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The Link between Bay-Friendly Landscaping and Global Warming We are experiencing global warming and there is now "unprecedented certainty" that this is due to greenhouse gases that are emitted into the atmosphere when we bum fossil fuels. Average temperatures are increasing, rain patterns are changing and extreme weather events, including heavy downpours and floods, heat waves and drought, are becoming more frequent. If you professionally design, install and manage landscapes, the climate changes due to global warming will create new challenges to the way you do business, and the expertise your clients will need from you. Conventional landscaping practices that contribute to global warming, by relying on coal, oil and natural gas for powering equipment, transporting landscape materials and waste over long distances, manufacturing pesticides and fertilizers, pumping and using water in the landscape may become increasingly subject to local, state and federal regulations, and less attractive to your clients. Additionally, the consequences of global warming will clearly impact the landscaping expertise needed to differentiate your business in the marketplace. You may be required to deal with the problems associated with: ^ Planting and hardiness zones that are changing ^ Plants that are leafing out and blooming earlier ^ Birds and butterflies that are breeding and migrating earlier ^ Wildlife species that are shifting their ranges Studies indicate, for example, that increasing temperatures could make aphids capable of producing more than I million offspring in 2 months - up from the 300,000 that they can currently produce. Drought- stressed plants are more attractive to aphids and susceptible to disease.Tough, invasive pest plants are expected to be able to exploit new conditions and expand their spread. Plant species native to the San Francisco Bay Area may find the conditions to which they have adapted changing dramatically. It may become more diffcult to help your clients provide habitat and food for wildlife, as butterfly caterpillars emerge before the leaves of their host plants, or bees arrive too early or late to feed on the flowers that provide them with food. Put on your garden gloves and fight global warming You can distinguish yourself in the marketplace by preparing to deal with landscape problems associated with global warming and by becoming part of the solution. The practices detailed in these Bay-Friendly Landscape Guidelines are effective steps toward a solution to the problem of global warming. Direct and immediate ways to reduce the impact of the landscapes you design, install or maintain, include: ^ Keeping yard waste out of landfills where it decomposes anaerobically, releasing methane Decreasing the burning of fossil fuels by: • Keeping plant debris on site by grasscycling, mulching and composting • Using hand-powered tools or equipment powered by biofuels • Carpooling and careful planning of routes • Irrigating efficiently • Reducing lawn size • Selecting low maintenance and drought- tolerant California native plants Nurturing the soil to maintain its ability to store carbon, by: • Efficiently using natural fertilizers as a source of nitrogen • Building the organic matter content of the soil • Minimizing site and soil disturbance • Protecting the soil from compaction ^ Planting and protecting trees Less organic matter transported = less C02 Less organic debris in the landfill = less CH4 Reduced mowing & trimming = less C02 Fewer fertilizers & pesticides = less N20 & C02 Reduced water consumption = less C02 Increased soil organic matter = less C02 I INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE GHANG E. 7