CT Climate Could Change Drastically in Our Lifetime

By Morgan Searles

Academics have predicted significant changes in Connecticut’s climate by 2080, emphasizing the need for more serious reactions to the environmental shift, according to CT Post.

Michael Hoffmann, professor of entomology and director of Cornell University’s Agricultural Experiment Station, predicted Connecticut agriculture will have to begin producing warm weather crops as summers grow longer and hotter.

Hoffmann presented his lecture, “Climate Change and Agriculture: No Longer Business as Usual” at Plant Science Day 2014 in Hamden, sponsored by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station.

Gov. Dannel Malloy also spoke at the event Wednesday, emphasizing the significant contributions agriculture makes to the state’s economy. CT Post reported Malloy’s participation at Plant Science Day marked the first time a governor has attended the event since 1991.

The governor’s interest reflects his previously-stated commitment to adhere to state mandates that aim to lower greenhouse gas emissions, which have affected global temperatures.

In some parts of Connecticut, the average temperature went up by one or two degrees from the 1901-1960 period to the 1991-2012 period as a result of greenhouse gases, according to the New York Times.

Connecticut law mandates emissions be reduced “to 10 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 and 80 percent below 2001 levels by 2050.”

A June report by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection showed Connecticut was set to reach the 2020 target ahead of schedule.

DEEP also developed a Connecticut Climate Preparedness Plan, which was finalized last year. The plan outlines strategies to counter the effects of climate change. These strategies include:

• Intensify efforts to ensure preparedness planning;
• Integrate climate change adaptation into existing plans;
• Update existing standards to accommodate change expected during infrastructure design life;
• Plan for flexibility and monitor change; and
• Protect natural areas and landscape features that buffer potential impacts from climate change.

Though Connecticut government has shown interest in curbing climate change, national public opinion can vary on the issue.

The American people ranked global warming second-to-last in importance among 20 relevant issues, according to a Jan. 2014 survey by the Pew Research Center.

“About four-in-ten (42 percent) Democrats cite it as a top priority compared to 14 percent of Republicans and 27 percent of independents,” the survey found.

A Gallup poll in March also found that “more than four in 10 [Americans] say the seriousness of global warming is generally exaggerated in the news.”

The results showed many Americans believe in global warming, but they aren’t wary of its consequences. Gallup suggested that as long as global warming is framed by politics, Americans will remain divided on the issue.

Connecticut Light and Power is on of many sources of energy-saving tips.

These include:

• Adjust the thermostat to the highest comfortable level. For every degree the setting is raised, between 3-4 percent will be shaved off your energy bill.
• Lowering your thermostat at night or when you are away for 8 hours or more can reduce consumption by 1% per degree of setback. Example: If you lower your thermostat every night for 8 hours from 70° to 65°, your annual savings would be approximately 5%.
• Warm or cold water will clean most clothes especially when using cold water detergents.
• A full refrigerator or freezer operates at peak efficiency. If necessary, stock the empty space with filled plastic water bottles.