There are numerous steps your business can take to help reduce global warming.

securit-faqs.com
Never mind the impending fiscal cliff a recent United Nations reports indicates
that global warming is causing sea levels to rise. While politicians, pundits and
scientists debate whether global warming is a clear and present danger and
whether it is man-made or a natural phenomenon here are several steps your
Palm Beach-area business can take to help contain or reduce it:
*Remember the 3 Rs. Reduce waste, purchase reusable products instead of
disposables, andrecycle paper, plastic, glass, aluminum and office equipment.
*Install energy-efficient lighting. Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact
fluorescent light bulbs, which last 10 times longer, use two-thirds less energy, and
radiate 70 percent less heat.
*Drive smarter and less frequently. Make sure company vehicles run efficiently
and are properly maintained. Keeping tires properly inflated alone can improve gas
mileage and every gallon of gas saved keeps 20 pounds of carbon dioxide out of our
atmosphere. Also, encourage carpooling among employees.
*Use less heat and air conditioning when possible. Set your office thermostat
2 degrees lower in winter and higher in the summer to avoid approximately 2000
pounds of carbon dioxide per year.
*Plant trees on your companys property. Photosynthesis 101 trees and other
plant absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen.
*Arrange annual energy audits. This will help you identify areas of your workplace
that may not be energy efficient, allowing you to make necessary upgrades.
*Encourage your employees to conserve. Have someone on your staff gather
information about recycling and energy conservation and share it with co-workers.
By taking these simple steps to help reduce greenhouse gases, youll also help your
business reduce its energy use and save money.
Risky Business Project Finds Midwest Agriculture, Labor, and
Manufacturing Industries Face Economic Risk from Climate Change
January 23, 2015

Results Show that America's Heartland Risks Economic Disruptions as

Climate Change Advances, Reduces Labor Productivity, and Shifts
Agricultural Production Patterns

[LIVE WEBCAST: The Risky Business Project's Midwest report results will
be webcast live at the lunch meeting of the Economic Club of Minnesota in
Minneapolis at 12:00 p.m. CST January 23. Watch live
at http://riskybusiness.org/blog/minneapolis-live-stream or
follow @ClimateRisk and #MWClimateRisk on Twitter]
MINNEAPOLIS, January 23, 2015 The Midwestern United States faces potential
disruptions to its agricultural economy, and dangerous levels of heat in many of its
largest cities, if climate change continues unabated, according to a new report
released today by the Risky Business Project.
Heat in the Heartland: Climate Change and Economic Risk in the
Midwest details how extreme heat - the signature impact of a changing climate could transform the Midwest's economy. Absent significant adaptation, overall crop
yields will likely decline, potentially shifting growing patterns for major commodity
crops to the north and putting individual farming communities at risk. Left
unchecked, a changing climate will also increase the incidence of extreme heat,
particularly in the Midwest's southernmost cities like St. Louis, Des Moines and
Indianapolis, leading to significant public health and safety risks. However, the
report shows that the Midwest can still avoid the worst impacts of a changing
climate if it joins in efforts to reduce the greenhouse gases that cause climate
change. The results of the report are being presented today at the lunch meeting of
the Economic Club of Minnesota in Minneapolis.
"Climate change poses a tremendous threat to the key sectors of the Midwest
economy, particularly manufacturing and agriculture. As a lifelong Midwesterner,
I'm gravely concerned that our 'business as usual' path is dangerous, unsustainable
and threatens our way of life," said Hank Paulson, former U.S. Secretary of the
Treasury and Risky Business Project co-chair. "Our business leaders, our cities, and
our investment community need to focus on these risks and act now before it's too
late."
"A changing climate will present new risks and new opportunities as we face the
complex task of producing enough food, feed and fuel for a world on its way to 9
billion people. Given the importance of the Midwestern United States to the world's
agricultural production, it would be irresponsible to dismiss these projections
lightly," said Greg Page, Cargill executive chairman and Risky Business Project Risk
Committee member.
"Climate change is the challenge of our generation, and it is already having a
devastating impact on our communities. The Heat in the Heartland report outlines
the very real impacts that climate change is having on our economy in the Midwest
affecting our businesses and the agriculture industry," said California business

leader and Risky Business co-chair Tom Steyer. "The facts are clear, this is not just
an environmental issue, but a pocketbook issue, and we can no longer afford to wait
to address this critical issue."
"This new report finds what more and more business leaders are already
recognizing: Climate risks are real and too dangerous to ignore," said Michael R.
Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg L.P., 108th Mayor of New York City, and Risky
Business Project co-chair. "Forward-looking business leaders are monitoring,
measuring and responding to these risks with real action."
[LIVE WEBCAST: The Risky Business Project's Midwest report results will
be webcast live at 12:00 p.m. CST January 23. Watch live
at http://riskybusiness.org/blog/minneapolis-live-stream or
follow@ClimateRisk and #MWClimateRisk on Twitter]
Heat in the Heartland details the risks of unmitigated climate change in Illinois,
Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin. The report also
provides new data by metropolitan region, providing businesses and governments
with the ability to better understand the likely impact climate change will have
across the Midwest's many interconnected cities, towns and counties.
The report shows that communities, industries, and properties across the region
face profound risks from climate change. These impacts could affect transportation,
labor productivity, energy use and agriculture. However, the report concludes that
the most severe risks can still be avoided through early investments in resilience,
and through immediate action to reduce the pollution that causes global warming.
[REPORTERS: Click HERE to explore the full report, including interactive
maps that show likely impacts by metro area and agriculture impacts by
state.]
Among the major findings:

By the End of this Century, Dangerous Levels of Extreme Heat are

Likely Across the Southern Midwest
o

By the end of this century, the average Missouri resident is likely to

experience 46 to 115 days above 95F in a typical year about as
many extremely hot days as the average Arizonan experiences each
year in recent decades;

The average Chicago resident is expected to experience more days

over 95F by century's end than the average Texan does today with a
1-in-20 chance that these extremely hot days will be more
than double Texas's average;

Northern Midwest States May See Fewer Deaths as Winters Warm

but also Fewer Fish, and Less Winter Recreation
o

By the end of this century, only two upper Midwest states (Minnesota
and Wisconsin) are expected to have average winter temperatures
below the freezing mark;

As streams and lakes become warmer, fish and other sensitive waterbased species may be threatened;

Fewer freezing days translates into less energy used for heating and
fewer cold-related deaths however, warmer winters will also lead to
decreased snow and ice for outdoor winter sports like outdoor hockey,
snowmobiling, and ice-fishing.

Changes in Temperature and Precipitation Will Shift Agricultural

Patterns and Affect Crop Yields, with Gains in Certain Crops Offset by
Losses in Others
o

Over the next five to 25 years, without significant adaptation by

farmers, some counties in Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana will likely see
average commodity crop losses up to 18 to 24 percent due to extreme
heat each year;

On the other hand, warmer winters may extend growing seasons in

Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, allowing farmers to practice
double-cropping;

If we continue on our current emissions path without significant

adaptation, by the end of the century the Midwest will likely see overall
agricultural losses for corn and wheat of 11 percent to 69 percent
across the region as a whole, with a 1-in-20 chance of more than an 80
percent decline.

The Heat in the Heartland report also found that rising temperatures will likely
reduce labor productivity and could increase crime rates and heat-related mortality.
Also, rising heat will cause more consumers to use air conditioning, thereby
increasing overall electricity demand while decreasing energy system capacity.
Even accounting for lower energy use in the warmer winter months, this overall
increase in electricity demand will likely lead to higher energy costs, particularly in
the manufacturing-intensive southern Midwest states. Precipitation across the
region, though harder to measure than heat, will also likely become more extreme.
Heat in the Heartland is the second report from the Risky Business Project. Last
summer, the Project released Risky Business: The Economic Risks of Climate
Change to the United States, which employed a standard risk-assessment analysis

to determine the range of potential consequences of climate change for each region
of the U.S.as well as for selected sectors of the economy.