Going 'Zero Carbon' Is *All The Rage. But Will It Slow Climate Change?
Going 'Zero Carbon' Is *All The Rage. But Will It Slow Climate Change?
June 18, 20195:00 AM ET Heard on All Things Considered
*all the rage〈話〉大人気である、大流行している、大はやりである、大ブームとなっている、ブレイクしている
The warnings come with unsettling regularity: Climate change threatens 1 million plant and animal species. Warmer oceans could lose one-sixth of their fish and other marine life by the end of the century. Global warming is a major risk to the economy.
The world's leading scientists have made it clear that to prevent the worst effects of climate change, there needs to be "rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented" changes to our energy systems. In simpler terms: (1 ).
Federal action to curb greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. seems unlikely in the near future. The Trump administration is going the other way, rolling back regulations to cut emissions.
(2 ) and making their own pledges to reduce emissions.
Just in the past year, three states — including California, the world's fifth-largest economy — plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico made commitments to get all of their electricity from carbon-free or carbon-neutral sources in the next few decades. More than 100 cities and counties have signed similar pledges, and (3 ).
"It feels to me like we're headed toward a decarbonized energy system," says Rolf Nordstrom, president of the Great Plains Institute, a nonprofit energy research group. "Now it's just down to how fast and what that energy mix looks like."
Despite the growing push to reach "zero carbon," (4 ). Here's an attempt to answer some of them.
Who's doing it?
Four states — Hawaii, New Mexico, California and Washington — as well as Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., are leading the decarbonization charge. All of those places have enacted legislation requiring that they get all of their electricity from renewable or clean sources by 2050 at the latest.
Nevada and Colorado went one step short of that, establishing a goal, not requirement, of 100% carbon-free energy by 2050. At least 9 other states have proposed similar mandates or goals, according to EQ Research, a renewable energy consulting firm.
In the meantime, (5 ). More than 100 localities across the country — from Buncombe County, N.C., to Spokane, Wash. — have committed to getting all of their electricity from clean or renewable sources. The Sierra Club has a nifty list of cities making similar pledges.
Electric utilities, responding to customer demand (and eager to have support for new infrastructure), are getting in on the action, too. Xcel Energy, which serves eight U.S. states, announced its own 100% clean energy goal by 2050. A handful of other utilities have followed suit.
Business is also pushing for clean energy. The group RE100 says that about 180 private companies, including giants like Google, Nike, Facebook and Johnson & Johnson, have committed to 100% renewable goals.
Why are they doing it?
Climate change not only poses a risk to human health and life, but it could cost the U.S. economy hundreds of billions of dollars. (6 ). For more on what's at stake, see the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report. The threat is real.
Shortly before signing her state's carbon-free goal earlier this year, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham pointed to that report, which said greenhouse gas emissions need to be sharply reduced by 2030 to avoid the worst effects of climate change.
"We are clear that we have basically a decade to begin to turn things around, and New Mexico needs [to] and will do its part," she said.
(7 ). It's a convergence of social, economic, technological and political factors. The latter being fueled, in no small part, by the inaction at the national level.
"There's the complete abdication of responsibility and leadership at the federal level, within the Trump administration and other leaders in Congress," says Jeff Deyette, the director of state policy in the climate and energy program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. He says cities and states are stepping up to fill that void and, in some cases, score political points.
The "blue wave" of last year's midterms saw cities and states elect lawmakers who vowed to take action on climate change. Environmental groups have been focusing their efforts on the state and local level.
Renewable energy is also becoming more affordable and more popular than fossil fuels in some places. A survey by Consumer Reports last year found that roughly three-quarters of respondents felt that increasing renewable energy is a worthwhile goal.
On the technical side of things, (8 ).
文頭に来るものも小文字にしてある。
ア advancements are being made in energy storage and energy efficiency, making an eventual renewable energy grid more realistic
イ at least three presidential candidates are proposing climate plans that call for the U.S. to become carbon-neutral by 2050
ウ but a growing number of cities, states, electric utilities and businesses are recognizing the risk presented by climate change
エ but the need to address emissions is hardly the only factor driving the wider shift toward renewable energy sources
オ local governments in those states and others are taking action on their own
カ state, city and business leaders aren't blind to that fact
キ there are big questions around whether these goals are possible and how much they would actually slow climate change
ク we need to stop adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere
印刷用
ANSWER KEY
June 18, 20195:00 AM ET Heard on All Things Considered
*all the rage〈話〉大人気である、大流行している、大はやりである、大ブームとなっている、ブレイクしている
The warnings come with unsettling regularity: Climate change threatens 1 million plant and animal species. Warmer oceans could lose one-sixth of their fish and other marine life by the end of the century. Global warming is a major risk to the economy.
The world's leading scientists have made it clear that to prevent the worst effects of climate change, there needs to be "rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented" changes to our energy systems. In simpler terms: (1 ).
Federal action to curb greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. seems unlikely in the near future. The Trump administration is going the other way, rolling back regulations to cut emissions.
(2 ) and making their own pledges to reduce emissions.
Just in the past year, three states — including California, the world's fifth-largest economy — plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico made commitments to get all of their electricity from carbon-free or carbon-neutral sources in the next few decades. More than 100 cities and counties have signed similar pledges, and (3 ).
"It feels to me like we're headed toward a decarbonized energy system," says Rolf Nordstrom, president of the Great Plains Institute, a nonprofit energy research group. "Now it's just down to how fast and what that energy mix looks like."
Despite the growing push to reach "zero carbon," (4 ). Here's an attempt to answer some of them.
Who's doing it?
Four states — Hawaii, New Mexico, California and Washington — as well as Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., are leading the decarbonization charge. All of those places have enacted legislation requiring that they get all of their electricity from renewable or clean sources by 2050 at the latest.
Nevada and Colorado went one step short of that, establishing a goal, not requirement, of 100% carbon-free energy by 2050. At least 9 other states have proposed similar mandates or goals, according to EQ Research, a renewable energy consulting firm.
In the meantime, (5 ). More than 100 localities across the country — from Buncombe County, N.C., to Spokane, Wash. — have committed to getting all of their electricity from clean or renewable sources. The Sierra Club has a nifty list of cities making similar pledges.
Electric utilities, responding to customer demand (and eager to have support for new infrastructure), are getting in on the action, too. Xcel Energy, which serves eight U.S. states, announced its own 100% clean energy goal by 2050. A handful of other utilities have followed suit.
Business is also pushing for clean energy. The group RE100 says that about 180 private companies, including giants like Google, Nike, Facebook and Johnson & Johnson, have committed to 100% renewable goals.
Why are they doing it?
Climate change not only poses a risk to human health and life, but it could cost the U.S. economy hundreds of billions of dollars. (6 ). For more on what's at stake, see the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report. The threat is real.
Shortly before signing her state's carbon-free goal earlier this year, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham pointed to that report, which said greenhouse gas emissions need to be sharply reduced by 2030 to avoid the worst effects of climate change.
"We are clear that we have basically a decade to begin to turn things around, and New Mexico needs [to] and will do its part," she said.
(7 ). It's a convergence of social, economic, technological and political factors. The latter being fueled, in no small part, by the inaction at the national level.
"There's the complete abdication of responsibility and leadership at the federal level, within the Trump administration and other leaders in Congress," says Jeff Deyette, the director of state policy in the climate and energy program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. He says cities and states are stepping up to fill that void and, in some cases, score political points.
The "blue wave" of last year's midterms saw cities and states elect lawmakers who vowed to take action on climate change. Environmental groups have been focusing their efforts on the state and local level.
Renewable energy is also becoming more affordable and more popular than fossil fuels in some places. A survey by Consumer Reports last year found that roughly three-quarters of respondents felt that increasing renewable energy is a worthwhile goal.
On the technical side of things, (8 ).
文頭に来るものも小文字にしてある。
ア advancements are being made in energy storage and energy efficiency, making an eventual renewable energy grid more realistic
イ at least three presidential candidates are proposing climate plans that call for the U.S. to become carbon-neutral by 2050
ウ but a growing number of cities, states, electric utilities and businesses are recognizing the risk presented by climate change
エ but the need to address emissions is hardly the only factor driving the wider shift toward renewable energy sources
オ local governments in those states and others are taking action on their own
カ state, city and business leaders aren't blind to that fact
キ there are big questions around whether these goals are possible and how much they would actually slow climate change
ク we need to stop adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere
印刷用
ANSWER KEY
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