The research is consistent. We’re cooking our planet.
The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, (IPCC) just released it’s 6th assessment report about the interdependence of climate, ecosystems and biodiversity and humans. It includes deep looks into the natural, ecological, social and economic sciences in the report’s full 3675 pages. It includes assessments of biodiversity loss, overall unsustainable consumption of natural resources, land and ecosystem degradation, rapid urbanisation, human demographic shifts, social and economic inequalities and the pandemic. The assessments were conducted and reviewed by experts in a wide array of disciplines.
The report is huge and breaks down the information in 25 chapters so you can focus on one aspect of climate change at a time even though there are many intersections between them.
Chapter 14 (157 pages) focuses on North America and includes a review of how we’re being impacted now and future risks as well as some of the barriers to intervening with climate change.
Transparency vs Misinformation
The United Nations report is super transparent about how it assesses information and notes there are forces conducting misinformation campaigns regarding climate change (deniers). In the North America Executive Summary, the report notes “Accelerating climate change hazards pose significant risks to the wellbeing of North American populations and the natural, managed and human systems on which they depend (high confidence). Addressing these risks have been made more urgent by delays due to misinformation about climate science that has sowed uncertainty, and impeded recognition of risk (high confidence).”
The IPCC report uses the following matrix to present and evaluate evidence. It is transparent and relies upon peer review. The IPCC does not conduct its own research. IPCC reports are neutral, policy-relevant but not policy-prescriptive. The assessment reports are a key input into the international negotiations to tackle climate change.
Despite the misinformation campaigns, the good news is that many people in North America do understand there are changes happening to our environment. The past several years of increasingly frequent severe weather events, (heat dome, hurricanes, tornados, floods, polar vortex, wildfires, etc…) are getting people’s attention as we realize the impacts of climate change touches every part of the globe.
So the good news is there’s a diverse set of disciplines independently studying the wide ranging impacts of the climate crisis so we can prepare for the future. The bad news is that the misinformation efforts are slowing down the public’s acceptance and motivation levels to make the necessary changes to intervene with the climate crisis.
Our Puget Sound Solar and EV Support divisions have been providing solar, solar+storage and electric vehicle charging station installation services for over two decades. The owners/founders of our company, Pam Burton and Jeremy Smithson recognized the need to take action against the climate crisis and that vision is part of our mission statement “To create and enable the energy revolution with an inspired and innovative team dedicated to ending fossil fuel emissions through excellence of design, installation, and customer service.”
When you’re ready to take a step in the fight against the climate crisis, please give us a call at 206-913-1931 or fill out our contact form at the bottom of this page and tell us a little about the goals of your project.
