Quickly reaching global tipping point

Two degrees average.

Remember Copenhagen?

The only issue agreed by all nations.

A global temperature average increase of up to two degree in is manageable; tipping point and global catastrophe above two degrees.

Five hundred and sixty-five billion tonnes: scientists calculate we are already well past one degree increase.

They say to reach the two degree tipping point we need only burn an extra 565 billion tonnes of carbon.

That sounds a lot to me.

Two thousand seven hundred and ninety-five billion tonnes: but fossil fuel companies have already identified 2795 billion tonnes which they intend to burn, or sell for burning.

The more that is burned, the more they profit.

Just to recap, two degrees, and global peril, will be reached when we burn 565 billion tonnes.

Fossil fuel companies already have five times 565 billion tonnes.

Who is blocking urgent corrective action?

Answer: vested interests; powerful and privileged vested interests, those who stand to profit from the continuing suffocation of the earth.

So, who are they?

Fossil fuel companies and those connected fossil fuel countries such as Venezuela and Kuwait, powerful media owners with investments and shared ideologies, agencies hired by fossil fuel companies to spread confusion and confected scepticism, some politicians whose perceived political advantage surfs waves of public confusion, others in the pocket of the fossil fuel companies, and some wilfully ignorant politicians who find political benefit in allowing the wave of media-induced ignorance and confusion to sweep them to political power.

In a nutshell, there are people who will be savagely affected and people who will profit.

So, what status should we attribute to the fossil fuel companies?

Should we continue to grace them with our respect and political influence, or are they behaving criminally and should be branded outlaws?

Maybe something in between?

For me, they are now my enemy.

I can be compassionate, but not too compassionate.

Like the tobacco companies, the fossil fuel companies have known of the effects of their deadly outpourings for over 30 years, longer than I have known.

And, they know their industries are acidifying our oxygen-generating oceans, drenching our air with flooding waters, and blanketing our planet in suffocating, climate-mangling, weather-crisis, species-eliminating heat.

They can only remain decent entities if they take action to rapidly reduce their impact and replace their interest in fossil fuels with renewable energies; sun, wind, wave, hot-rock.

Email, 13 Jun 2013

Vanlyn Davy, Pearl Beach