As some of the world's smartest people gather to try to agree to climate change policy, we suggest 5 Fool-proof (eg. understandable by the average human) programs to gain measurable results now.
Smart people often do dumb things. So confirms the new book What Intelligence Tests Miss: The Psychology of Rational Thought. And as we approach COP15, the global climate change conference being held in Copenhagen Denmark December 7-18, we will potentially watch many of the world’s smartest science, business and political leaders slam their collective craniums against a wall.
Why? It all comes down to science vs individuals. Statistical brain vs recessionary brawn. Backroom think tanks vs mainstream media. Goals vs implementation. In a word, dysrationalia.
Dysrationalia, says What Intelligence Tests Miss writer Dr. Keith Stanovich, is a content problem. What we don’t know – about statistics, the principles of probability and rules of scientific thinking – can hinder our ability to come to rational decisions. In other words, the average human can’t (or won’t) wrap their brain cells around all these percentages or vast volumes of research that equate our daily actions directly to global climate change.
These equations also don’t factor in the deep-seated and growing belief in the US and elsewhere that governments simply can’t be trusted to execute voluntary promises.
That’s why I propose that we no longer talk about non-enforceable emissions reduction targets for each nation. Instead, we propose an option list that each nation picks from, implementing the ones that will get the greatest results fastest based on their own national profile. Then, like a solid business, all nations meet quarterly to report on and compare results. Suggested options include:
1) All Economic Aid Packages include renewable energy technologies
The advantages of this are many and broad. It will spur innovation as monies are directly put to developing technologies. It creates jobs as these technologies are manufactured and implemented/constructed. It provides long-term solutions vs a one time act of charity. If we are helping to rebuild after a natural disaster, that building is all done with the latest green building materials and techniques. For developing nations, their infrastructures will be renewable, ensuring they don’t have to rely on imported fuels to power their emerging economies. Locally, subsidized housing for low income families are built with their own wind, solar and waste-to-energy production systems so utility bills aren’t a problem. Plus, each is built with a garden of fruit trees and window boxes with food seeds, which would supplant Food Stamps subsidies in the US. And on and on.
2) Petroleum Pipeline Protection Surcharges – Military Cost of Fuel
For the US alone, the defense budget for 2010 is a whopping $680 billion. For every dime the US or any other country spends on securing fuel pipelines or imports from other countries, there will be a surcharge. This includes all military spending for long-term veteran healthcare, family support, research, volunteer enlistment programs as well as the actual military cost. The surcharge funds or military offsets will go directly back into financing renewable energy innovations and implementations locally or abroad. Doing this will make a huge difference to the average voter as they better understand the costs of going sustainable vs military operations based on keeping the fuel pipelines flowing.
3) Energy Sin Taxes or ESTs
If a fuel is imported, then the calculated emissions charge of that import will be added at the pump or monthly energy bill. The farther things travel, the more energy and emissions wasted and, thus, the higher the EST. No one will ever understand the impact of their energy use till they see the whole package. And EST can happen now while emissions trading schemes and policies are laboriously hashed out and implemented.
4) Population Control & Reduction Rewards
At least 25% of the world’s population – 1.6 billion people – does not have electricity today. Population is booming. Bringing the fast-growing global population to energy rich status is a disastrous scenario. Controlling and reducing our population is required. This program would be a carrot vs stick approach. The more a country can reduce its population, the more relief it can call on in other areas.
5) Obesity Carbon Tax
This is literally putting the money where the mouth is. One study estimates that 10% of all energy used in the US goes to food production. So, again, we need to equate consumption control directly to the problem. Eating more local foods, cutting down on processing of food and focusing on better water management in agriculture will absolutely and directly cut emissions in a meaningful way.
So that’s a start. There are other ideas. But to succeed, each must be practical and understandable and something an everyday human can feel, touch and understand.
In today’s economic morass, what average human being makes rational decisions when the sentence starts with “It will cost you more money and we don’t know how well it will work but…”?
Carol Schmitt is a long-term advocate of sustainable living and an ongoing researcher into the policies being put together to address global Climate Change. Carol is the CEO and Founder of AcclimateUS, a company focused on advancing the causes of Cleantech and renewable energy enterprises. Carol’s business and home are in Los Gatos, CA USA.
Thank you Carol for providing us with some plainly spoken and straightforward insight. Learning to live with nature is not rocket science, nor should it be. There are things we can all do to stop the madness now.
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