Utah is Ground Zero for Global Warming? Really

Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. charged Utah's Blue Ribbon Advisory Council on Climate Change with three tasks: Study the science, economics, and policy around climate change; make some policy recommendations and -- importantly -- "understand and recognize what we are trying to leave for the next generation."

The panel made its report yesterday. On the science and economics side, the panel found that Utah releases more greenhouse gases, per capita, than the U.S. average, that its emissions are increasing at a much faster rate than the national average, and that Utah will warm more than the global average under various global warming scenarios, leaving future generations in line for a Utah sapped by heat waves and drought. But, on the bright side, the panel came up with 200 options for reducing the state's contribution to global warming, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.

Utah's governor was wise to bring this level of attention and focus to the issue, and many Utah residents will be surprised by some of these findings. The challenge now for the governor -- and the citizens -- is to take those 200 recommendations and put them into practice.

In other words, telling people they are ground zero (as we all are) for the changes to be wrought by global warming is half of the challenge. The other half is creating a ground zero for action.

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