Climate Champions need your vote

The ballot box issue that is most likely to affect the lives of young people is our success or failure in taking immediate action to address the existential threat of the climate emergency.

Election Action

 

Seth Klein advises Canadians that in a climate emergency election, we need to find our climate justice champions. The Parliament we elect on Sept. 20 will hold our fate in its hands. Those seeking office must prove to us all that they get the emergency and are prepared to do what it takes to meet this moment with us. These are tough calls and our current electoral system doesn’t make it any easier.

First, we desperately need to hold the government to a minority. Minority governments are more accountable. They are compelled to work with others, rather than govern with impunity for four years. More importantly, a minority means the public is given ongoing openings to press for stronger and bolder policies. The Liberals’ climate record — taking modest action on climate while simultaneously subsidizing and supporting the expansion of fossil fuel production — certainly does not merit them the majority they cynically seek with this early election call. Second, we need to elect a huge contingent of true climate justice champions — people who genuinely get the emergency and will insist on bold action. With the country on fire, we need to elect political firefighters. We need to bolster the ranks of the climate squad across a number of parties. So, find your climate champion! If you don’t think you have one in your riding or, more likely, you don’t think they have a realistic chance of winning in your riding, then find one in a neighbouring winnable riding, and do everything you can to get them elected — donate, volunteer, organize, and vote.1

How do we  identify those climate champions?

Identify Champs

 

Some groups active on the climate emergency file include 350.org, Lead Now, and the Climate Emergency Unit. These groups will be endorsing climate champion candidates.

	groups active on the climate emergency file
1	350.org	Tell Senior leaders to be tough on climate
2	Lead Now	launch an all-out campaign to elect bold champions for a just and safe future
3	Climate Emergency Unit	Will prepare a list of candidate questions
4	Environmental Defence	Has also produced a helpful guide to “What Makes a Strong Climate Plan.”

 

Environmental Defence explains, firstly, a strong climate plan should have climate targets that align with climate science.

Climate targets that align with climate science. Canada must do our fair share to prevent the most catastrophic impacts of climate change by ensuring that global warming stays as close to 1.5°C as possible – which in Canada means reducing CO2 emissions by at least 60% below 2005 levels by 2030 across the country. Because Canada has created an outsized amount of emissions over the last century, Ottawa also must invest $5.2 billion annually in emissions reductions in developing countries.

No more new oil, gas and coal projects. Canada is still planning to produce more oil and gas than what is consistent with a climate-safe future. A credible climate plan must say NO to all new and under construction oil, gas and coal projects. It must also include a plan to wind down production of oil and gas over the next two decades.

An end to fossil fuel subsidies. Canada is still providing billions of dollars of government money to the oil and gas industry each year. A credible climate plan must include a concrete plan to end all subsidies and public financial support for oil and gas immediately.

A way to make polluters pay. Polluters must also be held accountable for their harm to the land, water and climate, especially for their disproportionate harm to Indigenous, racialized and low-income communities. They have spent years covering up the true cost of clean up, and will leave the costs to the public without strong accountability.

A ramp up of renewables and energy efficiency. We have the solutions to transition our systems away from fossil fuels to 100% renewable energy. And we can do so by creating good, safe jobs across the country by investing big in electricity infrastructure, renewable energy, electric transportation, public transit and energy efficiency projects like home and business energy retrofits and more.

A commitment to ensure that the transition to a low carbon economy is just and equitable. This includes developing and implementing a transition plan to phase out fossil fuels, designed by and for workers and communities whose livelihoods will be disrupted by the transition. It also must involve those, including Indigenous Peoples and frontline communities, who have been disproportionately harmed by the fossil fuel-based economy.2

When we prepare to vote we need to consider electing climate champions in ridings that they can win

A Strong Climate Plan

 

as well as denying a majority to any party in the realization that minority governments are more responsive to current needs and emergencies.

 

References

1	(2021, August 25). In a climate emergency election, find your climate justice champion. Retrieved August 25, 2021, from https://www.nationalobserver.com/2021/08/25/opinion/election-2021-find-your-climate-justice-champion
2	(n.d.). What makes a strong climate plan? - Environmental Defence. Retrieved August 25, 2021, from https://environmentaldefence.ca/report/election-climate-policies/

An Emergency Response is Needed

The latest report from the IPCC indicates that imminent action to address the climate crisis will be required by the Canadian government after the September 2021 election. Seth Klein, an adjunct professor with Simon Fraser University’s urban studies program and the former BC director of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, reviews his markers to know some signs one would expect to see when a government shifts to a wartime footing to attack the climate crisis

 

  (His book A Good War: Mobilizing Canada for the Climate Emergency (ECW Press) was published in September 2020.)

 

So here we sit, facing down the climate emergency, with a B.C. government climate plan that is zero for four when it comes to a convincing emergency response. There are things this provincial government is doing with respect to social and economic justice, housing and homelessness, and tax fairness for which I am grateful. The advancements with respect to child care are especially noteworthy. But the future of those children is now under threat. Decisive action is needed to protect them, as well as other vulnerable populations who are more likely to experience the worst ravages of the climate crisis. The Horgan government needs to hear a resounding wake-up call: Reboot your climate plan and transform it into a real emergency plan. Invite us to join in a grand societal undertaking, one that leaves no one behind and banishes unemployment as we undertake this task of our lives.1

1. Adopt an emergency mindset.

2. Shift from voluntary measures to mandatory policies. 

3. Rally the public at every turn.

4. Create the economic institutions needed to get the job done. 

5. Spend what it takes to win.

6. Stop trying to appease those who seek to block necessary action.1

 

The Climate Emergency Unit believe it is time for Canada to enter true #ClimateEmergency mode. They have produced a new video ( https://youtu.be/XUJw5cLyfEk ) to show what that would look like.

We all know that climate change is real and we need to dramatically reduce our greenhouse gases as soon as possible, but Canada's emissions have only stagnated since the world agreed to work together on this climate emergency. Using these lessons from WW2, we can envision what true climate action looks like.2

 

Our ballot box decision will be influenced by the need for the next government to act forcefully in the war against the GHG emissions increasing the temperature of the planet.

 

References

1	(2021, July 19). BC is in a state of climate emergency with no emergency plan. Retrieved August 24, 2021, from https://www.nationalobserver.com/2021/07/19/opinion/bc-climate-emergency-no-plan
2	(2021, June 23). 4 Hopeful Lessons from WW2 to Confront Climate Change - YouTube. Retrieved August 24, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUJw5cLyfEk

Climate action program

Seth Klein, adjunct professor with Simon Fraser University’s Urban Studies program and the former BC director of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, explains why inequality must be linked to climate emergency action.

In polling I commissioned for my book, research from Abacus data in the summer of 2019, affordability was named as the top concern of Canadians, just ahead of climate change. That only stands to reason; it is a more immediate concern to most people. Hence the powerful need to link these issues. When we do so, the appeal is dramatic, far surpassing the levels of support for any one political party. As the Abacus poll revealed, when Canadians were given a short explanation of the Green New Deal—describing it as an ambitious vision for tackling the twin crises of climate change and inequality—it proved immensely popular, supported by 72% of Canadians surveyed. Another key finding from the Abacus poll: The more a bold and transformative climate plan is seen as linked to an ambitious plan to tackle inequality, economic insecurity, poverty and job creation, the more likely people are to support it.1

 

David Suzuki asks again (He has been banging on about this for as long as the IPCC has been releasing reports), why the hell aren’t we doing more? Why, after more than 30 years of mounting evidence and certainty (almost 200 since the greenhouse effect was first observed), as well as easily observable evidence, are media outlets of record still publishing anti-science nonsense by industry shills and deniers? Why are governments failing to do what’s necessary?

People are willing to reduce their carbon footprints, but incremental change is no longer enough. We need transformational, systemic change that can only come from the top. Governments, business and industry, financial institutions, media and more must look out for the interests of those they’re supposed to serve and start acting on the evidence2

The top down action we need to mitigate the worst effects of the climate emergency requires a government committed to doing what it takes, immediately, in the manner of our response to COVID 19 or our action to address the threat of World War II.

References

1	(2020, September 21). Why inequality must be linked to climate emergency action. Retrieved September 21, 2020, from https://www.thinkupstream.ca/post/why-inequality-must-be-linked-to-climate-emergency-action
2	(2021, August 19). Climate report shows world pushed to the brink by fossil fuels. Retrieved August 23, 2021, from https://davidsuzuki.org/story/climate-report-shows-world-pushed-to-the-brink-by-fossil-fuels/

Child care election battleground

Child care is the latest battlefield between the social democrat and the neoliberal view of the proper role of government.

Child Care Battle

 

Paul Lakeland comments that the many current crises in our world all have something in common. Each in its own way exploits and thrives on division—between the rich and the poor, humanity and the rest of the natural world, citizens and immigrants, the relatively safe and the deeply desperate. He believes these issues are all parts of one larger, fundamental crisis: the degradation of the very notion of the human, brought on by the complex mechanism today called neoliberalism.

If “neoliberalism” is a word unknown to you, or simply one that you hear without its impinging much upon your life or consciousness, this is testimony to its sinister force. Coined by Friedrich Hayek, it referred to his belief that all reality can be explained on the model of economic competition, and that all human activity can be measured in terms of wealth, value, or price. Price in particular was a means to allocate scarce resources, and for its efficient function, the market had to be free and competitive. “The market” for Hayek was not just a term for economic activity, but one that described society as a whole. Hence, he could extrapolate a vision of human beings as creatures who would and should follow their own self-interest in competition for scarce resources. Through this human competition, we would learn who and what is really valuable…1

Donald Gutstein, adjunct professor in the School of Communication at Simon Fraser University and author of Harperism: How Stephen Harper and His Think Tank Colleagues Have Transformed Canada, writes that Harper, as you may have guessed it, sits firmly in the neoliberal fold. These are the ideological roots of Harper's opposition to child care.

Neoliberal influential economist: Milton Friedman2

In education, a system of government-funded vouchers that would enable parents to choose the school—private, public, religious—their children would attend.

Government planning will always lead to worse results than if the market or voluntary organizations do it2

 

 Treasury-draining, dollars per year benefits will not create a single child care space, let alone a national program.  What it will do is make the introduction of any national child care that much more difficult to finance - and imagine - in the future.

 

References

1	(2020, June 1). Spiritual Resistance | Commonweal Magazine. Retrieved June 1, 2020, from https://www.commonwealmagazine.org/spiritual-resistance
2	(n.d.). The ideological roots of Harper's opposition to child care. Retrieved August 19, 2021, from https://www.broadbentinstitute.ca/the_ideological_roots_of_harper_s_opposition_to_child_care

 

Engineering Climate Change and Planning Skilled Work

Engineering professionals are experienced in energy system calculations, ROI economic calculations, determining skilled worker requirements for projects, and analysing scientific reports on climate changes.

Engineering Climate Change Mitigation

 

Many articles appear in social media suggesting changes and transformation in our energy production and use, transportation infrastructure, and building design and construction to reduce the warming effect these systems are having on the planet. Techniques to reduce our carbon footprint are particularly important in the light of the recent “red alert” from the IPCC. How are we to decide on which of these many transformation and transition projects we should prioritize to achieve the greatest temperature reduction in the shortest period of time? The experts best able to plan and organize this massive effort are engineers. These professionals work with science, technology, skilled workers, and economics as daily components of their practice. “Following science” with “practical and economical” solutions is the path that requires engineering expertise. Some recent ideas from social media underline the large engineering role to achieve the benefits we need.

 

An article in The Economist explains why curbing methane emissions will help fight climate change. It is a more powerful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, and should be easier to control. 

 

Carbon dioxide remains the heart of the climate problem. Exploring the possibilities, practicalities and dangers of solar geoengineering remains a good idea. But it is on methane emissions that progress can be made most quickly. And the world is getting ever hotter. Methane should be given priority on the agenda at the cop26 climate summit this November.1

Oliver Milman, writing in the National Observer, reports that  ‘Blue’ hydrogen may pollute more than coal according to new research at Cornell University and Stanford University.

This means that the production of this hydrogen actually creates 20 per cent more greenhouse gases than coal, commonly regarded the most polluting fossil fuel, when being burned for heat, and 60 per cent more than burning diesel, according to the new paper, published in the Energy Science & Engineering journal. “It’s pretty striking, I was surprised at the results,” said Robert Howarth, a scientist at Cornell University who authored the paper alongside Mark Jacobson, a Stanford University researcher. “Blue hydrogen is a nice marketing term that the oil and gas industry is keen to push but it’s far from carbon free. I don’t think we should be spending our funds this way, on these sort of false solutions.”2

Blaine Brownell reports in Architect Magazine on designing an air conditioner that doesn't heat the earth  thereby reducing the contribution of AC to the climate crisis.

For example, the engineers at Gradient, a San Francisco-based startup, want to revolutionize the window unit. Gradient’s founders aim to marry the high performance of heat pump technology with the installation convenience of a conventional window unit. The Gradient unit resembles a bench with two thick supports that you hang over a window sill. The clever design means the unit doesn't obstruct the view out the window and places the noisier components on the outside. The company claims a 75% reduction in carbon footprint compared to conventional A.C. systems when used year-round for cooling and heating. Furthermore, the device relies on a reduced-footprint refrigerant to generate more energy-efficient variable conditioning.3

The US Office of Nuclear Energy is suggesting three ways to make nuclear power plants faster and more affordable to build.

For advanced nuclear energy to realize its potential, we have to make it more affordable and scalable. Only then can it meaningfully contribute to our energy, security, and environmental imperatives. That’s why NRIC will be working with GE-Hitachi Nuclear (GEH) and other key stakeholders on the first project of the Advanced Construction Technology (ACT) initiative. The goal of this cost-shared public-private partnership is to help demonstrate several technologies that, when combined, could reduce the construction costs of building new reactors by more than 10% and significantly lower the scheduling risks and uncertainties associated with them.4

Zachary Shahan, reports on the CleanTechnica web site that carbon capture & storage (CCS) and hydrogen paradises are fossil fuel delay tactics.

The smoke screens of CCS and hydrogen create two big problems. First of all, they are money dumps, sucking up government funding that could be used for truly helpful improvements and solutions — faster deployment of solar power, wind power, and EV charging stations; procurement of electric vehicles for governmental fleets; greater incentives for consumers to install energy efficiency, renewable energy, or electric vehicle technologies. Secondly, both CCS and hydrogen hype tell people, “We don’t really have to change much. We can just capture the carbon and bury it. [No, it’s not that easy, and it’s also bloody expensive.] We can stick to a fuel-based transport system rather than switch to charging at home, work, and destination. [The latter is often actually more convenient, not less convenient, but don’t let that secret get out.]” The message with both is basically to not worry about anything, not do anything, and leave it to some obscure experts to solve all our problems for us in a few years. I can see why that’s tempting, but it is definitely misleading and counterproductive. Looking at it most cynically, the people who push so hard for CCS and hydrogen as our saviors could be specifically trying to delay the cleantech transition. Well, some of them no doubt are.5

The complexity of the claims by different sources about what is a priority in addressing the climate emergency is an opportunity for engineering analysis to plan a course of action that considers GHG effects, economics, skilled worker requirements, and relevance of scientific studies.

 

References

 

1	(2021, August 14). Why curbing methane emissions will help fight climate change | The .... Retrieved August 14, 2021, from https://www.economist.com/leaders/carbon-dioxide-is-by-far-the-most-important-driver-of-climate-change/21803535
2	(2021, August 12). 'Blue' hydrogen may pollute more than coal, new research finds .... Retrieved August 14, 2021, from https://www.nationalobserver.com/2021/08/12/news/blue-hydrogen-may-pollute-more-coal-new-research-finds
3	(n.d.). Designing an Air Conditioner That Doesn't Heat the Earth | Architect .... Retrieved August 15, 2021, from https://www.architectmagazine.com/technology/designing-an-air-conditioner-that-doesnt-heat-the-earth_o
4	(2021, July 8). 3 Ways to Make Nuclear Power Plants Faster and More Affordable to .... Retrieved August 15, 2021, from https://www.energy.gov/ne/articles/3-ways-make-nuclear-power-plants-faster-and-more-affordable-build
5	(2021, August 13). (CCS) And Hydrogen Paradises Are Fossil Fuel Delay Tactics. Retrieved August 17, 2021, from https://cleantechnica.com/2021/08/13/carbon-capture-storage-ccs-and-hydrogen-paradises-are-fossil-fuel-delay-tactics/

Left Right or Centre

 

A report by The Canadian Press claims the N.S. Tory leader leans left with endorsement from a former NDP cabinet minister.

 

Heading into the final weekend before Tuesday's provincial election, Houston was joined by Denise Peterson-Rafuse, who served as community services minister from 2009-2013, Peterson-Rafuse said she hadn’t thought she would ever support the Tories but was drawn by the party's health-care platform and the distance Houston has put between himself and the more right-leaning federal Conservatives.1

1(2021, August 13). NS Tory leader leans left with endorsement from former NDP cabinet .... Retrieved August 13, 2021, from https://ca.news.yahoo.com/n-tory-leader-leans-left-162012531.html

Some Hope along with IPCC report

The Ideas in the Afternoon program on Monday, August 9 entitled ON TIME AND WATER: ANDRI MAGNASON featured Icelandic writer and documentary filmmaker Andri Snaer Magnason who speaks to Nahlah Ayed about his response to the climate crisis, in his book entitled On Time and Water. Magnason embarked on the project at the insistence of a climate scientist who was dismayed at failures of public communication surrounding the latest research.

Concern about the climate crisis?

 

Ultimately, Magnason expresses a hope that his children's generation will look back upon the current society with pride and gratitude, because we will have succeeded in changing ourselves much more quickly and fundamentally than previous cultures did, and will thereby avoid the disastrous tipping points scientists have warned us about. The Tuesday, August 10, episode from CBC's The Current is a discussion with Simon Lewis, professor of global change science, University College London and Katherine Hayhoe, atmospheric scientist and professor at Texas Tech University.

Political reaction on the day of release of the IPCC report

They assert that the focus must be on action.

Links

 https://www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/why-this-icelandic-writer-says-99-of-climate-talk-is-meaningless-white-noise-1.6060620 

https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-63-the-current/clip/15859667-stark-warning-climate-change-must-prompt-action-despair?onboarding=false