Episode 276. Will COP26 Matter?

This is The ChangeUnderground for the 1st of November 2021.

I’m your host, Jon Moore

Decarbonise the Air, Recarbonise the Soil!

Global temperatures have already risen by at least a degree celsius (Link in the SN). Our highly esteemed PM, Scotty from marketing has been described by Niki Savva as some one who avoids problems until they become catastrophes before mishandling them. Or words to that effect. Well last week he managed, (mismanaged?) the Liberal Party’s relationship with the National Party to produce a nett zero by 2050 plan. A plan the Australian people haven’t seen and probably doesn’t exist. 

Here’s a couple of clips, firstly our PM and then our deputy PM showing just how united we aren’t.

Our Prime Minister who during the Black Summer bushfires of summer 2019/2020 decided to take his family on a holiday to Hawaii after the fires had started used the following reason: “I don’t hold a hose, mate.” He was then surprised that victims and firefighters didn’t want to participate in a meet and greet for the cameras and refused to shake his hand. 

So that’s what’s representing this country at the G20 and the COP26. Siding with Russia, China and India to exclude coal from any agreement, I kid you not. 

A country with a huge coastline, wind resources and abundant sunshine. 

Thankfully we have a federal system and the states are taking this climate change thing seriously. Even the NFF have a net zero policy, from their policy entitled Climate Change Policy

Quote:

Then the NFF supports an economy-wide aspiration of net zero emissions by 2050. The NFF will review its position every five years to ascertain if technological and economically credible pathways to achieve this target remain evident. The NFF’s position will be informed by robust science from Research and Development Corporations and other credible sources which allows producers, industry bodies and agriculture as a whole to establish credible baselines and assess the implications of the policy.

End Quote

The NFF is in bed with agribusiness so for them to come out with a net zero, even if it is 2050 not earlier, policy is a big deal. The problem we have is the coal industry’s capture of the political system.

Our richest individual one Gina Rinehart who inherited a mining fortune says things like the following:

Quote:

I have never met a geologist or leading scientist who believes adding more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere will have any significant effect on climate change.

End Quote

And has sufficient wealth to cushion her any effects of climate change and, mp0re importantly, anyone who would disagree with her opinion.

The only way I can see COP26 working is for the lagard nations, my own included, to be charged a tariff on export that does not account for its emissions. It is only through the cheque book that many of these recalcitrant individuals and organisations will be brought to their senses. 

The cost of not reducing emissions must be made higher than the cost of doing nothing.

Yesterday was the cutoff date for health workers to be vaccinated in my state of Tasmania. Health workers I would have thought, given their studying and so on would not have an issue with this. There was quite a lot of noise about the mandate but when push came to shove 99% had the injection. The other 1% are now on leave without pay.

If the cost of extracting and selling coal is made so extraordinarily high that it’s cheaper to leave it in the ground, change will occur. Incentives for things like electric vehicles and green hydrogen production would also help. The federal government says it’s against “picking winners” through funding but they provided, according to The Australia Institute, $10.3 billion in subsidies to the coal industry in the financial year 2020-2021. There’s some funds to redirect, I’d have thought.

Equally useful for putting pressure on the recalcitrant is our superannuation sector. I believe it’s called the pension’s sector in some parts of the world and somehow relates to a thing called a 401k in the US. My super scheme has an ethical investing policy and is driving towards a net zero carbon world. I can’t claim I chose this mob based on anything other than they cover workers in my industry and they chose this path forward at the board level. I would have changed providers if another provider had stepped forward. Just a happy coincidence but I’ll take it.

There are so many parts in play at the moment with so many pointing in the right direction from the financial sector to the whole regen movement that I suspect we are approaching a 100 monkeys moment (See episode 191: Are you the 100th Monkey?) This Glaswegian meeting has the potential to create the 100th and 101st monkeys and then we’re away. 

Cultural and political inertia are real but so too can a small stream of water break through a wall of stone. Keep your eye on the proceedings in Glasgow, there will be another COP and many more after that but I hope this one builds on Paris and leads to real change.

In the meantime keep growing as much of your own food as possible. This at the very least removes transport emissions from some of our food and if done regeneratively actually builds soil by decarbonising the air and recarbonising the soil

And if you’re ready to make the leap into growing your own food in an integrated animal supporting/supported way go to the website: https://worldorganicnews.com/freeebook/ and you can obtain a free copy of The ChangeUnderground No-Dig Gardening System.

And don’t forget the Facebook Group: ChangeUndergound Podcast Group

Thank you all for listening and I’ll be back next week.

~~~~

LINKS

buymeacoffee.com/changeug

The ChangeUnderground Academy No-Dig Gardening Course:

https://worldorganicnews.com/changeunderground/

FREE eBook: https://worldorganicnews.com/freeebook/

email: jon@worldorganicnews.com

 

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1546564598887681

Bubugo Conservation Trust

http://www.bubugoconservation.org/

 

Climate Change: Global Temperature

https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-global-temperature

 

Climate Change Policy.

https://nff.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/2020.08.06_Policy_NRM_Climate_Change.pdf

Gina Rinehart

https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/gina-rinehart-quotes

Australian fossil fuel subsidies hit $10.3 billion in 2020-21

https://australiainstitute.org.au/post/australian-fossil-fuel-subsidies-hit-10-3-billion-in-2020-21/

episode 191: 

Are you the 100th Monkey?

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