Interview with Julie Anderson, a Lobbyist at a Bipartisan Environmental Policy Center

Question 1
Kendall- What are the major factors that have influenced climate change on our planet?
Julie- There's both natural variations in climate and then there are changes that are caused by human activities.

Question 2
Kendall- What are some the natural variations in climate that have caused climate change on our planet?
Julie- There are natural causes that change the climate such as volcanic action and the sun, we have had ice ages before, so obviously the climate has changed. The more interesting things are what humans are doing.

Question 3
Kendall- What exactly are the humans doing to affect our planets climate?
Julie- Well, about 1/3 of greenhouse gas emissions come from out cars and trucks, our transportation sector. About 1/3 of emissions come from utilities that heat and cool our homes and offices. And about 1/3 of emissions come from deforestation or the tearing down of forests and other industries.

Question 4
Kendall- How much longer could our planet stand with us heating it up?
Julie- Many scientists believe that a two degrees Celsius change in the Earths temperature will result in significant changes such as significant sea level rise, more extreme, weather events, sustained droughts etc.

Question 5
Kendall- Should the government start to get involved in stopping this?
Julie- Yes. Only with government providing the appropriate market signal and incentives will we be able to adequately reduce our emissions. And it will take leadership not only from the Untied Sates but also from large emitters such as China and India.

Question 6
Kendall- The obvious question is what can we humans do to help stop this climate change?
Julie- We can make our homes more energy efficient, by using compact florescent light bulbs and conducting energy efficient audits in our homes. We can take mass transit where it's available and when , per say, buying a new vehicle, by more fuel efficient cars and trucks. In places of work you could do the same thing, using the right kind of light bulbs, turning light off and computers off when they are not in use.

The major point and summary of this interview is to reveal to the public what needs to be done right not, here and now, to keep our planet from getting into serious trouble.

Thanks again to Julie Anderson, a Lobbyist at a Bipartisan Policy Center located in Washington, D.C. (exact address is unknown).