A Positive Spin on A Global Concern: How Scientists and Activists are Fighting the Climate Crisis
Written by LIM College Exchange Student
Many people view climate change as the end of life as we know it. But it’s possible that these people are simply in need of reassurance–and a little optimism.
Experts like Patty Buchanan, a retired lawyer-turned-climate activist, see the potential for a better future. “If you think of all the things we can do with 21st century technology, it makes our lives better.”
Buchanan works with the Climate Reality Project, Croton100, and Communities United to Reduce Emissions (CURE100). These are non-profit organizations working towards a more sustainable way of life. Climate change has been a growing issue since the economic boom and birth of mass consumerism in the 1950s; however, in 2022 this global phenomenon is reaching new heights.
Buchanan talks about the consequences of our actions, describing the extreme weather, flooding and natural disasters that we’re experiencing globally as “impact multipliers.” Our seemingly small behaviours, like buying a $10 dress from Shein, cause a domino effect that ends with a month-long drought somewhere in the Middle East.
But, as much as things seem to be on track for disaster, people are rapidly working to change our course.
Renewable energies are reaching an all-time high, with electric vehicles on track to secure a 90% market share by 2030 according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Renewable alternatives — like solar and wind energy, are not only better for the environment, but also for our health. Burning fossil fuels releases carbon monoxide into the atmosphere, so switching to renewable energy would result in cleaner air.
If we harnessed all of the planet’s wind potential, we would have enough energy to power the world 100 times over—eradicating fossil fuels entirely. The reason why we haven’t made use of this option yet, according to Buchanan, is largely due to permitting issues and the displacement of old technologies.
“Oil companies have tremendous expertise, but they haven’t used it toward renewable energy,” Buchanan says, “now that they see that’s our future, they will begin to bring more of their expertise and buy into those technologies.”
Tara Maurice is the Circularity Research & Development Lead at Coach and a Professor at LIM College, who claims that Coach is taking an alternative approach by focusing on recycling and breathing new life into existing pieces.
“We are building and growing (Re)Loved, our circular platform, to expand the number of second and third life sales,” Maurice explains. (Re)Loved consists of vintage and worn Coach bags that have been restored, remade or re-imagined, as a way to minimize waste and reduce the brand’s carbon emissions.
“These solutions are impact multipliers too,” Buchanan notes. “All of the solutions we look at are about ways of transforming our lives, and in many ways bringing us back to the more natural life-cycle.”
Climate laws are a foundation for many of these solutions, but Buchanan says they require support from the markets. “For example, come 2035 you can no longer sell combustion engine vehicles in [New York]. That’s an important law. But at the same time isn’t going to work without the automobile makers implementing it.” Maurice agrees, explaining that “legislation helps, but that’s just one part of the process.” She also emphasizes the importance of mindset: “we have to think radically differently about how we live on planet Earth and how we manage our relationship with nature.”
Buchanan references the November ballot involving the Environmental Bond Act. “It’s up for a public vote, approving $4.2 billion to go to these solutions and helping to mitigate the effects of climate change.”
Not only is the $4.2 billion for New York State alone, but money is coming in on a federal level. With the increase of flooding in the US, more funding is going to states with waterways and coastal areas — New York has many. New climate laws are also coming into place in California; Governor Newsom recently passed “some of the nation’s toughest climate laws in history,” that are expected to create 4 million jobs and cut state oil use by 91%.
“Having California as a leader is very helpful,” Buchanan adds. “New York and California are the leaders; because we have such a big part of the market share,” she explains, “the industries watch what we’re doing, get in line and roll [these laws] out as their national standard.”
Buchanan references the significant progress being made in New York State, explaining that “in 2019 we passed the Climate Leadership Community Protection Act (CLCPA), which is on par with — and in some ways surpasses, California’s laws.” The CLCPA, signed by Governor Cuomo, set goals for the state to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. “It’s across everything,” she says, “our industries, power generation, vehicles, agriculture — everything.”
“And offsets are not the answer, many will be advocating very strongly for no emissions,” Buchanan states, “that’s what it means. It doesn’t mean emit and try to buy a forest elsewhere.”
“If companies think their offsetting is working,” Maurice says, “then where is the incentive to actually reduce real emissions?” She believes the concept works better on paper than in practice.
Offsetting is when businesses or governments pay into an external program. For instance, reforestation is a way to ‘offset’ the greenhouse gases they emit and allow them to claim they’re “net-zero” or “carbon free”.
“Somebody might put in the money to build out this big forest,” Buchanan explains, “but if it gets trashed by a wildfire, not only is it no longer absorbing carbon–it’s emitting carbon.”
Maurice explains that Coach has opted for insetting, an alternative to offsetting, where the CO2 emissions are offset directly within the company instead of externally. Coach are partnering with GoodShipping, a shipping company who use biofuel for all modes of transport, to reduce their fossil fuel emissions.
Along with transportation, Maurice and Buchanan are confident in all the technology we have to support us in reducing our carbon footprint.
“If I were to ask you, do you want your smartphone or do you want a telegraph from the early 20th century, why would you want technology from the early 20th century?”
Maurice brings it back to mindset; she believes that “if we all act with urgency and clarity, then we have the power to change the future.”
Although climate change is an overwhelming and complex topic, climate experts like Patty Buchanan and Tara Maurice remind us that it’s not as life-or-death as we make it seem. The technology is there, the progress is being made. If our hard work continues, we can achieve a sustainable way of living for generations to come.