Climate Change Prevention


March, 2021


We are living in a period of dilemma. On the one hand we want more (growth, wealth, disposable income, better housing, more expensive cars, more holidays, more widgets and so on) while on the other we know more means the pace of climate change will increase. Clearly the science of climate change has been confirmed over and over and so to cherry pick only the science one finds most useful or lucrative amounts to an abject and blatant lack of responsibility and respect for others and the environment generally. 


Growth is fine until the costs outweigh the benefits and then reining in the systems steeped in  demands and supplies before unsolvable issues arise becomes essential. Over the past two to three centuries growth and gain have been the mantras made possible by: science and technology; energy in the form of fossil fuels and electricity; available space in to which growth could occur; raw materials and finished products of greater and greater sophistication; management and labour know how; finances sufficient to pay for it all; the development of sector systems designed to support the burgeoning reality; and finally sinks of sufficient capacity to absorb all the emissions and waste. The huge uptick in scale has been breathtaking. 


While all this growth occurred some began to foresee problems, just a few at first largely ignored, but eventually proven correct. Changes and improvements were made, but not across the board and certainly not to an adequate degree. Very few people wanted to curtail the growth and gain treadmill humanity was on. More was deemed to be better. Few were taking responsibility for the developing issues over a period of long-term “progress” with short-term decision-making. It was assumed and there was an ever-present reliance upon science and technology to solve the problems, to create better tools and efficiencies. In many ways the confidences were well founded. But, these wins along the way have not solved all the problems and indeed have actually lead to more growth and gain, an alluring combination if there ever was one. Now some of the issues have grown beyond a level of risk into the realm of existential threat.


Humanity and many of the systems we have created are now confronted by the limits of this old earth to give up or absorb more. Really there are two problems: the threshold limits beyond which situations become downright dangerous are somewhat blurry, although there is lots of evidence suggesting significant safety limits have been breached in critical areas; and second, what’s to be done about it especially given the historical and more recent investments made with the expectations of continuity and more growth to finance more growth. For certain it is a dilemma as the more we grow the more likely it will be we shoot ourselves in the foot or worse. 


Some will say, do say, we have been there before and come out fine thank you very much. It’s true and to a significant degree we have science and technology to thank. They have found solutions to the problems and we have willingly accepted those solutions because the trends in growth and gain could continue. But those issues requiring attention were relatively small and somewhat isolated. Now many scientists, not just a few, are saying the limits imposed by the size and composition of this earth and its atmosphere are being over-run and the time available to make the necessary changes to avoid the worst consequences is rapidly running out. Sooner or later the balloon of plenty will burst when its elasticity is spent or the sharp point of a crisis issue penetrates. 


Although we form habits we also accept change and during the past decades change has been very pronounced. It is bound to continue for decades for two prominent reasons: past trends will continue with the rate of change staying high; and societies will gradually adjust to arrest and then lower the CO2 levels which eventually the vast majority of people will realize is the real cause of the extreme weather conditions widely experienced. Unfortunately, I believe, weening ourselves off of carbon will not happen quickly enough. CO2 levels, currently rising at a rate of 2.5ppm per year, will continue to rise at a likely faster rate because humanity and societies cannot turn around on a dime. In another decade the level of CO2 could in fact be approaching if it does not surpass the 450ppm level. The Paris temperature rise agreement of 1.5ºC and 2ºC are in grave jeopardy of being passed without an immediate halt to increasing levels of CO2.


So, what is to be done? Well in light of the fact it is obvious there are divergent opinions and beliefs about what will be happening, that we are not all on the same page, achieving what I think will be required to reduce CO2 is very unlikely in the short-term, the next ten years. Having said that, we can make changes and in conjunction with government and community programmes as they become available we can implement the three R’s, reduce, reduce, reduce and to do that some increases will be required for re-tooling and re-thinking.


No one really knows what our landscapes and societies will look like and how they will be organized in the next ten, twenty and thirty years. Clearly, just pricing carbon fuels will not alone achieve the necessary changes in behaviour. We will need to create other opportunities for change and implement our own local solutions. Governments cannot do it all. Everyone must be involved including the rich and famous, the high carbon users all the way through to those who have already achieved some degree of carbon use frugality. 


Currently we are playing with a great number of climate and environmental unknowns. We live on a complicated world making predictions uncertain even though current evidence and modelling suggests change is afoot and is leading to degraded climates and environments. To implement the three R’s will require a value and an attitude adjustment whereby respect for others and environments is dramatically increased just as expectations are simultaneously reduced. I want to finish this short essay with my thoughts about reducing.


What we can, need to, do (in no particular order):

  • Equity in educational opportunities;

  • Everyone learn and participate from time to time in trades;

  • Create distribution centres so big vehicles stay on big roads;

  • Lower building temperatures;

  • Increase building insulation and reduce drafts;

  • Less global trade and more area and community production of goods and services;

  • Reduce across the board use of fossil fuels;

  • Small vehicles for small purposes;

  • Employ appropriate technologies;

  • Increase labour intensity;

  • Share equipment and know how;

  • Less travel;

  • Turn off lights and computers;

  • Make buildings energy efficient;

  • Small economies of scale;

  • Share houses in cold months;

  • Use materials and equipment that can be reused;

  • Combine travel purposes;

  • Share rides through apps;

  • Launch community growing;

  • Plant trees;

  • Reduce plastics use;

  • Launch community composting;

  • Less highway commuting, more public transit, buses, rail, cycling, walking, skating, boating;

  • Less air travel;

  • Support local business;

  • New uses for old buildings;

  • Reduce settlement expansion;

  • Reduce population with education and opportunity for girls;

  • Finance for sustainable innovation;

  • Make clothing locally;

  • Less lawn more wild;

  • Local events to celebrate and entertain;

  • Barter;

  • Share skills - let others know what you can do;

  • Local jobs for youth and volunteering opportunities;

  • Your ideas.


I am sure more suggestions can be added to the list. Go for it, have fun and reduce.