| Now the Paris Climate Change talks are over. We got the deal, now we actually have to do something. Starting today. http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/dec/13/paris-climate-talks-15c-marathon-negotiating-physics Small personal efficiencies all help but they won't solve the problem. Which does raise the question of what we expected to happen in Paris, and what we expect politicians (or anyone really) to do next. Politicians (in all countries worldwide) can do some big macro things by setting rules, regulations and putting processes in place. And by investing public money in big infrastructure. So as a start this should be penalising fossil fuels instead of subsidising them. Taxing fossil fuel use and using the funds generated to change the game and to push the market. And subsidising renewables to encourage deployment. With low structural inflation and low oil prices this is a perfect time to to be introducing aggressive carbon taxes. Now. Not in 2016 or 2020 or 2030 or 2050. Now. -- From the article:- you don’t get to go drilling or mining in new areas, even if you think it might make you lots of money. The Arctic will have to be completely off limits, as will the Powder River Basin of Montana and Wyoming. The pre-salt formations off Brazil, and the oil off the coasts of north America too. You’ve got to stop fracking right away (in fact, that may be the greatest imperative of all, since methane gas does its climate damage so fast). You have to start installing solar panels and windmills at a breakneck pace – and all over the world. The huge subsidies doled out to fossil fuel have to end yesterday, and the huge subsidies to renewable energy had better begin tomorrow. You have to raise the price of carbon steeply and quickly, so everyone gets a clear signal to get off of it. At the moment the world has no real plan to do any of those things. It continues to pretend that merely setting the goal has been work enough for the last two decades. -- And this kind of thing really doesn't help. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/dec/13/conservatives-energy-green-cuts-policies-paris-deal The UK Conservatives’ attacks on wind, solar and other ‘clean’ technologies has undermined ability to meet CO2 targets, experts say The government has been warned that a major U-turn in energy policy is required if it is to avoid charges of blatant hypocrisy following the commitments it made in the Paris climate deal this weekend. -- Say one thing, do another. Amber Rudd and the Tories will tell you "The UK will deliver" while cutting subsidies to and blocking renewables, subsidising fossil fuels and wasting huge amounts of money on unrealistic nuclear projects. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-35087059   Climate deal: the pistol has fired, so why aren’t we running? | Bill McKibben »There can be no complacency after the Paris talks. Hitting even the 1.5C target will need drastic, rapid action [from: Google+ Posts] |
[ << After Paris and the COP21 climate talks, compare and contrast a couple of pop-sci graphs. ] [ Nothing to see here. Please get back in your boat and move along. >> ]
[ 14-Dec-15 9:12am ]
