Remember how Pope Francis called on civilization to eliminate fossil fuels to save the planet from runaway climate change? The great poobahs meeting in Dubai at COP28 appear to have listened. After omitting fossil fuels from their first draft, participants in the United Nations’ latest climate summit put forward a new draft that, in a first for these UN declarations, acknowledges that fossil fuels are killing the planet and that we need to stop burning them.
Draft #2 mentions fossil fuels in Section 28, which declares that the Parties to the Paris Agreement support (clause d)”Transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner, accelerating action in this critical decade, so as to achieve net zero by 2050 in keeping with the science.” The Parties also support (Clause h) “Phasing out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies that do no address energy poverty or just transitions, as soon as possible.”
UN General Secretary António Guterres says putting that language into action is necessary to save the planet:
“To those who opposed a clear reference to a phaseout of fossil fuels in the COP28 text, I want to say that a fossil fuel phase out is inevitable whether they like it or not. Let’s hope it doesn’t come too late,” added the Secretary-General.
…In his statement, Mr. Guterres said limiting global heating to 1.5°C, one of the keystone targets set in the landmark 2015 the Paris Agreement, “will be impossible without the phase out of all fossil fuels”, and this is being recognized by a growing and diverse coalition of countries [UN News, “COP28 Ends with Call to ‘Transition Away’ from Fossil Fuels; UN’s Guterres Says Phaseout Is Inevitable,” 2023.12.13].
On this issue, the Pope is right, and now, so is the UN, officially: we have got to stop using fossil fuels.
Related Revamping: The Vatican signed a deal with Volkswagen last month to replace the entire Vatican auto fleet with electric vehicles by 2030.
The attendees flew their electric planes there and didn’t eat beef.
Oops. Wrong fiction novel.
Reality was they flew normal fossil fuel burning private jets and beef was on the menu.
Colorado regulators are sending a clear signal to Xcel and Black Hills Energy to help subscribers transition to rooftop solar.
https://boulderreportinglab.org/2023/12/08/boulder-countys-new-solar-co-op-is-breaking-all-kinds-of-records-expands-membership-to-500-after-surpassing-goals/
In 2018 a majority of Pueblo, Colorado residents pushed the city to end its agreement with Black Hills Energy and create a municipal electric utility. But in 2020 despite acknowledging BHE is a predator residents voted to remain enslaved to the Rapid City, South Dakota-based monopoly yet Pueblo still endures crappy service.
Colorado regulators are sending a clear signal to Xcel and Black Hills Energy to help subscribers transition to rooftop solar but according to an industry watchdog South Dakota ranks last in solar capacity. South Dakota-based Black Hills Energy laid off 44 employees across their eight-state service region, 24 of those positions in Rapid City.
Minneapolis-based Xcel Energy screws customers in Colorado, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas and New Mexico but the company gives twice as much campaign dough to Earth haters than to Democrats.
Boulder, Colorado voted to keep Xcel in 2020 but in light of findings in the causes of the Marshall Fire in Boulder County seven lawsuits have been combined as a class action and filed against Earth hater Xcel in Colorado courts. Now, Boulder residents have had it with the monopoly that furnishes the city’s power and burns fossil fuels to generate 58% of the state’s electricity.
Freedom works where?
Larry, thanks (again) for the background and history. Utilities are a mere tax on living. Utilities ought be municipal or co-op or non-profit. For profit utilities are an anathema to social advancement.
Certainly humans are contributing to global warming. Yet the verifiable record is incomplete when folks computations ignore the long game of oliptical orbits and millennia of earth transitions.
Dr. Mills explains. He admits human contributions; but that due to earth’s rotational changes and methane emmission (far greater than mans) – – – that we just don’t know based on very limited data or time frames of data. (This blue rock has always been changing. That’s not license to act like idiots; but is worthy to note that we are not in charge.)
18m https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCt2MhOzWVE
Good morning, John.
“…AIR POLLUTION ALERT FOR DUST FOR RAPID CITY WEST OF THE GAP IN
EFFECT FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 5 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON…
The following message is transmitted in collaboration with the
South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
* WHAT…Northwest winds 20 to 25 mph with gusts up to 40 mph.
* WHERE…West of the Gap in Rapid City.
* WHEN…Mid-morning today through the afternoon.
IMPACTS…The gusty winds will suspend fine dust in the air and
produce poor air quality.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
The Rapid City Air Quality Office recommends the elderly, young,
and anyone with respiratory problems avoid excessive physical
exertion and exposure to the outside air.”