Reso13 PC 13-09 2859 Initial Study Mitigated Negative Declaration Kensington

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4.7 GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS 4.7.1 Existing Setting 4.7.1.1 Background Information This section provides a general discussion of global climate change and focuses on emissions from human activities that alter the chemical composition of the atmosphere. The discussion on global climate change and greenhouse gas emissions is based upon the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (Assembly Bill [AB] 32),the 2006 and 2009 Climate Action Team (CAT) reports to former Governor Schwarzenegger and the Legislature, and research,information, and analysis completed by the International Panel on Climate Change (IPPC),the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), California Air Resources Board(CARB), and the CAT. Global climate change refers to changes in weather including temperatures,precipitation, and wind patterns. Global temperatures are modulated by naturally occurring and anthropogenic(generated by mankind) atmospheric gases such as carbon dioxide(COz), methane(CH4), and nitrous oxide (Nzo).�s These gases allow sunlight into the Earth's atmosphere but prevent heat from radiating back out into outer space and escaping from the earth's atmosphere,thus altering the Earth's energy balance. This phenomenon is known as the greenhouse effect. California produced 474 million gross metric tons (MMT) of COz equivalent(COze) averaged over the period from 2002-2004. COze is a measurement used to account for the fact that different GHGs have different potential to retain infrared radiation in the atmosphere and contribute to the greenhouse effect. This potential,known as the global warming potential (GWP) of a GHG,is dependent on the lifetime, or persistence, of the gas molecule in the atmosphere. For example, one ton of CH4 has the same contribution to the greenhouse effect as approximately 23 tons of COz. Therefore, CH4 is a much more potent GHG than COz. Expressing emissions in COze takes the contributions of all GHG emissions to the greenhouse effect and converts them to a single unit equivalent to the effect that would occur if only COz were being emitted.16 Naturally occurring greenhouse gases include but are not limited to: carbon dioxide, methane,nitrous oxide,hydrofluorocarbons,perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride.�' Several classes of halogenated substances that contain fluorine, chlorine, or bromine are also greenhouse gases,but are for the most part solely a product of industrial activities. Impacts to California from climate change include shifting precipitation patterns,increasing temperatures,increasing severity and duration of wildfires, earlier melting of snow pack and effects on habitats and biodiversity. Sea levels along the California coast have risen up to seven inches over is IPCC,2007,Sunznzary for Policynzakers,In"Climate Change 2007:The Physical Science Bases. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change" [Solomon, S.,D. Qin,M.Mam�ing,Z. Chen,M.Marquis,K.B.Averyt,M.Tignor,and H.L.Miller(eds.)]. Cambridge University Press,Cambridge,United Kingdom and New York,NY,USA. Available at:htt��://i c� c"ch/ 16 BAAQMD. CEQA Guidelines. June 2010. <http://www.baaqmd.�ov/l�ivisions/I'lannin�-and-F�esearch/CE(�A-C�UII�ELINES/Updated-CE(�A- C�uidelines.as�x> Accessed Apri17,2011,2010. �'Greenhouse gases as defined by the adopted 2010 CEQA Guidelines. Kensington Assisted Living Facility Project 40 Initial Study Redwood City Apri12013