CATs WashDC March 2014 FINAL.pptx

8/12/2019 CATs WashDC March 2014 FINAL.pptx

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CATs (Climate Action Teams)

Optimistic Vision of Stronger UU

Climate Action

DC Regional UU Environmental Meeting

Jan W. Dash, PhDChair, UU-UNO Climate Initiative

Matchmaker, Climate Science Rapid Response Team

March 2014

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Outline:

CATs = Climate Action Teams! Vision and CATs! Why do we need CATs?!

How can we make CATs effective?! Review Global Warming / Climate Change! Climate Risk Management! Solution framework including CATs

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Vision: Stronger UU Ethical/Moral

Voice in Climate. Propose: UU CATs! Need climate!back on UU front page

! Was front page in 2006 - SOC on climate! Need to build on what we are already doing

! Climate is linked to all social justice issues! Womens rights, immigration, peace, poverty! Huge survival issue for humanity

! Vision: UUs = leaders in climate action!! CATs = Proposal to help achieve vision! Our grandchildren are watching

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Why do we need CATs?

!Wehave a moral, ethical, and survivalimperative to learn about climate change /global warming, and to act appropriately

and decisively. This imperative derivesfrom people living today and all those

who will follow us.

! CATs - can help achieve vision ofstronger UU climate action

! UU DC active in climate can help lead2/13/13 4


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Effective CATs

!Joint Effort: all UU environmental! UU-UNO facilitating; no formalities. URL

! Each CAT structured independently! Any action on climate is fine (diversification)! Suggested activities PAMPHLET if needed

! CATs - networked together! Established CATs act as leaders/mentors! How to get a CAT in every congregation?! Sign up! Tell others about CATs!

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What Can CATs DO? Examples:

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What is the Optimistic Vision?

! Prototype: Spontaneous UU Divestment! With CATs nationwide, organize better

! Facilitate action for UU leadership! More Effective participation! Ethical / moral voice

! What Sorts of Actions? For example:! National action carbon legislation" National Renewable Energy program

! International support for climate treaty2/13/13 7


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REVIEW/Update: Climate Problem

and Risk-Management Solution! Review Global Warming / Climate Change! Climate Impacts!

Climate Ethics! Climate Risk Management - Mitigation:

(what we can do)

! CATs = important part of building astronger UU climate action leadership

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Global warming exists, due to humans. Naturalvariation out (El Nios/La Nias, volcanoes, sun):

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Temperature Forecasts depend on

Human Behavior (Model scenarios)

IPCC 2007

Science Vol I

Now appear

conservative

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Ex: SLR projections to 2100 depend

on human climate action

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So What? Ocean Acidification,

Higher Temperatures, Fewer Fish! Ocean absorbs emitted CO2

! CO2 + water = carbonic acid in the ocean! Ocean acidification hurts food chain

! Algae, shellfish, coral reefs! Higher sea temperature hurts food chain

! Phytoplankton decrease base of food chain! Substantial part of humanity relies on the

oceans for food.

! Fish threatened by global warming effects122/13/13


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Food Insecurity (ctn)

! Climate change will reduce food! Crop yields will go down

! Crop stress at high temperature! Crop stress due to more insects etc

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Food: Crops down by 2100 (IPCC Vol II)

3/20/14 Save date 14

CROP YIELDS DOWN WHEN TEMP UP


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What does Military Say?

! Copenhagen Climate Conference 2009! Briefing - Pentagon, all branches of military

! National Security 2010 White House doc! Climate on 17 of 60 pages

! Ret. Brig. General Steve Anderson 2012! Clean Energy and National Security (Iraq)

! Many other high-ranking military! CNA

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Migration, war, national security

! Millions worldwide now living in coastalregions will be displaced by rising seas

! More wars will result

! Pentagon"US National Security issue! Quadrennial Defense Review 2010, 2014

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Climate Change and Health

! "Climate change is the biggest globalhealth threat of the 21st century.

! Effects of climate change on health will affectmost populations in the next decades and put thelives and wellbeing of billions of people atincreased risk.

! Ref:"Managing the health effects of climatechange",Anthony Costello et. al; Vol373May16, 2009

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Financial insecurity

! Financial systems are inherently unstable! Supply lines for international companies! Budget strains coping with climate! Stranded Assets and Carbon Bubble

! Failed states / terrorism / regional wars! Increased US military expenditures

! => world economic depression possible! => stock / bond market collapse possible

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Climate Ethics Besides Survival,

why should we act?!Justice and Ethics

! Poor have the smallest effect on climate arehurt the worst

! Intergenerational ethics! Our descendants! More humane and cheaper for preventive

action now rather than disaster adaptive

action by our descendants in the future! The model discount rate and why you dont

like it

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Climate Risk Management

! The best way to think about the responseto climate is RISK MANAGEMENT

! FRAMEWORK OF CHOICE! Rational response to risk - lower it!! Stop BAU = Business As Usual

! If BAU, todays extreme climate risktomorrows averageclimate risk

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Climate Mitigation no silver bullet.

Progress exists (good). We need MORE! Action by individuals! Action by organizations

! Corporations, Universities, Faith-based, NGOs! Action at all levels of government

! City, State, Regional, National, International! Action to support non-fossil energy

! Carbon tax (price on carbon)! Investor action (divestment, shareholders)

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Road to a climate treaty

! Copenhagen Warsaw Paris ! Goal: FAB International Climate Accord

! FAB = Fair Ambitious Binding! Copenhagen Accord (2009) + ! Commitment - finalize treaty in Paris (2015)

! Then ratify the treaty by all countries ! Then implement the treaty ! Vision why not a UU group to Paris

Conference in 2015?



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What About Technology?

! We have enough technology now! Future technology can help

! Carbon Sequestration (390 350 = 40)! Fusion Power (ITER)! Better batteries, better solar, wind etc

! NOT geo-engineering! Like drugs. And we dont need it.

! Practical solution = many 5% actions! 5% per action * 20 actions = 100% solution

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Climate Links to Everything

! Immigration! Ex: South into US; many other examples

! Womens issues! Ex: Climate and Womens Health

! Poverty! Peace! Economic Security! Think of your own issue

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Message

! Hopefully you are already working onclimate, many actions in DC area - great

! If not, climate links to YOUR issue! There is no solution to any social justice

issue in the long term without a solution

to the climate problem

! Good idea: PLEASE - make Climate Actionpart of your agenda, no matter the issue

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The Bad guys: Contrarians / Deniers

opposition to any climate action! We Have No Climate Risk4 trenches:

1. Deny global warming exists2. Deny human influence on climate3. Minimize climate impact risk4. Exaggerate cost of climate action mitigation

! Create doubt = old tobacco tactic! Oppose climate action, renewable energy

! Opposition based on politics and greed =>

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Who Supports Contrarian Deniers?

! Fossil Fuel Co. FFC Exxon Mobile, Koch! FFCs want to be able to burn every available

carbon molecule (gas/oil/coal) in the ground

! Otherwise STRANDED ASSETS! They would reduce FFC $wealth, $stock price

! Libertarians: Tea Party, Koch, Faux News...!

Oppose government action! But governments must act to mitigate climate! So libertarians try to kill the message

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Optimism We have allies

! CCL (Lynn)! Renewable Energy sector! Investor action; Climate Bonds starting! Businesses starting to recognize risk

! Risky Business climate economic impacts! Dedicated scientists fighting the deniers

! The CSRRT for help to media, politicians! The Truth

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Climate Action: Climate change =

big problem, we can solve it: IF! Recognize/acknowledge problem extent! Practice Climate Risk Management

! Long term solution vs. short term expediency! Change (fossil fuel to renewables )! Big obstacles: political, economic,

psychological, disinformation ...

! Action on all levels from local to global! No silver bullet solution exists! Individuals, NGO, business, cities, governments



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Reference: climate.uu-uno.org

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Summary: Climate Change

Impacting Life Support Systems! We are seeing bad impacts NOW! Impacts will get FAR WORSEif we do not act! No place to hide(US will be hit very hard)! Disasters increasingly worse due to

climate change if we dont act, more:

National insecurity, wars, migrations, watershortages, food shortages, fires, droughts,

disease, floods, extinctions, extreme weather,sea level rise, heat waves, economic disruption

!We CAN act more. We need to organize.3/20/14 Save date 31


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Bottom Line: Climate is a really

big problem and we can solve it! Human activities are causing recent global

warming trend of climate change

! Climate impacts bad, observed now, willbecome far worse if we do not act

! Climate is linked to all social justice issues! NOTtoo late. We have the technology,

we need the will, we need optimism

!CATs can play important role!Youcan help with CATs

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Thank You

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