On Wednesday 20th November, I attended a long awaited lecture by the world renowned Kevin Anderson; he has done incredible work alongside the Swedish and British governments, along with working alongside the EU to tackle the crisis of climate change.
He began his lecture by reminding us of the Paris Agreement; an agreement in which many European States, and several African countries, all agreed to cap global warming at 1.5oC-2oC by limiting the amount of CO2.
However the UK (and indeed many other) governments have not kept this. With many new gas and oil extraction sites being opened within the last year alone, such as Clair-Ridge Oil platform, Glengorm Gas Field and the Preston New Road Fracking Site, to name a few.
“We have fundamentally failed at climate change”
He stated regarding the issue, especially when considering the misinformation being provided, claiming the UK has had a 42% reduction since 1990, when in actual fact this figure doesn’t include aviation or shipping.
We have in fact only seen a 10% fall since 1990, and other “climate progressive countries”, he quoted, have had no decrease, with Norway’s emissions increasing by 50%, and Ireland being up 25%.
There is a large amount of offsetting, and speculative future technologies that are being relied on, and are not getting the job done.
“It is Technocratic Fraud”
With offsetting (which he called: “paying someone to diet for you”), partial accounting, speculative Negative Emission Technologies (NETs) we are consistently and purposefully failing at solving climate change.
The real way to achieve change is via carbon budgeting, rather than by implementing deadlines. The planet will suffer more if we do it by the end of the deadline, than if we implement change immediately.
According to the Paris Agreement, reductions in CO2 emissions should be partially based on equity, meaning the wealthier countries should be responsible for more reduction, but this has not been happening.
Relating this to carbon budgeting, proportionally the UK should be 3-3.8 billion tonnes of CO2 from 2020-2100. Sounds like a lot, right? Wrong.
We would fulfil our 80 years carbon budget, in under 9 years of current emissions.
Is there any Hope?
Until only few years ago, Anderson and others had little hope for the future of climate change, but some recent events have raised his hopes:
- Social Media – grants a more diverse view of the world rather than that of the ‘media barons’
- Political Change – The questioning of the establishment, and the radical breakthrough of new ideas.
- Emergence of People Power – with everyday people, you and me, having the power to decide what we do and don’t want, which is only amplified in larger groups
- Plummeting price of renewables – making them more accessible for all, and allows for a greener future.
He concludes by stating that real change needs to come from a renewable revolution. Discarding our current economic model, of constant expansion and exploitation of natural resources, and adopt a green new model, with sustainable energy and production of resources.
It is only by having a rapid economic transformation from an 81% fossil fuel dependant country, to a fully renewable country.
But what can YOU do?
Talk. As simple as this, you need to talk with friends, family and colleagues about how you can reduce your emissions, and collectively, you can make a massive difference, and you can help influence the millionaires and the policy makers who are pioneering our demise.
This has really inspired me, and given the message that as biologists, scientists and human beings we should strive to help heal the damage we have done. In my future career I think it would be very fulfilling to work in conservation of animals or in attempting to stop climate change, as these are two man made problems that we must all fight to prevent occurring.
He has given similar lectures all across the country, some of which can be found on Youtube.
Lukas Edwards, 14th February 2020
Biology Express: Zoology 