Comment Log Display

The latest science makes it urgent that California go faster than
just aiming to reducing emissions to 80% below 1990 levels by 2050,
as specified in Executive Order S-3-05. The best available
scientific data now indicates that the threats posed by even small
increases in temperature are far greater than previously thought.  
Stabilization of greenhouse gas emissions at 450 ppm and targets of
less than 2ºC increase are insufficient to minimize the risk of
catastrophic outcomes. These analyses show the best available
science strongly supports immediately stopping all GHG emissions in
order to prevent dangerous climate change and protect the health
and safety of all Californians. 

Executive Order S-3-05 lists several of the consequences of climate
change where it states, “…increased temperatures also threaten to
further exacerbate California's air quality problems and adversely
impact human health by increasing heat stress and related deaths,
the incidence of infectious disease, and the risk of asthma,
respiratory and other health problems.”

As Naomi Klein reports
(http://www.newstatesman.com/2013/10/science-says-revolt),
“Anderson and Bows inform us that the often-cited long-term
mitigation target – an 80 per cent emissions cut below 1990 levels
by 2050 – has been selected purely for reasons of political
expediency and has “no scientific basis”. That’s because climate
impacts come not just from what we emit today and tomorrow, but
from the cumulative emissions that build up in the atmosphere over
time. And they warn that by focusing on targets three and a half
decades into the future – rather than on what we can do to cut
carbon sharply and immediately – there is a serious risk that we
will allow our emissions to continue to soar for years to come,
thereby blowing through far too much of our 2° “carbon budget” and
putting ourselves in an impossible position later in the century.”

For more information see: Jordan A, et al. 2013. Going beyond two
degrees? The risks and opportunities of alternative options,
Climate Policy, 13:6, 751-769, DOI: 10.1080/14693062.2013.835705,
plus slide show at
http://www.slideshare.net/DFID/professor-kevin-anderson-climate-change-going-beyond-dangerous
Also: Anderson, K., Bows, A., (2011) Beyond ‘dangerous’ climate
change: emission scenarios for a new world. Philosophical
Transactions of the Royal Society A: 369, 20-44,
doi:10.1098/rsta.2010.0290, and references therein.)