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Filed Under:Climate, Climate change, Ed Cavagnaro, Environment, Everyday Earth, Global warming, Jane McMillan, Mark Jacobson
This glacier is in Drygalski Fjord on South Georgia Island's southeast coast. Glaciers move downhill at a very slow rate, reaching the water and extending over it. Eventually a piece will break off under its own weight, forming an iceberg. Global warming, which has impacted many Antarctic glaciers, has reduced this glacier's size significantly. (Photo Credit: Jordan Spielman)This glacier is in Drygalski Fjord on South Georgia Island's southeast coast. Glaciers move downhill at a very slow rate, reaching the water and extending over it. Eventually a piece will break off under its own weight, forming an iceberg. Global warming, which has impacted many Antarctic glaciers, has reduced this glacier's size significantly. (Photo Credit: Jordan Spielman)

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) —A Stanford professor and researcher has come up with 50 workable plans to combat climate change in the U.S. – one for each state – which map out how we become 100 percent powered by wind, water and sunlight by the year 2050.

Dr. Mark Jacobson says by focusing on changing energy policy, we can address the problem of global warming, ridding ourselves of air pollution and related health issues and stabilize global energy costs.

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Jacobson says the biggest challenge now is getting the information out to the public so it can pressure elected officials to make it happen. He is part of a group – including people from the entertainment, banking, venture capital and social media industries – that has come together for this purpose called The Solutions Project

His plan for California calls for about 55 percent of the state’s energy to be solar-generated, 35 percent coming from wind turbines, 5 percent from geothermal sources, 4 percent from existing hydropower infrastructure rounding out with a small percentage of wave and tidal power.

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Jacobson says the initial cost of setting up this energy generation system would be greatly off-set from stopping government subsidies for fossil fuel companies and production and by fairly taxing these firms for the environmental and health damages they incur.

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While it’s been overwhelmingly accepted in the scientific community that human activity impacts climate change, human action to address those has been slow and denials by many policymakers continue.

New information revealed the melting of the Arctic ices sheet likely unstoppable and a new report from CNA Corp.’s Military Advisory Board states that global warming poses several security threats to the U.S.

Despite such growing evidence and warnings, an energy efficiency bill was defeated in the U.S. Senate, last week.

 

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