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Letter from Davos, Day 1
Mindy S. Lubber, WorldChanging
I’m a bit of an odd duck here, a public interest activist among the world’s most powerful business and political leaders. These are the people with the power to effect the critical changes needed to address climate change, the people whose hearts and minds I try to win over every day at Ceres. And now they’re all here in one place.
Immediately upon arriving at the World Economic Forum I find reason for optimism – climate change dominates the formal agenda and the hallway conversations. Did I make a wrong turn somewhere and walk into an international environmental conference?
At the first plenary session, the assembled masses, mostly captains of industry, are asked if they favor mandatory caps on greenhouse gas emissions and 71% are in favor. Am I dreaming? This could be a tipping point because one year ago this would have been unthinkable. Maybe this winter’s warm weather and the lack of snow here in the Alps has finally gotten everyone’s attention.
While speeches, resolutions and workshops won’t move the world to the 70% reduction in carbon emissions by the year 2050 needed to stabilize atmospheric CO2, there is a sense of clarity, conviction, and urgency on climate change, and a growing consensus that leaving the solutions to market forces won’t cut it…
As the climate change conversations heat up here at Davos, the question was finally asked, “Why are we not ready to act on the central truth that energy conservation and energy efficiency are the cheapest, quickest, largest source of energy?” Or as David Gergen, Harvard professor and adviser to many U.S. presidents said, using Amory Lovins’ oft-used phrase, “Are we ready to address negawatts? The U.S. is the Saudi Arabia of negawatts.”
I am delighted that the message coming from Davos this year is loud and clear – that we must address climate change and energy security, that we must act now, and that voluntary efforts are woefully inadequate to the challenge we face and so there must be mandatory policy solutions.
Much of the talk here is about the role of new technological solutions. Leading venture capitalist John Doerr said today that green tech will be the greatest economic opportunity of the century. And there is ample discussion and debate about carbon taxes, gas taxes and limits on carbon pollution. This is all healthy and productive, but perhaps that foundation director hit the nail on the head – one of the simplest, lowest-cost, most easily implemented solutions is the distinctly un-sexy, old-fashioned notion of energy conservation. Rather than sit around waiting for all these promising new technologies such as wind farms, solar panels, geothermal energy and cellulosic bio-fuels to enter the mainstream, and all the complex policy discussions to sort themselves out (not to mention the tedious political processes needed to implement them), we can do a lot today by conserving energy. It’s a no-brainer….
Mindy S. Lubber is President of Ceres and the Investor Network on Climate Risk
(25 Jan 2007)
Davos Notes: Considering the Real Costs of Our Energy Economy
Lester Brown, Huffington Post
The notion of taxing products to include their entire cost to society is something that is being put into practice here in the United States in the form of tobacco taxes.
…This practice is a necessary component to any energy economy we consider as a solution to our current fossil-fuel-based energy economy.
That being said, nuclear energy with the real costs of insurance, construction, security and waste disposal becomes among the most expensive form of energy in the world.
Conversely, green, clean, renewable energy becomes the most viable; the costs we see today are very close to the real costs we would endure as most of these energy sources have few if any hidden effects on society.
It’s time we start being honest about what various energy options actually cost in the long run. It was the failure to do so in the first place that brought us to this juncture in human history, where we must decide on our future. If we are willing to acknowledge the full effects of our actions – including total societal costs of our energy choices – then we may yet avert some of the impending consequences of global climate change.
(26 Jan 2007)
Energy roadmap backs renewables
BBC
Half of the world’s energy needs in 2050 could be met by renewables and improved efficiency, a study claims.
It said alternative energy sources, such as wind and solar, could provide nearly 70% of the world’s electricity and 65% of global heat demand.
Following a “business as usual” scenario would see demand for energy double by 2050, the authors warned.
The study, by the German Aerospace Center, was commissioned by Greenpeace and Europe’s Renewable Energy Council.
(25 Jan 2007)
Climate concerns now top security and health
Brian Laghi, Globe & Mail
Anxiety about environmental change has climbed so quickly within Canadians’ consciousness that it now overwhelms terrorism, crime and health care as society’s greatest threat, says a poll that kicks off a major Globe and Mail examination of the issue.
The Globe and Mail/CTV News survey delivers a number of messages for politicians, including a warning that the government not abandon Kyoto and a desire that Canada make a significant contribution to resolving global warming.
But the overarching finding is the speed with which Canadians have accepted that global warming is a large problem. The issue will also have a profound effect on the next election, as voters decide which party has the best plan to fix the problem.
(26 Jan 2007)
Climate report: Expect 1,000 year sea-level rise
Reuters via MSNBC
Draft U.N. document lowers increase this century, but projects beyond 2100
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OSLO, Norway – World sea levels might not rise as much this century as projected earlier, but they could rise nearly three feet next century and will keep rising for more than 1,000 years even if governments manage to reduce carbon emissions, a draft United Nations climate report says.
The chairman of the upcoming U.N. report said he hoped the findings would shock governments into action.
“I hope this report will shock people, governments into taking more serious action as you really can’t get a more authentic and a more credible piece of scientific work,” Rajendra Pachauri told Reuters.
(25 Jan 2007)
