In his Feb. 10 column in the Tribune-Herald, Bill Hammond of the Texas Association of Business disparaged President Obama’s Clean Power Plan and opposed current actions to combat anthropogenic climate change. Since accurate information is mandatory during this planetary emergency of climate change, it is important to point out the myths which riddle Mr. Hammond’s column.
Myth 1: “The science of climate change is anything but settled.” This dangerous, ubiquitous meme promotes delay in addressing the problem. The truth: 97 percent of peer-reviewed climatology research, every legitimate scientific association on Earth, the pope and the 195 nations that signed the Paris Agreement in December accept the concept of manmade climate change. Even the U.S. Department of Defense observes that “climate change poses immediate risks to the U.S. national security and has potential to exacerbate terrorism.”
Myth 2: The U.S. Clean Power Plan results are so small they “cannot be measured.” In reality, the plan is designed to reduce greenhouse gases from electricity generation by 32 percent. This reduction is one-fourth of the requirement of the Paris Agreement and thus a strong beginning toward that goal. And the announcement of the plan convinced other nations that the United States is serious about combatting climate change.
Myth 3: “We truthfully don’t know whether all nations acting together can have a measurable impact on the climate.” When the 195 nation signatories of the Paris Agreement reach their commitments for emission reductions, global temperature will increase from 2.7 to 4.0 degree C. This is an enormous improvement over uncontrolled emissions, which would result in greater than 6.0 degree temp increase, a level incompatible with human civilization. Each five years the nations will ratchet up emission limits with an ultimate goal of 1.5 degree temperature increase — a level which will prevent the worst ravages of climate change.
Myth 4: The United States will suffer economically, while developing nations like China and India continue to pollute. Using China and India as an excuse for the United States’ inaction is now utterly fraudulent. The 195 countries of the Paris Agreement signed a legally binding commitment to reach their Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC). Essentially every country on Earth has published a verifiable carbon emission limit and operates under similar timetables. China has begun a very ambitious plan to reach its emission limits by 2030, not beginning in 2030 as Mr. Hammond states. And China is a leader in renewable energy technology, with more installed wind and solar power than any country on Earth.
Myth 5: “Americans will face lost jobs, lost income and huge utility bills.” The Paris Agreement committed the world to a low-carbon economy, with jobs needed in energy efficiency retrofit, mass-transit services, smart-grid construction and wind, solar and biomass industries. A study by Robert Pollin of the University of Massachusetts reported that a $1 million investment in the green economy yields 17 jobs, while a $1 million investment in fossil fuels yields only five jobs.
Workers losing jobs in fossil-fuel industries will find new jobs in the green economy as we transition to renewables. The purchase cost of renewable energy is a complex issue, but in some markets renewable generation is now cheaper than coal or natural gas. For example, Austin Energy recently contracted with a solar farm at less than five cents per kilowatt-hour.
Myth 6: Solar and wind power will only become relevant when new battery technology is developed. The truth: Renewable energy is enormous and growing faster than fossil fuels. The following jurisdictions are powered by 100 percent renewable energy: Iceland; Bonaire; Lesotho; Aspen, Colorado; Burlington, Vermont; Greensburg, Kansas; Beaverton, Oregon; and Kodiak Island, Alaska. And solar thermal facilities exist which store electricity as heat for 24-hour power. There are more than 60 units around the world, including the 392-megawatt Ivanpah System in the Mojave Desert. And battery storage is actually available now, including the Powerwall system from Tesla for residential use.
Myth 7: “We must be patient and let science and technology work at a careful reasonable pace to find energy solutions instead of crippling our economy…” In other words, Mr. Hammond wishes to delay implementation of our conversion to renewables so that oil companies can maximize profits. Unfortunately, we cannot delay since the planet’s carbon budget will be exceeded in about 16 years and we will experience crop failure, worsening starvation, migration, inter-nation conflict, submerging cities; and devastating storms.
Fortunately, we do have the technology now to convert fully to clean energy, documented by the Stanford Engineering Department at TheSolutionsProject.org. We must use this technology, along with conservation, to protect our children’s future. As for Mr. Hammond’s concerns, there is no economy on a dead planet.
Alan Northcutt is a local physician and director of the Waco Friends of Peace/Climate.
Alan Northcutt, guest columnist: Clearing up myths about clean energy, today"s renewables
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