Resilient local economies
Preparing for life after overshoot in cities and towns means preparing for floods, sea level rise, hurricanes, heat waves, fires or earthquakes. Not easy, but essential. This describes 7 examples of sponge cities, seawalls, and cool roofs. Continue reading “7 examples of Sponge Cities, Seawalls, Cool Roofs”
Heatwaves are periods of abnormally hot weather that can last for days or weeks. They can be deadly, especially for elderly people, young children, and people with chronic health conditions. Heatwaves can also cause power outages, water shortages, and crop failures.
There have been many deadly heatwaves throughout history, but some of the most notable ones occurred in the 20th century. Fortunately, few have been in New Zealand! Continue reading “15 sweltering heatwaves from 1900”
Here is a list of towns, areas, or regions that have been seriously affected by floods, storms, fires, or droughts during the years 2018-2020 (and this is just three years): Continue reading “Severe weather events 2018-2020”
Al Gore in his explosive TED talk on the tactics of the industry explains that they are corrupting the COP process. More and more industry delegates attend each conference and petrostates can veto resolutions to reduce emissions. Fossil fuel companies aren’t really our friends, he claims.
Here are six simple questions companies must answer in the affirmative before they should be admitted to COP conferences:
Oil and gas companies are influencing our COPs, says Al Gore in this extraordinarily fierce TED talk. He is angry. “The climate crisis is a fossil fuel crisis,” he said.
Within ten minutes of his powerful address you experience his righteous anger. He talks about the opposition from the fossil fuel industry and their army of lobbyists and fixers, together with their revolving doors. “They have used fraud on a massive scale, capturing the policy-making process for decades.” They’ve had the evidence about climate change and have consciously decided to LIE to calm down the political process to make more money.
Continue reading “Blistering Al Gore talk: fossil fuel companies are infiltrating our COPs (2023)”
Several people have suggested we describe how Tradable Energy Quotas (TEQs) would work in various cases.
Heavy users of fossil fuels could actually reduce their reliance on it when we ration fossil fuels using Tradable Energy Quotas (TEQs). How would these rich people reduce their fossil energy? Continue reading “How rich people would be affected by Tradable Energy Quotas (TEQs)”
When Degrowth Aotearoa New Zealand (DANZ) first became keen on advocating for Tradable Energy Quotas (TEQs) as invented by David Fleming, we were worried that TEQs wouldn’t reduce our huge agricultural emissions, particularly methane and nitrous oxide. This piece explores the potential impact of TEQs (a form of rationing fossil fuels) on agriculture, the role of fossil fuels in farming. It concludes that TEQs will result in a decrease in agricultural emissions.
Continue reading “Tradable Energy Quotas will reduce Agricultural Emissions”This article argues that the ETS won’t work and the time has come to explore other methods of reducing emissions, like Tradable Energy Quotas (TEQs) instead.
The New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme is a tool to help the country meet its domestic and international climate change targets. Our ETS has been in operation since 2008. The theory is that if you make polluters pay for their right to emit greenhouse gases and that price rises, firms will change their practices and reduce their emissions.
Fifteen years and many twists and turns later it looks as though several key proponents are finally admitting it may not work. Continue reading “Isn’t it time to admit the Emissions Trading Scheme will never work?”
What are livestock emissions as a percentage of global emissions? I have never known a subject where the figures range so widely. The answer is anything from 12% to 51% of total global emissions, with everything in between.
It started in 2006 with Livestock’s Long Shadow, a study that brought an alarming result for the beef and dairy sector and caused them to demand a partnership with FAO from then on. Continue reading “What is the right figure for livestock’s emissions?”
