World’s future depends on our climate actions
As Texans, we should inform ourselves about matters that can significantly impact our future. A report from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released on Oct. 8 is a salient example. This methodical, data-driven and nonpartisan organization issued a new report with chilling implications. It says we need to take sweeping actions to curb the rise in global temperatures if we want to prevent ecological and societal catastrophe.
The report concluded that a stricter temperature threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius (that’s 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above preindustrial levels would have to be the maximum amount of global warming before catastrophic damage sets in, rather than the 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit)set at the 2015 Paris climate change agreement. This new finding is alarming and deserves our attention since significant changes would need to be made now to try to achieve this new benchmark.
The report looked at the whole world, but let’s ask for a moment: What do rising temperatures mean for Texas?
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, we can expect rising seas and retreating shorelines, coastal storms such as Hurricane Harvey, rainstorms and tornadoes, increasing wildfires, increasing droughts and worsening air pollution leading to premature death from heart and lung disease.
And there is more. Other health risks include urban heat islands causing potentially lethal heat waves and increased disease transmission from mosquitoes and other insects — think dengue fever and the Zika virus.
Globally, the report projected coastlines inundated by rising sea levels, intensified droughts and worsening food shortages and wildfires, a mass die-off of coral reefs and growing world poverty.
The report incorporated an enormous amount of data combined with sophisticated modeling of carbon and non-carbon emissions and their effects on temperature and other weather phenomena. Ninety-one scientists from 40 countries, including the United States, collaborated to write the report.
The good news is, we are already taking some of the actions that would be needed to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius . But we need to do more and much more quickly.
As individuals, we certainly have a role to play. We can reduce our carbon footprint by better insulating our homes, installing smart thermostats, using fuelefficient cars and appliances, choosing public transportation and eating less meat.
But to meet the challenge of keeping the temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius, we will need to change how we create and use energy. This calls for significant public and private investment in technology and innovation, as well as significant policy changes. While addressing climate change is frequently associated with the Democratic Party, Texas Republicans also support conservation — clean air, water and soil. Dallas Republicans highlighted this at the 2017 Earth Day symposium.
Texas can be a leader in this effort, bridging the political divide to intelligently address climate change in a way that is fair to all. States are already making their own emissions reduction pledges. For example, Gov. Jay Insleeof Washington state has proposed a carbon fee, the proceeds of which will be invested in clean energy and preserving clean water, forests and communities impacted by carbon pollution. This would be the first of its kind and could serve as a model for other states. Several conservatives, including former Secretary of State James A. Baker III, have proposed a plan for a carbon tax, a proposal that is also supported by Exxon Mobil.
Cities are also making their own requirements to mitigate the effects, and companies are making their own clean-energy investments. Houston, as the nation’s fourth-largest city, can make a major impact on emissions in Texas. As a nearcoastal city, Houston certainly is at risk of economic damage from climate change. As an energy capital, Houston may want to reap the benefits of sustainable cleanenergy investments.
Climate change affects us all, and as the new IPCC report makes clear, it poses imminent threats to our future. Yet there is still time to prevent catastrophic global warming. Large-scale policy solutions are needed, and now is the time to forge them. We can do our part by reducing our footprint and by considering climate issues when we vote. The rest is up to decisionmakers in local, state and federal governments. Texas should lead the way.