ESPM Midterm #1

Natalist movement in the US

one with both prophets (in this case, old-fashion Christian based nuclear family approaches, JD Vance) vs. wizards (childrens and people are cogs in the global economy, E.Musk)

Consequences of electrified cities in fires

array of toxic compounds that emerge from fires becomes a more serious environmental issue
batteries from cars, bikes, and motorcycles pose new hazardous issues

EPA (supervised the removal of batteries) is under severe cuts by DOGE and Trump adminstration

Unintended consequences of moving away from fossil fuels

an array of potential toxic elements comprise electronics

environmental issues are involved in mining and processing these elements, in countries with sometimes lax regulation
Li ion batteries work by lithium (positive charge) migrating from one side of battery (carbon) to other (metal), which causes electrons to flow from the anode to the cathode

Current American Energy Policy

Be able to abstract the main thrusts and directions of this policy, and roles (if any) for non-C energy development and expansions

Biggest challenge to getting to net zeo

our cognition: nimby, prophets and wizards, blue vs. red systems

pillars of getting to net zero

increased electrification, clean electricity, clean fuels, carbon capture, reduce non-c greenhouse gases, enhanced land sinks

risk/challenges to the pillars

physical infrastructure, capital mobilization, social license, political backlash
US coning and regulatory impediments, nimby, unstable us governent

how much is the transition to non-C energy going to cost, and is it simply out of the range of normal expenditures

agreement that the cost will be few percent of global GDP: in line with other social expenditures such as sanitation and water systems

presently spend 5-10% of our GDP on fossil fuel energy, and a few % mmore can accelerate a energy transition

Environmental Policy Proposals must be developed with a clear awareness of the real world in which it must be implemented

we mostly have a capitalist economy
we need more energy
we don’t have all the tools fully developed yet
members of society have differing cultural values that suggest differing ways to do this

Policy approaches to carbon and energy

government/free market interplay: carbon tax, cap and trade
state policies: CA leads nation with many market and regulatory approaches
international: kyoto protocol: (non-binding, and US did not sign) was intended to reduce global emissions to 1990 levels. paris accord: (US again out of this) aspires to keep global temps to 2C above 19th century levels. UNFCC: has met every year since 1995
suffers from lack of central authority, goal of unified agreement which leads to much compromise and lack of reduction penalties

carbon tax

most economists suggest this is the best way
a tax (based on the cost of emitting a ton of CO2 to society) will inspire the complex system of the “economy” to arrive at the most cost effective way to reduce C emissions (the “invisible hand” of the economy)
social cost of C would be the basis for a tax (~$140/ton) some countries (like Switzerland) impose this to some industries
many countries set the tax at much lower levels

cap and trade

government sets emission limits and provides polluters with tradable quotes to pollute. the participants can sell or trade quotas they haven’t used
allows polluters that have a technological advantage to quickly decarbonization, and trade their quotas to industries that are more challenging
government then resets emission that are more challenging

california cap and trade targets & issues

California easily achieved target #1: emit less C than it did in 1990 by the year 2020
Target 2: 40% below 1990 by 2030 is not presently on track
one major issue for ca is the transportation sector, which is our largest source of emissions

Thomas Friedman GND

advocate of market system approaches to decarbonization, also arguing that the technologies that emerge would stimulate the economy, and make the US a leading exporter of clean technology (coined the term GND)

GND & IRA

GND: aspirational document that from a policy perspective covered too many social issues and did not focus on specific policy strategies. constitutes to draw political opposition, even though it was never passed into law
IRA: 2022 considered by many to be most influential energy transformation policy by any nation. provides subsidies tax breaks, and incentives for new energy technology and infrastructure largely in republican states and in areas impacted by loss of industry.

Prophets and wizards and C removal from atmosphere bill gates & marc benioff

1. cheaper and easier not to emit co2 than to later try to remove it from the air
2. there is a scientfic consensus we should strive to develop ways to remove co2
3. advocates for co2 removal all share a concern about climate change, but can have very different viewpoints on how to do it
ex: bill gates (wizard): financial investment in ‘new nuclear’ (stop emissions), and in technological ways of removing co2. marc benioff (prophet): financial investments in tree planting and other nature based climate solutions

Prophets and carbon removal

nature is already removing 1.3 of all our c emsisions, the mechanism behind this is the likley effect of increasing co2, and lose less water in the process planetary greening: the greening of the planet has biological limits, and it is not known when they will be reached. also, the greening can be reversed if temperatures increase and cause drought or fires. some global greening is negative as the warming of the north creates longer growing seasons is also causing soil microbes to release co2 and methane. (arrete deforestations driven by oil crops and beef, soil C sequestration, forestation projects)
Soil C sequestration is another ‘good idea’ but difficult to achieve
10k years of farming have removed about 130 Gt of C from soil and added it to the atmosphere. challenges: requires potentially millions of farmers to agree to adobt practices and hard to re-add C while soil is still being used to farming
Growing trees: trees indeed removal co2, problems are that trees have limited life spans and are subject to death by fire or disease

Wizard and co2 removal

direct air captures is the major approach, based on principle that gases aborb to soild surfaces and some solids are especially absorbant, add ground rock to soil, and increase natural rate of chemical removal from atmosphere
challenge: co2 is low concentration in atmosphere, and ineffcient or slow process to collect significant amount, energy is needed to remove the CO2 from the solid, concentration it under high pressure as a liquid and pump it undergroung, nimby opposition has occurred due to concern over potential pipeline leaks of co2, $500-100 per ton of co2

Ecoanxiety and other maladies

our environment is part of our mins: we use our surrounding and include it in our consciousness
the environment thus affects our cognitive processes, and is a major impactor on Type I manner of thinking
our rapid fire thinking is as we know subject to many errors or problems, including arriving or assuming the worst possible outcomes

Peter Kahn

environmental amensia

5 Ds and 5 S

Distance, doom, dissonance, denial, iDentity. Social, supportive, simple, signal, stories

Earth Day and the stories we tell ourselves

Aprill 22, 1970 bi-partisan collaboration with Gaylord Nelson, Pete McCloskey, and Denis Hayes

John Francis

our stories may be right at one time, but we need to always reconsider them. stopped speaking for 17 yes and riding vehicles for 22.

hedonia, Eudaimonia

greek for happiness, plato advocated for consisten life satisdaction

happiness and makeup

recent suggests 50% of our happiness is related to our genetic makeup, 40% is under our control, and 10% are due to life circumstances

PERMA

Positive emotions/pleasure
engagement
Relationships
Meaning
Accomplishments