20 years to save our world

'For the battle against climate change is an odd one. Unlike almost all the public protests which have preceded it, it is a campaign not for abundance but for austerity. It is a campaign not for more freedom but for less. Strangest of all, it is a campaign not just against other people, but against ourselves.'
George Monbiot, 'Heat', 2006 pg 215 Cdn edition.

The summary of George Monbiot's book 'Heat' is this.

Each person in the world has a carbon ration. This has to be the same wherever you live, and whatever your 'lifestyle'.

Within 20 years we will have reached the 'tipping point' where the heating of the globe will begin to speed up - higher temperatures will melt more permafrost which will then release its CO2 and increase temperatures and so on. A truly vicious cycle, and one which each of us is adding to every time we emit CO2.

Taking the parts per million figures for CO2 and the population of the earth, and doing some simple sums, the average per person allowance has to fall to below 3 metric tonnes a year if we are to survive. (Current UK use is about 12 metric tonnes, Canada's over 18 metric tonnes.)

Then, looking at each area of human activity one by one he shows us how the popular 'solutions' are seldom that, and using credible science examines true alternatives to way we currently live.

Domestic power - move to a mini generation system for homes, where each house has a unit producing heat and power either from natural gas or preferably hydrogen.Surplus power can be passed to the grid.

Personal air travel must stop - there are no alternative ways of powering flight. Propeller driven planes flying far lower than the current jets may lessen the damage for essential flights (whatever 'essential' means in this context.).

Transport - coach travel requires almost no infrastructure additions. Coach stations would be moved out of city centres to freeways/ motorways, where they would not have to make their way through city centre traffic. Dedicated lanes would be provided on motorways/ freeways. Coaches would be made comfortable, with on board services such as those currently expected on airplanes/ aeroplanes.

Shopping - deliveries should replace trips to supermarkets in malls/ shopping centres. (If the journeys are currently being made by car.) Home deliveries from a warehouse cut energy use from transport, storage, display and packaging.

The power grid would be retained but converted to DC, from the present AC, to enable power from renewables to more easily be distributed. An 'energy internet' using mini-generators in each house would be connected to this grid, so that surplus power from each house, from whatever renewable source, could be passed to others.

Off-shore wind power is the renewable with most proven effectiveness and can be implemented immediately. Off-shore wind farms, in many sites, would be connected to the new DC grid.

Cement/ concrete, with its tonne for tonne emissions must be made with geopolymers, which don't release CO2.

Per capita CO2 emissions in 2003

Per capita emissions in 2003 Full size graph of 2003 emissions
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Stephen Hill, currently in Vancouver, BC, Canada, can be reached at: info (at) mobilizingmouse.com

The clock is ticking: 14:00 18 May 2012