We Have The Power — Do We Have The Will?
To the Editor:
Last month, the 28th meeting of the “Conference of the Parties” to the United Nations Climate Convention (COP28) took place in Dubai, UAE. 197 countries and 85,000 people participated. Why is this important?
We know how difficult it is to get two political parties to agree on anything, never mind 197 Sovereign States with different political leaders/ideologies at very different stages of their social and economic development.
Never-the-less, the meeting did take place. Negotiations were intense. Discussions messy and prolonged … But agreements were made, that are considered amongst the most important since the “Paris Accords” of COP21 in 2015. Details of the outcomes/agreements may be found on websites including the UN unfccc.int and Atlantic Council atlanticcouncil.org.
Of course, words mean nothing, unless they are converted into real actions. The road ahead on Climate Change is not easy, but the need is there. 2023 may be the hottest year on record according to organizations such as the EU’s Copernicus service and US-based Climate Central. Check out Dickie, Hartman and Trainer’s excellent article on reuters.com
…But the world cannot afford it, right? Well, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimated Fossil Fuel subsidies to be approximately $5.9 trillion in 2020 alone! Shifting these subsidies to renewables would cut emissions, stimulate economic growth, create jobs and improve public health (just read up on Black Lung [CWP] in places like West Virginia. There’s an excellent article on the American Lung Association webpage lung.org).
…But we’re not yet ready with clean energy alternatives, right? Well, India will match Germany and run its first Hydrogen Train in 2024 and Shell reduced emissions by 60 percent at the Indy500 by using Renewable Race Fuel-Ethanol from Sugar Cane Waste… Where there’s a will!
So, let’s take a look at the energy production happening today in the US. Six states produce 2/3 or more of their electricity from renewable sources. All are northern (less sunny). How is it possible that 20 states (some the sunniest in the nation) still produce less than 1/3 of their electricity sustainably? Let’s challenge them to reach 100 percent!
Yes, the world would need approximately a $4.0 trillion a year investment to develop technology and infrastructure towards “Net-Zero,” but it is doable and would save the world approximately $4.2 trillion/year by 2030!
Over the past months, we have written a number of articles on different aspects of Climate Change. We always provide a few actionable ideas for consideration. Here are two more:
*Use your vote. We all know 2024 is Election Year. Vote for the candidates who have a genuine commitment to the Climate Agenda.
*Use your wallet. If you have (retirement) investments, buy into companies with genuine commitments to the climate agenda; avoid those that continue to rely on fossil fuels.
There’s no doubt, we have the power/technology! Do we have the will?
It’s up to you.
Do it for your grandchildren!
Frank B. Gardner and Neil P. Randle
Sandy Hook
How did those 85,000 people get to Dubai? The top states mentioned above rely on hydro power for the bulk of their electricity; solar and wind not so much.
The majority of items in our homes, cars, clothing, shoes, cosmetics, eye glasses, food packaging, etc…are made from petroleum. Wind and solar won’t replace those items.
And $4 trillion would reduce the temperature by how much?…..there’s never an answer, it’s always just about the money.
Many thanks for your comment. It is important that we engage in this conversation. Your points are valid. It is true to say that cars are ca 50% plastic by volume (10 by weight). Plastics are typically very effective and efficient materials. However 100 years ago we did not use them at all and there is no reason why they cannot be revamped or replaced. Same goes for the other items you mention. Plastics do not have to come from petroleum-based feedstocks. They also do not have to be virgin. They can be reused and/or recycled. Many companies are actively engaged in this work. Substantial progress has been made but there is a lot more left to do. Same goes for energy. We are not saying that all energy must be wind and solar BUT we could produce a huge amount more using the plentiful supplies of sunshine and wind available in the US which would bring costs down dramatically… particularly if our politicians moved away from the fossil-fuel lobby and donors… It really is a choice. What we do know is that for everyone on the planet to have a US standard of living we would need 5 Earths. Sadly we only have one… which suggests we need to take better care of our planet… Happy to engage further…
Any particular timeframe on when the US standard of living will become universal? The choice to be made is not to purchase products from countries that exploit their people and natural resources to deliver cheap products for the US market. Might be worth 2-3 Earths in the long run.