What impact do greenhouse gases have on climate in California and Silicon Valley?
Greenhouse gases trap the sun’s heat in the atmosphere, causing temperatures to rise over time and the climate to change. Climate change affects public health through increased smog and associated respiratory ailments. Environmental impacts include changes in water supply (due to a decline in snowpack levels or earlier spring runoff), coastal damage (due to rising sea levels), and changes in vegetation and crops due to growing season and precipitation changes. It is predicted that these effects could strike a severe blow to the health and economic well-being of California. What can organizations do to reduce CO2 emissions? In addition to signing on to SSV’s CO2 Emissions Reduction Protocol, organizations can take the following actions: For buildings: • When replacing roofs, install “cool” roofs • Landscape to shade sunny sides of buildings • Install solar electric systems where cost-effective • Upgrade lights by replacing halogen and incandescent lamps with fluorescent lamps • Install
