Climate: cooperate or perish

During the 1992 US presidential campaign against Bill Clinton, George W Bush mocked former US vice-president Al Gore as the “ozone man” – for his warning about the damage to the environment caused by human behaviour.

Despite his early warnings not being heeded by the Bush administration, Gore’s views on the impact of climate change later gained much traction – leading to Clinton’s second-in-command being vindicated by being awarded the most prestigious accolade – a Nobel Peace Prize.

Another sceptic of climate change was former US president Ronald Reagan – who, despite revelations over a hole that had formed in the ozone layer of the Antarctica – was fixed on fighting whatever was left of Cold War communism.

So backward was the Reagan administration on climate change, that his secretary of energy and the interior Donald Hodel, reportedly found an international treaty not necessary, saying Americans should merely put on sunscreen and wear hats, to avoid damage.

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Decades later, the world is aware about global warming – especially caused by growing levels of gas emissions from highly-industrialised nations – thanks to Gore’s foresight. But the mindset of several world leaders has not changed, except for paying lip service to what the United Nations (UN) has warned would bring – not only a human catastrophe, but an unprecedented degradation of the environment.

In its projections, the World Health Organisation expects climate change over the next 20 years, to cause about 250 000 additional deaths per year – from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhoea and heat stress alone – leading to soaring health costs.

But, how far have we moved to ensure that those who continue to disregard global protocols on climate change are punished?

Addressing the COP27 summit this week in Egypt, UN secretary-general António Guterres, like Gore, did not mince his words when addressing world leaders: “Humanity has a choice: cooperate or perish. Today’s urgent crises cannot be an excuse for backsliding or greenwashing. It is either a climate solidarity pact or a collective suicide pact.”

As we continue to pollute the environment and chopping down the last trees left on planet earth, we should be mindful of the impact to the earth. While the grave effect of climate change is upon us, with South Africa requiring trillions in rands to kickstart a bold move towards a just energy transition, the process should not be an end in itself but a means to an end.

A sober voice on the debate of just transitioning from fossils to renewables, has become University of Johannesburg associate professor of economics, Peter Baur.

Baur has warned: “The cost of alternative energy is still high, with a change from the traditional fossil fuels to wind and solar, going to add huge costs to the system, which most developing countries cannot afford.

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“This implies that people living within developing countries are literally stuck between a rock and a hard place.”

Baur said the reality was that global climate was “expected to change more rapidly than previous years estimates”.

“According to the UN, climate change is now responsible for the intense droughts around the world, water scarcity, outbreak of severe fires, rapidly rising sea levels, increased rates of flooding and often associated with intense storms.

“If insufficient effort is made by developing countries, the problem of climate change will become an even greater challenge in the long run,” said Baur.

The transition debate requires sober heads, taking onboard, concerns from all sides.