“We are on a highway to climate hell with our foot on the accelerator.”
Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary General
The World Series of the climate world is in full swing. Each year, world leaders meet for a climate summit called Conference of the Parties of the United Nations. The twenty-seventh meeting (COP27) is happening now. In his opening remarks, the UN Secretary General said we are on a “highway to climate hell”. Whoa. He’s not mincing words.
A few emerging themes:
1. The wealthiest countries have gotten us here (see below). But developing countries are feeling the worst effects right now, and often don’t have the resources to recover. This week, several European countries committed to help those countries pay for damage from climate-related disasters.
2. The war in Ukraine has been a setback for climate efforts. As the supply of gas from Russia has been disrupted, some countries have reverted to burning coal to meet immediate energy needs. On the positive side, this instability has underscored the economic and national security benefits of renewable energy.
3. It’s time for countries and companies to pivot from ideas to implementation, and move faster to phase out fossil fuels. In other words, we know what to do, so let’s get to the doing part.
The bright side
The global temperature is still rising, but because of the increase in renewable energy, the trajectory has slowed. We’re not where we need to be, but we’re making progress.
A different highway
Every fraction of a degree of warming will have massive impact, so there is urgency to accelerate the transition. This is not the time to throw in the towel and stay on the highway to hell. The exact opposite is true. There is a different highway heading toward a better future. Let’s hop over to that one.
What can we do?
- Reduce our energy use
- Tell our leaders we care about this issue
- Learn about upcoming tax incentives to decarbonize our homes and businesses
- Continue to talk about climate change with friends, neighbors, and family members
Let’s do something about climate change. Learn about it. Think about it. Talk about it.