Podcast of Guy’s February 2010 talk at the
Church of St John the Divine, Victoria
(30 min talk, followed by questions)
Coming soon...
Brokenhagen - So Let’s Try Something New December 21, 2009
In the wake of Copenhagen, what are we to make of all the confusion and mutual blaming?
Der Spiegel’s editorial said “What a disaster. The climate summit in Copenhagen has failed because of the hardball politicking of the United States, China and several other countries - and because people just can't seem to fathom how catastrophic climate change will be.”
But let’s step back a minute, and consider the difficulty of obtaining a binding consensus from the leaders of 193 fractious nations, each of whom has to answer to his or her own voters, on a change so enormous that it calls for nothing less than retrofitting the entire planet for zero carbon operations within 40 years. There’s not a nation on Earth that manages to govern itself by consensus.
Can you imagine any kind of consensus agreement coming out of the USA, where very few Democrats deny the science of climate change, and very Republicans accept it?
Ten Ways for Canada to Flourish without Fossil Fuels
Green Power from the Sun, Wind, and Tides For how much longer will we burn coal and gas to generate the electricity we need, generating asthma, lung disease, air pollution and global warming? It makes no sense. The numbers show that as a world, we can generate all the electricity we need from solar, wind, tidal, geothermal, hydro and the other renewables, plus the best of efficiency, with no need for nuclear. Ontario is phasing out its coal-fired power plants, and could get 100% of its electricity from renewables by 2027. Connected by a smart supergrid, using our hydro-dams and other means for storage, we can have smart, reliable power that never runs out.
Electric Cars, Powered by the Sun, Wind and Tides
Who killed the hydrogen and biofueled cars? The electric car, in a delightful act of revenge. Right now, the world’s major automakers are all engaged in a race to produce the best electric car. Better Place is working with Nissan/Renault in Israel, Denmark, Australia, Hawaii, San Francisco and 20 other places to produce an integrated system with electric cars, EV charging posts and EV battery replacement stations. Plug-in Hybrid EVs are coming that will run on electricity for 80% of their miles. Combined with regular EVs and lightweight designs, these cars could reduce our need for liquid fuel in cars and light trucks by 95%.
This short PDF booklet is a pre-publication draft of the “Ten Solutions for Communities” section of my forthcoming book, The Climate Challenge: 101 Solutions to Global Warming (New Society Publishers, Fall 2009).
These solutions are set within the wider context of three arguments that are laid out in detail in the book:
That global warming poses a real and present danger to the existence of all life on Earth, and we must act with immediacy and urgency.
That the ‘peak oil’ threat to the world’s future oil supply is very imminent, and even if climate change did not exist as a concern, communities must start planning immediately so that local residents and business can operate without need for oil.
That the economic, job-creation, and health benefits of undertaking this shift are enormous, while the financial and environmental costs of not acting are alarming.
When these three factors are considered together, it just makes such sense to get engaged with the solutions.
Please download, enjoy, and feel free to use these ideas in your own municipality.
Guy
Spirituality, Hope and the Future of the Planet
Listen to this inspiring 25-minute presentation made by Guy Dauncey at the First Unitarian Church of Victoria. (MP3, 22.6mb)
Peak Moment TV, Episode 26:
101 Solutions to Global Climate Change
"Author Guy Dauncey's lively, optimistic solutions for Peak Oil and the climate crisis are do-able here and now."
Featured Quote
May the warm winds of heaven blow softly on your house And may the Great Spirit bless all who enter there. And may your moccasins make happy tracks in many snows And may the rainbow always touch your shoulder. Cherokee Nation prayer
