Climate First on March First -- The Carbon Budget

Climate First on the First -- March 1st -- The Carbon Budget

February 11th the Federal Government came out with its annual budget.  It establishes the financial spending plan for the government in all areas of Federal Government activity – the military, income support programs, environment, First Nations, inspection and regulation, and so on.  It establishes the economic priorities including continued strong subsidies to oil and gas companies while renewable energy programs languish.  What it does not do, is establish our carbon budget and how we plan to meet it. (Huffington Post 2014 02 07)

Canada needs a carbon budget if we are to keep global warming to a maximum of two degrees Celsius (as all world leaders including Mr. Harper have agreed to do.).   According to the film made by 350.org called “Do the Math”, the problem is simple.  They told us we have five times more existing reserves of fossil fuels than we can afford to burn.  The recent report from the IPCC (International Panel on Climate Change) has radically reduced that budget.  It suggests we only have a 66% chance of holding climate warming to 2 degrees C if we can hold future emissions to 270 gigatonnes — everything more than that risks frequent, intense  and disastrous weather events.

Burning the fossil fuel that corporations now have in their reserves would result in the emission of 2,795 gigatonnes of carbon – almost ten times the safe amount.  Fossil fuel companies are planning to burn it all — unless we rise up to stop them.  Millions of lives and perhaps civilization itself may be at stake.

Every country in the world needs to be developing the capacity to closely track its carbon usage, and to take corrective action when we are exceeding our limits.  What we count is what we value.  We must count our greenhouse gas emissions and systematically reduce them.

In November, during the UN Climate talks, Germanwatch released the Climate Change Performance Index.  Canada and Australia are the worst performers of all industrialised countries.  Warsaw. (18. Nov. 2013) "The new edition of the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) was released by Germanwatch and CAN Europe in Warsaw at the UN climate talks today. The results show emissions worldwide have climbed to a new peak and no single country is yet on track to prevent dangerous climate change."

The world must come to negotiated agreements as to what is fair carbon usage for each country and how the negotiated standards will be enforced.  We would like to see Canada leading the world towards a transition to a renewable energy economy.  Instead, we are being dragged kicking and screaming to the table.  We need an attitude change before COP20 (United Nations Climate Conference) in November.

Instead, we continue to make oil and gas the foundation of our economy while other countries move ahead into the Fourth Revolution – The Energy Revolution toward renewable energy.

Are you fasting with us on Climate First on the First of the Month?  Will you take action this month?  Write a politician in your area asking them what the carbon budget is for your city, province, or for Canada.  Or write a letter to the paper pointing out the need for a carbon budget.  And don't forget to let us know if you are participating at ClimateFast.  Also, see our action page at CUSJ (Canadian Unitarians For Social Justice)