James Hansen - Sophie’s Planet #36: Chapter 47 (China and the Global Solution)

 

Fig. 47.5. Carbon intensity (carbon per unit energy) of global and national energies.

4 March 2021 James Hansen

Draft of China and the Global Solution is available here for fact checking.  Final paragraphs of the preceding chapter were substantially revised, so they are included. Science informed political leaders that the West had burned most of the global carbon budget that was allowable, if future large disruptive climate change was to be avoided. Yet governments did not respond with a strategic vision that would allow emerging economies to raise living standards without following the same fossil-dominated energy path of the West.  Thus, large, potentially disastrous, climate change later in the 21st century was almost locked in. Time is preciously short.  The time of wishful thinking and ineffectual half-measures must come to an end.  The scale of the problem requires combination of the strengths of China and the West. Today’s issues between the U.S. and China, when the eyes of history look back on us, will baffle our descendants, if such resolvable differences block the cooperation needed to stabilize climate. President Biden should not be overly concerned about how political opponents will paint him, if he works with China on a climate solution.  Strong leadership is required to recognize the merits of working together.  The benefits of cooperation will be demonstrable to the public.   You can sign up for our monthly global temperature updates here. You can sign up for my other Communications here. I’m on Twitter @DrJamesEHansen, (https://twitter.com/drjamesehansen), but focused on book.