Everyone talks about the problems of global climate change, ocean acidification, atmospheric degradation, but few offer solutions. Yes, you can recycle more, ride a bike occasionally, get a chicken for your backyard, grow more beets and get your Prius ready for the next car pool, but in reality, it’s a pointless exercise.
There is one solution, one fix that can happen immediately and it will have immediate and measurable change – tomorrow. And that’s the elimination of every coal power plant on the planet. Shut them all down tomorrow and almost half of all our carbon pollution ends and our oceans might have a chance.
Coal represents one-third of fossil fuels’ share of world total primary energy supply but is responsible for 43% of carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel use around the world. That 1/3 can be taken up by solar, wind, and wave quickly and efficiently. We are already watching it happen, and conversely, we are now watching the energy companies get nervous and they are already plotting ways to stop the movement.
We all know that the likelihood of rich powerful energy barons walking away from their investments isn’t going to happen tomorrow. In fact, it will be the battle of the 21st century, with every legal, political and activist tactic employed. But it must happen.
It’s time for every climate scientist, physicist, chemist, engineer, geologist, astronomer and mathematician to stand with a singular solution… end the age of coal.
It’s time for every person who reads this blog, to stand up against bought off politicians, wealthy energy companies and corrupt industrialists, to refuse to fund another coal plant, to demand a clean energy solution, and to have their coal plant shut down.
We have a say, it’s our world, and the few people that are employed by the coal industry will find new careers, they can be helped toward a new future. It will not be the first industry that has come to an end (computer punch card feeders come to mind), and we will not turn our backs on those families, but for the sake of all families now and into the future, we have to say enough is enough.
The age of coal must come to an end.
Ocean Justice 