Can environmentalism (and the environment) be saved under the new regime?
“The Stone Age did not end for lack of stone, and the Oil Age will end long before the world runs out of oil.” — Sheikh Zaki Yamani, former Saudi Arabian oil minister
2016. What a year! For the environmentally minded, the election outcome brought great despair and concern about Earth’s future health. Will it mean runaway global climate change if the U.S. ignores the Paris Agreement? Will it mean ratcheting up nuclear weapons resulting in more plutonium, tritium and radioactive waste in our air, water and soil, not to mention world instability? Will it mean more clearing of carbon sequestering forests and accelerated wildlife loss? Will water and air get dirtier if environmental regulations are discarded?
Will the Energy and EPA Departments disappear? Will we sacrifice emerging energy efficiency and clean energy solutions that guarantee a healthier quality of life especially for those less fortunate? Will our parks and sacred lands be privatized assuring loss of species, natural beauty and ecosystem preservation that rejuvenates the soul? Will environmental and interfaith justice fall by the wayside as corporations and the 1 percent prevail?
After much hand wringing, what is emerging from environmental, social justice and faith organizations is new resilience and resolve, plus the understanding that transitioning to a new lifestyle is not necessarily Federal dependent. While Congress representatives continue to bicker, much progress is being made elsewhere namely at local levels and in green business and industry globally.
At risk of having predictions come back to haunt one, here are some environmental trends most likely in 2017 and beyond.
First, bad news: Due to climate change we know that average temperatures will bring life-threatening heat. We will see more catastrophic storms and prolonged weather impacts such as drought. That means agricultural disruption, tropical diseases, refugees from the coasts, decreased workday productivity, increased deaths, loss of biodiversity and related ripple effects.
Expect decreases in wildlife. In a World Wildlife Fund study scientists studied trends in more than 10,000 populations of 3,038 mammal, bird, reptile, amphibian and fish species. They measured the health of species in various environments and regions. Jon Hoekstra, chief scientist at WWF reported results, “39 percent of terrestrial wildlife gone, 39 percent of marine wildlife gone, 76 percent of freshwater wildlife gone—all in the past 40 years.” Sadly, that trend will continue. In Tennessee, it most impacts moisture-sensitive frogs, salamanders and aquatic species that exist nowhere else in the world.
What’s the good news? Renewable energy is coming on strong. It is replacing the outdated fossil fuel and nuclear technology meaning cleaner air and water plus slowing of temperature change that has been exacerbated by carbon emissions. The cost of solar and wind is now cheaper than other sources while efficiency increases. Tennessee will benefit.
Many U.S. cities have set 100 percent renewable goals including Boone, North Carolina that just passed a 100 percent Clean Energy and Green Jobs Resolution. Boone became the first U.S. municipality to call for their city and state to move to renewables in all energy sectors by 2050 in order to fight climate change. More significantly globally, China has just placed $361 billion into renewable power generation by 2020. (13 million jobs).
The Paris Agreement put nearly 200 countries to work reducing carbon emissions. That has set off a rash of designs to service transitioning to an economy based on renewable energy. Investors, place your bets on battery, solar, wind turbine, or electric car companies. Entrepreneurs abound in these fields and their forward thinking ideas are becoming reality. For instance, France now has a solar road! The experimental Wattway is ½ mile long and paved with solar panels used to provide street lighting for the town Tourouvre au Perche.
Space here prohibits sharing the scads of positive examples now in the works. No matter who is President of the United States, the world sees the need to avoid poisoning our life-support system. Momentum is growing. Let’s work locally to join Boone and other cities in achieving 100% use of renewables as we seek a more harmonious relationship with the Earth.
Sandra Kurtz is an environmental community activist and is presently working through the Urban Century Institute. You can visit her website to learn more at enviroedu.net