{"id":7374,"date":"2023-10-24T21:04:46","date_gmt":"2023-10-24T21:04:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/course.fossdle.org\/baccc\/?page_id=7374"},"modified":"2023-10-24T21:04:46","modified_gmt":"2023-10-24T21:04:46","slug":"ways-of-mitigating-climate-change-part-3","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/course.fossdle.org\/baccc\/modules\/module-4-getting-to-zero-mitigating-climate-change-to-safeguard-the-future\/ways-of-mitigating-climate-change-part-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Ways of Mitigating Climate Change – Part 3"},"content":{"rendered":"
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False solutions to climate change and why they are not expected to work<\/span><\/h2>\n

Faced with the looming climate emergency, world leaders and negotiators gather every year for the United Nations Climate Conference (called a COP, or Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC) to define an action plan to address the crisis. The objectives of these summits often include a commitment to increase technology funding to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions in order to keep the increase in global average temperature below 1.5 degrees by the end of the century. Lately, they have set their goal as \u201cnet zero\u201d or \u201cnet-zero greenhouse gas emissions.\u201d (Other terms that mean almost the same thing are \u201ccarbon neutrality,\u201d \u201cclimate neutrality\u201d or \u201cnet-negative emissions.\u201d)\n<\/p>\n

According to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States,\n<\/p>\n

Some actions, like using electricity from a fossil fuel-fired power plant, lead to greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere. These greenhouse gas \u201cemissions\u201d are the root cause of climate change. Other actions help reduce emissions, like building a solar farm that lets us run that fossil fuel-fired power plant less \u2013 or even, like planting trees, take some greenhouse gases back out of the atmosphere.\n<\/p>\n

A person or organization with net zero emissions is one that takes both kinds of actions, such that their positive and negative impacts on the climate are considered to effectively balance out. This is an important strategy, because it can be very hard, expensive, or even impossible to emit no greenhouse gases at all. By lowering one\u2019s own emissions as much as possible, and then \u201ccanceling out\u201d any remaining (or \u201cresidual\u201d) emissions, an organization [or person] can reach net zero emissions and stop their effect on the climate.\n<\/p>\n

\/ Net Zero Emissions<\/a><\/i>[1]<\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>\n

In reality, net zero is sometimes an elaborate industrial greenwashing scheme that seems to give polluting companies the right to expand their operations and continue to pollute because they \u201ccapture\u201d CO2<\/sub> elsewhere. Some major corporations are making disingenuous (insincere) \u201cnet-zero\u201d and \u201ccarbon-neutral\u201d claims based on dubious emission-offsetting practices that are untested at scale, rather than actual cuts in their emissions. If this continues, we will not be able to reach zero carbon emissions.\n<\/p>\n

There are many useful resources available at the MIT Climate Change Portal\n<\/p>\n

MIT Climate Change Portal<\/a><\/i>[2]<\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>\n

Now visit the following page on the Portal:\n<\/p>\n

Net Zero Emissions <\/a><\/i>[3]<\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>\n

Scroll down to the diagram. We can see that while efforts are being made to balance out or offset the residual emissions after all the mitigation strategies of the factory are in place, it is still emitting 4,000 tonnes of CO2<\/sub> equivalent every year. This will make it impossible to ever stabilise the global temperature or the climate.\n<\/p>\n

The wind turbine must be carefully placed so that it does not interfere with anyone\u2019s life or livelihood. And by offsetting emissions by planting monoculture tree plantations, companies could trigger land grabbing and the displacement of communities, human rights abuses, water scarcity and further biodiversity loss. These \u201cnature-based solutions\u201d and offsetting schemes can divert attention from the root causes of the climate \u2013 the burning of fossil fuels and the emission of greenhouse gases.\n<\/p>\n

Let us be very clear. I\u2019m not saying that we shouldn\u2019t build solar and wind power plants. In fact, we should be stepping up production. We have to be realistic about it, though. Attempting to keep up the current wasteful level of energy use and consumption (the current level in the \u201cfirst world\u201d that is) has unacceptable costs. We need to increase efficiency where we can, but we also need to face up to the end of a way of life which has never been very satisfying, and accept a lower impact.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
\u201c\n<\/td>\n Consider \u2013 every generation in human history somehow lived without any electricity, until a mere century ago. It\u2019s time for us to grow up, accept limits, and make plans that take everyone\u2019s well-being into account.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/td>\n \u201d\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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\u2014Mary Wildfire (2020), False Solutions to Climate Change: Part 1, Electricity<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n


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Activity<\/h2>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t
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Create a social media meme or message about the importance of getting to zero carbon \u2013 versus only net zero, which just kicks responsibility for carbon emissions \u201cdown the road\u201d to less fortunate people today or to future generations. Post your meme if you like to.\n<\/p>\n

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\nOne of the main ways that companies and public institutions measure and assess their greenhouse gas emissions is to look at them within three different \u201cscopes.\u201d (Understanding these scopes will help you speak the language of climate change mitigation should you choose a career in this field.)\n<\/p>\n

The three scopes are a way of categorising the different kinds of emissions that a company creates, in its own operations and in its wider value chain (its suppliers and customers).\n<\/p>\n

Scopes 1 and 2 are those emissions that are controlled by a company, whereas scope 3 emissions are a consequence of the activities of the company but the company has no control over them.\n<\/p>\n