GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE, STABILIZATION THROUGH SUPPLY AND DEMAND MEASURES

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GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE, STABILIZATION THROUGH
SUPPLY AND DEMAND MEASURES

• United Nations Commission on Sustainable
  Development
• May 9 2006

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The last time global temperature was 1 degree C
higher than now

• 125,000 years ago
• Sea level was 7-8 meters higher
• Crocodiles and hippopotamuses lived in London,
  England
• Atmospheric CO2 was 30 lower than it is today

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The Framework Convention on Climate Change is a
treaty to stabilize greenhouse gases,
temperature, and sea level, but a treaty to
stabilize their rate of increase
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• If no more coal, oil, and natural gas is
  burned,starting today, climate change will
  eventually greatly exceed that of 125,000 years
  ago
• If continued use of fossil fuels causes runaway
  global warming, sea level rise could exceed 150
  meters

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• Business as usual is a death warrant for coral
  reefs and fisheries, but many more ecosystems
  will follow
• Climate change models greatly underestimate long
  term changes because they miss most of the
  positive feedback mechanisms in the climate
  system, and have too short a time horizon

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• To stabilize the climate system requires reducing
  CO2 sources (supply) and increasing sinks
  (demand)
• Tidal, solar, and biofuel energy can reduce
  sources
• Large scale reforestation and addition of
  charcoal to soils can increase sinks and increase
  soil fertility and water holding capacity

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• Harvard Environment Groups best case scenario
  assumes coal is the only possible future energy
  option

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RED COAL, THE DIRTIEST FOSSIL FUEL!
SOURCE HARVARD MAGAZINE MAY-JUNE 2006
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• THIS IS ONLY BECAUSE THEY CAN NOT IMAGINE THAT
  RENEWABLE ENERGY HAS THE CAPACITY TO REPLACE
  FOSSIL FUELS AT COMPETITIVE COST, AND BECAUSE
  THEY IGNORE INCREASED SINKS. SOIL CARBON SINKS
  ARE NOT RECOGNIZED BY THE CDM.

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WE MUST DO BETTER!

• THIS SCENARIO IS A RECIPE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL
  DISASTER, A DEATH SENTENCE FOR CORAL REEF
  COUNTRIES, LOW LYING ISLAND STATES, AND MANY
  OTHER ECOSYSTEMS.