Everybody Profits V: The Case for Climate Protection

“Don’t ask what’s possible — ask what’s necessary.”
— Dr. Jim Hansen

The news was sobering overall, but practical strategies for dealing with climate change were also offered. Featured speaker David Roland-Holst, professor, Department of Agriculture and Resources Economics at UC-Berkeley, said that the perceived “trade off between the economy and the environment is a fallacy.” California has realized a $56 billion savings due to energy efficiency, which has meant more dollars for other important things and more jobs — we are more efficient than 60 percent of the other states, he reported. And we need to go further and make energy efficiency more affordable to governments and households.

What can we expect in the near future?
“Over the next century, we face enormous adaptation challenges,” according to Roland-Holst, because even if we could stabilize our carbon emissions today, changes are inevitable due to the carbon that has already been released into the atmosphere. This is unchartered territory.

One consequence: By 2080, the Sierra snowpack will shrink by 70–80 percent, creating seasonal variation in the quantity of water available. A startling fact: More than 50 percent of the water in California used is south of San Bernardino! There will be struggles between the northern and southern parts of the state, Roland-Holst predicted.

The coast is also vulnerable with the expected sea level rise that could put both SFO and the Oakland Airports under water, along with significant other real estate around the Bay. Rising temperatures will dessicate the soil in the forests and make high intensity fires more common. Many believe that the wildfires recently experienced in Santa Barbara and Australia are the direct result of climate change.

Add to this the fact that California’s population is expected to double by 2050 — and the North Bay itself may become a climate “refuge” to which people will move due to our micro-climate diversity — all leading to the question he asked the audience: “How much would you pay for climate security?” It’s time for us all to ask ourselves what we would do differently to have increased climate security.

Unfortunately, Roland-Holst noted that the intangibles of climate risk make it hard for us to appreciate what is coming, making it all the harder to take steps to reduce the risk. As Ann Hancock, executive director of the Climate Protection Campaign, said, “We’re doing harm and we can’t stop ourselves.”

Protecting more open space to preserve and create habitat corridors, and to protect watersheds, was strongly suggested as an adaptation strategy.

Access Dr. Roland-Holst’s Powerpoint presentation here

The business case for climate protection
Keynote speaker L. Hunter Lovins, president of Natural Capital Solutions and co-founder of the Rocky Mountain Institute, emphasized that “the future is not possible” if we continue to operate as we have been doing. She believes that we are quickly approaching the tipping point where what humans can do to temper the effects of climate change will cease to matter. This will have dire consequences. For example, California uses 60–80 percent of the state’s water to produce 50 percent of the country’s vegetables and fruits — and is facing a 30 percent drop in the water supply over the next century.

 “The science (about climate change) is uncertain — and it doesn’t matter,” she said.

Eco-efficiency is profitable
On the positive side, Lovins reported that companies that are reining in their energy usage are seeing large payoffs. Dupont saved $2.2 billion from eco-efficiency — the same amount as their profitability. The Dow Jones sustainability index is outperforming the standard indices. And even WalMart is looking at changing its practices to encourage “Sustainable Consumption.” Studies are also showing that green buildings improve labor productivity and worker health.

While the news throughout the conference was bleak, it was clear that human beings can still make choices that will improve the future we are facing from climate change — but we have to make changes now and stave off the tipping point.

“If we continue ruining the planet, we’ll have to stop calling ourselves a superior species!” declared Lovins, not at all in jest.

Access Lovins’  Powerpoint presentation here