derek gulbranson

Gore’s Bold, Unrealistic Plan to Save the Planet

Gore's Bold, Unrealistic Plan to Save the Planet - TIME

But doing it in 10 years? If the earlier, personal solutions to global warming -- drive a hybrid, put in better insulation -- were far too little, Gore's goal seems far too much. Less than 28% of our power currently comes from carbon-free sources, and the vast majority of that is hydroelectric and nuclear. High-tech renewables account for less than 3%. Wind and solar are growing far faster than fossil fuels such as coal or natural gas, but considering that we don't even know if economical carbon capture and storage will ever be possible, it's hard to see how Gore's target is remotely attainable. This isn't negative thinking, or fiction put out by the oil industry. This is reality.

I'm confused. Gore wasn't talking about economical carbon capture, he was talking about using existing renewable energy technologies. And the science doesn't care if it's achievable. You don't get to adjust the facts to fit what we think we can do.

He's right. A number of scientists, though not all, warn that the world has a decade at most to reverse the growth in greenhouse gas emissions, or risk catastrophic climate change. But here's the fact that keeps me up at night: Gore and his allies could be right. We may simply be technologically and politically incapable of doing anything about it. Maybe we've already run out of time, and we just don't know it.

First, in no area of scientific theory will all scientist agree about anything. Second, the fact that they disagree does not avoid the fact that one side is right and one side is wrong. There is an objective reality out there that's happening now regardless of our opinion of it. We use evidence, observable data, to decipher who's right and who's wrong.

I watched Larry King where they had a full panel of commenters saying how ridiculous it would be to produce 100% of our electricity from renewable resources in 10 years. None of them were scientists. Geraldo Rivera was one of the commenters if that tells you anything.

Here's a few things we need to realize.

Your opinion does not matter. Climate change is happening or it's not happening independent of your opinion. This is not religion, you do not get to pick what you want to believe based on what you're comfortable with. The wind does not care what you think of it and not believing in it just means your picnic is over sooner than you thought. Or, if it's a tornado, your house is destroyed and the wind is neither happy nor sad about it. It is completely self-less, without purpose or meaning of any kind, and your opinion of it has no effect on wether it happens or not.

The economy is not part of the climate change equation. There is no constant in the equations governing climate change theory that represents the economy or money. Climate change does not give a crap what Wall Street thinks is economically possible/comfortable.

It would be way more convenient if climate change were not happening, not our fault, or if we could do nothing about it.

People are offended when you tell them their lifestyle is killing the planet. The planet doesn't care if you're offended.

Nobody talks about the science, the facts, the observables when people talk about climate change on TV. Everyone talks about what they believe or hope or think is possible, but never what we know. What you believe is irrelevant.

Fact: Global CO2 levels are rising.
Fact: Humans today produce billions of tons of CO2 annually.
Fact: The CO2 we produce does not go away to never never land.
Fact: Historically, CO2 levels and temperatures are linked.
Fact: Global temperatures are increasing.
Fact: Burning fossil fuels for energy is not sustainable indefinitely.

That's what we know. These are each undisputed facts.

I think it turns out that we are the posterity we have left this problem for. Sticking your head in the sand and humming won't work on this one.

Sign the Move On petition to show your support for Gore's call to action.