Opinion: Why Hasn’t Climate Action Made More of a Difference?

Love, Justice and Climate Change

There’s a lot of good news about the growth of electricity generation by solar panels and wind turbines around the world, the increase in electrifying heating and cooling of buildings, and the increased adoption of electric vehicles. Millions of people are working hard to solve the climate crisis and enable humanity to transition to a carbon-free energy systems and sustainable economies.

Yet global warming continues to increase and the predictions about the climate disasters we can expect in the future are dire. Why are the projections still so bleak when we’ve made and are making so much progress?

The Answer
There is one clear answer: the fossil fuel industry. The fossil fuel industry has known for years that their products are destroying the climate and making earth less inhabitable for human beings and other species. Yet to this day, they are expanding their production and have been very clear that they expect to still be selling oil and gas in large quantities in 2050, the year by which scientists say we must get greenhouse gas emissions to zero. The fossil fuel industry and their accomplices in the financial industry and in government have clearly decided to put their profits and power ahead of the welfare of humanity.

Government Must lLmit Fossil Fuels, Not Just Support Renewables
Let us be clear that no amount of information, persuasion, or pressure is going to change the climate-destroying path that the industry has chosen. The only possible source of change is government action that limits extraction, limits sale and transport, and limits the burning of fossil fuels. So far, governments have done little or nothing to stop the fossil fuel industry. In the United States, the federal government, which in recent years has taken excellent steps to promote renewable energy, has done virtually nothing to limit the oil and gas industry.

The federal government is still leasing land and ocean tracts for drilling; is still subsidizing fossil fuels with tax breaks and investments; and is issuing permits for still more gas pipelines and export terminals.

Only the government can stop the continued destruction of our climate system by the fossil fuel industry. The government, full of politicians funded by the fossil fuel industry, will not take this action until large numbers of the public demand it.

Our Task
I believe this is our task to persuade millions of people that regardless of their views on other issues, only stopping the fossil fuel industry will give humanity a chance to survive and thrive on this planet. Recycling won’t do it; turning out lights won’t do it; reducing our personal carbon footprints won’t do it. Keep doing these things. They matter, but only demanding that the government limit the extraction, sale, export, and use of fossil fuels will give humanity a chance.

Wide Support
A recent CNN poll found that 73% of U.S. adults say the US should design federal policies to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030! (This includes 50% of Republicans.) Yet most climate advocates feel we are in a minority, and often keep quite as a result. It will not be sufficient to be silently opposed to climate change and silently support cutting emissions. Millions of us will need to find ways to speak out– to let our views be known.

Millions of us must write to our government officials, sign petitions, write letters to the editor, gather small groups of friends to discuss climate issues and communicate our views widely. Many of us will need to take to the streets and some of us will need to engage in civil disobedience and/or disruption. The stakes are high. We cannot be silent or inactive, if we care about this beautiful world of ours and all its amazing variety of people and other species.

A few weeks ago COP28 agreed to call for “… transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner, accelerating action in this critical decade, so as to achieve net zero by 2050 in keeping with the science.” Many of us wanted a stronger statement. This is clearly inadequate, but it’s the best summary we’ve had yet from a COP.

Appalling Reaction from the Industry
How is the fossil fuel industry reacting? In the U.S. the industry is launching an 8-figure ad blitz (tens of millions of dollars) to persuade the public that U.S. oil and gas are good for us. They are warning against adoption of policies that might interfere with unlimited development of their profit-making, planet-destroying product. Even from an industry known for its lies, deception, delay, and greenwashing, this is appalling.

But it does make it clear that only an aroused populace, in the U.S. and around the world, can stop this planet-destroying menace. Let’s be aroused together! Let’s be unstoppable!

P.S. I’m going to Washington, D.C. to join the protest to “Stop New LNG Exports,” February 6-8, 2024. Details are available at https://www.stoplng.org/. I invite you to join me there. If you’d like to meet with me there, please send me your email address and phone # so we can connect.

P.P.S. If you have questions or comments about any of the above, please put them in the “Leave a Reply” section below. I’ll respond to as many as I can.

Russ Vernon-Jones was principal of Fort River School 1990-2008 and is currently a member of the Steering Committee of Climate Action Now-Western Massachusetts. He blogs regularly on climate justice at www.russvernonjones.org.