PLANET EARTH
Remember the Paris Accord when the politicians were proudly telling us that they had agreed to reduce the rise in temperature to within 1.5C.
What they didn’t say is that the scientists said it should be zero.
But never mind, because this hasn’t been achieved.
The temperature is scheduled to rise by 3C.
The latest news is that the permafrost is melting, releasing massive amounts of methane.
All this is irreversible.
So will the crisis be averted and will we control the global rise in temperatures and thus avoid the rise in sea levels, floods and storms, and billions of people losing their homes because they live on low lying land or flood planes??
NO.
Look at the facts.
Each of us produces 2 tonnes of CO2 every year, just living and eating.
Add another 5 tonnes driving our cars.
Then add the CO2 emissions produced when we build a house, lay concrete, build an electric car, build a motorway bridge, use a plane, install wind farms, build a hydroelectric dam.
So the plan is to stop producing petrol cars in 10 years time.
Actually it’s not a plan, because a plan requires detailed planning, not a government statement.
And to make matters even worse, Boris Johnson will be chairing the climate control conference in Glasgow.
So expect a lot of positive propaganda which will mean absolutely nothing.
China will carry on building hundreds of coal fired power stations, the under developed world will continue understandably to strive to have our standard of living, and more forests will be ploughed up to produce more avocados and soya beans.
On the positive side,
I’m too old to worry about the next 20 years.
I am fortunate to have been born after the second world war (well almost), and to have lived during a time of high employment, access to early retirement, a functioning health service, and a time of a stable environment.
PS.
Local temperatures are dropping to the low 30s next weeks, so not all doom and gloom.
