Progress Report on Climate Change: It’s still bad, but there’s chance to save the planet

Sierra Club: the solutions must be as big and bold as the problem itself 


HONOLULU, HAWAI‘I (August 10, 2021) – One of the first and major conclusions in latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment report is that human influence on the atmosphere, ocean, and land – all of which are rapidly changing – is unequivocal and certain. In the last 2000 years, human activity  -- meaning carbon emissions from fossil fuel use -- has warmed the climate at an unprecedented rate. In almost all emissions scenarios, global warming is expected to hit 1.5C “in the early 2030s,” and stopping the climate system from warming requires reaching net-zero carbon emissions and significantly reducing other greenhouse gas emissions – also termed “climate drivers.”

The information feeding the report includes observations collected from land and ocean, measurements from satellites, and data drawn from climate proxies, which indicate longer-term changes in the climate. Many changes in the ocean, ice sheets, and global sea level are irreversible for centuries to millennia. Climate change is affecting every inhabited region across the globe. 

“Climate science is telling us that we cannot forgo another day of inaction with denial. Policymakers must take immediate action to solve this urgent crisis while we still have a chance,” said Marti Townsend, Director for the Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi. 

For the first time in the IPCC’s 30-year history, the “unequivocal” impact of “human influence” and “human activities” on the climate system is asserted as a fact. But our focus has to move beyond merely addressing individual consumer choices. We need solutions on a significant enough scale to match the scope of the problem our planet faces. So while it is good that people are reducing plastic use and turning off their cars while waiting, it is also not fair to burden each of us as individuals with solving for climate change when it was the deception of major fossil fuel companies that created the climate crisis. 

The IPCC report is a code red for humanity, but we must not forget that the anger and anxiety we feel is long-endured by communities that have been and continue to be designated as sacrifice zones under imperialist and capitalist exploitation. Lori Buchanan, a community leader from Molokai speaks powerfully to this: “It's hard for me to respond to the IPCC's report on climate change without feeling angry that we are suffering the impacts of corporate greed, industrialism, and longstanding oppression of our community and our environment. Molokai families sustain themselves through practices that rely on natural resources. As indigenous communities, when we experience the decline of ʻāina, we also experience the loss of culture. Communities have a right to lead and a kuleana to protect future generations.”

The extractive business model can no longer be the foundation of our economy. We need a fundamental shift in our economy away from extraction and towards regeneration. Cultural anthropologist and practitioner, Tēvita O. Kaʻili, Cultural from Kahuku expands this with “we need to change the colonial-capitalist system that influenced human actions causing the climate crisis. This includes transforming the creation and implementation of solutions that center meaningful involvement of Indigenous and vulnerable communities, in terms of equity, justice, and respect at every level of decision-making."

Every industry needs to cut carbon from its operations, especially tourism which is particularly vulnerable and unprepared for disaster while at the same time consuming huge amounts of electricity without producing any. 

The global oil and gas industry is a multi-trillion-dollar industry, and they made hundreds of billions more over the last 50 years lying to us about the connection between climate change and fossil fuel burning. Their decades of deception made the problem much harder to solve. That is why Honolulu and Maui counties have joined dozens of other states, counties, and others  in suing fossil fuel companies for climate damages. “The fossil fuel industry owes us big for their massive contribution to climate change,” added Townsend. “Their ill-gotten profits is how to pay for relocating homes and infrastructure, preparing for superstorms, and converting our whole electrical and transportation systems to clean, renewable energy.  

Individualizing the solutions to the climate crisis hurts those who already bear the brunt of it while allowing those who disproportionately contribute to the crisis to absolve themselves.  In terms of climate change, when we solve for the poorest and most vulnerable in our communities, we ensure that all of us benefit from a just and equitable transition, and not just some of us. Equity, justice, and respect for communities must be at the center of every decision we make on climate. 

To this end, the Sierra Club offers these policy recommendations: 

Collect climate change damages from fossil fuel companies.  For at least 50 years, the oil and gas industry had an accurate assessment of the causes and consequences of climate change. Instead of taking steps to minimize the harm caused from the use of their products -- as our consumer protection standards require -- the fossil fuel industry deceived the public and policymakers about the connection between their product and climate change, and in the process made immense profits.  Now the problem of climate change is much more expensive and difficult to remedy.  Counties, like Honolulu and Maui, as well as some states, and even a trade industry group have sued fossil fuel industry leaders to make them pay for these increased expenses. 
Adopt incentives for clean energy and storage adoption. The Hawaiʻi Public Utilities Commission has already mandated Hawaiian Electric Company to establish the “Battery Bonus,” which provides financial incentives to property owners that install solar panels and batteries that can be used to provide energy to the grid during times of high energy demand. More incentives like these are necessary to ensure electricity is not wasted and low-impact solutions like rooftop solar are fully implemented.
Adopt policies that incentivize clean, renewable energy production. Low-carbon fuel standards, carbon prices, and other similar financial incentives can help industries to invest in solutions, instead of perpetuating destructive business practices.  All of these policies must be implemented in ways that also address long-standing inequities in our society. 

Secure community consent to new clean energy projects with robust, community-based energy planning.  How much energy does each district in Hawaiʻi need to function?  How much energy is each district willing to produce, by what method, and in which locations?  Answering these questions will help permitting agencies know which projects satisfy the needs of each community while respecting the boundaries they collectively set for their area. The days of forcing projects on communities are over. 


“What you can do right now is make climate protection a part of every decision you make, from what you eat to who you vote for,” said Townsend.  “In next year’s election, the majority of all seats in the State of Hawaiʻi will be on the ballot.  This is a huge opportunity to make a significant difference in local climate policy.” 

The IPCC report did highlight that programs to achieve net-zero carbon emissions that are boldly and immediately implemented can prevent the worst of climate change impacts from taking root.  Hawaiʻi has a commitment to achieve a net-zero emission economy by 2045.  This means Hawaiʻi is aiming to pull more carbon from the atmosphere than it emits every years.  This can be accomplished through a variety of traditional and innovative programs including widespread native forest restoration, regenerative agriculture, and constructing new carbon capture technologies.


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