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Climate change is upon us. Oceans are rising, fires are raging, storms are brewing, and we need
solutions fast. World leaders and politicians, often seem to be spewing empty promises.
But there is hope on the horizon, we just need to act fast. We have hundreds of readily available
climate change solutions at our fingertips that, when scaled up, could successfully prevent and
then balance the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere back to pre-industrial levels. Project Drawdown,
a non-profit group of researchers and scientists, compiled a list of the top 100. In this video we
are going to talk about just three, which when expanded over the next 30 years could reduce
emissions by as much 269.02 gigatons of CO2, which is a staggering amount when compared to
the fact that since 1751 the world has emitted a cumulative total of 1500 gigatons of CO2.
1. Refrigerant Management
In Kigali, Rwanda 106 representatives shuffled through a meeting hall. The mood was relaxed as
they scribbled their signatures on what could become one the most significant global climate
agreements you’ve probably never heard of. But before we discuss the inner workings of what is
now called the Kigali accord, let’s first look at the problem we face. To do that we have to travel
back to 1987, to a balmy August day in Montreal. That day, 196 countries and the European Union
ratified a protocol calling on all countries to phase out the use of chlorofluorocarbons,
or CFCs, in refrigerants by 1996. Up until 1987, CFCs were shredding a hole in the ozone,
but as a result of the Montreal protocol, CFC use dropped drastically, and the hole in the ozone
layer began to shrink. The treaty was a definitive success… except for one thing. CFCs were replaced
with hydrofluorocarbons, a substance that doesn’t damage the ozone, but instead is an extremely
potent greenhouse gas. Hydrofluorocarbons or HFCs, have 1,000 to 9,000 times the capacity to trap
heat than CO2. Although it’s fairly short lived in the atmosphere, the consequences of an HFC
build up could be massive. But it also means that a phase out HFCs could visibly slow the rate of
global warming substantially. Which brings us back that accord signed in Kigali. Starting in 2019 the
Kigali accord requires high income countries to begin the phase out of HFCs, followed by a series
of lower-income countries over the next eight years. According to a number of research papers,
replacing HFCs with natural refrigerants like ammonia or propane over the next thirty years
has the potential to avoid up to 0.5 to 1 degrees celsius of global warming. And the equivalent of
avoiding 57.8 gigatons of CO2 emissions by 2050. That's the same as taking every single car off
the road globally for the next 90 years. What’s exciting is that the Montreal Protocol’s success
and the Kigali Amendment’s ratification show that management of HFCs is not just a dream,
it’s a very real solution to climate change that is already being scaled up across the world.
2. Onshore Wind
In Denmark, factories are forging giants. Collussi that scrape the sky and cling to the wind.
Because, wind is what Denmark knows best, and nowadays it’s where they’re getting a whole
lot of energy. Onshore wind turbines provide a huge opportunity for low cost and low emissions
energy creation. Indeed, in 2019, Denmark sourced 47% percent of its electricity from wind turbines,
with 29% of that coming from onshore installation. Turbines have a remarkably small land footprint,
allowing for farming, recreation, and conservation to continue on under their shadows. The
researchers at Project Drawdown propose that if we can scale onshore wind capacity to 26% of our
global energy consumption we could avoid roughly 147 gigatons of greenhouse gas emissions. But
right now the world only derives 4% of its energy from wind power. So how do we get from 4% to 26%
in the next 30 years? I look at this question much more in depth in my renewable energy solutions
video, but in short, we need to expand the current rate of onshore wind construction to reach 26%
by 2050. And in order to do this we’ll need to spur the ethical expansion of the wind turbine
construction industry with smart energy policy and generous government subsidies,
all while ensuring that the raw materials for this turbines are not sourced from exploitative
extraction industries in the majority world. And once the turbines are built,
the implementation of back up systems like grid interconnections and large
scale storage techniques are then essential for wind energy’s success, because, unfortunately,
the wind does not blow all the time. These are herculean tasks, but they are possible. And
considering the consequences if we don’t quickly scale up wind production, windy landscapes across
the world have the moral responsibility to follow in the footsteps of Denmark. A future
of wind turbines could have substantial positive effects on our changing climate.
3. Plant-Rich Diet
Wind turbine construction and refrigerant management are large-scale infrastructure
tasks that will undoubtedly require global government mobilization on an unprecedented scale.
And while more personal actions like pressuring corporate and government officials on the street,
in the mail, or on the phone are essential for driving those solutions, there is another solution
that you can tackle in your everyday life. Embracing a plant-based or plant-rich diet.
The fossil fuel demands associated with animal feed, transportation, deforestation and animal
emissions themselves make up a large chunk of global greenhouse emissions. The animal
agricultural industry now accounts for nearly 14.5% of world’s total annual carbon footprint and
45% of its land use. But Project Drawdown predicts that if just 50% of the world population adopts
a plant-rich diet by 2050, we could avoid 65.02 gigatons of greenhouse gas emissions.
But, the path towards this transition will not be simple--especially in meat-centric
Western cultures like the U.S. So, education and advocacy, therefore, will be essential.
Vegan activists like Earthling Ed provide a perfect example of effective plant-based advocacy.
Not only is Ed extremely sharp minded, but he employs a conviving combination of multimedia,
empathy, facts, and storytelling to inspire others to embrace plant-centric diets. But,
education only goes so far. Reluctant meat-eaters will also need meatless alternatives and delicious
vegan recipes to sway their dietary choices. And while this is a primarily demand-side solution
requiring dietary change from millions of people, as Project Drawdown points out there are currently
government subsidies in places like the U.S. that distort the true cost of meat, ultimately making
it much cheaper. Eliminating meat subsidies and instead subsidizing the staples of a plant-based
diet is yet another avenue through which we can make switching to a plant-rich diet
easier. In short, a plant-based diet is a choice that we, especially in heavy
meat-eating countries, can make every day to have a drastic impact on our global emissions.
Towards a Better Tomorrow
All of these solutions will only work if you and I make our mark and do the work. Whether
that means taking to the streets, getting rid of meat, working with your institutions to transform
their policies, or doing all three, action is essential. As the years tick closer to 2050,
our chance to avoid the worst of climate change slowly escapes us. But working towards these
three solutions, alongside hundreds of others, is the work we need to do. Complacency and apathy
are, in the face of climate chaos, a luxury we can’t afford. We, the global community,
have the solutions available. We just have to have the courage and will to turn them into a reality.
I really like learning and reading about environmental issues. But sometimes I
find it hard to sit down and read a dense non-fiction book about climate
change. My eyes start to glaze over and I get easily distracted, which is why I’ve turned to
audiobooks recently, and there’s no better place to listen to your favorite audiobook than Audible.
With thousands of audiobooks, podcasts, and even guided meditations Audible has been a treasure
for me. I just finished listening to Hope Jahren’s new book The Story of More and can’t recommend it
enough. It’s an emotionally packed narrative about climate change that does a great job blending
personal struggles with global issues. She dives into complicated issues like population growth,
food systems, and renewable energy and more. And, what’s even more awesome about the audiobook is
that Hope Jahren is the narrator, so you get to hear exactly how she intended the book to sound.
So, If you want to listen to The Story of More or browse through thousands of other audiobooks,
then definitely go to Audible dot com slash ourchangingclimate or text
ourchangingclimate to 500-500, and sign up for a free 30 day trial. And
with that trial comes an audiobook of your choice, absolutely free.
Hey everyone, Charlie here. Thanks for making all the way to the end screen. If you want
to support this channel directly, consider supporting Our Changing Climate on patreon.
Patreon has given me the financial consistency to make more and more ambitious videos,
so every little bit counts. Thanks again for watching and I’ll see you in two weeks.