Coronavirus Augurs Hope for Climate Action

The coronavirus will augur change and while it is far too early to say with any certainty, it may very well drive the kind of radical transformation that we need to address the climate crisis. People are coming together to face this modern day plague. We are seeing a return to multilateralism and perhaps even a reversal of the trend towards increasing polarization. In the first few weeks of the pandemic we also began to see a reduction in climate change causing emissions.

To be clear we have little reason to celebrate at present. Health care systems are being overwhelmed and people are sick and dying. To make matters worse this pandemic is unfolding against the backdrop of the Trump administration's tragic mishandling of the crisis and a global economic meltdown. The stock markets are experiencing unprecedented volatility and U.S. job losses have spiked to a record 3.3 million making recession a virtual certainty.

Hilary Clinton is our Last Best Hope of Tackling Climate Change

Anyone interested in climate action needs to appreciate that Hilary Clinton is our last best hope. Clinton has emerged as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee and she is a far better choice than the Republican candidate Donald Trump. To get a handle on what is at stake, voters need to understand that without US involvement, efforts to reign-in climate change are doomed to fail. Clinton has recently received endorsements from the greenest candidate in this election cycle Tom O'Malley and Potus himself, President Barack Obama.

Climate Scientist Susan Solomon's heartening Look at Environmental Successes

Susan Solomon, is the Ellen Swallow Richards Professor of Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate Science at MIT and she is also author of the book “The Coldest March.” She is a scientist who remains hopeful despite the array of environmental threats we are facing.  While it is easy to believe that we are powerless to combat climate change she points out that there have been a number of environmental successes that give us reason to hope that we can make a difference before it is too late.

In recent decades have seen major environmental progress: In the 1970s, the United States banned indoor leaded paint following evidence that it was poisoning children. In the 1990s, the United States put in place regulations to reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide — a move that significantly reduced acid rain. Beginning in the 1970s, countries around the world began to phase out leaded gasoline; blood lead levels in children dropped dramatically in response.

Happy New Year: Lets Make 2013 a More Sustainable Year

As 2013 commences we are called to to reflect on the year that has been. Most importantly we need to consider what we will do in the year to come. Last year we saw a number of studies and dire warnings about the state of our environment.There is reason to believe that both the business community and ordinary people are coming to terms with the facts.

The costs and risks associated with climate change make a powerful business case and extreme weather is making it increasingly difficult for the average person to ignore global warming.

In 2012 governments dithered but businesses around the world engaged climate change in record numbers. There was even evidence suggesting that average Americans are embracing climate science in ever increasing numbers.

This year we must come together to act. Businesses, consumers and even elected officials must get serious about engaging the environmental threats we face.

Let us dare to hope that despite the prodigious obstacles arrayed against us that 2013 will be the year that climate change gets the attention that it deserves. At the very least let us all commit to doing what we can to make human activities less egregious to the Earth.

© 2013, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

COP 18: Bridging the Gulf Between Science and Reality

In theory the slew of recent climate studies should inspire the delegates that have assembled for the 18th Conference of the Parties (COP 18). In practice the 194 nations that are meeting in Doha, Qatar, are getting bogged down by the same old arguments.