Earth Day 2021

I thought I should make an effort to offer a resource for Earth Day. I have concluded that the most important step for any average citizen is to become informed enough to realize the seriousness of this problem as an initial step to promoting and supporting the political will to take the steps necessary to address the multiple interrelated problems. I have read several sources on climate challenge and recommend a book by Bill Gates as both readable and I believe realistic.

Some important arguments:

1. This is a global challenge and it would be unfair if the wealthy countries that have had the major role in creating the climate crisis expected the same commitments from poorer countries in addressing the problem. The wealthy countries have built their wealth partly being doing the things that used cheap energy and should not expect those attempting to build a better economy to ignore these same energy sources (e.g., coal, oil) and construction materials (e.g., concrete) as they attempt to do better.
   1. Quote from book – To have any hope of staving off disaster, the world’s biggest emitters—the richest countries—have to get to net-zero emissions by 2050.
2. Addressing climate change at this point must involve more than reducing doing more damage as the damage done takes so long to dissipate. For example, slowing down carbon dioxide and methane production will not be enough. We need to remove these gases from the atmosphere.
   1. Quote from book – to avoid the worst climate scenarios, at some point we’ll not only need to stop adding more gases but actually need to start removing some of the gases we have already emitted.
3. Innovation and research are the only ways to solve the problem. These activities require investment and many attempts will not be successful. This means we cannot rely on companies worried about their bottom lines to solve the problem.
   1. Quote from book – When it comes to climate change, I know innovation isn’t the only thing we need. But we cannot keep the earth livable without it. Techno-fixes are not sufficient, but they are necessary.
   2. engaging in the political process is the most important single step that people from every walk of life can take to help avoid a climate disaster.
4. The cost of better energy sources must be lower than the cost of old energy sources. This may require determining the full cost of old energy sources and adding fees so that cost to the environment can be addressed.
   1. Quote from book – oil is cheaper than a soft drink. I could hardly believe this the first time I heard it, but it’s true. Here’s the math: A barrel of oil contains 42 gallons; the average price in the second half of 2020 was around $42 per barrel, so that comes to about $1 per gallon. Meanwhile, Costco sells 8 liters of soda for $6, a price that amounts to $2.85 a gallon. 
   2. Today, when businesses make products or consumers buy things, they don’t bear any extra cost for the carbon involved, even though that carbon imposes a very real cost on society.
5. Many are frustrated with wealthy tech entrepreneurs proposing and even funding solutions to problems in other areas (e.g., education, climate). Gates recognizes this reaction and admits many proposals have not been successful. However, Gates works hard at becoming knowledgeable and relies on experts who guide the areas explores and invests his money. 
   1. The world is not exactly lacking in rich men with big ideas about what other people should do, or who think technology can fix any problem. I think more like an engineer than a political scientist, and I don’t have a solution to the politics of climate change.

Gates offers a data-based and realistic analysis. He begins by providing data that summarizes the sectors responsible for greenhouse gas emissions arguing all of these sectors must be considered rather than attending only to the the traditional targets (e.g., self driving cars, solar panels). His approach is surprisingly optimistic given the many changes he argues must occur, but he argues that governments must encourage and support the scientific community to develop methods to address these multiple challenges. This is the only way he sees the world taking on what he sees as the massive challenge we face.