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Overcoming Resistance to Climate Solutions

11/20/2020

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The climate crisis is already affecting all of us, but in different ways. If you live in a coastal area, you’ve probably noticed rising sea levels. If you live in a dry climate, like I do, you’re probably hearing a lot about drought and forest fires. There is no doubt that human-caused climate change is a threat--97% of scientists agree on that fact. Now, we’ve waited so long to make a change that it has become an immediate existential threat, and it is estimated that we only have 10 years to make a 50% reduction in our carbon emissions before we permanently lose some ecosystems.

The climate crisis is a nonpartisan issue--because it affects everyone--and we can’t deal with it unless we recognize that. The only thing stopping the two political parties from working together to beat this crisis is misunderstandings about the benefits and costs of the proposed solutions. I’m going to address some of the main concerns expressed about the best solution: transitioning to renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and hydroelectric power. 

Renewables will be more expensive than fossil fuels. Actually, renewables are cheaper than fossil fuels, as outlined in this report by Forbes. Think about it--a fracking site, for example, requires a lot of infrastructure, and will eventually run out of gas to extract. When it does, that infrastructure is no longer useful. This cycle continues every time a new fracking site is built. It's an unsustainable, expensive cycle. Renewables can break this cycle. Take solar, for example. In order to collect and store solar energy, you need a solar panel and a battery; solar panels last for at least 30-50 years, batteries last for 10-20 years, and, best of all, energy from the sun will never run out. Even though solar panels are a larger investment up front, they reliably and steadily pay for themselves and are much less expensive than fossil fuels long-term. In addition, the environmental damage related to fossil fuel extraction and pollution results in significant long-term economic costs. 

We’re going to lose all of the fossil fuel industry jobs. Yes, it’s true that transitioning to renewables will kill the fossil fuel industry’s jobs. The increase in available technology for extracting fossil fuels has been depleting fossil fuel jobs for decades, so those jobs would go away even without the movement away from fossil fuels. Renewables already offer twice as many jobs as the fossil fuel industry, and they are expected to grow 13 times faster than jobs in other industries. 

We’ve been hearing about the climate crisis for decades. How do we know that this is for real? It’s true that scientists have known about the climate crisis since before the 50s, and they knew that it was a threat back then. What’s changed is the level of agreement among scientists, the level of public awareness, and the urgency of the issue. If we had dealt with the climate crisis in the 50s, we would have had more time to transition to renewables and we could have prevented the decades of environmental inaction that have cost our planet millions of species of flora and fauna. 

Is it really that urgent? According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which is the most trusted group of climate scientists and part of the United Nations, we need to make a 45% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 or we will be on a trajectory to exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming above pre-industrial levels. That point is when ecosystems will start to collapse. The IPCC also lays out targets to remain below 2 degrees Celsius of warming, which involves a 25% reduction by 2030; exceeding 2 degrees Celsius of warming would mean even more irreparable damage to our planet. According to the IPCC, the financial costs of adaptation to a 2-degree increase are greater than those of a 1.5-degree increase. This means that, even if we don't have to make a 50% reduction by tomorrow, it’s cheaper to transition to renewables now rather than in 5 or 10 years. 

What about carbon capture technology? As the name suggests, carbon capture technology is a method of capturing the carbon emissions of fossil fuel plants. As much as I wish it would happen, we’re not going to have a completely renewable economy by 2030. That means that carbon capture technology will be extremely important in meeting reduction targets. But we’re going to have to transition to renewables sooner or later, and doing it sooner will be cheaper than using carbon capture technology for 10 or 20 years and then transitioning. 

Why should we put in this much effort if China is still polluting? China has committed to carbon neutrality by 2060, which is more than the U.S. has committed to, especially after pulling out of the Paris Climate Accord. Even if China doesn’t meet its target, for any reason, that’s not an excuse for the U.S. to avoid dealing with the climate crisis. If someone in a workplace isn’t doing his/her/their job, would it be acceptable for everyone else to stop working, too? In the same way, just because another country isn’t doing its part to solve the climate crisis, that doesn’t mean the U.S. should refuse to contribute to the solution. And as the world’s second-largest consumer of energy, our contribution can have a significant impact.

The far left is spreading “extremist” beliefs. Climate action is not “extremist;” it’s necessary for our survival. President-elect Joe Biden is not what you would call “radical” or “far left,” but he supports the aggressive climate action that we need to get through this crisis. 

I hope that this article can start a productive dialogue that will help us overcome the partisan divide over the climate crisis. Please contact me with any questions by email, with a direct message, or by commenting on this article. The bottom line is this: the climate crisis is an existential threat affecting all of us, and it will continue to worsen until we change. It’s time to put aside politics and take collective action for our lives. 
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Pre-Election Interviews - What You Can Do in the 2020 Election

10/20/2020

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We interviewed Colorado State Senator Brittany Pettersen about the 2020 election and what you can do to get involved and make a difference. 
Make sure to tune in to our other live interviews here: instagram.com/project5billion
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Pre-Election Interviews: Racial Justice

10/16/2020

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We’re interviewing activist and politician MacDella Cooper about racial justice and the 2020 election! Tune in to our Instagram live on Wednesday, October 21 at 6 pm EST!
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MacDella Cooper was born in Monrovia, Liberia, and moved to the US to escape the Liberian Civil War. After graduating from the College of New Jersey with a degree in Electronic Communications, Cooper worked in fashion and corporate planning. She is the founder of the MacDella Cooper foundation which educates, trains, and motivates Africa’s disadvantaged youth. Cooper also founded the MCF Academy, Liberia’s first tuition-free boarding school for vulnerable children. In 2017, she was the only female candidate for President of Liberia. She came in 9th against 19 men. ​
Stay tuned here and on our social media pages for more info about this week's topic and upcoming interviews.
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Pre-Election Interviews: The Climate Crisis

10/15/2020

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View this post on Instagram

A live conversation with @jessica_goad about what’s at stake for the #ClimateCrisis in the #2020Election. We talked about the candidates’ plans for climate and why it’s so important to #vote this year. Check out our website to watch our interview and to access resources like voting guides that will help you be an informed voter. #project5billion

A post shared by Project 5 Billion (@project5billion) on Oct 14, 2020 at 3:42pm PDT

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Pre-Election Interviews: The Supreme Court and Reproductive Rights

10/8/2020

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View this post on Instagram

A conversation with ACLU reproductive rights policy counsel @lizzyhinkley about what’s at stake during the #2020election for the #SupremeCourt #ReproductiveRights and #Healthcare

A post shared by Project 5 Billion (@project5billion) on Oct 7, 2020 at 4:35pm PDT

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Pre-Election Interview: The Climate Crisis

10/8/2020

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We’re interviewing Jessica Goad about the Climate Crisis and the 2020 Election! Tune in to our Instagram live on 10/14 at 6 pm Eastern time.
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Jessica was born in Golden, Colorado and graduated from Lakewood High School and Carleton College. She holds a Masters of Environmental Law and Policy from Vermont Law School. She is the deputy director of Conservation Colorado, the largest statewide environmental advocacy organization in Colorado. She previously worked at the Center for Western Priorities, Center for American Progress, and The Wilderness Society. She is passionate about fighting climate change, protecting our state and nation's amazing public lands, and environmental justice! 

Stay tuned here and on our social media pages for more info about this week’s topic, the climate crisis. 
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Pre-Election Interviews

10/2/2020

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​The 2020 election puts many issues at stake, including climate, racial justice, women's rights, and healthcare. We're interviewing four experts on these issues over the next five weeks.
October 7th: We're interviewing Lizzy Hinkley about the Supreme Court and what's at stake if a sixth conservative justice is confirmed. We'll be talking about the judicial process, women's rights, and healthcare. 

October 14th: We're talking about the climate crisis and what's at stake if we wait four more years to take action. We'll be talking about the presidential candidates' climate action plans, as well as how you can take action to combat the climate crisis. [Guest to be announced by October 8th.]

October 21st: We're talking about racial justice and how the Black Lives Matter movement is influencing the 2020 election. We'll be talking about how you can help the movement and how each candidate is planning to address it. [Guest to be announced by October 15th.]

October 24th: We're talking about the election in general: why this election is so important, how to learn about your ballot, and how you can get involved and help your favorite candidates win. [Guest to be announced by October 22nd.]
Stay tuned here and on our social media for more information about each guest and the topics we'll be discussing. All livestreams will be taking place on our Instagram page. Videos of the livestreams will be posted on this page within a few days of their scheduled dates. ​
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    Project 5 Billion's take on current events. Info about our pre-election interviews will be posted here. 

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Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. 
   — Margaret Mead
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