De massa’s mobiliseren voor klimaatleiderschap

Sep 10, 2018 Christiana Figueres , May Boeve

LONDEN – Dit jaar hebben extreme weersomstandigheden onze planeet gegeseld, waarbij kwetsbare gemeenschappen over de hele wereld zijn blootgesteld aan de steeds grotere impact van klimaatverandering. Elke nieuwe dag leren we meer over – en ervaren direct – de gevaarlijke consequenties van het winnen en verbranden van fossiele brandstoffen. Overstromingen, droogtes, en bosbranden worden dodelijker en de weerpatronen heftiger.

Later dit jaar zal het Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), de wetenschappelijke taskforce van de VN over het onderwerp, zijn eerste grote rapport in vier jaar afleveren. Het zal in detail de verwoestende consequenties uitwerken die ons te wachten staan als we de gemiddelde mondiale temperatuur niet binnen de 1,5°Celsius boven pre-industriële niveaus weten te houden. Ondanks gedane toezeggingen door regeringen en de industrie hebben we de 1°C al bereikt en zijn de gevolgen hiervan verschrikkelijk. Er bestaat een urgente noodzaak tot verandering.

Gelukkig heeft onmiddellijke actie om de uitstoot van broeikasgassen terug te dringen onmiddellijk voordelen. Toen acht kolen- en oliecentrales in Californië tussen 2001 en 2011 gesloten werden steeg binnen slechts een jaar het vruchtbaarheidscijfer van moeders die dichtbij een van deze faciliteiten woonden.

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Christiana Figueres

Writing for PS since 2015
11 Commentaries

Christiana Figueres, a founding partner of Global Optimism, is a co-author of the bestselling book The Future We Choose: The Stubborn Optimist’s Guide to the Climate Crisis, and a co-presenter of the Outrage + Optimism podcast. She was executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change from 2010-16, overseeing the landmark Paris agreement on climate change, adopted by 190 countries and the European Union.

May Boeve

Writing for PS since 2018
2 Commentaries

May Boeve is Executive Director of 350.org.

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Jose Antonio Vanderhorst Silverio Sep 10, 2018

If we were still under the Industrial Civilization to restore institutions of The Wealth of Nations where economic knowledge was clear cut, "The Masses Are Mobilizing for Climate Leadership" has precedents that it would be the best unique alternative.

However, here is a complementary unprecedented alternative, for whether or not having already overshot the global carrying capacity of the Industrial Civilization in a variety of key areas, including GHGs [greenhouse gases], nitrogen, phosphorus, fresh water, and use, and biodiversity. The reason to trust the alternative beyond scientific number is that systemic delays are so long that instead to continue “Wasting the crisis” we must start as soon as possible “Grasping the opportunities” to create institutional innovations of the #SystemicCivilization under #TheWealthOfGlobalization.

The above is one of the arguments that supports the Medium story "Get a friend to RT & Like an #MCGA Secular Stagnation Generative Dialogue." which is available in my personal Project Syndicate website temporarily, in order to get the support, for example, the example of the economists writing here in Project Syndicate. This complementary alternative approach would benefit greatly from the masses that "Are Mobilizing for Climate Leadership."
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Peter Schaeffer Sep 10, 2018

The "masses" are going to stop China from mining and burning coal? Really? What color is your sun? The "masses" are going stop India from following China?

At some (very important) level, the entire global warming debate is an exercise in futility. Developing countries now account for most CO2 emissions (63% as of 2015) and all of the growth. Of course, they are not about to restrict fossil fuel use (at least at this time). In other words, there is nothing the U.S. or Europe can do to control global CO2 output.

A few useful (but generally unknown) statistics. China now produces twice as much CO2 as the U.S. Of course, it is sometimes argued that the U.S. and Europe have been emitting CO2 for a long time and it is (therefore) unfair to focus on developing countries. That’s not an entirely bad argument. However, China has produced more CO2 in the last few decades than Europe has since the start of the Industrial Revolution.

Trump pulled the U.S. out of the Paris Accord. The Paris Accord imposed no substantive controls on developing countries Indeed, it generally ratified existing plans for massive increases in CO2 output from developing countries. Bjørn Lomborg estimated that the Paris Accord would reduce global temperatures by 0.05 C in 2100. An MIT study came up with 0.2 C in 2100. Other studies have claimed higher numbers for the Paris agreement. However, they assume additional post-Paris restrictions on CO2 output.

The bottom line is that Christiana Figueres and May Boeve simply aren't addressing the reality/realities at hand.
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Michael Public Sep 10, 2018

The coal plants are already built, the gas guzzling cars are on the roads, the republicans are in power. I think this could be a bigger problem than we imagine.
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