The Science of Earth's Climate Change

[Guest]

FYI: 'Nuclear weapons pose a greater (imminent and existential) threat than climate change.'

https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2016/02/nuclear-weapons-pose-greater-threat-climate-change.

[Guest]

FYI: On the Empty Promise/Pledge of Net Zero Carbon Emissions:

Countries and companies around the world are talking about their carbon footprint and promise to achieve “net zero” CO2 emissions or to become “carbon neutral” in the next few decades. But when we dive into the details, these promises rarely keep what they promise.

“I think there is increasing momentum behind real commitments to net zero. I think there will always be an element of brainwashing with that, ”explains Christopher Greig, senior research scientist at the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment at Princeton University. “There are people who are basically forced into these obligations by shareholder pressure.”

The US aims to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. China aims to do the same in 2060. A fifth of the world’s 2,000 largest public corporations are committed to net-zero targets, according to a new report by UK nonprofit Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU). Visa, AstraZeneca and Alaska Airlines all plan to eliminate carbon emissions by at least 2040, while other companies like Apple are committed to 100% carbon neutral supply chains and products by 2030.

Unfortunately, there are no standard guidelines for achieving net zero or carbon neutral emissions. This means that companies and countries can create their own definitions.

Companies that commit to being carbon neutral do not necessarily promise to remove carbon from their activities. Instead, they can support environmental projects that offset their own emissions. Examples are CO2 offsetting by groups that install renewable energies, plant and protect trees or provide other means for cleaning the atmosphere.

These plans are not necessarily realistic or helpful. For example, there is only so much space around the earth to plant trees. A recent Oxfam report calculated that the total area required for planned carbon removal could be five times the size of India, or the equivalent of all arable land on the planet.

Research by the Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative shows that less than 5% of the offsets actually remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

“Without a scientific foundation and a real path to net zero … some of the implications of these deals or commitments just might not be feasible,” said Rachel Kyte, climate advisor to the UN Secretary-General and dean of Tufts University’s Fletcher School.

So what should companies do to avoid hollow green promises? “A company must be able to measure and check its emissions both within its own operations and before and after operations,” explains Greig. “And it has to be able to measure, review, and show the outside world how it is doing against those goals.”

The answer is not easy and requires resources and complicated bookkeeping. However, many argue that these steps are necessary to reduce the risk of catastrophic climate change becoming inevitable.

Source Link: https://newsbeezer.com/ethiopia/the-empty-promise-of-net-zero-carbon-promises/.

[Guest]

FYI: 'No adults in the room’: Leaders criticised for climate inaction',

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/11/4/scepticism-abounds-as-world-leaders-address-climate-emergency.

[Guest]

FYI: 'The climate crisis is just another form of global oppression by the rich world.

At Cop26 the wealthy nations cast themselves as saviours, yet their efforts are hopelessly inadequate and will prolong the injustice.'

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/nov/05/the-climate-crisis-is-just-another-form-of-global-oppression-by-the-rich-world.

[Guest]

FYI:'Why is the Earth getting warmer every year?'

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=H2e8ctzSwDA.

[Guest]

Reference Link: 'UNEP website',

https://www.iqair.com/unep.

FYI: 'Infographic: The 100 most polluted cities in the world
Out of the world’s 100 most polluted cities, 94 are in India, China, and Pakistan.'

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/11/22/infographic-the-worlds-100-most-polluted-cities-interactive.

[Guest]

FYI: 'Nuclear weapons pose a greater (imminent and existential) threat than climate change.'

https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2016/02/nuclear-weapons-pose-greater-threat-climate-change.

"To maintain peaceful coexistence, the nations of Earth must prepare for war (nonexistence). What a intractable paradox! God help us! Amen!

[Guest]

FYI: Views from space reveal huge methane leaks in the US and Asia. They could be easy spots to cut emissions and save money.

[Guest]

FYI: WHO says 99% of world’s population breathes poor-quality air.

[Guest]

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