Agenda 11-02-23; 6-a - Orange County Climate Action Plan and Greenhouse Gas Inventory

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SUMMARY CALL TO ACTION Climate change is a pressing global challenge that requires collective action and sustainable solutions to safeguard our planet's future. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions which are emitted from the cars we drive, the energy we consume, the way we develop the built environment, and the products we buy are having a harmful effect on our environment and are increasing temperatures to dangerous levels which can threaten our way of life, our food systems, and our safety. The next few years are critical in limiting global temperature to a 1.5°C increase and mitigating the most severe impacts of climate change. To do so, global emissions need to be halved by 2030,and net zero emissions must be achieved before 2050. According to the most recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC),the Earth has warmed 1.09°C since 1850 and many changes such as sea-level rise and glacier and arctic ice melt are now irreversible. Global temperature rise is likely to reach 1.5°C by the mid-2040s which will further stress our environmental systems and, at a local level, will result in more frequent and intense heat waves, floods, drought, wildfire, and air pollution.As a global community,we are rushing to find ways to mitigate the worst of what is to come. As a local community, we are seeking ways to thrive despite the disruptions to our lives and well-being. THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT :: I Earth also emits heat Some solar back toward space. radiation is + absorbed by I the clouds and atmosphere. ?ome of this heat passes directly through the atmosphere. Solar radiation penetrates the Earth's coZ Greenhouse Gases c02atmosphere. 2 • 2)absorb The Earth's surface and trap the most absorbs most solar heat,enhancing the radiation,warming the warming effect. 2023 CLIMATE ACTION PLAN ORANGE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA 9