Environmental Progress Slow At Best

The American Energy Society makes this comment about the U.S. senatorial elections: The “green wave” fades. Environmentalists’ ambitions failed to materialize nationally. (In the Senate, only two Democrats – John Hickenlooper in Colorado and Mark Kelly in Arizona – pushed environmental policy, and it is not yet clear if the issue had a neutral or negative impact on any electoral outcomes).

Regarding the environment, the main outcome of the 2020 elections here in the Unites States is the cessation of damage that took place under the Trump administration, which would have become much worse had there been a second term.  The best that we can hope for from Biden, insofar as he’s a centrist democrat, is a return of the Obama era positions, and, of course, rejoining the Paris Accord.

As he noted in the latter of the two debates, Biden acknowledges that the U.S. (and the entire world) is in the process of phasing out fossil fuels in favor of low-carbon energy sources.  Of course it is, but at what pace?  Via what policies? Taxation? Subsidies/incentives?

There is scant recognition of the fact that this planet will not support an organized society on its surface in 50-75 years if we as a civilization don’t take swift and effective measures, both to adapt to and to mitigate climate change.  Yes, the wealthiest individuals and their families will be able to survive virtually any climate scenario, regardless of droughts/desertification, super-storms, sea-level rise, potable water shortages, etc., though I’m not sure any of us would want to live in such a world.

Another point to be made is that global warming brings with it other horrific threats, including ocean acidification and loss of biodiversity. When I was growing up, the average pH of Earth’s oceans was 7.8. It’s 7.9 now.  If it hits 8.1., the only animal sea-life remaining will be jellyfish.  Fish and seafood are currently 22% of the world’s protein diet.

Obviously, the consumption of fossil fuels carries with it problems beyond even that, in the form of assault on human health, not to mention every other life form.

It’s great that we’ve stopped the bleeding.  Now it’s time for action, though it would be foolish to think it’s going to come from Joe Biden.