EcoEducation: Climate Reality: Climate Change and its Impact on Minnesota
The duo asked us to keep the Rotary 4 way test in mind while their presentation answered three important questions: Must we change? Can we change? and Will we change? The message was simultaneously sobering and hopeful.
Minnesota sees the most warming when looking at our winters. When you look at our yearly temperatures, our average yearly temperature has risen 3.2 degrees since 1950. When you look at just our winter months (December through March) the average has risen 4.5 degrees. Not only does a warmer winter affect our identity as the nation's icebox, it also reduces habitat for our iconic tree species, creates the right conditions for more pests including tics and mosquitoes and threatens outdoor recreation and agricultural livelihoods.
Lynn and Clark also shared with us some stats about the actions that Minnesotans are taking to address climate change. For example, Minnesota has more community solar gardens than any other state in the nation.
Coming up on Nov 20-21, the Climate Reality Project is putting on 24 Hours of Reality: Truth in Action. Use this map to locate a presentation near you.