2511. IPCC and action.

At the press conference the morning one speaker said the IPCC is the interface between science and policy,” What this still leaves out is action. But there is little discussion of what the action could be.

-Cut fossil fuel at X by Y percent?
-How?“Replace oil with clean energy
-what’s that?
-Mostly natural gas”
-When you burn natural gas what does t produce?
-co2, but only half as much.
isn’t natural has still a fossil fuel?
-Yes but its cleaner.
- isnt natural gas really methane, 32 times as trapping as co2?
-My boss told me it was just clean energy..

People still want to grow the economy, and they have good reasons for wanting to do so. But doe it make sense? We grow the economy and that uses more fuel. Oil producing countries, and those coming on line late to the party with oil reserves (Africa) want more growth to feed their people (after profits skimmed). New growth uses only y half as much as if we used old fuel, but still an addition to the overall contribution to greenhouse gases. The investors in the new equipment to burn natural gas want a return on investment so w get locked in to the “new” technologies for a longer time that the IPCC guide -lines.

So cutting fossil fuel is replaced by using more of it. This is what is happening now. We are putting more co2 into the atmosphere than at the time of the Paris Accords, and the rate is increasing while the COP26 goal is cutting 50% by 2030?

We need to learn to read critically.Take the following from a CSIS report

Critical Minerals and Clean Energy: The Biden administration has also announced plans to enhance domestic processing capacity of rare earth minerals, such as copper, nickel, lithium, and cobalt, and to update mining regulations to facilitate more mining that also considers sustainable and responsible practices. Part of the critical minerals and clean energy strategy includes additional DOE funding for commercial-ready technologies that facilitate a decarbonized future. In support of climate goals, the DOE also made recommendations to support the domestic solar and transformer industries.

“Domestic processing “ only adds mining after processing. But then say “responsible practices”? Bt no such exist. All mining is hard on land, releases pollutants and uses tremendous amounts of water. . “Commercial readY means products that are sold, use energy to make, and create profits for quasi monopolies. Supporting industries hard to square with cutting greenhouse gases.