1) THE CARBON CYCLE IS NOT A SIMPLE MACHINE
2) NEITHER ARE THE ECOSYSTEMS THAT IT SUPPORTS https://twitter.com/AlexSteffen/status/1359290932030410754
Yeah, it makes neat economic sense to get rich countries to pay big $$ to remove carbon from the air. And sure, in theory it could address North-South injustice (which has been literally at the centre of all international climate negotiations for decades). However...
Far out, I don't even know where to start.
And, no, the UNFCCC processes still haven't led to actual climate justice between global North & global South. Because climate is intimately linked with energy, agriculture, land use, finance. We have to fix ALL that.
But...
On the *energy* front, this debate is in totally different place now to a few years ago.
Eg, supporting poorer countries to keep using fossil fuels domestically is just supporting expensive, health-destroying technologies while richer countries switch to cleaner cheaper stuff.
Yes there are some incredibly complex & difficult situations like Mpumalangau in South Africa where a just transition for local workers & community is badly needed. But in general middle income countries can start transitioning & LICs can leapfrog to clean energy.
And yes it is a lot more complex when you look at land use change & agriculture. Why shouldn't global South peoples be paid to protect ecosystems? But a lot can go wrong with this, too. https://twitter.com/OlufemiOTaiwo/status/1357812887746707457?s=20
But back to my original point: I don't think any actual scientists, at least not with domain expertise, have much confidence in a big role for carbon removal, let alone fixing the climate with it in the event of a PPM overshoot.
Yes, some of that belief re limited role of CO2 removal is based on the fact that it's expensive. It's good to challenge that belief! But cost might remain an issue. And looking at company net zero plans we can see the 'moral hazard' is very very real.
However, there's more:
The other problems less easily dismissed with techno-optimism:
1) "co-benefits" aka positive externalities of stopping FF use are now overwhelming

2) we are facing not just a climate but a biodiversity crisis.

It's not all gonna be quick fixes, guys. Sorry.
You can follow @kmac.
Tip: mention @twtextapp on a Twitter thread with the keyword “unroll” to get a link to it.

Latest Threads Unrolled:

By continuing to use the site, you are consenting to the use of cookies as explained in our Cookie Policy to improve your experience.