What’s the score?

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28 Mar, 2022

 

We started talking about the climate crisis back in 1990 and gave ourselves until 2050 to reduce our nasty emissions to a level needed to avoid a total global disaster. Compare this to a football match. It’s half time and we are back in the shed having a slice of orange and reflecting on the first half and what we need to do to have a great second half and win the match.

So at half time the obvious question to ask is: Are we winning?

What’s unique is the absolute necessity for the climate crisis to be overcome at four levels concurrently – global, national, community and personally. I am not aware of any previous event in history where this has taken place that was until 2020 and Covid-19.

Covid-19 has also become a challenge where enormous efforts have been made at the global, national, community and personal levels. I’m sure that you can think of many examples where huge changes have taken place in your life to overcome Covid-19, and sadly still much to achieve, but it has been a truly historic endeavour for the world to come together to overcome a widespread and deadly problem.

So at half time what’s the score? Let’s look at the four key areas separately.

 

Global
The United Nations has been at the forefront of developing awareness of the climate crisis and proposing programs, technologies and goals to reduce harmful emissions and save the planet. They have been ably assisted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the forum for the world’s scientific community, who assess current performance and issues. The UN organises annual conferences, the next being COP27 soon in Egypt. The IPCC have just published the latest lengthy report which basically states that minimal progress has been achieved, if not in fact going backwards.

The UN has mandated every nation to making considerable emission reductions by 2030 and to being “net carbon neutral” by 2050. Sadly some nations such as China and India seek longer, and some nations such as Saudi Arabia and Australia simply wish to preserve their economies and jobs regardless.

On the world stage we are also fortunate to have charismatic leaders such as Sir David Attenborough and Greta Thunberg who have the talent to express the challenge in down-to-earth and emotional ways that we can all understand.

Still much to do, but the framework to win come 2050 is in place.

Score: 5 out of 10

 

National
Despite the climate crisis being declared a national emergency in late 2020, very little has actually progressed and many will consider Covid-19, inflation, housing, business recovery, child poverty, improving education and healthcare, inequality, and the cost of living to be more urgent national issues. We have committed to 2030 goals that are impossible to achieve, and will cost taxpayers a fortune by then. We do not have a climate change minister in Cabinet, the Climate Commission is currently being sued by lawyers, and publication of our national program to establish emission reductions has been delayed. And yet it’s only 2800 days to go until 2030!

Positives include slightly more affordable EV cars, proposals to plant more native trees, enhanced recycling, and efforts to stop using coal.

At a national level we simply cannot meet our emission targets without a massive reduction in methane generated by ruminating livestock, this being at least 40 percent of our overall emissions. However, the government has established minimal targets that make defeat inevitable. Even plastic milk bottles are excluded from the innovative recycling proposals.

Score: 2 out of 10

 

Community
Excellent progress being made to determine the impact of rising seas levels, in Sustainable Kaipara we have a wonderful team focusing in recycling and composting, a couple of EV charging points, lots of locally produced foods, and of course a great community paper featuring climate change. Many in the community are now appreciative of the need for change, a major achievement in itself.

Score: 6 out of 10

 

Personally
Only you can score yourself. These articles provide tons of advice to save on harmful emissions. I give myself a modest 7.5 out of 10 (can’t afford a Tesla yet) but hopefully you also score highly and are still determined to win your match.

 

… we are also fortunate to have charismatic leaders such as Sir David Attenborough and Greta Thunberg who have the talent to express the

challenge in down-to-earth and emotional ways that we can all understand.

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