Published: December 03, 2009

Schwarzenegger Releases Unique Comprehensive Climate Adaptation Strategy

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Schwarzenegger Announces Climate Adaptation Advisory Panel, Unveils Google-Earth Based Applications to Show Climate Change Risks

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today released California's Climate Adaptation Strategy (CAS) final report, a first-of-its-kind comprehensive, multi-sector analysis that will enhance the state's management of climate impacts from sea level rise, increased temperatures, shifting precipitation and extreme natural events, as ordered by Executive Order S-13-08. The Governor also took action on two of the recommendations in the report today by announcing the creation of the Climate Adaptation Advisory Panel and announcing a new Google Earth-based application, Cal-Adapt, that will allow Californians to see the risks of climate change impacts in their communities.

"California has taken action and led the way in the U.S. and around the world in enacting green policies to fight climate change because no single issue threatens our planet's health and prosperity more," said Governor Schwarzenegger. "But even though we are taking all this great action, we must also be prepared if climate change continues to worsen. Scientists tell us temperatures could rise an additional seven degrees during this century and one study estimates that $2.5 trillion of California assets are threatened by climate change. That is why I signed an executive order last year calling on state agencies to develop adaptation strategies. I am pleased to release the final report today making California the first state to adopt such a comprehensive Climate Adaptation Strategy that will help us prepare for the impacts and challenges created by climate change."

Today's announcement was made on Treasure Island, which is projected to be under water from sea-level rise within a century. A Next10 study also estimates that over $2.5 trillion dollars of California assets such as highways and buildings are at risk from climate change.

The CAS final report summarizes the latest science on how climate change could impact the state and provides recommendations on how to manage against those threats. It focuses on seven different sectors - public health, biodiversity and habitat, ocean and coastal resources, water management, agriculture, forestry, and transportation and energy infrastructure - and lays out several recommendations focused on reducing climate risks to people, the environment and infrastructure. This includes many proposals that already align with key California initiatives such as reducing water consumption, improving water storage and conservation and increasing renewable energy use. The CAS report and recommendations can be found on the state's climate change portal at www.climatechange.ca.gov. As data continues to be developed and collected, the state's adaptation strategy will be updated to reflect current findings.

Led by the Natural Resources Agency, the CAS final report provides guidelines and recommendations to help direct the state's public sector in behaviors and activities to adapt to climate change impacts. The agency worked in collaboration with several other state agencies to develop the guidelines and recommendations including the California Emergency Management Agency; California Environmental Protection Agency; Business, Transportation and Housing Agency; Health and Human Services Agency; California Office of Information Security and the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

Already taking action on CAS final report recommendations, the Governor and Google also unveiled a new Google Earth-based application, Cal-Adapt, allowing California residents to see how the risk of continued climate change could impact their communities. Setting the standard for displaying and transferring climate change information, the Cal-Adapt prototype application will allow users to explore the risks of global warming in California and help make better-informed localized adaptation decisions. Funded by the California Energy Commission and Google.org, the Stockholm Environmental Institute helped develop Cal-Adapt to display climate research in an interactive, geo-spatial way that could serve as a new model for displaying such research. The Governor and Google also unveiled an interactive fly-over video tour to highlight the risks of climate change in specific geographic locations throughout California. Users can access these Google Earth-based applications through visiting the state's climate change portal at www.climatechange.ca.gov.

Additionally, the Governor announced the state is partnering with the Pacific Council on International Policy's task force on California's Adaptation to Climate Change to act as the Climate Adaptation Advisory Panel. This independent, non-partisan group will build off the CAS final report focusing on three key hazards that are most likely to have increasing impact on California as the climate changes. These include increased wildfires and extended fire seasons, rising sea levels along 1,100 miles of coastline and reduced availability of water with reduced snow pack in the Sierras and extended periods of drought. The panel will develop recommendations for consideration by the Governor and his administration, the legislature and other stakeholders in July 2010.

The Climate Adaptation Advisory Panel will not receive a salary and is made up of 23 prominent business, labor, environment, government and private sector leaders:

Patrick Lavin, business manager and financial secretary for International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 47, member of the IBEW Executive Council

William K. Reilly, founding partner of Aqua International Partners, senior advisor for TPG Capital, former administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Mason Willrich, chair of the California Independent System Operator Board of Governors

Rafael Jose Aguilera, climate justice advocate and co-founder of the Verde Group

John Bryson, senior advisor to KKR, member of The Boeing Company Board of Directors, former chair and chief executive officer for Edison International

Audrey Chang, director of the California Climate Program for the Natural Resources Defense Council

Cynthia L. Cory, director of environmental affairs for the California Farm Bureau Federation

Bryant Danner, general counsel for Edison International

Ron Gastelum, special counsel for water and energy to the Cordoba Corporation, former chief executive officer for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California

T.J. Glauthier, president of TJG Energy Associates

Lee K. Harrington, executive director for the Southern California Leadership Council, former senior vice president of operations and support for the Southern California Gas Company

Robert M. Hertzberg, partner at the Mayer Brown law firm, co-founder and principal of Renewable Capital, chairman and co-founder of G24 Innovations

Winston H. Hickox, partner at California Strategies

Loren Kaye, president for the California Foundation for Commerce and Education

Kaylynn L. Kim, attorney at the Allen Matkins law firm

Jane Long, principal associate director at large for Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), fellow at LLNL's Center for Global Security Research

Sunne Wright McPeak, president and chief executive officer for the California Emerging Technology Fund, former secretary for the California Business, Transportation and Housing Agency

Supervisor Michael Rubio, vice chairman of the Kern County Board of Supervisors, chairman of the San Joaquin Valley Regional Planning Agencies Policy Council

Dr. Rebecca Shaw, associate state director of conservation programs for The Nature Conservancy's California chapter.

Daniel Sperling, professor of civil engineering and environmental science and policy and founding director of the Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California, Davis

Governor Pete Wilson, principal of the Bingham Consulting Group, of counsel at the Bingham McCutchen law firm, former governor of California

Diane Wittenberg, executive director of The Climate Registry

Jim Wunderman, president and chief executive officer of the Bay Area Council