Sun City Democrats Discussion Group...•Dr. Northrop’s climate presentation at the Sun City...
Transcript of Sun City Democrats Discussion Group...•Dr. Northrop’s climate presentation at the Sun City...
SunCityDemocratsDiscussionGroup
Presentation
April10,2019
PaulGonin
• Co-Leader,Georgetown-RoundRockChapterofCitizensClimateLobby(CCL)
• Retiredfromacareerincorporatebanking
• 33yearsinTexas• SunCityresident(11years)
Active in the United States, Canada, Australia and 30other countries.
1 International
We build relationships with everyone, even thosewho oppose us.
Nonpartisan
Volunteer driven organization with 501c(3) and501c(4) status.
Nonprofit
We are for a solution: Carbon Fee and Dividend.Solutionfocus
We treat everyone with respect, appreciation andgratitude.
Respect,appreciationandgratitude
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AboutCCL
ClimateeventsinGeorgetownin2019
• SeniorUniversityclass“ClimateChange:Science,Culture,andArt”taughtbyDr.EmilyNorthrop.
• Dr.Northrop’sclimatepresentationattheSunCityDemocratsmeetingonFebruary9.
• SouthwesternUniversity’sBrownSymposiumonFebruary27,“TheAnthropocene.”
• Dr.Northrop’sclimatepresentationatSanGabrielPresbyterianChurchonMarch23.
IfyoucompletedaCitizensClimateLobby(CCL)constituentcommentsformatoneofthese,oranyothereventthisyear,THANKYOU.Ifnot,pleaseconsidercompletingonetoday.TheformswillbedeliveredtoRepresentativeJohnCarteratourmeetingwithhimonApril15.
Whereareyouonclimatechange?
• 1It’sahoaxperpetratedbyclimatescientistsand/ortheU.N.and/ortheChinese.
• 2Theclimateischanging,butit’sanaturalandongoingprocess– notman-made.
• 3Humanactionsarehavingsomeimpactonclimate,butit’snotthatserious.
• 4Changeismostlyman-madeandactionshouldbetaken,providedthatthisisnotdamagingtotheeconomy.
• 5Climatechangeisaveryseriousthreattothefutureoflifeontheplanet,anditrequiresdramaticactiontoreducegreenhousegas(ghg)emissionsandtolowerexistingghg levelsintheatmosphere.
Fact1:CO2 makesplanetswarmer.
Fact2:HumanactivityisaddingCO2 totheatmosphere.
Inevitableconclusion:ExpectawarmingEarth.
Howmuchofthewarminghasbeencausedbyhumans?Allofit.
Energyusebysource
Renewableenergyisgrowingexponentially,butthisgrowthhassofarbeentoolowtooffsetthegrowthinfossilenergyconsumption.
Thisfigureshows“primaryenergy”usingtheBPsubstitutionmethod(non-fossilsourcesarescaledupbyanassumedfossilefficiencyof0.38)
Source:BP2018;Figueresetal2018;GlobalCarbonBudget2018
Almost all countries are contributing to the rise in 2018 emissions:
China up 4.7%US up 2.5%India up 6.3%
AndinOctober,theIntergovernmentalPanelonClimateChange,aUnitedNationsscientificgroup,issuedanalarmingreport warningthatemissionsarerisingataratethatwillopenthedoortowidespreadfoodshortages,wildfires,coastalfloodingandpopulationdisplacementby2040.
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Annual extremely hot days (95+ degrees) more than double from ~ 43 to 90.Extra 2850 heat-related deaths each year.
A marked decrease in both worker productivity and crop yields, costing $12.5 billion each year.
A sea level rise of 1.5 – 2 feet à$565-million-per-year increase in coastal storm-related losses.
Expected impacts of climate change from Risky Business
Texas by Mid-Century
By2100,theglobaleconomywillbe23percentsmallerthaninaworldwithoutwarming.TheUSwilltakeahit.– Nature 2015
2018NationalClimateAssessment:GlobalwarmingcouldknockhundredsofbillionsofdollarsoffthesizeoftheAmericaneconomybycentury’send,particularlybydisruptingtradeandagriculture.
TheGreenNewDeal
(A)ThePlanforaGreenNewDeal(andthedraftlegislation)shallbedevelopedwiththeobjectiveofreachingthefollowingoutcomeswithinthe
targetwindowof10yearsfromthestartofexecutionofthePlan:
i. Dramaticallyexpandexistingrenewablepowersourcesanddeploynewproductioncapacitywiththegoalofmeeting100%ofnational
powerdemandthroughrenewablesources;
ii. buildinganational,energy-efficient,“smart”grid;
iii. upgradingeveryresidentialandindustrialbuildingforstate-of-the-artenergyefficiency,comfortandsafety;
iv. eliminatinggreenhousegasemissionsfromthemanufacturing,agriculturalandotherindustries,includingbyinvestinginlocal-scale
agricultureincommunitiesacrossthecountry;
v. eliminatinggreenhousegasemissionsfrom,repairingandimprovingtransportationandotherinfrastructure,andupgradingwater
infrastructuretoensureuniversalaccesstocleanwater;
vi. fundingmassiveinvestmentinthedrawdownofgreenhousegases;
vii. making“green”technology,industry,expertise,productsandservicesamajorexportoftheUnitedStates,withtheaimofbecomingthe
undisputedinternationalleaderinhelpingothercountriestransitiontocompletelygreenhousegasneutraleconomiesandbringingabouta
globalGreenNewDeal.
TheParisClimateAgreement
Aims
TheaimoftheagreementistodecreaseglobalwarmingdescribedinitsArticle2,"enhancingtheimplementation"oftheUNFCCCthrough:[16]
(a)Holdingtheincreaseintheglobalaveragetemperaturetowellbelow2°Cabovepre-industriallevelsandtopursueeffortstolimitthe
temperatureincreaseto1.5°Cabovepre-industriallevels,recognizingthatthiswouldsignificantlyreducetherisksandimpactsofclimate
change;
(b)Increasingtheabilitytoadapttotheadverseimpactsofclimatechangeandfosterclimateresilienceandlowgreenhousegasemissions
development,inamannerthatdoesnotthreatenfoodproduction;
(c)Makingfinanceflowsconsistentwithapathwaytowardslowgreenhousegasemissionsandclimate-resilientdevelopment.
Countriesfurthermoreaimtoreach"globalpeakingofgreenhousegasemissionsassoonaspossible".Theagreementhasbeendescribedasan
incentiveforanddriveroffossilfueldivestment.[17][18]
TheParisdealistheworld'sfirstcomprehensiveclimateagreement.[19]
Weknowhowtosolvethis
Makethismoreexpensive
Ifwewantlessofthis
ANonpartisanClimateSolution:CarbonFeeandDividend
Other H.R. 763 provisions: Border provision incentivizes other nations to price carbon.
Regulatory relief.
Effective Creates jobs Good for people Bipartisan Revenue neutral
TheEnergyInnovationandCarbonDividendAct(HR763)
For over a decade, CCL’s volunteers have asked their Members of Congress to work together to solve climate change. A viable climate change solution needs to be big and lasting — which means bipartisan legislation. CCL fully supports the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act because it’s:
EffectiveThis policy will reduce America’s emissions by at least 40% in the first 12 years.
Good for PeopleThis policy will improve health and save lives. Additionally, the carbon dividend puts money directly into people’s pockets every month to spend as they see fit, helping low and middle income Americans.
Good for the economyThis policy will create 2.1 million new jobs, thanks to economic growth in local communities across America.
BipartisanRepublicans and Democrats are both on board, cosponsoring this bill together. The majority of Americans support Congress taking action on climate change, including more than half of Republicans. Solving climate change is too urgent to get caught up in partisan politics.
Revenue NeutralThe fees collected on carbon emissions will be allocated to all Americans to spend any way they choose. The government will not keep any of the fees collected.
Howdoesitwork?
1. Carbon Fee
This policy puts a fee on fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas. It starts low, and grows over time. It will drive down carbon pollution because energy companies, industries, and consumers will move toward cleaner, cheaper options.
2. Carbon Dividend
The money collected from the carbon fee is allocated in equal shares every month to the American people to spend as they see fit. Program costs are paid from the fees collected. The government does not keep any of the money from the carbon fee.
3. Border Carbon Adjustment
To protect U.S. manufacturers and jobs, imported goods will be assessed a border carbon adjustment, and goods exported from the United States will receive a refund under this policy.
4. Regulatory Adjustment This policy preserves effective current regulations, like auto mileage standards, but pauses the EPA authority to regulate the CO2 and equivalent emissions covered by the fee, for the first 10 years after the policy is enacted. If emission targets are not being met after 10 years, Congress gives clear direction to the EPA to regulate those emissions to meet those targets. The pause does not impact EPA regulations related to water quality, air quality, health or other issues. This policy’s price on pollution will lower carbon emissions far more than existing and pending EPA regulations
Whereareyouonclimatechange?
• 1It’sahoaxperpetratedbyclimatescientistsand/ortheU.N.and/ortheChinese.
• 2Theclimateischanging,butit’sanaturalandongoingprocess– notman-made.
• 3Humanactionsarehavingsomeimpactonclimate,butit’snotthatserious.
• 4Changeismostlyman-madeandactionshouldbetaken,providedthatthisisnotdamagingtotheeconomy.
• 5Climatechangeisaveryseriousthreattothefutureoflifeontheplanet,anditrequiresdramaticactiontoreducegreenhousegas(ghg)emissionsandtolowerexistingghg levelsintheatmosphere.
RecommendedReading
• “TheWaterWillCome”byJeffGoodell
• “TheUninhabitableEarth”byDavidWallaceWells
• “TheSixthExtinction”byElizabethKolbert• “ClimateofHope”byMichaelBloombergandCarlPope