Sunday, November 02, 2014

What part of No don't you understand?


BRT has talked ad nauseum about climate change and the catastrophic impact said change will have upon the world even though a sizable minority of humanity continue to deny the fact global warming is real in spite of overwhelming evidence that has proven this finding to be true. Seems the UN agrees with BRT without question as their latest report no longer uses diplomatic phrases to elegantly describe what is happening to our planet as it slowly begins to cook thanks to fossil fuel production that never seems to ebb no matter the cost to civilization.

If governments are to meet their own stated goal of limiting the warming of the planet to no more than 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit, or 2 degrees Celsius, above the preindustrial level, they must restrict emissions from additional fossil-fuel burning to about 1 trillion tons of carbon dioxide, the panel said. At current growth rates, that budget is likely to be exhausted in something like 30 years, possibly less.

Yet energy companies have booked coal and petroleum reserves equal to several times that amount, and they are spending some $600 billion a year to find more. Utilities and oil companies continue to build coal-fired power plants and refineries, and governments are spending another $600 billion or so directly subsidizing the consumption of fossil fuels.

In the United States, federal investments in energy research have never come close to those in areas that are high priorities. Military research is greater than that in all these areas combined.Panel’s Latest Warming Warning Misses Global Slumber Party on Energy ResearchNOV. 2, 2014

By contrast, the report found, less than $400 billion a year is being spent around the world to reduce emissions or otherwise cope with climate change. That is a small fraction of the revenue spent on fossil fuels — it is less, for example, than the revenue of a single American oil company, ExxonMobil.

Interstellar anyone?


Click here to get the 5th Synthesis Report on Climate Change 2014.
Needless to say, it will not warm the cockles of one's heart.

Addendum. Dot Earth, the NY Times Environmental OP Ed Blog, has a nice piece on the lack of commitment the world has on Energy Research. It too will not warm the cockles of one's heart either.


No comments: