The Climate Chap: World breaks emissions records

09 May, 2022

As frequently mentioned, we look towards the United Nations for global leadership in defining and overcoming the greatest challenge the planet is facing – the climate crisis.

So when no less than Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary General, slams some governments and businesses for lying in claiming to be on track to achieve the 1.5 degC limit, you know we are in trouble. In a strongly worded criticism he stated: “Some government and business leaders are saying one thing, but doing another. Simply put, they are lying. The results will be catastrophic.” Quite a statement from the world’s leading diplomat. Pleased to report that Aotearoa is okay as our Minister for Climate Change has already acknowledged that our new 2030 emission reduction targets are simply unachievable.

Since 1990 the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has produced a series of six reports. The 2022 series had input from 230 scientists, covered thousands of pages, and has just been approved by 195 countries. It states that 58 percent of nasty carbon emissions generated since 1850 (effectively the start of the industrial revolution) occurred prior to 1990, and a staggering 42 percent since 1990. Quite remarkable when you consider that Aotearoa (previously called New Zealand) has been committed to reducing carbon emissions since 1992. In the past decade the world has broken all records in increasing carbon emissions. Since 1990 we have had eight prime ministers, each determined to reduce our pollution, and yet our emissions have gone up!

So where does that leave us? Simply that the increase in global temperatures of around 1.2 degC are effectively locked in, as are the likelihood of increased droughts, horrendous storms, extreme weather extremes, diminishing glaciers, and forest fires. A major acceleration in reducing emissions is now urgently needed to limit warming to 2 degC. Current commitments have planet earth heading to an additional 3.2 degC by the end of the century. Disaster.

Atmospheric emissions are measured in ‘parts per million’. The 350ppm existing in 1990 was considered the “safe” maximum. By 2012 it had risen to 394ppm, and 2022 to 418ppm. These are “locked in” and will continue to negatively impact our climate unless, somehow, we can all work to overcome this problem. How? By urgently and vastly reducing carbon, methane and fluorocarbon emissions and applying measures to increase the population of native forests, renewable energy, and drastically reducing the impact of meat and dairy.

Should we simply give up? Certainly not. We have recently increased the goals we are striving to achieve by 2030 to get us on track to be “carbon neutral” by 2050, and no doubt you have seen far more Tesla’s in the neighbourhood in recent months. And great news –possibly by the time you read this article our Government may have actually published its report on how we are going to succeed by 2030.

But we need to talk about the elephant in the room. Actually, it’s a cow. For most countries the main problem is carbon emissions generated by fossil fuels, especially oil, natural gas, coal and deforestation. They are over 90 percent of emissions generated in the USA and UK. Methane’s only 18 percent globally. However locally nearly 50 percent of our emissions are methane, generated mostly by ruminating animals in the farmyard. The meat/dairy industry is currently required to reduce methane emissions by a minimum of only 24 percent by 2050. This potentially still leaves 76 percent “on the table” and therefore nearly 40 percent of our

overall emissions left ongoing. The industry is showing minimal interest in reducing “non carbon” emissions whatsoever. They are currently protected from the potentially costly Emission Trading Scheme. Indeed, the recent innovative recycling proposals even excludes plastic milk bottles, and amazingly our government successfully lobbied the IPCC not to mention “plant-based foods” as an alternative to beef and dairy.

Globally it is now a nonsense to devote so much arable land to growing crops to feed livestock so that after a few years they can be slaughtered so that we can consume their flesh. Plant-based food requires less land, water, fertilisers, transport, processing and space whilst rapidly becoming far more affordable, available and delicious; and yet our government does not want it mentioned.

Can’t wait for our government’s 2030 game plan.

But we need to talk about the elephant in the room. Actually, it’s a cow.