By Erik Brattstrom
In the late 1800s a balding, Nobel prize–winning glaciologist put forward a hypothesis on the physical chemistry behind global warming. His name is Svante Arrhenius and he is generally accepted in the academic world as the father of climate change science. His research indicated that a significant change in atmospheric CO2 (carbon dioxide gas) levels was the cause of past ice ages, and that modern industrial CO2 pollution could overheat the planet.
Fast-forward to 2019, when a pigtailed teenager, with few credentials (up to then), valiantly became our spokesperson in the now well-proven science of climate change. Greta Thunberg’s sudden notoriety in Europe brought her, by sailboat, to our shores and to worldwide attention. After speaking engagements at the UN General Assembly, World Economic Conference at Davos, U.S. Congress, and many others, she was selected as Time Magazine’s 2019 Person of the Year. She is most famous for her “How Dare You” speech at the UN. By the way, Greta writes her own speeches. Her quotes are famous, but my favorite is “This is not a one-time thing. This is our entire future.”
In the 100 or so years between those two Swedes, industrial pollution has been slowly warming our planet. A 1.5-degree centigrade rise in average temperature may not seem like a lot, but extreme species extinctions (more than 24 per day), severe weather phenomena (now commonplace), sea level rise (10 inches to date) are just the start. Here’s a little recognized fact: Albany, New York, riverfront property is only 24 inches above sea level.
While the Trump administration is using the present economic turndown (exacerbated by his own slow reaction to the coronavirus pandemic) to roll back the Obama-era antipollution rules, it is heartening to see some states and U.S. auto companies holding to the Obama rules. Recent virus-driven quarantine/travel ban regulations have unintentionally cleared the air (actually) over many large world cities. There seems to be an urgent desire for going back to the almost suicidal mode of back to normal. Now is our chance to transition into a sustainable growth mode: Retool industry, update infrastructure and reset priorities and lifestyles. Our legislators have to step up to the plate to make these changes work for Vermont. To move ahead quickly with EV transportation, fast direct-current recharging must be made available on our interstates to avoid “range anxiety” with new and present EV owners. A growing number of our state legislators drive EVs and understand the need. Many of us worked hard on the state comprehensive energy plan – it is way behind on its goals – make it a law. Our senators and representatives are working on new green legislation, but incentives are needed to help us change over to EVs, cold climate heat pumps and in meeting clean energy goals.
One last Greta quote: “You cannot solve a crisis without treating it as a crisis!”
Brattstrom lives in Warren.
