Christopher Ratcliff

Christopher (Kit) Ratcliff, FAIA, NCARB, LEED, is the third generation leader of Ratcliff, the century-old, award-winning architectural firm in Emeryville, California. He has pledged the firm's resources toward sustainable practice in concert with the AIA's 2030 Challenge and is committed to bringing the impact of greenhouse gas emissions on climate change to the attention of clients and colleagues. Visit www.ratcliffarch.com to learn more.

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The First Step to Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emission is Measurement

By Christopher Ratcliff, October 16, 2008

There is a powerful sense in our country and around the world that climate change is real and it will take strong, immediate action to reduce the causes of global warming and lessen the worst that climate change portends. While there are many problems facing the environment, greenhouse gas emissions are clearly a main driver of climate change.

We are told we need to reduce by well over half the GHGs we put into the atmosphere in only a few years to reduce their impact on climate change. Various timetables and targets are debated nationally and internationally, but agreement among national and world leaders over the timeframe in the short term...

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Climate Change: An Urgent Case for Altering our Practices

By Christopher Ratcliff, August 18, 2008

Many of the current and future effects of climate change are being reported in our media, and we are all developing a deeper understanding of what is at stake. Most reporting portrays serious but gradual changes in our environment, although there are occasional references to "tipping points leading to catastrophe." Typically, these tipping points or catastrophes are not explained, so they seem academic and somewhat remote.

As the planet heats up, we are learning that a number of significant changes are occurring. From animals perishing by being unable to adapt quickly enough, to melting ice sheets, to forests and oceans becoming uninhabitable...

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