Better but faster

I enjoy Fareed Zacharia both in his writing and online hosting - and frequently listen to “Here’s My Take” in his Global Public Square broadcast. Here are some of the highlights of that today re COP26. There is some good news amid all the doom and gloom that too many journalistic reports convey.

• 100 nations have agreed to reduce methane fuels.by 30% by the year 2030. These emissions have been avoided up to now and they are major polluters.

• By that same year, the same 100 will end deforestation and will provide funds to back that up

• 130 trillion will back up investments to reach net zero emissions of 1.5C by 2050.

• The costs of solar and wind power are going down - 89% for solar and 70% for wind. Lithium- iron battery prices are down by 97%.

  But we have to do more and speed up our emission reductions. Every aspect of the way we live is affected - the cars we drive, the food we eat, One cow emits 250 pounds of methane a year. We can’t be too scared to act - but we better not be in denial either. Zacharia quotes author John Doerr who makes these points for us as individuals to urge our individual governments to work on:

• Decarbonize the electric grid.

• Protect nature.

• Work with other governments across the world to come up with policies that work - a good example is working together to produce and initiate the use of solar panels.

• Follow good examples - like the State of California and Hawaii. Both set goals that were transparent and were open about results.

  Most of us want a better world. We need to pay attention and participate as citizens who care and work with our politicians to take action.