State Water Board resolves to address climate change

STATEWIDE — The merits of whether climate change is manmade – or even exists – continue to be questioned by deniers, leading federal administrators and others. However yet another state agency acknowledged climate change must be addressed. California’s State Water Resources Board (SWRB) approved a resolution in February to better respond to the potential effects of climate change and become more engaged with the public on educational initiatives about adaptation or mitigation. Interestingly enough a group of researchers co-authored a March 13 article on Nature.com stating natural causes actually plays a significant role in the loss of Arctic’s sea-ice. SWRB’S Feb. 22 resolution cited an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in stating increased concentrations of greenhouse gasses is the result of human activity. “Sharp rises in the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases over the last century and a half, due to human activity, have led to an increase in global average temperature, and associated climate change,” the SWRB resolution stated. Future impacts of climate change, according to SWRB, include sea level rise, increased frequency of extreme weather events, more (and prolonged) drought periods and saltwater intrusion into groundwater, among others. SWRB officials hope to address the threats of climate change by aiming to reduce greenhouse...