Gray Panthers

NGO Committee on Migration - Climate Change & Migration

Committee on Migration Meeting
Gray Panthers on Climate Change / Migration
by Shiuho Lin
February 19, 2009

I thank NGO Committee on Migration for giving me the opportunity to present Gray Panthers. My presentation will cover the following issues:

1. Gray Panthers
2. Climate change and migration
3. What we can do about climate change

1. Gray Panthers founder Maggie Kuhn was forced to retire at age 65 in August of 1970. She convened a group of five friends to look at the common problems faced by retirees such as loss of job, loss of income, loss of contact with associates They discovered a new kind of freedom in their retirement, the freedom to speak personally and passionately about what they believed in, such as opposition to the Vietnam War.. They gathered with college student opposed to the War and discussed their common beliefs and values in Philadelphia. One year later more than 100 people joined them. A New York TV talk show producer nicknamed the group the Gray Panthers for the groups' lively, quick witted, controversial and action-oriented manner. Gray Panthers are Age and Youth in Action. We are intergenerational advocacy organization, working for social and economic justice, creating a society that puts the needs of people over profit, responsibility over power and democracy over institutions. We fight against ageism, sexism, and racism. Our four most important issues are peace, health care, human right and environment.

2. Climate change and migration

1890 - New York Times reported Ice cracked

1932 -Report of warmer climate and higher sea level

1956 - Report of warmer climate is due to CO2 on earth

In 1990, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) noted that the greatest single impact of climate change could be on human migration, with millions of people displaced by shoreline erosion, coastal flooding and agricultural disruption. The most widely repeated prediction being 200 million by 2050.

August 2003--A record heat wave with 104F temperatures scorched Europe, claiming an estimated 35,000 lives. In France alone, 14,802 people died

Drought in Australia: New South Wales, Lake Lanier 10/2007 forced Australia government ratify Kyoto Protocol

2008 - The earth's average temperature was 57.9 F making it the 8th warmest year on record since 1880 and most of the top 10 warmest years have happened in the last decade and half.according to the National Climate Data Center

Glaciers meltdown - between the years 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 the average rate of melting and thinning more than doubled. Many of Himalayan Glaciers could disappear within the coming decades and that will serious affect 2 billion people who rely on the glacial melt waters. In North America, water systems of the western US and Canada such as Columbia River, that rely on captureing snowmelt runoff, will be especially vulnerable. Latin America In the next 15 years inter-tropical glaciers are very likely to disappear, affecting water availability and hydropower generation.

150 scientists at United Nations conference Jan 30, 2009 stated greenhouse gases are putting the world's oceans at risk of becoming too acidic to support coral reefs and marine life. They called on governments to take immediate action to sharply reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Sub-Saharan Africa - Climate change worsens weather extremes in the region, including flooding, drought, and desertification. This forces people to migrate in search of better living conditions.

South Asia is home to one-fourth of the global population including some of the world's poorest people. 750 millions of South Asians face increasing Water Stress and climate change is one of the causes

Global warming, ice melting, sea level rising cause drought in land and flood by the ocean and global warming affect ecosystem, human health, agricultural growth, water availability, and fish availability.These are some of the reason people migrate to look for a better working condition and better life. It affects rural areas more than urban areas. It impacts more on poor and indigenous people. Older persons, children and women are most vulnerable.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said over 90 per cent of all disaster deaths taking place in developing nations, the poorest and least responsible for global warming. Caribbean is "particularly vulnerable" to the increasingly extreme weather events spurred by climate change. He declared 2009 is the year of climate change and he will hold a climate change summit at the UN in September. He calls on the United States, China, Russia, India and the European Union to lead ways in tackling climate change to negotiate a new deal for global cooperation on climate change toward an agreement in Copenhagen in December

3. What we can do about climate change

North America with 5% of global population contributes 14% of the global carbon emission in 2000. North America, European Union, Russia, China, and India contribute 61% of global emission. In 2007, China surpassed USA as the leading emitter of greenhouse gases. The increase has been attributed mainly to increase in coal consumption and industrial processes. Energy consumption is the largest contributor to CO2 emission. Big cities like New York City, London and Tokyo, more than half is consumed by residential and commercial building while transport sector consumes 30% of energy. To meet minimum waste standard, cities must minimize fossil fuel usage and material inputs and maximize recycling and reuse of energy, water and materials

According to UNEP, 20% of CO2 emission is a result of deforestation. They also report 2,000 billion tons of carbon can be stored in biomass above the ground and in the soil.

Gray Panthers NYC decided to take on the important issue of global climate change and its impact on ageing population after the suggesting of convener Judy Lear and Jack Kupferman. In January 2008, Gray and Green coalition of 14 non profit organizations was born. The missions of the Coalition are to initiate an examination of issues of climate change and an ageing population. The objectives are to encourage a fuller exploration of how climate change affects an ageing population and how older persons can contribute to a healthier and greener environment. We sponsor a series of programs entitled "Gray and Green" to educate, influence and motivate all concern. We also sign petitions to ensure that government policy makers create and implement policies and research to address the concerns of global climate change on an ageing population. On our series of 3 panel discussions, our speakers explained the impact of climate change and give recommendation for action as following.

1. Save energy. Switch to Compact Fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). CFL use about 75 % less energy and last up to 10 times longer. Buy the most energy efficient appliance and other products. Be a green consumer, insulate your house and use energy efficiently. Clean air filter and don't air condition an empty room.

2. Switch to a green energy provider, use renewable energy such as solar and wind.

3. Walk, bike, car pool, or take public transportation. Telecommute at home. Use efficient fuel car.

4. . Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Recycle glass, metal, paper and plastic.

5. . Buy neighborhood product with less packaging. Buy recycled materials. Buy only what you need and don't waste.

6. Switch to paperless bank statements and online bill payment. Stop all junk mail, estimated 41lbs/year/person.

7. Plant trees, grow vegetable, herb and flower instead of buying.

8 Use water efficiently. Use low flow showerhead, use energy saving toilet water tank.

Although 68% people believe CO2 is caused by human, but the urgency to resolve the problem is very little.(<1%). We need to become a catalyst for change in our community. Educate others and raise awareness about climate crisis. Become political active, speak out and urge elected official that we need drastic policies to preserve the global environment, starting with a carbon tax on green house gases producing energy. As UN NGO in the year of climate change, we have an obligation to advocate for the ratification and implementation of Kyoto Protocol and for the successful negotiation toward an agreement in Copenhagen for global cooperation on climate change.

Join Gray Panthers or build a sub-committee to fight global warming and to prevent migration. "If you think you are too small to have an impact, try going to sleep with a mosquito in the room." As Al Gore said that we have the choice to make the history that we are the generation to solve the global crisis.