Environmental Sustainability

This issue of environmental sustainability came up at the debate in Ventura last week, and is a major plank in my platform. I thought I would take this opportunity to say a few words about this. It is too important for a few minutes at a debate. The stakes are high in this election. The people who live and work and are raising families in our district need to know that the candidate they choose on June 8th will be able to deliver on claims they make during a campaign. They need to trust the person they vote for has the experience, understanding and commitment to follow through on issues like environmental sustainability.

What is meant by environmental sustainability? It is environmental policies and strategies that meet current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to sustain their needs.

Our world is in flux. But, the planet is and always has been in flux. That is the nature of the planet’s history. Are the current fluctuations a part of the natural cycling, or do they signal something more? Are the environmental trends significant in terms of signaling future changes?

Environmental scientists have identified key environmental processes that paint a picture of the health our planet. Amongst these are: biodiversity loss, land use, fresh water use, nitrogen and phosphorus cycles, ozone depletion, ocean acidification, and climate change. These are all inter-related, but each offers a different perspective on planetary health.

I would like to briefly comment on biodiversity loss, ocean acidification, and climate change.

Biodiversity loss:All life on this planet is interconnected and co-dependent. We, as humans, cannot exist on our own. The current rate of species extinction is amongst the fastest in the history of life on this planet. Similar extinction rates in the past have resulted in major changes in life forms on the planet (think, extinction of the dinosaurs and the rise of mammals). If we want to survive into the future, we need to make sure that others life forms with which we share this planet can also survive.

Ocean acidification: As more carbon dioxide is put into the atmosphere, more carbon dioxide is absorbed by the oceans, increasing their acidity levels. Micro-organisms that live in the oceans are the basis of the oceanic food chain. They also supply about half of the planet’s oxygen. These micro-organisms are adapted to survive at particular pHs. As the oceans become more acidic, the micro-organisms are less viable. This directly impacts other organisms higher up in the food chain in the oceans and can lead to collapse of the marine ecosystem, and can also ultimately have an effect atmospheric oxygen levels.

Climate change: We hear a lot about this, but the fact of the matter is that carbon dioxide does act as a greenhouse gas. The current atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide does contribute to the melting of the polar ice caps and disruption of global weather patterns. Of even greater concern is the impact that climate change will have on fresh water supplies. In Southern California, an adequate supply of fresh water for the population is anticipated to be one of the biggest challenges we face.

But, there is still a chance to change direction. Because of the interconnection of these environmental processes, impacting any one will have an effect on the others. Commit yourself to one small change in your lifestyle and that change will have impacts greater than you know.

I'll be writing more in the coming weeks and sharing with you how, together, we can make a difference on environmental sustainability and other issues.