar carbon tax systems, including Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, Australia, Sweden, Chili, Finland, New Zealand, and one American city: Boulder, Colorado.
“This is a market based, revenue neutral system,” said Thompson. “In order for it to be effective it must be introduced to the legislature through a bi-partisan climate change committee. To date this committee has five Republicans and five Democrats, though projections that it will increase at least threefold in the coming year.”
Thompson suggests that individuals contact their legislators to encourage this action as soon as possible.
Postcards are the most effective way to communicate with legislators, but phone calls and are also effective. If you want to take action, here is the contact information you’ll need:
. Representative Mark Nolan:
2366 Rayburn House Office
Building, Washington, DC 20515
202-225-6211
. Senator Amy Klobuchar:
302 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-3244
.Senator Al Franken:
309 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-5641
If you want to e-mail your legislators, go to their web sites and there will be a form available online.
Ann Marie Mershon
Grand Marais
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