A world-wide issue with an impact here at home. Climate change causing an upward trend that includes more mild Vermont winters and longer, hotter summers.”The direction is still up with the temperature,” Curt Stager, Professor of Natural Sciences at Paul Smith’s College, said. “In the last several decades most of the warming we have is due to people.”A concerning trend in the Champlain Valley. Looking at 200 years of Lake Champlain records show that only three winters during 1800s reported the middle of the lake not freezing completely. In the last 20 years, Professor Stager says it’s been about 12 winters. Stager pointing to fossil fuels as one of the major reasons. “The more we burn the warmer it’s going to get,” Stager said. “If you look at climate models, I’ve looked at 16 different versions of climate in the Champlain Basin by the end of the century, and the main way they vary it is about how much CO2 we admit and warm the air.”Other regions in the country struggling with climate change too. Some places much more than the Green Mountain state.”Of the many reasons to want to live in a great place like Vermont one of them is the climate impacts are not as serious in several ways compared to other parts of the country,” Stager said. “Coastlines are very vulnerable now to the rising seas levels. The southwestern states are getting hotter and drier.”Stager said he wouldn’t be surprised if the drier, hotter southwest climate or the concerns on the coast push those populations up North.”Why do I want to move to Arizona when I can move to Vermont and water my lawn or wash my car?”While it may seem worse in other parts of the country, problems related to climate change are still here. Stager says what people can do to help is re-evaluate their lifestyles, like finding ways to eliminate their personal carbon footprint. “Just living the way we do with awareness of our place in the global picture,” Stager said. “Do whatever we can to switch to these alternative energy sources and support legislatures that want to do that.”
A world-wide issue with an impact here at home. Climate change causing an upward trend that includes more mild Vermont winters and longer, hotter summers.
“The direction is still up with the temperature,” Curt Stager, Professor of Natural Sciences at Paul Smith’s College, said. “In the last several decades most of the warming we have is due to people.”
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A concerning trend in the Champlain Valley. Looking at 200 years of Lake Champlain records show that only three winters during 1800s reported the middle of the lake not freezing completely. In the last 20 years, Professor Stager says it’s been about 12 winters.
Stager pointing to fossil fuels as one of the major reasons.
“The more we burn the warmer it’s going to get,” Stager said. “If you look at climate models, I’ve looked at 16 different versions of climate in the Champlain Basin by the end of the century, and the main way they vary it is about how much CO2 we admit and warm the air.”
Other regions in the country struggling with climate change too. Some places much more than the Green Mountain state.
“Of the many reasons to want to live in a great place like Vermont one of them is the climate impacts are not as serious in several ways compared to other parts of the country,” Stager said. “Coastlines are very vulnerable now to the rising seas levels. The southwestern states are getting hotter and drier.”
Stager said he wouldn’t be surprised if the drier, hotter southwest climate or the concerns on the coast push those populations up North.
“Why do I want to move to Arizona when I can move to Vermont and water my lawn or wash my car?”
While it may seem worse in other parts of the country, problems related to climate change are still here.
Stager says what people can do to help is re-evaluate their lifestyles, like finding ways to eliminate their personal carbon footprint.
“Just living the way we do with awareness of our place in the global picture,” Stager said. “Do whatever we can to switch to these alternative energy sources and support legislatures that want to do that.”
