“Leadership crucial in the coming years” – David Suzuki

The weekly Science Matters column by David Suzuki with Faisal Moola:

November 27, 2008 – It’s an understatement to say that we are living in interesting times. The world seems to be undergoing a profound shift. On one hand, the looming environmental and economic crises are scaring many of us; on the other, events such as the election of the first African-American president in the U.S. are giving people hope.

We shouldn’t let unrealistic expectations set us up for disappointment, but at least Barack Obama seems to have recognized that new ideas are needed to resolve the problems facing the world, and to seize the opportunities the crises present.

In a speech to the Governors’ Climate Change Summit in Los Angeles on November 18, the president-elect referred to climate change as the most serious threat facing America and the world, and said, “My presidency will mark a new chapter in America’s leadership on climate change that will strengthen our security and create millions of new jobs in the process.”

Although Obama’s proposed targets don’t go far enough to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, they are at least acknowledgement of the seriousness of the problem and represent a reversal of the Bush administration’s attitude. His promise to implement a cap and trade system is a good step. Economists and scientists agree that putting a price on carbon emissions, through cap and trade and carbon taxes, is essential to combating catastrophic global warming.

It’s a shame that the top two contenders for leadership of the Liberal party in Canada have stepped away from the idea of a carbon tax, blaming it for the party’s dismal showing in the October federal election. Our governing party hasn’t demonstrated great leadership either. Along with the U.S., Canada has been a laggard among industrialized nations on climate policy and action, and now it looks like we could soon be the worst of the dinosaurs.

But Obama won’t be sworn in until January 20, and a lot is happening now. CEOs of the big three U.S. automakers – Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors – recently flew to Washington in private jets to ask for a US$25 billion bail-out from taxpayers. They’ve been told to come up with better plans, but those plans will be considered in early December, before Obama takes the reins. Keep in mind that current U.S. President George Bush overruled California’s attempt to require stricter emissions standards for automobiles.

Should we have sympathy for free-market capitalists like GM vice-chair Bob Lutz, who claimed climate change is a “crock of” … and that hybrid cars such as those made by Toyota “make no economic sense”, while his company continued to produce gas-guzzlers? Meanwhile, Japanese automakers are doing okay with more fuel-efficient vehicles such as hybrids.

If the U.S. automakers were to show greater commitment to innovation in fuel efficiency and alternative-fuel technology, they might deserve some help – although you have to wonder why it should take a crisis to wake them up. This is an example of how misguided some of our current economic thinking has been.

Economics is considered a science, but the economic theories we’ve been relying on have some serious flaws – including the belief that limitless growth is possible in a limited biosphere. As with any science, we can revise our theories based on proofs of failure and success. Fortunately, many people are proving that taking care of the environment is also the best way to take care of the economy and that we can’t have an economic system that ignores the value of the necessary services provided by nature.

Japanese automakers have shown that keeping up with science and changing conditions puts you in a better position to adapt and survive. Blindly continuing with business as usual as the world changes means you’ll likely be left behind.

On a larger scale, ignoring the seriousness of climate change and continuing to rely on fossil or nuclear fuels for energy can only lead to environmental and economic disaster.

President-elect Obama knows that measures such as putting a price on carbon emissions and investing in renewable energy are essential for his nation’s energy security, economic progress, and environmental stability. Other countries, such as Germany and Denmark, saw this many years ago.

The U.S. and the world have a lot of catching up to do to forestall the catastrophic consequences of our outmoded economic thinking. Let’s hope the new U.S. president is up to the challenge and that he helps set an example for all world leaders to follow.

Take David Suzuki’s Nature Challenge and learn more at www.davidsuzuki.org.