David Suzuki: IPCC's Fifth Assessment Synthesis Report is clear—we must clean up our act

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      It’s become a cliché to say that out of crisis comes opportunity. But there’s no denying that when faced with crises, we have choices. The opportunity depends on what we decide to do. 

      What choices will we make when confronted with the fact that 2014 will likely be the hottest year on record? According to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, global land and sea temperatures up to September’s end tie this year with 1998 as the warmest since record keeping began in 1880.

      “If 2014 maintains this temperature departure from average for the remainder of the year, it will be the warmest year on record,” a NOAA statement says.

      The world’s warmest 10 years have all been since 1998, and last year carbon dioxide levels rose by the highest amount in 30 years.

      The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fifth Assessment Synthesis Report, released November 2, summarizes three reports released over the past year on the physical science; impacts, adaptation and vulnerability; and mitigation. It offers a stark choice: unless we quickly curtail our fossil fuel dependence, we face “further warming and long-lasting changes in all components of the climate system, increasing the likelihood of severe, pervasive and irreversible impacts for people and ecosystems.”

      As a broadcaster, I’ve interviewed hundreds of scientists over the years, but I’ve never heard so many speak so forcefully and urgently as climatologists today. It’s a measure of the seriousness of the crisis.

      What choices will we make? Will politicians close their eyes while fossil fuel industry executives shovel money at them and enlist propagandists to spread misinformation and lies? Will we listen to those who, in the face of overwhelming scientific evidence, continue to say the global warming they once claimed never existed stopped 18 years ago, or that human activity doesn’t contribute to climate change?

      Or will we heed scientists from around the world who offer evidence that we still have time to do something about this very real crisis—and that confronting the challenge presents more opportunities than pitfalls? 

      Believing our only choice is between a strong economy and a healthy environment is absurd. Yet that’s the false option many political leaders and fossil fuel industry proponents present. Never mind the insanity of thinking we can survive and be healthy if we destroy the natural systems on which we depend; research shows taking measured steps to address global warming would have few negative economic effects and would offer numerous benefits. Failing to act would be disastrous for the economy and environment. 

      Energy conservation and clean fuels offer the greatest opportunities. Conserving energy makes precious, non-renewable resources last longer, reduces pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, saves consumers money, and offers many economic benefits. More than 100,000 Canadians are directly employed in improving energy efficiency, with total wages estimated at $8.27 billion for 2014.

      The fast-growing clean-energy and clean-technology sectors offer similar benefits. Improved performance and cost reductions make large-scale deployment for many clean-energy technologies increasingly feasible. By focusing on fossil fuels, Canada is clearly missing out. Worldwide spending on clean energy last year was $207 billion. Canada spent $6.5 billion—a start, but we could do much better.

      Germany, the world’s fourth-largest economy, now gets a third of its energy from renewable sources, and has reduced carbon emissions 23 percent from 1990 levels and created 370,000 jobs. 

      In contrast, Canada subsidizes the fossil fuel industry to the tune of $1.3 billion a year, despite a 2009 G20 agreement to phase out subsidies. The federal Environment and Sustainable Development Commissioner’s recent audit found Canada has no detailed plan to shrink carbon pollution and meet its international commitment, and has failed to release or enforce oil and gas sector emission regulations for our fastest-growing source of emissions, the oil sands, promised since 2006. Expanding oil sands and liquefied natural gas development will only make matters worse. 

      People around the world want leadership from elected representatives on climate change and pollution. Business leaders are getting on board. Will we take advantage of the numerous benefits of energy conservation and clean energy or remain stuck in the old way of just blindly burning our way through? The choice is clear.

      Comments

      17 Comments

      mike

      Nov 12, 2014 at 1:59pm

      does anyone listen to this hypocrit anymore, lives in a big westside vancouver home, produces more greenhouse gases than rest of us poor folks,, big talker but does not follow with the walk, total waste of space.

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      Hominoid

      Nov 12, 2014 at 4:31pm

      There you have "mike", with the pitiful level of argument we've come to expect from climate change deniers: A personal attack that has nothing at all to do with the article's substance, which is based on the collected work of scientists worldwide and offers solutions. Irrational, idiotic and entirely predictable, and no evidence that he even read the article. Talk about waste of space!

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      New Day

      Nov 13, 2014 at 7:03pm

      We need a hero!
      Any one out there that wants to save humanity from destruction?
      I dare you!

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      A. Guy

      Nov 13, 2014 at 9:27pm

      what tripe. It sure makes a good read making up facts and figures. The rest of the world is calling 2014 a particularly cold year, capping off a 10 year decline in global temperatures. In any case don't let facts and figures stand in your way as you curl up to another fairy tale brought to you buy a guy with no coherent argument and no science to back up his statements.

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      Curmudgeon

      Nov 14, 2014 at 3:36am

      More nonsense.

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      bryan marks

      Nov 14, 2014 at 3:47am

      Hominoid...as is typical with your kind, you just present part of the story and build conclusions off of it. Last winter was the coldest winter on record since the 90's. This doesn't fit in the projections so they are ignored. We all know these studies are flawed from the bebfinnging as the money that's pegged for then are pegged for a fixed outcome. And bow that the decision has been made there is too much pride and money at stake to correct itself. I am saying that conservation is good, eliminating the burning of fossil fuels is good. Clearing forests for windmills and solar fields is not good though and your climate change outcomes are destroying a lot with out any after thought...if co2 levels are rising, clearing forests is not the solution. These companies are not also bound to replant the way forestry companies are. .so no I don't trust these guys at all.

      GettingTired

      Nov 14, 2014 at 5:44am

      It doesn't matter who presents the findings. The most pressing problem is current disregard for polluting the air and water for all living creatures. It doesn't matter if there is proof for global warming, the continuation of burning fossil fuels, and dumping toxic chemicals into the air we need to breathe, and water we need to drink is obviously a very dangerous path to be on. All living beings need clean air, clean water, and natural food to live a healthy life. At least Germany was smart enough to start doing something about it long ago. Let's see Canada do something.

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      Rob

      Nov 14, 2014 at 7:48am

      If I hear the word denier one more time i'm going to scream. So know one is allowed to question the facts anymore or else their called names first of you should be calling it global warmed not warming the warming stopped and has levelled off for the last 18 years about a total increase of 1/3 of a degree on average even though more carbon is being put into the air every year this is a fact. Another fact out of those 18 years we have had years that average temp has fallen below the line making them colder then previous year??
      So the ipcc even mentions this HIATUS OF WARMING AND HAS NO EXPLANATION FOR IT so what do they do when there computer models and predictions are not coming true THEY DOUBLE DOWN AND MAKE EVEN MORE ABSURD PREDICTIONS. By the way China who produces more then 30% of the worlds CO2 emissions is not slowing down and is still building coal fired power plants and there CO2 emissions will continue to rise until 2030 when they might look at tring to reduce there output. Canada on the other hand produces 1.8% of the world emissions living in one of the coldest regions in the world so what ever we do to cut ours will be quickly absorbed by CHINA AND INDIA.

      Rob

      Nov 14, 2014 at 7:56am

      Further until the eviro elitists have a reliable replacement for energy derived from fossil fuels thats not wind and solar because as proved all around the world (Germany England Ontario)it is unreliable more expensive by around 500% making energy poor all around the world who have to choose between heating there house and eating. Are there electric Combines backhoes tractors and even vehicles that are ready to take the place of the diesel couterparts....NOPE. So when these people come up with viable replacements instead of going back to the horse and buggy they are the Joke

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      Andrew Browne

      Nov 14, 2014 at 9:10am

      Saw him at S.F.U. in 1970's. Every canadian knows him for what he is. A taxpayer parasite from the CBC. He speaks authoritatively like a Stalin, Brezhnev, dictator, yet as he lives in the comforts of a society built by industry, derides the comforts that are provided. It really is why only the most ridiculous people in the world are listening. If he wanted to improve the world with his time on earth, invent a fuel to replace the energy in fossil fuels. That would be an achievement. His life's work although for a time will be held up by his peers as a beacon to Canadians. it will almost surely diminish, when reality and science ask why in the next generations, would a man stand there and complain, and do nothing to fix the problems he complains about. Read T. Roosevelt's " man in the arena". Maybe then he would understand would motivates human action. The sad tome to a life with more then a fair share of the stage for a time