I
just read a new book by climate change expert Tim Flannery entitled
Atmosphere of Hope: Searching for Solutions to the Climate Crisis.
Very strangely, the book seems to make no mention of what is
probably the top way you can help fight global warming.
In
the third part of his book, Flannery looks at various ways to respond
to global warming. The first thing he discusses is what he calls
adaption. Under this category, he says this: “By painting
infrastructure white, cities may more than offset the warming they currently
experience.”
I can
imagine how this might work. Giant spray trucks might drive down city
streets, spraying all the buildings and streets white. When they were
done, the streets of our cities might look like this:
Flannery
even approvingly mentions a plan to spray-paint a mountain white.
Then
Flannery mentions geoengineering, various proposed attempts to fight
global warming through high-tech monkeying with the planet. These
attempts include: injecting sulfur or soot high in the atmosphere,
causing more sunlight to be reflected back into space; deploying
giant mirrors in space to reflect more sunlight; and releasing iron
into the ocean to promote plankton growth. After discussing the
complicated issue of biochar, Flannery discusses how giant seaweed
farms might be useful in fighting global warming, and makes a
complicated discussion of carbon capture and storage.
But
what about the individual – what can he or she do? Flannery
discusses this in a chapter entitled “The Growing Power of the
Individual.” He seems to have two main ideas for how you can fight
global warming: (1) install solar panels on your rooftop, or (2) join
some citizen's group that is trying to fight global warming.
This
chapter neglects to discuss the main way in which ordinary citizens
can fight global warming: by reducing consumption. You can reduce
consumption by doing things such as: living in a smaller home,
eating less meat, buying a smaller car (or not buying a car at all),
taking fewer trips by air, traveling shorter distances by air, and
buying fewer things. Not only does Flannery neglect to discuss such
things in his chapter on the power of the individual, but he also
seems to fail to mention them anywhere in his book. Looking at the
index of his book, I see no index entries on consumption, diet, meat
eating, carbon footprints, travel, lifestyle, or vegetarianism.
Those are topics that should be thoroughly discussed in any book
subtitled “Searching for Solutions to the Climate Crisis.”
People
should not think that fighting global warming can only be done if
they make some “big commitment” step such as painting their
rooftop white or spending lots of money on a solar power system.
There are 100 varieties of easy-to-do, small steps you can
take to reduce your carbon footprint. You can start by buying less
meat at the food store at your next visit. The production of meat is
a major cause of global warming. Other small steps you can take is
to reduce your shopping, and to take a vacation some place closer to
your home. Too lazy to paint your rooftop or join some citizen's
group? No problem, there are many lazy man's ways to fight global
warming.
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