Prof Kevin Anderson |Worst of both worlds - dire impacts + less carbon budget

06/05/22 • 46 min

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In this ClimateGenn episode, I am speaking with professor Kevin Anderson from the Tyndall Centre at Manchester University.

[Support this channel and access episodes early with additional content segments, articles, etc - https://patreon.com/genncc ]

This is a longer interview with many, I believe, crucial points for consideration.

We discuss our current usage of the available carbon budget for 1.5oCelsius at just under 1% per month.

Also the dangerous and foolish behaviour of UK Secretary of State for Energy, Kwasi Kwarteng, in trying to reclassify natural gas (methane), as a green gas in order to increase investment.

Download the Phase-Out Paper being discussed: https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/files/213256008/Tyndall_Production_Phaseout_Report_final_text_3_.pdf

Kevin Anderson Quotes:

“Practically and morally, we are obliged to help [poorer nations] leapfrog over their fossil fuel period.”

“Every month we are using just under 1% of the carbon budget.”

“Senior academics are the new climate skeptics in my view!”

“Natural gas - Methane is a transition fuel... to 4oC”

“We all paint a picture that fits with our world view but as we reassess that world view repeatedly, eventually it doesn’t sit with our world view.”

“It is disturbing and interesting in the law that we will protect things that are causing incredible damage and we will prosecute things that are trying to stop that incredible damage being caused.”

“Particularly academics, we are paid to be honest and direct about our research and we will sweeten the pill, hugely sweeten the pill in public and I think that is deeply arrogant, of often very decent people, fast we think the public can’t deal with it”

“The policymakers are simply not up to the job.”

In March, Kevin and colleagues at the Tyndall Centre released a research paper titled: Phaseout Pathways for Fossil Fuel Production within Paris-compliant Carbon Budgets. I begin by asking Kevin to clarify the critical points of this paper as he can do this much more clearly than I can!

Please do comment and send feedback. You can support this channel on Patreon to access interviews earlier and with extra content.

You can also subscribe for free on Youtube, and all major podcast channels. Thank you.

In this ClimateGenn episode, I am speaking with professor Kevin Anderson from the Tyndall Centre at Manchester University.

[Support this channel and access episodes early with additional content segments, articles, etc - https://patreon.com/genncc ]

This is a longer interview with many, I believe, crucial points for consideration.

We discuss our current usage of the available carbon budget for 1.5oCelsius at just under 1% per month.

Also the dangerous and foolish behaviour of UK Secretary of State for Energy, Kwasi Kwarteng, in trying to reclassify natural gas (methane), as a green gas in order to increase investment.

Download the Phase-Out Paper being discussed: https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/files/213256008/Tyndall_Production_Phaseout_Report_final_text_3_.pdf

Kevin Anderson Quotes:

“Practically and morally, we are obliged to help [poorer nations] leapfrog over their fossil fuel period.”

“Every month we are using just under 1% of the carbon budget.”

“Senior academics are the new climate skeptics in my view!”

“Natural gas - Methane is a transition fuel... to 4oC”

“We all paint a picture that fits with our world view but as we reassess that world view repeatedly, eventually it doesn’t sit with our world view.”

“The policymakers are simply not up to the job.”

Please do comment and send feedback. You can support this channel on Patreon to access interviews earlier and with extra content.

You can also subscribe for free on Youtube, and all major podcast channels. Thank you.

Previous Episode

No. 1 Climate vulnerable wine region, Alentejo in S Portugal, focuses on true sustainability & regenerative agriculture

In this ClimateGenn episode, I am introducing Alentejo in Southern Portugal, declared in 2005 as one of the most climate-vulnerable wine regions in the world. The Alentejo region has been seeing temperatures rise and drought conditions intensify as rain patterns become more erratic and extreme.

[Please support this channel on https://Patreon.com/genncc]

In June I will be releasing a series of 9 recordings from my visit and interviews with producers and members of the Wines of Alentejo Sustainability Programme, looking at how they are responding to the emergent climate challenges.

In the next ClimateGenn episode out this week, I am speaking with Professor Kevin Anderson about his recent research paper on phasing out fossil fuels to stay within the 1.5oC obligation that governments set in Paris in 2015. This is a detailed conversation where Kevin talks about our current predicament being ‘The worst of both worlds with dire consequences and less carbon budget available to transition to clean energy’.

What follows is the narration of the typescript of my overall response to the presentation given in London by the Wines of Alentejo producers.

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[Join ClimateGenn for early episodes + extra climate focussed content]

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The Living Earth Movement (livingearthmovement.eco) was founded in February, this year at the same time that John turned 97 years old, clearly demonstrating that it is never too late to take action to strive for a better world for all ecology.

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