New technologies will be needed to prevent catastrophic climate change, US Climate Commissioner John Kerry admitted.
Half of all CO2 emissions reductions must come from systems that have yet to be invented, said Kerry, likening the battle to reduce emissions to global efforts to develop Covid-19 vaccines.
« Fifty percent of the reductions we need to make to zero by 2050 or 2045 will come from technology that we don’t have yet, « said Kerry.
» That’s part of the challenge. But look at what we’ve done to advance vaccine development, look at what we’ve done have to get to the moon, look at what we did to invent the internet. «
Kerry spoke to Andrew Marr of the BBC yesterday, adding, » We know how to invent and innovated and we will make every effort efforts are made to achieve this transition as soon as possible. «
Kerry cited » green « hydrogen, which is hydrogen made from water using a chemical process from renewable energy sources, as a possible replacement for fossil fuels.
He also suggested nuclear power, pointing out that philanthropist Bill Gates started a company called TerraPower to develop small nuclear reactors.
« There are many options, » he said. « Bill Gates is aiming for a small, modular, next-generation nuclear capacity. We will find the way to zero emissions as soon as possible. »
Other technology-oriented initiatives to prevent climate change include Climeworks, a Swiss startup that Machines developed to capture carbon from the air.
XPrize, a nonprofit that funds technology competitions, has launched a $ 100 million call for innovative ways to remove carbon from the atmosphere.
Others ideas pursued are geoengineering solutions such as cloud thinning and albedo modification, in which parts of the earth’s surface are covered with reflective material.
Kerry denied that achieving net zero emissions would affect the lifestyles of Americans who « don’t necessarily » would need to reduce the amount of meat they eat.
The meat and dairy production causes guesses Approximately 14.5 percent of global emissions. However, Kerry said new technology could reduce that impact.
« There’s a lot of research going on right now to change the way meat is made, » Kerry said. « Research is being carried out that will actually reduce the amount of methane [emitted by cattle and sheep]. »
According to Marr, every US citizen causes 17.63 tons of CO2 annually, which is three times as much is like China and ten times as high as India.
When asked if Americans need to cut their consumption, Kerry replied: « It depends where the energy source is. We produce too much carbon, nothing Question. «
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In January, US President Joe Biden named Kerry, a former senator and presidential candidate, as the country’s first special envoy on the climate.
The move was part of Biden’s drive to put the US at the forefront of global efforts Bringing the fight to climate change after no action was taken during former President Donald Trump’s tenure. « The United States is the second largest producer of greenhouse gas emissions in the world, » Kerry told Marr. « And we are determined to reverse that. »
He added, « I am convinced that we will not only get there, but that we will get there sooner than people think. »
The global effort to combat climate change will be discussed at Cop26, the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2021, which will take place in Glasgow from November 1st to 12th.
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