Are the world’s energy use and production methods really unsustainable?
There still seems to be debate about whether global warming is really happening, for every expert quoted in the media those wanting to debunk the idea find an expert of their own to refute the evidence. Even ex vice president Al Gore doesn’t seem to have convinced everyone and let’s face it he’s given it a pretty good effort.
People just don’t want to hear it’s going to cost them money and that they may have to change what they are doing and how they do it and others have a vested interest naturally in keeping things how they are. And when they look outside, things look pretty much the same as they did yesterday, so why worry?
I’m worried, not because I know for sure or not whether there is global warming and that it will lead to global catastrophe, I just don’t know for sure, who does, even though a lot of the evidence sure scares me.
I’m worried because it is a possible risk. But this risk isn’t like the normal risks that we insure, like auto insurance, to cover the risk of an auto accident. This risk could be the end of the world as we know it type of risk. If we get it wrong, it’s not going to be good, and we’ve got very limited time to do anything according to the many of the claims made by experts.
I’m not an environmental expert, so rather than trying to dig into all the scientific information to find out who’s right, I’ll just take everyone’s word for it, and that each side is sincere about their position, and that leaves me, and all the rest of us for that matter, in the situation of facing a great life threatening situation of unknown dimensions or consequence and I think we need to take out a bit of insurance. We pay for auto insurance, health insurance, disability insurance, even insurance on our appliances breaking, so I think this one is just as deserving. And the way we are going to need to take out insurance is to pay our policy premium in the form of green technology purchases to reduce carbon and greenhouse gas production by 75% as quickly as we can. I know, I know, who can afford that, people are strapped as it is. But that as it turns out is a much easier thing to do than you might think, because you make money in the process.
Yes, you don’t have to be an environmental martyr, sacrificing yourself and your financial resources to save the world for the rest of us. Instead you can make money, and oh by the way, if those experts who are warning about dire consequences are right, then you just saved the planet at the same time.
It’s simple to me; Option 1) ignore the global warming carbon problem, dismiss it as bunk and do nothing and if nothing happens .. then great, but if we are wrong then the consequences are potential human and global environmental catastrophes or possible extinction that are going to make investing in renewables look really really really cheap or go for Option 2) invest in renewable technologies, make money while doing so, and if global warming is bunk then oh well, we just made some money and didn’t need to save the planet, but if global warming is a reality then we just saved the planet while making money! You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to pick option 2.