12 Comments
Aug 29Liked by Bill McKibben

Thanks for a great summary of recent developments on the climate front. I recommend that those concerned about climate change watch Johan Rockstrom's recent TED talk. In his view, we are getting dangerously close to some potential climate tipping points. He also thinks, and I agree, that we won't be able to stay under the 1.5 degree temperature increase advocated by the IPCC, but will end up overshooting that target. But Rockstrom also says it should be possible to bring the temperature increase back to 1.5 degrees or less by appropriate actions.

Expand full comment

It's the appropriate actions that continue to go undefined. In 2023 the UK's dependence on FFs for primary energy was ~78%. And total government revenues from UK oil and gas production were £9 billion in financial year 2022 to 2023, compared with £1.4 billion in 2021 to 2022, an increase of £7.6 billion." (GOV.UK)

In the US, "America's oil and natural gas industry supports 10.3 million jobs in the United States and nearly 8 percent of our nation's Gross Domestic Product.(US Census)

Or consider China, worlds biggest FF user & CO2e emitter. "China's total fossil fuel subsidies were the highest in the world at $2.2 trillion in 2022, amounting to 12.5% of the country's total GDP, according to the IMF."

I'm just asking a practical question: Since renewables can't electrify everything, and every country's economy is deeply dependent on FFs (including for ~70-80% of power generation), what "appropriate actions" can countries undertake that would not undercut growth & tank their economies? ...remembering that the only way to reduce emissions is to use less (a lot less!) FF energy.

Expand full comment
founding

Aaaaiiiiiie re Harris' interview. I just wrote her at the White House:

"I am a grandmother of four and I'm concerned about the planet that I and my generation will be leaving our grandchildren. We have blown past 350 ppm carbon dioxide. Storms are extreme. Heat is lethal. Our coasts are falling into the sea.

I am concerned about your statement that fracking can continue. This quote was in The Hill: “What I have seen is that we can grow and we can increase a thriving clean energy economy without banning fracking.”

I know we need to win Pennsylvania. Can we limit fracking by not building any more LNG plants? We must find ways to keep fossil fuels in the ground if we are to stop climate chaos. Instead the oil companies are expanding their drilling and pipelines and exports.

I hope you realize that we cannot continue to put CO2 in the air and leave a habitable planet for our grandchildren. Reining in the fossil fuel plutocracy will not be easy but somehow you must begin that process as soon as you are elected.

Thank you for listening. I'm working to make you President. Please do not turn out to be an ostrich.

Expand full comment
author

i think you've spoken for a lot of us

Expand full comment

We should stop using the phrase, "global warming." More accurate is "global rapid heating.". I doubt there is any locale in the northern hemisphere that hasn't set new records in high temperatures the last three years. We're on the slope of an exponential function and it's one we don't want to ride

Expand full comment

1. CBMs give a level playing field for allowance-buying EU cooperates versus importers who do not. A tariiff is, weill, a whole bunch of what is in IRA. The US got behind in cleantech and dove headlong into projectionism to catch up. EU started ETS nearly two decades ago. We took a bet that truckloads of carrots will get the job doze.

2. How many internal carbon pricers pass the cost on to customers? Easy in tech. Not iin undustry..

3. The US. helping internationally has been a disgrace. Without accepting responsibility for a quarter of today's climate forcing - debate slips into foreign aid ...and funds remains crumbs.

4. The US allocates capital on prices. We perpetuate a huge market failure... that CBM shines a light on. And US dealing misaccounted-for LNG is like fentanyl for developing countries trying energy transition.

We need to get real about the economic system (and pollution) we gave the world. And try leading.

Expand full comment

NO!

THANK YOU!!! So VERY much!!!

Expand full comment

As someone in London, interesting- and heartening- to read your take on July's thrilling general election result in Britain.

Expand full comment

Thank you.

Expand full comment