Atmosphere of Hope
This is the title of a recent book written by world renowned scientist, explorer and climate activist Tim Flannery. There he reminded us of different possibilities we have to combat climate change.His message was that we need to look the challenge in a systems way: we need to look much closer how carbon actually circulates in the biosphere. For instance, the most effective counter measures might come from understanding the role of growing algae in the seas, or sequestrating carbon to the topsoil by using more intelligent agricultural practices. It’s time we look at the problem in a more holistic way.
Yesterday evening UN summit on climate change ended in Paris successfully. Deal was done where all countries of the world committed themselves to take necessary measures to keep atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases. No emissions were cut, but something curious was created: atmosphere of hope. A dream of intelligent enough global society that is able to redirect its present course towards extremely nasty conditions created by human induced runaway climate change.
All intelligent measures are needed. The world energy palate is massively biased: 87% of that energy was produced by fossil fuels in 2013. Somehow we should phase out fossil fuels by 2050 almost to mirror the present residual, 13%. Sounds impossible to most of us. But 40 years ago none of us was able to imagine the world of laptops, internet and mobile phones as we have them today. Where a farmer in Botswana could pay the bill of his supply by using mobile phone. Or get the weather forecast on his screen. Humanity has a tendency to produce unthinkable things.
My friend Larry Kobald is one of these rainmakers. He initiated TheCarbonUnderground, a new way of reversing the climate change by simply assuming how nature really works, and then applying this knowledge on our agricultural practices in terms of regenerative farming. His project is but one example of opportunities we have.
The point is this: each of us can become rainmakers by challenging our existing practices of wasting resources and producing unintended consequences. COP 21 Climate conference with a deal in Paris gave us a mandate to imagine a world in balance of its resource use, which up to this point in time has seemed daunting task and simply unthinkable.
It may still be that way. But we must remember that, at the end of the day, future is made by our intentions.
#Pariisi2015