Climate Crisis? with Bonner Cohen, PhD

I'm so glad we got through World War I and we're still surviving and kicking, but now I'm alarmed about a particular threat that might be coming our way.

We might be having World War II coming our way, according to Congressman Ocasio-Cortez.

Here's what she said in 2019.

The world is going to end in 12 years if we don't address climate change.

And your biggest issue is how are we going to pay for it? And this is the war.

This is our World War II.

So now we've been warned, and, you know, it's rather alarming that we'll end up going into a Second World War.

I don't know what 1938 through 45 was about, but anyway, let's go on.

The WHO states that climate change is no longer a distant threat.

It's a present-day reality with profound implications for human health.

2023 was seen as a critical point of no return for climate change because it was a deadline to cut global greenhouse gas emissions by 43 to 45 percent.

So we keep global warning within 1.5 degrees centigrade to pre-industrial levels as set by the parents' climate agreement.

Failure to miss this target could lead to a really hothouse Earth situation.

Now, I'm a great believer in protecting the planet.

I've not turned down my heat since the 73 oil embargo, unless roommates or guests insisted.

For years, I lived in Washington, D.C., where the snow and ice always froze my pipes.

I did not use my air conditioning in the tropics, even though the embassy was paying my utilities.

I recycled everything.

And a supreme insult was when goodwill would not even accept my treasures.

So in 1980s, I worked for USAID.

I'm sure you've heard of them folks on renewable energy projects in Thailand and Bangladesh.

Yes, I was fighting the embassy on corruption issues and prevailed as they were forced to shut my project down.

My allegiance was to the US taxpayer, not to my promotions.