The
time has come to pack another year away into memory and 2015 once
again proved that humanity seems to be on a course of
self-destruction more than anything else. The United Nations
Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon had summed up this quickly passing year
into two rather appropriate words as “breakthrough and horror.”
As
people gather together to celebrate 2015's passing into history and
prepare to welcome in the new year, most thoughts are on the events
that had personal impact. Few will raise a glass to remember the
horrific events in Paris, nor will any think of environmental
concerns for the future. That does not in any way diminish the
celebration nor is it a condemnation of decent folks, it is simply
human nature. In today's world life is not always easy and many of
us, myself included, are thankful for what we have.
Perhaps
that very trait of humanity's nature is what Ban-Ki Moon refers to as
“horror.” After all if one's cup is full and thirst is kept at
bay then little else really matters. Yet we live on this planet as a
collective, not as solitary or single individuals. Our actions carry
with them consequences that have a lasting effect on all others
around us.
This
past year brought with it the horrendous sadness of the monstrosity
of indiscriminate violence against innocent victims. Paris was the
centre of a murderous attack on humanity as a whole and not only on
Parisians. Although the footprint of terror and the followers of an
insane doctrine did not only imprint themselves in France, innocent
lives were taken in the United States, more in Africa, and in other
countries.
Violence
once again had been the cause of a massive outpouring of locals from
countries in Africa and the Middle East. Again innocent victims find
no choice but to run and look for refuge in foreign lands. Many of
those who flee their own countries do so at great risk, and
compassion is also a human trait, yet compassion has consequences in
time as does any other action, both good and bad.
True
consequences are unavoidable but do average people in any country,
whether it be Canada, the US, or anywhere else, see that these events
affect them in some way? Amongst the
tragic events there were more positive and uplifting examples of the
human spirit. After all Ban-Ki Moon did not just speak of horror, he
also saw breakthrough in 2015.
The
United Nations brought together representatives from 196 nations to
discuss a global issue which has the potential to touch every corner
of our planet. There are those who see little merit in environmental
issues, others claim that nothing has really changed and that
alarmists push the idea of doom and gloom. Thankfully reality was
not ignored and the Paris Climate Conference, COP21, on how to
control CO² emissions fought through
volumes of rhetoric to find an agreement for the future of this
planet.
Few
can deny that carbon emissions affect Climate Change. Millions of
vehicles all around the world release huge amounts of CO²
gases. The use of traditional methods of production, in particular
the use of coal in power plants, adds massive stress in our
atmosphere and serious effects on Climate Change. In Paris,
negotiations found themselves bogged down not on how to reduce the
carbon emissions but on what levels of reduction would be acceptable.
Climate
Change is not a new concept, it has those who warn of the potential
gloom the world faces, and it has those who deny its legitimacy. The
battle between the two sides has lasted many years. Al Gore, at the
Copenhagen Climate Change Conference in December 2009, predicted that
the Arctic ice caps could completely disappear in 2014. Media found
itself displaying photos of polar bears trying to get on a floating
ice cap the size of a coffee table. Those images stayed in the minds
and memories of many.
James
Taylor, a senior fellow for environment policy at the Heartland
Institute and managing editor of Environment and Climate News at
Forbes, published an article on May 19th 2015.
Its title 'Updated NASA Data: Global Warming Not Causing Any
Polar Ice Retreat,' states;
“Updated data from NASA satellite instruments reveal the
Earth's polar ice caps have not receded at all since the satellite
instruments began measuring the ice caps in 1979. Beginning in 2005,
however, polar ice modestly receded for several years. By 2012 polar
sea ice had receded by approximately 10 percent from 1979
measurements. Total polar ice area – factoring in both sea and
land ice – had receded by much less than 10 percent.”
In
this article James Taylor acknowledges Al Gore's prediction of the
disappearing ice caps. Al Gore in his presentation of December 14th
2009 refers to a number of scientific individuals to prove his point.
At the same time James Taylor refers to NASA satellite instruments
and data. Still, there was not a more surprising convert to the side
of Climate Change warriors than Pope Francis. On September 25th
2015, Pope Francis delivered a wide ranging address to world leaders
at the UN General Assembly, urging global action to protect the
environment. He produced the Papal Encyclical – Laudato Si,
defining Climate Change as a principle
challenge facing humanity and a moral issue.
The
Paris Agreement of the reduction of Climate Change represents a
consensus by the 196 nations attending that we face this task
together. The agreement will become legally binding if joined by at
least 55 countries, which together represent at least 55 percent of
global greenhouse emissions. Such parties will need to sign the
agreement in New York between April 22nd 2016 and April
21st 2017, and also adopt it within their own legal
systems.
Reduction
in global greenhouse emissions tends to be a rather open statement.
How do we actually achieve this? No one sees the end of oil
production in the near future. Simply look at the demand with the
ever increasing number of vehicles on the roads each year. Average
individuals will not reduce the use of their vehicles, and although
electric vehicles are an alternative how feasible are they in the
short future? Can ordinary people afford to change from their
standard vehicle to a new electric one? Once that thought begins to
germinate the question of charging stations then arises.
At
the Paris Conference one major topic centered around renewable energy
production. There are many countries who have made forecasts to
reduce their carbon emissions. Some nations such as France have
achieved almost 90 percent of its electricity production from zero
carbon sources, including nuclear, hydroelectric and wind, whilst
still providing a high standard of living. France is not alone, as
Finland and Sweden have also found equal success in a shift to
renewable energy production.
Other
countries such as China have announced renewable energy targets.
China plans to increase the share of non-fossil fuels in its energy
mix to 20 percent by 2030. Japan announced that it plans to increase
its energy mix to 22 to 24 percent renewable energy by 2030.
Is
optimism enough? The disaster with a methane gas leak in the Porter
Ranch community in Los Angeles throws more questions into the mix.
Southern California Gas Company only plans to plug the leak in the
next three or four months, which began releasing methane gas into the
atmosphere on October 23rd 2015. This
leak has been releasing 62 million cubic feet of gas per day and has
forced the relocation of 2600 local residents. Methane gas is as
detrimental to Climate Change as CO²,
and this leak will affect California's predictions of reduction of
gas emissions.
In the end was the United
Nations Climate Change Conference simply a gathering of politicians
full of promises, or was it a glimmer of hope for the future? Maybe
a recap of 2016 will give us the answer. In the meantime, as we
prepare to welcome a new year each one of us remembers the events of
our lives, the support of family and friends, and most of all the
hope that our future is better, or at least not worse than the past
and that darkness does not hit us all.
Happy New Year to all of
Mayorgate's readers.
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