Climate change is probably one of the most polarising topics of the modern era and seriously there is no point in arguing about the science because in the end it isn’t really about science at all, or at least, minimally. It’s about beliefs, values and ideology.
So let’s get away from the idea of climate change altogether because we spend so much fruitless time arguing that nothing gets done. My friends who believe climate change is a scam aren’t stupid but they do tend to have a particular ideology or set of beliefs and values while my friends who believe climate change is real have a different ideology or set of beliefs and values
I recently began learning to fly, which of course contributes to greenhouse gases but even if it didn’t, petrol engines produce some pollution. The school I fly with is callled GoFly and they are part of a tree planting scheme to offset the carbon they are putting into the atmosphere but those trees are producing more oxygen as well.
Damien Wills the owner and chief flying instructor of GoFly wrote a brilliant blog piece that I think is worth repeating in a modified form here [with my notes in brackets].
Damien said: I would like you to think about solar, wind and water energy and ask yourself: is there any negative effect for our planet as a result of using this energy to slowly replace fossil fuels over the next 30 or so years? [strangely, a recent survey in the US of republicans and democrats asked what sort of future they saw for humanity in 2050 and most agreed there would be a greater dependence on renewable energy]
Do you think air pollution and smog is good for us?
As everyone knows, Los Angeles suffers from extreme smog. This is fact and we know that the majority of smog is caused by fuel being combusted in cars, trucks and other vehicles. Study after study has proven the long term serious health effects of living in cities with high pollution levels. Just ask any asthmatic who lives in LA the effect that smog has on their asthma.
Most of you will agree that a world without dirty, smelly air pollution would be better for everyone. Clean energy has the potential to eliminate smog entirely from our big cities. Is clean, breathable air not worth the effort of moving to renewable energy?
Do you think coal mining for energy use makes sense
Have you ever seen a coal mine? As a flying instructor and commercial pilot I have flown over plenty of coal mines during the last 30 years of my flying history. I can tell you they are extremely ugly and very damaging to the earth’s topography. I have heard the argument that many coal mines are situated in non-populated areas that no one can see them so why does it matter.
Let’s take this argument out of the equation again, and let’s assume you have a choice: to dig a huge, dirty hole in the earth that will take thousands of dollars or years to return to its previous state, or, to use that land for something else and make use of a clean energy source. Yes, wind turbines and solar farms may look ugly but they affect the ground and topography a lot less than an open cut mine does and there is no chance of pollutants getting into our waterways.
Around 450 million tonnes of coal is mined in Australia each year, of which 380 million tonnes was exported. Coal provides fuel for about 69% of electricity production in Australia. Coal, natural gas and oil are non-renewable, finite resources, and will run out one day. Do you think it makes sense for us to slowly remove our reliance on coal as an energy course and replace it with clean energy? [In spite of all their bluster and hypocrisy, our current conservative government just stated they are moving towards renewables and away from coal and intend to encourage the use of electric vehicles by 2030 – despite having abused the labour party for the same policies at the last election – the government is still in the pocket of the fossil fuel industry so much of it will be business as usual but there are signs of change]
Would you prefer that your home was completely independent of the electricity grid and used clean energy?
Imagine if some time in the future you could have cost-effective solar panels plus battery storage at your home which made your house completely independent and using renewable energy. After the initial outlay, there would be no more rising electricity bills and no more power blackouts. Would this be something you would prefer over the existing system? [My electricity bill dropped by 75% once I installed solar panels and in spite of claims to the contrary, solar panels compensate for the emissions in their manufacture within 2 years, so with a life of 25 years the net gain is vastly positive. The same with wind and in spite of badly made films like Michael Moore’s ‘Planet of the Humans’ whose content was probably true 8 years ago when it was first started, the technological developments and efficiencies in solar, wind and batteries have been dramatic and continue to improve weekly]
Would you prefer to drive an electric car or petrol car?
Would you prefer to drive a car that needs a lot of servicing and adds to the air pollution in your town, or would you prefer to drive an electric car that is quiet, with no vibration and almost no maintenance? Also if you already had the solar panels on your home, you would have the possibility of using a charger that uses energy from the sun. Would this be better than your existing car owning experience? [The prices are going to drop dramatically over the next few years and the range will equal existing petrol/diesel based vehicles]
Would you prefer to fly in an electric or piston aircraft?
An electric aircraft would be quiet, with almost no vibration, have little maintenance required and be up to 100 times more reliable than a conventional piston engine which would also lead to better safety. A flight school could have the entire hangar covered in solar cells to power these aircraft from solar energy. Would this be better than filling up the air with pollution? [I will soon be in the process of building one of these]
Stopping fear, slow and easy wins the race
Ok, hopefully I’ve made my point. I believe much of the anti-clean energy sentiment is due to the natural human tendency to fear change. If change is thrust upon us too quickly, we tend to retreat back to what we know and are comfortable with.
For the coal miner who has spent the last 20 years earning a good income and providing for his family, the thought of losing his job with the introduction of clean energy, is real and confronting. There are so many businesses and individuals who are living comfortably now with our existing fossil fuel energy grid, so why change?
I believe a slow change to clean energy over a prolonged period of time is the answer. Slow change will allow individuals and companies to adapt and reinvent themselves. For instance, I have a 10 year plan to replace all of my unleaded petrol aircraft with electric planes by 2029. While there are electric aircraft available now, the cost of this technology is too expensive and the rapid change could place my business at risk.
What if everyone who is earning a reasonable income now, made a commitment over the next 10 years to replace their cars with electric cars and to upgrade their housing to be completely off-grid with clean solar energy? Within 10 years the cost of electric cars, and solar battery units for houses, will be affordable for most middle to high income individuals, so why not put a plan in place today?
You have nothing to lose and everything to gain! Taking your ego out of the equation
When it comes to the global warming debate, so many of us want to prove the other person wrong: ‘Look at this evidence here!’ ‘No, my evidence is better than your evidence and this why I am right.’ ‘ You are fools for believing in global warming!’ ‘Why are these people not believing the scientists? ‘ It goes on and on and on.
As a society and as individuals, over the long term, we have nothing to lose and everything to gain by adopting clean energy whether we believe in global warming or not.
This is why we decided to become carbon neutral at GoFly, not because I really care about what others think or believe, but because I came to the conclusion after a lot of thinking, that paying for carbon offsetting has more benefits than negatives.
If global warming proves to be real, then at least I will know that I did my part to reduce emissions. If it’s not real, then I will know that at least I helped employ some individuals to plant some trees and make the planet less polluted and more beautiful, and that makes me feel good, whether you agree or not.
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