Further to an interesting article from the New Scientist on how we fail to act on climate change mitigation, I get to read that still many people are denying climate change. Indeed:
Despite all this information (on climate change), opinion polls over the years have shown that 40 per cent of people in the UK and over 50 per cent in the US resolutely refuse to accept that our emissions are changing the climate.
But do we really need climate change as a reason for action ? I don’t think so. Indeed, business, jobs and pollution are enough to drive us into action.
Business :
Let’s forget about global warming and get serious about what makes this world go: MONEY. Greed is a human trait, so why couldn’t we all start saving money ? The opportunities there are numerous, as a matter of fact they are litterally everywhere as we waste so much energy.
As an example, the United States of America alone will spend from $400 billion (Sen. Sanders’ estimate) to $600 billion (mine) this year alone on buying foreign oil for their cars and trucks. Couldn’t they save this money and invest it in American schools, infrastructures and so on ?
Another example of this: European countries also spends hundreds of billions in buying natural gas and oil to heat their houses and buildings. Couldn’t they weatherize and retrofit them all to cut. this would improve balance of trade, create thousands of jobs and so on.
Jobs :
Even if I have not much data on this topic, I believe cleantech and renewable energies are more job intensive solutions that dirty tech and fossil fuels power plants. The sole example of this is that wind energy employs now more people than coal.
Retrofitting and weatherizing our homes and buildings would also create hundred of thousands of jobs.
Environment :
Fossil fuels pollute a lot. From oil spills to massive coal sludge accident and other manifestations like massive air pollution these solutions are poisoning us and the environment.
I could go on, but you get the idea : we don’t need climate change mitigation as a reason for action.
Buying oil,whether foreign or domestic is indeed money badly spent.
Besides jobs derived from renewable energy production and other “green jobs”, there is the always changing employment landscape which produces new types of occupations that we can’t even imagine now.
Some people just don’t want to see. Denial is a strong force.
Fortunately, more and more people are concerned with the environment. Even if it’s just that they notice that their summer vacation is ruined because of drought, heat waves, tornadoes and other drastic meteorological event caused by global warming.
Many thanks Gilles for your comment.
Regarding domestic oil, I am afraid that my country doesn’t produce any. But since our government as a history of high oil taxes, we don’t consume much per capita. (compared to Americans, compared to Indians, that’s another story all together)
For instance, the last time I refilled the tank of my Toyota, unleaded was at 1.26€ per liter (no idea how much that makes in dollar per gallon). Luckily, it’s quite efficient as I can make 100 km with only 5.5 liters.
Denial indeed is important. But perhaps lack of information is another reason. If environmentally concerned citizens and NGO stopped focusing so much on climate change to focus on the job creations and so on, perhaps it would be a right move…