TAGS
The more we delay, the more we will pay. Climate change is accelerating and human activities are the principal cause, as documented in a series of authoritative scientific reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The effects are already widespread, costly and consequential — to agriculture, water resources, human health, and ecosystems on land and in the oceans. Climate change poses sweeping risks for economic stability and the security of nations. Ban Ki-moon Secretary-General, United Nations: | | | |
Update of the GISS (Goddard Institute for Space Studies) global temperature analysis (GISTEMP) finds 2014 to be the warmest year in the instrumental record… The 15 warmest years all occurred since 1998 | | | | | (April 2015) | | |
“With an apparent cruel twist of fate, my country is being tested by this hellstorm called Super Typhoon Haiyan, which has been described by experts as the strongest typhoon that has ever made landfall in the course of recorded human history”. , 2013
For the world to meet its climate goals, a third of the world’s oil, half its gas and 80% of its coal must stay underground” (Ecologist, Jan 2015)
“Mitigation- taking strong action to reduce emissions – must be viewed as an investment, a cost incurred now and in the coming decades to avoid the risks of very severe consequences in the future. If these investments are made wisely, the costs will be manageable, and there will be a wide range of opportunities for growth and development along the way”. , (2006). | T | | | | (Sept 2015) | |
“Development of (fossil fuel) resources in the Arctic and any increase in unconventional oil production are incommensurate with efforts to limit average global warming to 2 °C”
The task of promoting human development, ending poverty, increasing global prosperity, and reducing global inequality will be very challenging in a 2°C world, but in a 4°C world there is serious doubt whether this can be achieved at all. Immediate steps are needed to help countries adapt to the climate impacts being felt today and the unavoidable consequences of a rapidly warming world. The benefits of strong, early action on climate change — action that follows clean, low carbon pathways and avoids locking in unsustainable growth strategies — far outweigh the costs. | (World Bank 2015) | | | |
|
Fossil energy a threat to our common future
The fossil fuel era can be dismantled within less than two decades. Three measures:
Fossil fuel propaganda and deniers delay responsible action
Climate deniers have as mission to confuse and create uncertainty. The point is to create decision-makers’ paralysis in order for business to continue as usual: trillions in subsidies from the world’s taxpayers, socialization of losses, privatization of profits in the coal- and oil industry. Externalization of costs is set in system by the international fossil industry.
To draw attention away from the elephant in the room, the deniers keep creating quasi-scientific discussions about the Pope’s beard. They keep running around screaming and pointing to mouse droppings in the corner and flies in the window. But the elephant keeps standing there, and more and more see it. It is pitch black and very threatening. It consists of that we daily burn over 90 million barrels of oil and an equivalent amount of coal and gas. In addition we destroy rainforests at an amazing speed.
One barrel of oil equals 159 litres, roughly a full bathtub. This corresponds to 14 310 000 000 litres of oil every day. Every day we burn a corresponding additional amount of coal and gas. If we add the coal, oil and gas, it corresponds to burning over 300 000 litres of oil, or an olympic sized swimming pool filled with oil every second, 24/7 year round. One should be keen on illusions to believe that this has no negative effects.
“It has become more urgent than ever to face up to the threats of climate change”
“The financial costs linked to climate change represent the biggest threat to the global economy, Nobel Prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz”
The delayed implementation of the Short lived climate pollutants (SLCP) control measures presented in the could have negative consequences on temperature rise. Due to the relatively short lifetimes of SLCPs climate benefits could be achieved quickly after mitigation of emissions. ()
“We can no longer tinker about the edges, We can no longer continuing treating our addiction to fossil fuels as if there were no tomorrow, or there will be no tomorrow.” (D.Tutu)
“…it is important to place a strong emphasis on managing climate change, rather than simply responding passively to it.” (Munich re)
“If this nation relies on a stable climate system, and the very habitability of this nation and all of the liberties of young people and their survival interests are at stake, the courts need to force the agencies and the legislatures to simply do their job.” (M. Wood)
Grandparents Climate Campaign regards global warming as the greatest ethical challenge of our times and a matter of intergenerational justice. GCC’s aim is to contribute to securing a planet for coming generations in ecological harmony. This necessitates reduction of our dependency on fossil resources, and a speedier conversion to greener energy
Aspen, Colorado, hasn’t just pledged to go 100 percent renewable for its electricity supply, it has pledged to do so by 2015
B Corps are better companies – better for workers, better for communities and better for the environment.
“Time is running out. The more we delay, the more we will pay. Climate change is accelerating and human activities are the principal cause” B.K.Moon
The U.S. military refers to climate change as a “threat multiplier” because it has the potential to exacerbate many of today’s challenges – from infectious disease to terrorism. (Defence secr. Hagel)
Lots of poorer countries may be gearing up to largely skip fossil fuel reliance in favor of renewables
Human influence on the climate system is clear, and recent anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases are the highest in history. Recent climate changes have had widespread impacts on human and natural systems
Tall chimneys do not entail no air pollution. Photo: Å. Bjørke
Millions die every year because of air pollution. In addition comes the enormous land areas polluted by oil spills as in Nigeria, Canada and Baku. In the USA fracking pollutes incredible amounts of freshwater. || || || (March 2014) || (March 2014) || (April 2014) || || || || || || || .
(Sept 2015)
Source: Annual temperature variations are variations in weather. Climate is average parameters over 30 years. Focusing on one year is unscientific cherry-picking. The last three decades have seen a clear warming trend, despite low solar activity.
When measuring the average temperature over decades, there is a clear and dramatic warming the last 30 years.Global warming the last three decades has been dramatic. Source:
. . |……………………………..
(April 2014) || || || || (May 2014) ||| || || || || (April 2014) || May 2014) || || || (May 2014) || || || || || || || || (June 2014) || || (2013) ||
Oil driven technology – desalination in QatarPhoto: Å. Bjørke
Transfer the coal and oil subsidies to renewable energy, and within two to three decades, the present irresponsible and unethical paradigm of reckless greed will be gone, and a new and much better sustainable society will develop.
The risks of continuing our experiments with climate and fossil fuel dependency are enormous. The risks of transforming our societies to a responsible, low-polluting, sustainable and resilient society are negligible, while the gains are a much better and safer society for all.
.
