Greenland’s melting ice sheet
Scientists talk about the “feedback loops” that occur as climate change accelerates. Rising levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases cause warming temperatures that lead to melting glaciers; melting glaciers reduce the Earth’s ability to absorb CO2; the additional CO2 accelerates the warming trend, melting layers of permafrost, beneath which more CO2 is stored and then released. One climate-changing event leads to another, which leads to another, and so on, reinforcing the changes and accelerating their deadly consequences.
However, clean energy also has the potential to create feedback loops—only these could reverse climate change and promote development in poor parts of the world. Energy use creates opportunities for economic growth that lead to poverty reduction, decreasing hunger, and improvements in health and education. Earlier in this chapter we saw this happening in the Ethiopian village of Rema, an inspiring but rare example.
The economies that grew at a tremendous rate in the 20th century did so using energy produced from fossil fuels. Today, no country’s future is secure unless all countries reduce dependence on fossil fuels and increase use of clean energy. The rich countries can make the transition because they have the resources to do so. Poor countries can’t develop and simultaneously make the transition to clean energy without special efforts on the part of rich countries to help them. Such efforts are worthwhile for everyone’s sake. This is the challenge and the promise of Copenhagen.
On his first visit to sub-Saharan Africa after taking office, President Obama said, “I see Africa as a fundamental part of our interconnected world, as partners on behalf of the future that we want for all of our children.” Climate change and the global recession are reminding us how interconnected all countries have become.
Issues
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