The TIME to DO SOMETHING is NOW
March 20th, 2006Lately it feels like the hardest thing for me to do is sit down and write something informative and positive about global climate change— especially when every other day, someone emails me an article about tipping points, reaching the point of no return and how yearly global temperatures continue to break records. HOWEVER, with my undying drive to find something to validate my position, I have spent the last few weeks looking for a new guide — and I think I found him: NASA scientist Dr. James Hansen. I can’t decide if I like him more for his pragmatic approach to dealing with global warming, or for outing the Bush Administration for trying to muzzle his warnings of it.
Whatever, he has given me what most dedicated environmental optimists thrive on — data to prove we are right to continue having faith in the face of so much opposition, and proof we are not in denial.
In short, Dr. Hansen’s position is that all the doomsday predictions are based on the assumption that overall, we will as a world community (mostly the US) continue to ignore alternative energy, and guzzle ourselves drunk on fossil fuels so that the next generation will choke on heat and CO2(Hummer owners take note). “Multiple lines of evidence indicate the Earth’s climate is nearing, but has not passed, a point of no return, beyond which it will be impossible to avoid climate change with far ranging undesireable consequences.” The point of no return will only be reached if we continue a business-as- usual (BAU) model. The BAU model leads to a climate forcing of 3 watts per square meter (stay with me now), which is the same as heating that would be caused by placing two miniature 1-Watt Christmas tree bulbs over every square meter of the Earth’s surface.
Dr. Hansen proposes another model, an “Alternative Scenario” in which growth of gas emissions is slowed in the first quarter of this century, followed by a reduction in emissions. This will be achieved through sginificant advancements in energy efficiency and technologies. According to his model, CO2 emissions would be reduced, as well as non CO2 gases, such as methane, tropospheric ozone (not the one that had a hole in it) and black carbon aerohsols (e.g.diesel exhaust). If all goes according plan, the result will be a climate forcing of 1 watt for the next 50 years– one-third of the BAU model.
Although Hansen is grounded in science, he acknowledges other forces that affect our collective future. “[S]pecial interests seek to maintain short-term profits with little regard to either long-term impact on the planet.” However they are not the only game in town, and have no corner on the control market. Dr. Hansen sees the opportunity for a partnership between a well-informed public with “the ability to override the influence of special interests” and scientists who can play a useful role in communicating the facts about climate change “in a credible and understandable fashion.”
Millenial Files has worked over the years to inform the public in much the same way, and will continue to do so. However, all the information in the world is nothing without commensurate action. Tipping-point scenarios require more than simple and basic individual responses, such as driving energy-efficient cars and using energy-efficient lightbulbs. It is not enough to only worry about taking care of one’s own back yard when the neighborhood is drowning. If you are really serious about being a good steward of Mother Earth, now is the time to make a greater commitment to that – like responding to organizations like MoveOn.org, when they send you a petition to sign and forward having to do with energy efficiency, or environmentCalifornia.org when they send you an alert with phone numbers and emails of your representatives in both state and federal legislatures. At the other end of the spectrum, if you are a shareholder, urge any company in which you invest to increase profitablity by cutting energy use and costs instead of payroll.
MAKE THE CALL!!! WRITE THE LETTER!!! SIGN YOUR NAME !!! To quote Mr. Carmichael again, “If you are not part of the solution, you are a part of the problem.” Time is not a luxury when so many indicators say it is running out. Who will forgive you if, ten or twenty years from now, you say, “I could have made a difference, but I didn’t make the time?” Imagine the next generation of that time looking you in the face and asking “Why not?” What will you say?
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