Dave Carson is a member of the Dundas Valley Sunrise Rotary Club. He has given tirelessly to the club on a number of committees, and this year he is devoting his energy in part to our Community Service and Environment Committee. Today he spoke on COP26 and the Climate Emergency.
Since 1988, nations of the world have been meeting to discuss and explore the problem of climate change. By 1992, a UN Framework Convention on Climate Change was created, and by 1997 the Kyoto Protocol, the world’s first greenhouse gas emission reduction treaty was adopted. The Kyoto Protocol was put in force for 2005.
Since 1988, nations of the world have been meeting to discuss and explore the problem of climate change. By 1992, a UN Framework Convention on Climate Change was created, and by 1997 the Kyoto Protocol, the world’s first greenhouse gas emission reduction treaty was adopted. The Kyoto Protocol was put in force for 2005.
There have been two other significant “Conference of the Parties” (COP), Copenhagen 2009 and Paris 2015 where the Paris Agreement on Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) was signed. However, in the words of Greta Thunberg, these agreements can be seen as “blah, blah, blah” since so many nations have not made their NDC targets; Canada is one of these nations. This brings everyone to Glasgow, COP 26, and the last best chance to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050 in order to keep the average temperature of the planet from rising more than 1.5degrees C. The NDC’s will be steep and the time from now to 2030 is considered crucial.
We have seen the weather and climate change effects of the current temperature rise, which is less than 1 degree C. – Extreme storms, extreme drought, rising oceans. Climate Change is an emergency that poses immediate risk to health, life, property and our environment and it requires urgent intervention to prevent a worsening of the situation. If we stay with current policies, by 2050 the planet’s average temperature will rise between 2.8-3.2 degrees C. We are currently expelling 50 Gigatons of GHG into the atmosphere; we are currently seeing the summer temperatures in dry areas of B.C. reach 49 degrees; the permafrost in the high Artic is melting; drought is scorching the prairies. What an almost tripling of temperature rise would mean is horrible to imagine.
4 Key Goals for Glasgow COP 26
1. Secure global net zero GHG emissions by 2050 to keep the temperature rise of 1.5 degrees within reach
2. Adapt in order to protect communities and Natural habitats by enabling countries affected by climate change to avoid loss of homes, livelihoods and lives.
3. Mobilize the Global Financial community to raise at least $100bn in climate finance per year. This will require monies from international financial institutions in both the private and public sectors.
4. Finalize the Paris Rulebook in order to turn ambitions into actions and accelerate the collaboration between businesses, governments, and civil society. We must all work together.
There is no doubt this will be HARD. But humans have the capacity to intentionally take action toward something that will not be easy so that the end result will far exceed the effort and pain endured. We must find the will.
HOW TO GET TO NET ZERO?
Markets, Technology and Invention cannot do the job alone. Governments by means of regulation, legislation and taxation cannot do the job alone. People of like mindedness and common values working to change cannot do the job alone.
All three together, markets, governments, people, can.
Markets, Technology and Invention cannot do the job alone. Governments by means of regulation, legislation and taxation cannot do the job alone. People of like mindedness and common values working to change cannot do the job alone.
All three together, markets, governments, people, can.
LAST WORDS
Dave’s final message was for us inform ourselves and others and take action.
Four resources for information are:
1) “Climate Change 2021-The Physical Science Basis” Report ipcc (Science)
2) How to Avoid a Climate Disaster – Bill Gates (markets, technology, innovation)
3) A Good War -- Seth Klein (government policy)
4) Saving Us – Katharine Hayhoe (peers, community action)
We have made unprecedented changes in the climate with GHG emissions; some are irreversible for centuries or millennia. If we believe in the 4 Way Test, the time to act is now.
Some simple individual actions we can take:
. Shop less, live more
. Buy local, think local
. Eat lower on the food chain
. Drive less
. Rethink air travel
. Electrify
Dave’s final message was for us inform ourselves and others and take action.
Four resources for information are:
1) “Climate Change 2021-The Physical Science Basis” Report ipcc (Science)
2) How to Avoid a Climate Disaster – Bill Gates (markets, technology, innovation)
3) A Good War -- Seth Klein (government policy)
4) Saving Us – Katharine Hayhoe (peers, community action)
We have made unprecedented changes in the climate with GHG emissions; some are irreversible for centuries or millennia. If we believe in the 4 Way Test, the time to act is now.
Some simple individual actions we can take:
. Shop less, live more
. Buy local, think local
. Eat lower on the food chain
. Drive less
. Rethink air travel
. Electrify
The environment is the 7th area of focus for Rotary International. We are all in this together for the future of earth. Here is the link to Katharine Hayhoe’s TED talk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BvcToPZCLI