Climate Crisis: Our Last Chance
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An interesting pro-nuclear power article
Apparently fossil fuels financed much of the early anti-nuclear power station campaigns
That’s very interesting as in 1977 our then French-language group brought out a leaflet addressed “Aux Ecologistes”, specifically those campaigning against the construction of nuclear power stations in France, (published in Socialisme Mondial No 8, Spring 1978) which contained the following. Single issue campaigns, it pointed out
“can be co-opted to serve the interests of groups of the capitalist class. We don’t suppose for a single moment that this is actually the case, but it is not inconceivable that the ‘oil lobby’ could make a financial contribution to anti-nuclear campaigns such as yours as it would be the beneficiary of their success under capitalism. In any case, the anti-nuclear struggle must be seen with an approving regard by the giant oil companies” (rough translation from the French).
If the headline to the article above is true, then we were more right than we thought. On the other hand, how can we be sure that the above article wasn’t inspired, even financed, by the ‘nuclear lobby’? Under capitalism, a rational energy policy is not possible, precisely because of different groups of capitalists trying to protect their vested interests.
Interesting article on this so-far 35 year project to create/achieve the fusion process.
Whether there is enough time available is a moot point but it should appeal to a broad swathe of people as it is a ‘clean’ process compared with current uranium nuclear power and also ultimately more powerful.
“…Whether there is enough time available is a moot point…”
Sadly, Janet, i’m of the view that socialism itself will not be possible in time to avert a civilisation collapse from climate change and the knock on effects such as mass climate refugees.
But i am a glass half-empty person with a gloomy perspective for our future as a species. I’ll be glad and happy if i’m proved wrong.
A new study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, claims that we could already be passed a point of no return for global warming, that several “tipping points” have already been crossed, triggering a self-perpetuating process of warming,
https://news.yahoo.com/global-warming-continue-no-matter-165410778.html
For the optimists we have other scientists casting doubt on the validity of this research.
For me, it is a matter of confirmation bias…
That’s a coincidence as today’s papers are reporting that Scientific Reports has done a U-turn on this claim:
Fuller version here I think.
Apparently it might turn out to be true but only over 500 years as if anyone could say anything about what things will like then or what will happen in between (surely socialism would have been established in the meantime !).
It looks as if the backlash against alarmist claims about global warming is underway. In any event, nobody can claim that capitalist states are not taking measures to try to stop it, inadequate and unco-ordinated as they might be.
Here is another story. The Pilbara project was initially planned as a means to sell green energy to coal-rich Indonesia via sub-sea cable. That idea has been dropped in favour of hydrogen,
The Asian Renewable Energy Hub, when completed there will be 1,600 giant wind turbines and a 78 sq km array of solar panels with a capacity of 26 gigawatts, more than Australia’s entire coal power fleet. It will convert desalinated seawater into “green hydrogen”
The Sun Cable project of solar power supplying Singnapore has already been mentioned.
But another project is the Star of the South, an off-shore wind turbine project
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Greenpeace USA has released its new “Just Recovery Agenda.”
100 policy recommendations for Biden
It talks the talk
“The economy we have today works for the 1%, not the 99%.”
“the system under which wealthy white elites and massive corporations have controlled and exploited land, communities, and cultures to acquire power—must end.”
“We envision a world where everyone has a good life”
More good news about technologies that could be applied in socialism and may even be under capitalism:
megaprojects risk pushing the world’s remaining forests past a “dangerous tipping point” and making climate targets unachievable, a report says…Tens of thousands of miles of roads and railways are planned alongside mines and dams, opening up the forests of South America, south-east Asia and central Africa to destruction, according to the report by a coalition of 25 research and conservation organisations…
More promising news on the energy front. Volcanic power
Good News!
The goals of the UN Paris climate agreement are getting “within reach.”
The new climate promises from China and other nations, along with the carbon plans of US President-elect Joe Biden mean the rise in world temperatures could be held to 2.1C by the end of this century.
Bad News!
The optimism comes with caveats. The near-term plans to cut carbon by 2030 are just not up to the job. Also have a pipeline of coal plants has not gone away.
Climate change: Temperature analysis shows UN goals ‘within reach’ – BBC News
More bad news
The UK’s 10-point climate plan won’t do enough to achieve his goal of curbing the country’s greenhouse emission. Cambridge Econometrics suggests Johnson’s plan will reduce emissions 59% per cent by 2030, based on 1990 levels. It says they should really fall by 70% by that date.
Well. some do wish to trust in capitalism and dismiss the possibility of climate crises threatening civilisation, yet some reputable experts consider it a credible scenario
A warning on climate and the risk of societal collapse | Paris climate agreement | The Guardian
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