#ClimateJustice2015
2015 is an auspicious year; at least, that was the positive message that Dr. Tara Shine, Advisor to the Mary Robinson Foundation on Climate Justice, brought to us at Ballymaloe Cookery School last week for our most recent Slow Food Ireland event.
With 2014 having been the Earth's hottest year on record, it is critical that the world's nations come together to forge joint commitments to mitigating climate change. With three major conferences taking place around the world before the end of this year in Addis Ababa, NYC and Paris, there is much to be hopeful about. 97% of scientists, from environmental and agricultural backgrounds, agree that it is the rapacious behaviour of human beings towards the planet's resources that is the primary cause of climate change. We risk severe, pervasive and irreversible impacts on the planet if we do not drastically limit our use of fossil fuels and better manage our lands and forests.
The planet has heated up by almost 1 degree Celsius since pre-industrial times. While this might sound innocuous, it certainly is not, with the smallest of climatic changes resulting in considerable droughts, erratic rainfall, cyclones, and much more. The world has experienced its 10 warmest years on record since 1997. While in Ireland, we seem to be relatively protected by our temperate climate, we too have directly witnessed the effects of climate change with hotter, wetter summers and severe winter storms. The good news is that there is still time, and we do still have the means to make changes which can reverse the current catastrophic trajectory.
"We can put a man on the moon.Why can't we apply the same innovation to #ClimateChange?" #climatejustice pic.twitter.com/K3WihUInPI
— MRFCJ (@MRFCJ) June 29, 2015
Without mitigating actions, we are facing an increase in temperature of +4/5/6 degrees Celsius. Natural ecosystems can adapt to this increase, but it will happen at too fast a pace, which will mean an end to life as we know it. An increase of 2 degrees Celsius will spell disaster for the world's coral reefs, for example.
With substantial mitigation, using advanced technologies that have already been developed, we can remain below an increase of 1.5 degrees Celsius. Changes that have already happened cannot be reversed unfortunately. We can, however, impede the speed of climate change with all nations of the world working cohesively towards this singular goal, and more importantly, with the political will globally to do it. Dr. Shine reiterated the point that what is needed is a change of mindset: You can grow an economy without burning fossil fuels. Why are we so entrenched in a single, inefficient way of doing things? Climate change will ultimately impact us all, with its negative effects on food security far outweighing any positive effects. The world's struggling economies will, of course, bear the brunt of these effects, while the richest countries will initially have the wherewithal to adapt.
The goals of these three world summits is to get 196 countries to agree by consensus on a legal text which will set a completely different policy context for the whole world. Such a legally binding instrument will provide some recourse for the poorest countries of the world. The challenge will always be to enforce the measures set out therein. Lessons were learned with the enforcement of the Kyoto Protocol, with particular countries taking advantage of loopholes or not committing to their targets.
The concept of 'historical responsibility' is central to these global negotiations. China, a country which currently gets much of the blame for environmental pollution, had almost no impact at all until 1960. The U.S.A., by comparison, has had an enormous impact since the Industrial Revolution took place. The WHOLE of the African continent has a negligible impact on world pollution; and it is inherently unfair that these countries will suffer the most. The international laws should dictate that more developed countries should have an increased obligation to meet their targets, and switch to renewable energies without delay because of their historical responsibilities. This would allow those nations with the "least adaptive capacity" to continue to gradually wean off dependence on fossil fuels/biomass while being given access to 'clean energy' by first world nations.
Demonstrably energised by her work, Tara Shine told us about the progressive efforts that she has witnessed first hand in Costa Rica, a country which has been taking this problem seriously for decades. In the 1920s, having abolished their military budget, the government invested all that money into universal education and the development of their national parks. Some of their agricultural efforts include using less fertiliser, which results in clean local water, allowing for lower input costs into coffee production, enabling them to sell better coffee at a premium to chains such as Starbucks, etc. Other simple examples are the "living fences" on their agricultural lands and the planting of trees in the same fields where their livestock graze. As of this year, Costa Rica is no longer dependant on fossil fuels for energy, and their goal is to become the first carbon neutral country by 2021.
Ireland could take a strong lead from Costa Rica. We need to increase the efficiency of our system as much as we can; and, having such large agricultural emissions, we must make strong commitments in the areas of sustainable energy, transport and housing. Farmers need to get involved in the conversation on how to better manage grasslands, finding creative ways for other parts of their land to "suck up carbon". There is no reason that agriculture in Ireland cannot become carbon neutral.
This thread of positivity was woven throughout the presentation: the power lies in our hands, we just need a global shift in consciousness and the political leadership to affect real change. This is the greatest single challenge facing our time. We owe it to future generations to act now. By taking the $90 trillion that will be invested in global infrastructure in the next 15 years and re-investing in low carbon alternatives, we can swing the pendulum far in the right direction. Tara finished her presentation on a moral note, quoting Pope Francis from his recent papal encyclical - the first time the Catholic Church has ever spoken out on this issue - "Faced with the global deterioration of the environment, I want to address every person who inhabits this planet."
