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October, 2015
Chair Tom Wheeler
Greetings from the Chair. President Obama in Alaska spoke of the effects there of global warming. The Adirondacks, especially the alpine areas, will also have significant impacts.
Late August and early September this year have been especially warm. Moreover, we are informed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that for the world 2015 will almost certainly be the warmest year on record. Although the first sentence is just about the weather, the second is more corroborative evidence of climate change and global warming. Scientists world wide agree that there is near certainty that our world is warming &ellips; and warming significantly. The culprit is us: we depend too heavily on fossil fuels whose combustion products include carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. It is refreshing to see a number of communities such as Canton and Ogdensburg supporting programs to increase the use of solar power. I was pleased to see in ADK’s budget that its facilities are increasingly relying on solar and geothermal energy. The contributions of individuals, communities, and small organizations to reducing reliance on fossil fuels can be an important part of what must be a global response to this serious problem. Our current rate of carbon emissions will have consequences long after we are gone. We should try to ensure that those consequences are not catastrophic. We are each a little bit responsible for the problem and likewise can each be a little bit of the solution.