Local actions for a global problem
Hurricane Dorian left most coastal residents breathing a sigh of relief, but only temporarily. Data from the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Lab at NOAA indicates that rainfall rates, higher coastal inundation, and storm intensity are likely to increase in the future, due to “anthropogenic warming,” or the activities of humans.
To put that into scale, a Category 4 (130-156 mph) storm can deliver 250 times the wind damage of a Category 1 (74-95 mph) storm. Coastal communities, like Daniel Island, feel these impacts in very real ways.
“The increased intensity of these storms is incredibly expensive – both in dollars and the loss of wildlife habitat,” commented Sara Green, executive director, South Carolina Wildlife Federation. “For example, Hurricane Harvey, the Category 4 storm that hit Texas came at an estimated cost of $125 billion. And Hurricane Irma claimed nearly a quarter of the endangered Key Deer in the Florida Keys. A storm of that magnitude could decimate our coastline and wash away nesting habitat for turtles and shorebirds.”
Green noted that while the impacts are being felt around the world, we can make a difference in our own yards, gardens, schoolyards, and landscaping along roads and businesses.
“Daniel Island has the potential to be a real leader in demonstrating a grassroots response to our changing climate,” she said.
Green offered these top tips for homeowners to help reduce their impact.
Improve your energy efficiency. One of the best ways to reduce your contribution to global warming pollution is to use more energy-efficient products and reduce your household’s electricity and gasoline consumption.
Reduce the use of gasoline-powered yard tools. Another important change you can make is to avoid using gasoline-powered tools such as lawn mowers, weed eaters, and leaf blowers. Instead, use electric-powered or, better yet, human-powered tools such as push mowers, hand clippers, and rakes.
Reduce the threat of invasive species expansion. Gardeners can play an important role in minimizing the threat of invasive species expansion by removing invasive plants from the garden and choosing an array of native alternatives.
Incorporate a diversity of native plants into your landscape. You can also help to maintain some of the important connections between pollinators and their hosts and ensure food sources for wildlife by incorporating a diverse range of native blooming and fruiting plants into your garden and having your yard recognized by the National Wildlife Federation as a Certified Wildlife Habitat TM.
Reduce water consumption. There are a number of ways to reduce water consumption in your garden, which will be particularly important during heat waves and droughts when water resources become scarce. Actions can include mulching, installing rain barrels, adjusting your watering schedule, using drip irrigation, and xeriscaping.
Develop a rain garden. Gardeners can also reduce water pollution associated with heavy downpours by developing rain gardens, which capture stormwater runoff and help prevent it from entering local lakes, streams, and coastal waters.
Compost kitchen and garden waste. Composting kitchen and garden waste can significantly reduce your contribution to global warming pollution, especially methane, a highly potent greenhouse gas. It also provides an excellent source of nutrients for your garden, reducing the need for chemical fertilizers, which pollute water supplies and take a considerable amount of energy to produce.
Plant lots of trees to absorb carbon dioxide. As all gardeners know, growing plants absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. As they grow to maturity, trees can absorb and store as much as a ton of CO2, the greenhouse gas primarily responsible for global warming. If every one of America’s 91 million gardening households planted just one young shade tree in their backyard or community, those trees would absorb around 2.25 million tons of CO2 each year.