The Climate Minute: IPCC to Exxon to Action (PODCAST)

Several landmark events occurred this week, and we try to make sense of them. From the factual but distressing IPCC report to Exxon’s in-your-face response to it’s climate activist shareholders, the implications seem confusing and abstract. In today’s podcast we are joined by MCAN’s acting Executive Director, Amy Tighe, to discuss new ways think about these events.

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If you want to read the real thing, see the forty four page Executive Summary of the IPCC report, or else check out news reports showing the  5 key points or discussing impact on the developing world. If this makes you want to cry, watch Sting and Robert Downy Jr. “kill” the song "Driven to Tears". You can find some information on the Dalai Lama here or Wendell Berry here.

 

Then there is the sorry story of Exxon’s carbon risk report. Exxon essentially taunts world governments, saying:

”ExxonMobil believes that although there is always the possibility that government action may impact the company, the scenario where governments restrict hydrocarbon production in a way to reduce GHG emissions 80 percent … is highly unlikely. … Also, as discussed above, we do not anticipate society being able to supplant traditional carbon- based forms of energy with other energy forms, such as renewables, to the extent needed to meet this carbon budget ..."

and elsewhere says

“Based on this analysis, we are confident that none of our hydrocarbon reserves are now or will become “stranded.”

Just keep in mind that the ‘highly unlikely’ restrictions are made even more unlikely by Exxon’s well funded lobbying efforts!

 

Bill McKibben responded in the Guardian, saying:

We’ve never thought that there was a small flaw in their business plan that could be altered by negotiation; we’ve always thought their business plan was to keep pouring carbon into the atmosphere. And indeed Exxon’s statements are easy to translate: “We plan on overheating the planet, we think we have the political muscle to keep doing it, and we dare you to stop it.” And they’re right — unless we build a big and powerful movement, they’ll continue to dominate our political life and keep change from ever taking place.

And here is a free blog-only bonus: Wen Stephenson’s article on a meeting of students with Governor Patrick.

 

Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions,  because we accept responsibility for building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist that  the United States put a price on carbon.

…Ted McIntyre