Notices by CelloMom On Cars (cellomomoncars@mastodon.social), page 7

Global warming: a warming of 2 degrees Celsius (3 Fahrenheit) doesn't sound like much.

But for your human body it doesn't take that much of a temperature rise either, for fever to become dangerous.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/dWWIbsUe9fg

"A tenured professor turned federal scientist, she had entered public service to strengthen U.S. food security and prepare the country for climate change. But climate reports disappeared from agency websites, grant applications were frozen, and research was subjected to political review.

This summer, O’Rourke resigned. Weeks later, she filed to run for Congress in New Jersey’s 7th District, a swing seat Democrats see as one of the most competitive in the country."

https://www.forbes.com/sites/johndrake/2025/09/22/meet-megan-orourke-the-former-federal-climate-scientist-running-for-congress/

The path to #NetZero requires $215-275 trillion by 2050, peaking in the near term at 8.8% of global GDP.

This is an INVESTMENT not a cost.

"Also, about two-thirds of the coming trillions in spending can be redirected from the decline and fall of the fossil fuel system.

Wealthy societies have achieved projects of comparably massive ambition before. In this, there’s something resembling hope."

https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2024-net-zero-brutal-economics/

Ramp it up!

"For the first time, more than half of the global population (52.4 % has some form of social protection coverage.
However, in the 50 most climate-vulnerable countries, 75 % of the population (2.1 billion people) lack any social protection coverage. Globally, most children (76.1 %) still have no effective social protection coverage.
These gaps are especially significant, given the potential role of social protection in softening the impact of #climatechange

https://www.ilo.org/resource/news/social-protection-plays-key-role-countering-climate-change-impact-countries

"Globally, Bilal and Känzig arrived at a social cost of $1,056 per ton, whereas another recent estimate put global cost at just $185 per ton."

“The silver lining of our results,” Bilal offered, “is that #decarbonization easily passes the cost-benefit analysis for large economies like the U.S. and European Union.”

https://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/revising-the-cost-of-climate-change/

"The new analysis finds that every additional 1°C rise means a 12 percent hit to global GDP, with losses peaking just six years after the higher temp is recorded.

“In terms of the magnitude,” Bilal noted, “that’s six times larger than previous estimates.”

https://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/revising-the-cost-of-climate-change/

This needs to be repeated over and over:
Climate finance is an INVESTMENT not a cost.

Focusing on the cost is the framing of the fossil fuel industry and their bought politicians.

Ditch that framing.

https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2024-net-zero-brutal-economics/

Talking about the cost of climate action without talking about the return on that INVESTMENT is disingenuous.

"The [Stern] review found cutting emissions to limit global heating would cost around 1% of the world’s GDP a year. That’s a lot. But it’s dwarfed by the damage climate change will do if allowed to continue – an estimated 5–20% of global GDP."

https://theconversation.com/rapid-climate-action-will-come-at-a-cost-according-to-the-business-council-but-experts-say-the-benefits-are-far-larger-264694

"New economic modelling shows #climate damage will deliver a 14 per cent annual hit to #Australia’s Gross Domestic Product (#GDP) if current global climate policies continue, wiping out $6.8 trillion from our economy between now and 2050 and cutting thousands of dollars a year out of the pockets of Australians."

“Australians have much to lose from climate damages but we also have much to gain from using our world leading clean energy resources."

https://igcc.org.au/6-8-trillion-gdp-hit-if-renewable-energy-transition-is-delayed/
#NGFS

"An Asian Development Bank report warns of severe #ClimateChange impacts in Asia Pacific, resulting in a 17% GDP loss by 2070. For India, this could mean a staggering GDP loss of 24.7% by 2070.

The report emphasises the urgent need for both adaptation and adaptation finance and suggests pathways to achieve those."

https://india.mongabay.com/2024/11/adaptation-is-key-as-india-stares-at-gdp-loss-due-to-climate-change/

"New Asian Development Bank (ADB) research finds the impacts of #ClimateChange could reduce gross domestic product (GDP) in developing Asia and the Pacific by 17 per cent by 2070 under a high-end greenhouse gas #emissions scenario, rising to 41 per cent by 2100."

https://www.eco-business.com/press-releases/climate-change-could-reduce-gdp-in-developing-asia-and-the-pacific-by-17-by-2070/

Again: climate change CUTS Asian developing countries' GDP by
–17% by 2070
–41% by 2100

Climate change is EXPENSIVE.

Why climate action makes €€€ sense:

Europe’s summer of extreme weather caused €43bn of short-term losses, analysis finds

That's [ 0.26% of the EU’s economic output in 2024.

The greatest damage was done in Cyprus, Greece, Malta and Bulgaria – each of which suffered short-term losses above 1% of their 2024 “gross value added” (GVA), a measure similar to GDP. They were followed by other Mediterranean countries including Spain, Italy and Portugal."

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/15/europes-summer-of-extreme-weather-caused-43bn-of-short-term-losses-analysis-finds

The clean energy revolution is here, and it's fast.
Blink and you miss the progress.

"We’re living through the fastest energy transformation in human history. Every previous large-scale shift in energy – from muscle power to wood to coal to oil – has taken decades or even longer. But the “renewable revolution” is happening far faster."

https://theconversation.com/climate-action-can-feel-slow-but-the-fastest-energy-leap-in-history-has-begun-264483

"New highs for solar and wind power and battery storage are emerging on an almost weekly basis across the [US].

In June, almost one-quarter of US power generation was green, up from 18% in the year-earlier period, according to data compiled from the US Energy Information Administration.

In Texas these days, up to 11% of power demand now comes from big batteries that have been socking away electrons from renewable sources."

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-09-09/us-wind-and-solar-are-headed-for-a-record-year-despite-trump

[Edit to add chart]

"Coal-fired power and oil consumption increased by 6% and 8%, respectively."

– A lot of that increase was covid rebound.
– Some covered decreased hydropower due to drought.
– And 1% of the increase is from the clean energy manufacturing boom, including PV and batteries.

The latter "will result in a significant reduction in emissions in net terms, once the products are in use. About half of this reduction will be realised outside of China, as the products are exported."

https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-record-drop-in-chinas-co2-emissions-needed-to-meet-2025-target/

Deep dive from the horse's mouth, report author Lauri Myllyvirta

"China’s CO2 emissions have now increased by 12% between 2020 and 2023, after a highly energy- and carbon-intensive response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Government pressure to hit the targets [of] China’s updated international climate pledge under the Paris Agreement, makes it more likely that China’s CO2 emissions will peak before 2025 – far earlier than its target of peaking “before 2030”.

https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-record-drop-in-chinas-co2-emissions-needed-to-meet-2025-target/

"#China is at heightened risk of missing its #climate targets and suffering major economic losses unless it takes decisive actions to put a halt to runaway coal power plant expansion and reform outdated power grid management, new research has found."

[Edit to add} But the country's clean energy boom may just help it reach its 2030 goals, see in-depth piece linked in reply.

https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3252722/climate-change-china-risk-missing-its-goals-unless-it-takes-drastic-action-rein-coal-expansion-new

"Some time last year, or perhaps earlier this year, it appears #China’s emissions, in particular, reached a high point. If China has peaked, there is good reason to believe global #emissions peaked, too. It would mean that some time over the past few months, the stubborn nexus between economic growth and greenhouse gas pollution was snapped, and the 250-year surge in emissions ended."

https://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/it-s-good-news-scientists-suspect-history-about-to-be-made-in-china-20240709-p5jsbi.html

The good news:

"The clean energy boom can allow most targets to be met."

"The large amount of electricity storage being deployed – especially pumped hydro, but increasingly also grid-connected batteries – reduces the need for thermal power plants."

"China’s clean energy boom has been happening much faster than official targets for wind and solar installations would require, driven by enthusiasm from local governments, state-owned enterprises and investors."

https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-record-drop-in-chinas-co2-emissions-needed-to-meet-2025-target/

"The country’s carbon intensity reportedly fell 48% from 2005 to 2020" but that has slowed in recent years.
China needs to either ease up on energy consumption, or accelerate the building of renewable energy.

Meanwhile, "the government’s official policy has shifted to strongly encouraging new coal power. This is causing a rush to secure permits for new projects.

Since the beginning of 2022, a total of 218 gigawatts (GW) of new coal power plants have been permitted"

https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-record-drop-in-chinas-co2-emissions-needed-to-meet-2025-target/