Climate Change 🌿 | Driving Solutions for Climate-Ready Food Systems | The New York Times

Come to get informed. Leave inspired. Join us for our latest episode of The Greenhouse, The New York Times's inaugural virtual event's series on climate change. 🌿

The food we cultivate and consume has a huge effect on climate change, with agricultural production contributing 20 to 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions. If we are to achieve the international goal of net zero emissions by 2050, we must implement radical but attainable solutions, fast. How can we significantly reduce emissions across key sectors within the food system, while maintaining nutritional balance and food security. How can communities be empowered to feed themselves? How can action on energy and transport, or other cross-cutting challenges, take us further, faster?

Speakers:

🌿 Moderator: Somini Sengupta, International Climate Reporter, New York Times

🌿 Gonzalo Muñoz, Chile High-Level Climate Champion for COP25
🌿 Ertharin Cousin, Distinguished Fellow, Global Food and Agriculture, The Chicago Council on Global Affairs
🌿 Rebecca Henderson, John and Natty McArthur University Professor, Harvard Business School
🌿 Patrick O. Brown, C.E.O. and Founder, Impossible Foods
🌿 Clover Hogan, Founder, Force of Nature
🌿 Ajay Vir Jakhar, Chairman, Bharat Krishak Samaj (Farmer's Forum India)
🌿 Eric Soubeiran, One Planet and Water Cycle Vice-President, Danone
🌿 Whitney Richardson, International Events Manager, The New York Times

[allisonpadovani]

Clover and Whitney throwing down the truth! Excellent discussion

[robertcallaghan]

Fossil fuels have been 80% of global energy for over 25 years. Electricity is 20% of global energy, renewable electricity is 4% of global energy, solar & wind electricity is 2% of global energy. North Euro solar panels work 11% of the time. North Euro onshore wind turbines work 22% of the time. North Euro offshore turbines work 30% of the time. The F-35 fighter jet works 11% of the time. By 2040 15% of global energy will be renewable. By 2050 30% of global energy will be renewable. Water stress will threaten 50% of thermal power capacity. By 2025 66% of us will live in water stressed areas. Most solar solar panels will become un-recyclable garbage generating 6 million tons of waste per year by 2050.

Europe gets 50% of its renewable energy burning stuff. Europe burns 80% of the world’s wood pellets for renewable electricity
, Europe burns 80% of its recycled plastic & paper for electricity
. Europe burns 50% of its palm oil shipments in cars & trucks
. Out of earth's 1.2 billion vehicles only 6 million are electric
. Electric cars will have no effect on the climate whatsoever. Total greenhouse gases went up 45% in 30 years.

Weather = flash floods + flash fires + flash mobs + flash infections
Climate = 30 years of weather

500 years ago there were so many cod fish John Cabot thought they would lift his ship off the water
400 years ago there were more Caribbean sea turtles by weight than buffalo on the plains
300 years ago Passenger pigeon migrations would block out the noon day sun
97% of great fresh water species gone since 1970 ( Guardian 2019 )
96% of mammals are livestock and human by weight ( Ecowatch 2018 )
96% of tigers gone in 100 years ( IFL Science 2019 )
90% of elephants gone in 100 years ( Hurriet 2019 )
90% of lions gone in 100 years ( African Impact 2019 )
90% of Leatherback sea turtles gone since 1980 ( Earth Watch undated )
90% of Monarch Butterflies gone in 20 years ( Inhabitat 2014 )
80% of Antarctic Krill gone in 30 years ( Research Gate 2005 )
77% of Eastern lowland gorillas gone since 1996 ( Treehugger 2020 )
68% of world’s wildlife has been wiped out since 1970 ( Mongabay 2020 )
50% of Marine vertebrates gone since 1970 ( WWF 2015 )
50% of Great Barrier Reef gone since 1985 ( Live Science 2012 )
40% of Giraffes gone since 1990 ( NRDC 2019 )
40% less insects in next 30 years ( PNAS 2019 )
4% of mammals are wild ( Vegan News 2020 )

Sources for all these statements can be found at Loki's Revenge blog on wordpress.
You can also find a massive research library there on how pollution is affecting our youth

support James Hansen's monthly private carbon dividends

If I had a nickel for everytime I didn't know what was going on, I would wonder where all the nickels are coming from
-- Loki 2020