We all know that climate change is real, and that the root cause is human activity. Carbon dioxide emissions in the USA have actually declined from a high of approximately 7.5 gigatons/yr to 6.5 gigatons/yr which is where they were in 1990 but that is far short of the level of reduction needed to slow or reverse global warming.
Getting to pre-industrial revolution levels of carbon emissions will be difficult, if not impossible, and making any significant progress will require lifestyle changes on the part of every American, and every citizen of the world. So, what changes are you prepared to make?
According to the EPA, total U.S.A. greenhouse emissions break down as follows:
- 29% Transportation industry — cars, trucks, planes, trains, ships.
- 27.5% Electricity generation
- 22.2% Industry — fossil fuels for energy and heat, industrial processes
- 11.6% Energy — commercial and residential heating.
- 9% Agriculture — livestock, fertilizer, crop production.
- -11% Land use and Forestry — taking land out of production and planting forest land produces an 11% carbon offset.
Most people can’t have a significant effect on the Industrial sector but transportation, electricity demand, home energy, and agriculture are all areas that individual behavior can effect change in. However, change is neither easy nor cheap. How many people here would:
- give up your car and rely on public transportation for at least 90% of your weekly mileage, and convert to 100% electric vehicles powered by renewable energy?
- Reduce electricity consumption by occupying less living space, converting to all energy efficient appliances, using smart technology to turn off anything that is not in use?
- Convert to 100% solar or other renewable for electrical power and home heating?
- Become vegetarian or reduce calories from animal sources by at least 75%?
The answer is “all of the above”. In addition, we will need to reduce commuting significantly by restructuring work. That will have the added benefit of needing less office space, fewer parking ramps, etc.
Imagine the personal cost to either buy an electric vehicle or go without, reduce home energy consumption by 75%, reduce home heating costs by 75% or convert your home to 100% solar/wind/geothermal.
There’s not a single energy plan out there by any political candidate that even comes close to these kinds of radical change and yet, this is what will be necessary within 5 years if we are to save large parts of the planet and prevent catastrophic change in the natural world and in civilization itself. Even if a Presidential candidate were to lead on this, the inertia and resistance in Congress from those who don’t believe it’s necessary and those beholden to special interests whose businesses would be harmed or rendered obsolete by change make it unlikely that change will come from national leadership.
Therefore, it needs to be grass roots led, market driven. But, it’s hard and expensive. Do people have the will, and the means, to make the changes necessary to save the planet? Will you and I have what it takes to do it? If not, are we doomed as a society?