Storm devastation underlines need for climate action
As I’m sure you are aware, a few weeks ago Hurricane Irma, a massive Category 5 storm, tore through the Caribbean, leaving behind it a trail of unimaginable destruction. Hurricane Maria, another terrifying storm, quickly followed in its wake.
Communities throughout the Caribbean have been devastated by these hurricanes. The infrastructure in the British Virgin Islands, where I live, has completely collapsed; thousands of homes have been destroyed. After my team and I had waited out Irma safely on Necker Island, it was heartbreaking to see the extent of the damage suffered by the surrounding towns.
We haven’t rested since. Many of Virgin’s amazing staff members have volunteered to stick around and do whatever is needed to bring relief to the islands.
As a longtime resident, I know the Caribbean well. While the past few weeks have been agonising at times, I’m confident that the Caribbean’s wonderful people will emerge from this tragedy even stronger than before. In recent weeks, I’ve seen communities across the region band together to support one another.
Even as we address the area’s immediate needs, it’s important to stay focused on the bigger picture, regarding the root causes of this devastation. I’m talking, of course, about climate change. Scientists have highlighted the link between carbon emissions and warmer sea-surface temperatures, and warm water is fuel for hurricanes.
As Irma moved through the Caribbean on its way to Florida, it passed over water that had reached temperatures as high as 86 degrees Fahrenheit. As I’m sure people in Houston, Florida and the British Virgin Islands would agree, the time to act is now. How much more destruction is necessary to prove that the way we treat our planet is having serious consequences?
The combined effects of hurricanes Harvey and Irma will cost the US $290 billion, according to predictions from AccuWeather, making this the most expensive hurricane season on record. Before this year, 2005 was the costliest season, with Katrina and other storms costing the US more than $143 billion.
I recently spent a few days in New York banging the drum for climate action as part of the Climate Week NYC summit. The Virgin team met with leaders from the political and business worlds and I felt heartened by the support we received.
That applies to reconstruction efforts in the Caribbean. With the right political will and financial support, I believe we can rebuild the islands hit by Irma with greener and more resilient communities. This means building homes and infrastructure that can withstand extreme weather events, which may hit harder and more often.
It also means weaning the Caribbean from fossil fuels, and helping it embrace more energy-efficient systems that can make use of the region’s abundant natural resources.
Marshall Plan
I’m optimistic that we can make this transition to a greener world, that we can resist our impulses to carry on business as usual. I’ve already called for a Marshall Plan for the British Virgin Islands and the greater Caribbean.
To do it right, we need tangible programmes, not just broad aims. I got an inside look at one such initiative while I was in New York. And it involves trucking. Yes, trucking.
Increasing the efficiency of heavy-duty trucks would have a profound effect on global emissions. In 2009, I co-founded the nonprofit Carbon War Room to accelerate the adoption of business solutions that can advance the low-carbon economy.
In September, seven US trucking fleets, representing nearly 11,000 tractors and 26,000 trailers, hauled freight across the country using various commercially available fuel-efficiency technologies. Participating drivers were able to demonstrate in real time how to achieve the best fuel economy in today’s highway tractors, saving money as well as carbon emissions along the way. The results were striking. In the first 10 days of the event, seven trucks managed to save $4,500 and 1,800 gallons of fuel. The highest milesper-gallon average achieved over a single day by a truck was 12.8; that’s roughly twice the national average.
According to estimates from Run on Less, if the trucking industry achieved levels of fuel efficiency similar to those attained by the Run on Less trucks, it would save 9.7 billion gallons of diesel fuel and 98 million tonnes of carbon dioxide - not to mention saving $24 billion!
Trucking is just one industry ripe for innovation; there are many more across the globe in which we can create environmentally friendly businesses. But we need to move fast.
The immense damage wrought by hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria have sent the world a very straightforward message: Now is the time to make a full, unambiguous commitment to the Paris climate agreement. If we fail to act, we will pay a terrible price.