Creation Care Green Tips - January 2022
1. According to scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), carbon dioxide increased by about 80 parts per million during the 6,000 years it took the Earth to climb out of the last ice age, while it has taken only 42 years, from 1979 to 2021, to increase CO2 by the same amount. CO2 levels are already 50% higher and the world 2 degrees F warmer than when the industrial age began. 234 scientists, in a 3,000-plus-page report published recently for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), warn of a Code Red for Humanity in which rising temperatures make extreme weather (storms, wildfires, floods, droughts) worse and more frequent, and cause oceans to rise and get more acidic from lower oxygen levels. As world leaders gather in Glasgow, Scotland in November, their goal will be to achieve "net zero" human-caused CO2 emissions by mid-century in an effort to prevent an additional 1.5C (2.7F) rise in warming.
2. According to the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), Excel Energy Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota, and others, the state of Minnesota's largest source of carbon pollution has come from transportation. In addition, the state has failed to meet the 2015 goal (15% reduction of emissions from 2005 levels) as well as lagging behind in the 2025 goal of 30% emissions reduction. MnDOT's Sustainable Transportation Advisory Council (STAC) recommends: 1) Develop a clean fuels policy; 2) Support electric vehicle (EV) rebates; 3) Increase investment in charging infrastructure; 4) Set a preliminary goal of a 20% reduction in Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) statewide by 2050; 5) Prioritize transit and high-occupancy vehicles on MnDOT roads; 5) Continue to prioritize other solutions before considering highway expansion.
3. Even with plans to curb greenhouse emissions submitted by the 191 countries who signed on to the U.N. climate accord, there is likely to be a 16% increase in greenhouse gases in 2030 (compared to 2010), raising concerns that calls by science to pivot from oil, gas and coal are not on track to prevent the most severe climate consequences and suffering. China and the U.S. are the world's top two climate polluters, with the U.S. promising to cut U.S. emissions 50% below 2005 levels by 2030. While CO2 makes up most of the greenhouse gases in the U.S., methane is far more potent, though lingering in the atmosphere for only a decade (compared to centuries for CO2). New regulations being put in place by the EPA to cut methane pollution is "the single-fastest, most effective strategy we have to slow the rate of warming" more immediately, according to the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF).
4. The Amazon rainforest in Brazil, long called the "lungs of the world," is now emitting more carbon than it can absorb, according to a study published in the journal Nature. Between August 2019 and July 2020, the Amazon lost the equivalent of two Delawares' worth of forest, due to crippling wildfires and continued land clearing for cattle ranching and crops. Fire, deforestation, warmer temperatures and drier conditions have made the world's largest rainforest unable to continue its role in keeping the global environment stable. Scientists at NASA note that the world has warmed 1.8 degrees F since the late 19th century, and warn that irreversibly damaged Amazon and boreal forests could make the ravages of climate change nearly impossible to control.
5. Denmark receives 62% of its electricity from wind and solar, followed by Ireland and then Germany, with Spain at 28%, well above the European average of 20%. The European Commission, stating that "our current fossil fuel economy has reached its limit," is proposing the most aggressive and detailed plan in the world to reach a carbon-neutral economy by 2050 by reducing its carbon emissions 55% by 2030 compared with 1990 levels. Looking toward the international climate talks hosted by Britain in Glasgow, Scotland in November, the E.U.'s policy package for stabilizing the climate will revolve around increasing prices for carbon, affecting things like cement, a carbon border tax on countries with less stringent climate policies, the phase-out of gasoline and diesel cars sold in the E.U. by 2035, requiring that 38.5% of all energy be from renewables by 2030, increasing prices on emitted carbon, and financially assisting those most affected by potential price increases. The U.S. is watching closely as Europe attempts to decarbonize its economy while promoting solidarity and fairness.

Laura Raedeke
EcoFaith Network NE MN Team
Lutheran Church of the Cross, Nisswa, MN
Northeastern Minnesota Synod