dioxidewww.mywife.cc

ClimateScience,AwarenessandSolutions475RiversideDr.
Ste401-ONewYork,NY10115TheRtHonBorisJohnsonMP,PrimeMinister10DowningStreetLondonSW1A2AA,UnitedKingdom[alsobyemail]February3,2021DearPrimeMinisterJohnson,IwriteninemonthspriortoCOP26,withmuchatstakefortheyoungpeopleoftheUnitedKingdomandeverycommunitysufferingtheravagesoftheclimateandecologicalemergency.
Increaseindisease,drought,fireandfloodstemmingfromrecentclimate-inducedeventsandtrendsforetellmuchworsetocome.
Unlessboldpoliticalleaderssetanewcourseforourhomeplanet.
PrimeMinisterJohnson,youngpeoplearefedup–andforgoodreason.
Theydemandthatpoliticalleadersfollowthescienceandtaketheactionsneededtopreserveandrestoreahealthyclimate.
IfthisCOPislikethepriorones–withsoothingwordsandworthlessambitions–theywillbejustifiablyoutraged.
InleadingtheUK,ashosttotheCOP,youhaveachancetochangethecourseofourclimatetrajectory,earningtheUKandyourselfhistoricaccolades–oryoucanstickwithbusiness-almost-as-usualandbevilifiedinthestreetsofGlasgow,London,andaroundtheworld.
Itwouldbeeasytoachievethislatterignominyandhumiliation.
JustcontinuewiththeplantoopenanewcoalmineinCumbriaandcontinuetoinvestfundsoftheBritishpublicinfossilfuelprojectsoverseas,incontemptuousdisregardofthefutureofyoungpeopleandnature.
Thecontrarypathisnotsoeasy,but,withyourleadership,itisrealistic.
Andbyprovidingtheacumenandgumptionrequiredtochangeourcourse,youwillearnaspecialplaceinhistoryandthegratitudeofyoungpeople.
Thesciencethatmustbefollowedisclear,notforbidding,andnotindisputeamongtheexperts.
ItisfeasibletoexplaintothepublicwhatmustbedoneandtopersuadeyourParliament.
Thegreatobstacleyoumustovercome–whereothershavefailed–isthatposedbythespecialfinancialintereststhathavebribedourgovernmentsandtrashedourplanet.
Somebackgroundinformationclarifiesthescience.
Recently,1inreviewingUKprogressinreducingfossilfuelemissions,Inotedthatyournationalemissionsdeclinedby30percentbetween1997(yearoftheKyotoProtocol)and2019,whichcompareswithareductionof7percentintheUnitedStates(seeFig.
1).
TheUKdeservescongratulations.
2Yourprogressreflectswellonyourparliamentarydemocracy.
MywifeandIwerefortunatetowitnesstheeffortsofUKcitizensandpoliticalleadersduringthepasttwodecadesasthatprogresswasachieved.
3ItisourferventhopethattheUKwillcontinuetoprovideleadershipandaffecttheentireplanet.
Page2of5Fig.
1.
USandUKfossilfuelcarbonemissions(Megatonsofcarbonperyear).
4TheUKisaspecialplace,butitisnotanislanduntoitself.
Britishcitizenswillfeelallthemomentouschangestoourplanet'satmosphereandsuffertheblowsfromchangingclimate,shouldwefailtoalterourcourse.
Ourfuturewillbedeterminedbythechangestotheglobalatmosphere.
Themostrelevantchangeistheincreasingamountofatmosphericcarbondioxide(CO2),whichisdrivenbygrowingglobalenergyconsumption(Fig.
2a)andresultingfossilfuelCO2emissions(Fig.
2b).
Globalenergyuseandemissions–stillbeingtabulated–declinedinthepastyear,buthighemissionswillcontinueunlessdecisiveactioninformedbyscienceisundertaken.
Specifically,thesciencerevealsthattostemtheclimatetideweneedtophaseoutfossilfuelemissionsbymid-centuryatthelatestandobtainourenergyfromcarbon-freesourcessuchasrenewableenergyandnuclearpower.
Thismayseemtobeatallorder,butinfactitisdoable.
Therequiredactionsmakesenseformanyreasons–oureconomicwell-being,humanhealth,andthefutureofyoungpeopleandalllifeontheplanet.
Therequiredactionsarenotpainful–theywillbebeneficial,andtheywillincreasesocialjustice.
Youmayask:whatistheroleoftheUKinthisWeareasmallnationwithnegligibleemissionsonaglobalscale.
Wehavelittletodowiththematter.
Fig.
2.
GlobalenergyconsumptionandfossilfuelCO2emissions.
Page3of5Fig.
3.
Fossilfuelemissionsin2018.
Cumulative1751-2018emissions.
Infact,theUKhasmuchtodowiththesituationthatwefindourselvesin.
AndtheUKhasthepotentialtoplayamajorroleinrectifyingthesituationandleadingtheworldtoabrighterfuture.
CurrentandhistoricalemissionsarecomparedinFig.
3.
TheUKaccountsforabout1percentofglobalemissionstoday,butglobalwarmingisproportionaltocumulativeemissions.
5TheUKisresponsibleforabout5percentoftotalemissions(rightsideofFig.
2).
UKandUScumulativeemissionsareeachafactoroffivelargerthanourrespectiveportionsofglobalpopulationOurlargeenergyuseservedagoodpurpose:itraisedourstandardsofliving.
Butinrecentdecadestheclimatesituationhasemergedwithclarity.
Wemustfindanewenergypathinthematureeconomiesandcooperatewithemergingeconomies,sotheycanraiselivingstandardswithcleancarbon-freeenergies.
Fig.
4summarizestheglobalsituation.
Despitesubsidiesofrenewableenergy,globalemissionsincreased.
Despitethecurrenthealthpandemic,highenergydemandcontinuesandenergygrowthwillreemerge.
However,aneffectiveresponsetoclimatechangerequiresthatglobalemissionsdeclinerapidlyinthenextfewdecades.
Fig.
4.
Fossilfuelemissionsofmature(blue)andemerging(red)economies.
6Page4of5Youngpeoplearebecomingincreasinglysophisticatedintheirunderstanding.
IntheUS,studentgovernmentpresidentsatmorethan350collegesagreedtoabipartisanstatement7thattheywantourgovernmenttofollowthescience–climate,energy,andeconomics–andadoptacarbonfee÷ndpolicy.
Thatpolicyisdictatedbyscience.
Studentswereinformedbytheirprofessors,whopointedtoajointresolution1of3500economists.
Insupportoftheyoungpeople,mycolleagueDanielMillerandIwroteanop-ed8explainingwhyfee÷ndisthesociallyandenvironmentallyjustwaytofightclimatechange.
Theeconomicfactisthataneconomyismostefficientifpricesarehonest.
Aslongasthepriceoffossilfuelsdoesnotincludethecoststosociety,peoplesufferforthesakeoffossilfuelindustryprofits.
Thewaytorectifythisisarisingcarbonfeecollectedatthedomesticmineorportofentry,with100percentofthefundsdistributeduniformlytolegalresidents.
Economicstudiesshowthatfee÷ndisthefastestwaytodrivedownfossilfuelusewhilespurringinnovation,cleanenergiesandenergyefficiency.
Anditiscost-free.
Infact,itincreasesprosperityandgovernmentrevenues.
Itissociallyjust,anti-regressive.
Seventypercentofthepubliccomesoutahead.
Mostwealthypeople–withlargercarbonfootprintsfrommoretravel,largerdwellings,andsoon–willlosemoney,buttheycanaffordit.
Economistsagreethatacarbonfeeortaxistheeasiestclimatepolicytomakeglobal.
Onceamajoreconomicpowerhasadoptedit,itcanbemadenear-globalviaborderdutiesonproductsfromcountrieswithoutacarbontax,thusencouragingwidespreadadoptionofacarbonfee.
WhyhassuchapolicynotbeenadoptedintheUnitedStatesManycongresspeopleintheUSarewell-oiled,coal-firedandfullofgas.
Fee-and-dividendscaresthebejesusoutofthefossilfuelindustry.
Butitneednotbetheirkryptonite,becausefar-thinkingcompaniescanretoolandinvestinbothcarbon-freeenergyandnegativeemissionstechnologies.
Thus,oneleaderwiththecouragetotakeonthespecialinterestscouldchangetheworld'senergycourseandalterthefutureforyoungpeopleandotherlifeontheplanet.
WheremaywefindsuchaleaderInotethatthereisaCitizensClimateLobby(CCL-UK)groupintheUKthatadvocatesthispolicy.
Iamsurethattheleader,JamesCollis(james.
collis@citizensclimateeurope.
org)wouldbegladtoworkwithyourteamonthefee÷ndapproach(whichtheyterm"climateincome").
TherearealsoUKcitizenclimateleadersthataredemandinganhonestaccountingoftheclimateimpactsofgovernmentdecision-making,includinginvestmentsinenergyprojects.
Towardsthisend,IamcertainthatTimCrosland,directorofPlanB.
Earth(tim@planb.
earth)wouldbewillingtoworkwithyourteam.
PrimeMinisterJohnson,youractionsanddecisionsnowwilleitherestablishorundermineyourclaimtoclimateleadership.
TheupcomingUNclimateconferencewillbeanexcellentvenueforyoutodisplayyourcommitment.
1Seehttps://www.
historyismade.
org/.
Page5of5IwillattendthatconferencewithmylegaladvisorDanielM.
Galpern,whosecontactdetails9arebelow.
Ifwecanbeofanyassistancetoyourclimateteaminthesematters,wewouldbepleasedtohelp.
Thankyouforyourconsideration.
Yourssincerely,Dr.
JamesE.
HansenCcTheRtHonAlokSharmaMPPresidentCOP26totheUNFCCCCabinetOffice,70WhitehallLondonSW1A2AS,UnitedKingdomHonorableJohnKerryU.
S.
SpecialPresidentialEnvoyforClimate1Hansen,J.
,EqualProtectionoftheLaws,Chapter46ofSophie'sPlanet.
2NotethatsomeoftheapparentprogressintheUKandtheUSisillusory;emissionsfromproductioninChinaarecountedasChina'semissions,thoughtheproductsareconsumedinourcountries.
3OurfirstseveralvisitsoccurredwhileIwasDirectoroftheNASAGoddardInstituteforSpaceStudies.
WeespeciallyappreciatedthehospitalityofPrincePhilipwhenIwashonoredwiththeDukeofEdinburghConservationMedal.
Since2013IhavebeenDirectoroftheClimateScience,AwarenessandSolutionsProgramintheColumbiaUniversityEarthInstitute.
4Bunkerfuelsarethoseusedbyshipsandaircraft.
ThebarelyvisiblegreenandgreyareasaretheCO2emissionsfromflaringatoilwellsandfromcementmanufacture,respectively.
5Hansen,J.
and46others,Dangeroushuman-madeinterferencewithclimate:AGISSmodelEstudy.
Atmos.
Chem.
Phys.
,7,2287-2312,2007;Matthews,H.
D.
,N.
P.
Gillett,P.
A.
StottandK.
Zickfeld,Theproportionalityofglobalwarmingtocumulativecarbonemissions,Nature,459,829-832,2009.
6Hansen,J.
,M.
Sato,P.
Kharecha,K.
vonSchuckmann,D.
J.
Beerling,J.
Cao,S.
Marcott,V.
Masson-Delmotte,M.
J.
Prather,E.
J.
Rohling,J.
Shakun,P.
Smith,A.
Lacis,G.
Russell,andR.
Ruedy:Youngpeople'sburden:requirementofnegativeCO2emissions.
EarthSyst.
Dynam.
,8,577-616,2017.
7Hansen,J.
,StudentLeadershipinClimatesolutions,http://www.
columbia.
edu/~jeh1/mailings/2020/20200731_StudentLeadership.
pdf8Hansen,JandD.
Miller,SocialandEnvironmentalJustice,10September2020.
http://www.
columbia.
edu/~jeh1/mailings/2020/20200910_SocialJustice.
pdf9DanGalpern'scoordinatesareLawOfficeofDanielGalpern,2495HilyardSt.
,SuiteA,Eugene,Oregon97403,UnitedStates.
541.
968.
7164.
GalpernLaw@gmail.
com.