Staff Writer

ONEONTA —A climate similar to Georgia could be one local result of global warming, said an environmental activist Monday night.

A program on "Global Warming and Local Action" was held at the Autumn Cafe on Monday by the Otsego County Conservation Association in observance of Earth Day 2003.

Christine Vanderlan, energy program associate with Environmental Advocates in Albany, spoke of the causes of global warming and the specific impacts it could have on New York state. Climate changes caused by global warming could exacerbate air pollution, lead to shorter snowfall seasons and impact wildlife, driving species that thrive in colder weather farther north.

Global warming, she said, could cause the average temperature to rise 6 degrees to 10 degrees worldwide by the end of the century, which could translate into the area having a climate similar to that in Georgia right now.

State University College at Oneonta biology Professor Donna Vogler presented findings that the city of Oneonta, including the two colleges, produces an estimated 208,017 tons of carbon dioxide emissions a year. Nearly half of those emissions come from transportation, she said.

"We as city residents are actually driving a bit more because of our rural location," she said.

Carbon dioxide is one of the "greenhouse" gases that traps heat, causing global warming.

Vogler and five students collected data and surveyed local residents during the Fall 2002 semester to produce a citywide ecological footprint.

According to their study, the city requires 321,000 acres of forest, 87 percent of the forested land in the county, to sequester carbon dioxide.

Both spoke of solutions to global warming. Vanderlan outlined ways to reduce emissions, such as making vehicles more efficient and generating electricity through other means besides burning fossil fuels.

In addition, Vogler said, it is important to maintain resources, such as forests, that sequester carbon dioxide.

"Even though that is a small part of the global warming solution, it is one that we should respect," she said.

The OCCA also plans to discuss global warming solutions —such as setting targets for reducing carbon dioxide emissions —with the city's Environmental Board, according to OCCA Executive Director Teresa Winchester.

"We're not pointing a finger at the city of Oneonta," Winchester said. "It's just that the concentration of the population is found here and naturally, the concentration of carbon dioxide emissions are found here."

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Melissa Scram can be reached at mscram@thedailystar.com or (607) 441-7213.