Intertia Flashcards
1
Q
Age of Dithering
A
State of indecisive agitation
2
Q
Scientifically well-established by mid-1960s:
A
- CO2 traps heat and has a warming effect on the climate (going back to 19th C)
- CO2 from burning fossil fuels could accumulate in atmosphere and drive warming
- 1958: (Charles Keeling; Mauna Loa); confirms humans can & are altering atmospheric chemistry
- 1965: Reported climate change risks to U.S. President
3
Q
By early-1980s, high-degree of scientific confidence that:
A
- Atmospheric CO2 will reach double pre-industrial levels in 21st C
- Could push temps above 1.5oC (and possibly much higher)
- Growing media attention
4
Q
1-2 C warming could
A
- Trigger major melting on Greenland + west Antarctica (and associated sea level rise)
- Produce drought in many populous and agriculturally significant regions
5
Q
1988: James Hanson
A
- Discussed multiple scenarios for warming risks
6
Q
In 1990s
A
- Strong statements about causation by national academies of science of US, Japan, Germany, UK, France, Italy, Canada, China, India, Brazil, etc.
- Climate science growing ever more clear about drivers, risks, and urgency of big GHG emission cuts
7
Q
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (est. 1988) (IPCC)
A
- World Meteorological Organization (WMO) + UN Environmental Program (UNEP)
- ** key organization for assessing and communicating state of earth systems science **
8
Q
3 Working Groups of IPCC
A
- Science
- Impact, Adaption
- Mitigation
9
Q
1990 IPCC report:
A
- Extent of “warming is broadly consistent with predictions of climate models, but it is also of the same magnitude of natural climate variability….”
10
Q
2007 IPCC Report:
A
- “Due to the inertia of both climate and socio-economic systems, the benefits of mitigation actions [most of all, cutting GHGs] initiated now may result in significant avoided climate change only after several decades.
- This means that mitigation actions need to start in the short-term in order to have a medium- and longer-term benefits and to avoid lock-in of carbon-intensive technologies.”
- Fossil energy related industries have exact opposite goal (working to ensure lock-in)
11
Q
2019 Special IPCC Report on 1.5 C
A
- Positive feedbacks get really dangerous beyond this point + window closing to get atmospheric GHG concentrations to a level where this could be possible
- NEED annual emissions cut by ~ ½ by 2030 for any hope
- BUT current path: 16% increase (from 2010) by 2030 (based on commitments)
- This alone will ‘lock in’ warming of 2.7 C
12
Q
Who is the Denial Industry
A
- Range of industries opposing various environmental regulations (e.g. acid rain, pesticides, etc.)
- Big funding for think-tanks leading attacks on climate science
13
Q
How? Denial Industry
A
- Distort evidence and/or discredit scientific expertise to a degree that leaves many confused and doubtful about the level of scientific confidence and/or implications
- Sow confusion and doubt, and inaction on fossil fuel consumption
14
Q
Mark Carney
A
- Cutting CO2 emissions to level needed to contain warming to 1.5oC “would render the vast majority of reserves ‘stranded’ — oil, gas and coal that will be literally unburnable…”
15
Q
Big Coal, Oil, and Gas: fears of ‘stranded assets’ sometimes referred to as ‘carbon bubble’
A
Clear recognition that global disciplines to drastically limit production & consumption (caps or heavy taxes) would cost Big Coal, Oil, and Gas trillions of $$ of known assets
