Session 2 Climate Change
Katsuya Yamaguchi Summary
The Paris Agreement, which was adopted in 2015, was successful, because humans could understand each other in the field of science, emotions, culture and religion. However, in the field of economy, reduction of GHG emission needs various adjustments, and they were not attained yet. NDCs currently submitted by each country are not enough to achieve the Paris Agreement’s target and further increase of NDCs are also said to be difficult. Methods of maintaining fossil resource producing country’s economy after reduction of fossil resource consumption, or methods of producing enough funds for developing countries to mitigate or adapt to global warming, have not been established. On the other hand, carbon zero target has not been penetrated to the behavior of companies and individuals in each country. In this session, I propose methods to solve these problems from the viewpoint of earth system engineering and environmental economics.
First method is improving existing methods of energy saving and efficiency improvement. Second is constructing a global transmission network for sharing renewable energy in the world. The third is Bering Strait Dam to stop global warming from the Arctic. The fourth is an organic carbonization system to stably store organic waste, especially plastic waste, in the environment. The fifth is Global Fossil Resources Monopoly Corporation that creates funds to mitigate and adapt to global warming and enables uniform global carbon pricing.
(1) I will omit the explanation for the first methods.
(2) As for the second point, in the materials of Blooming NEF, REN21 and other organization, most of the experts think, it is possible to move to a complete renewable energy society. Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization (GEIDCO) is working to establish a global energy interconnection for every national transmission network.
(3) The warm seawater, flowing from the Pacific Ocean to the Arctic Ocean through the Bering Strait, is melting the sea ice covering the Arctic Ocean, and recently, ice area has reduced to the half of the 1980’s one, in the summer. The Arctic Ocean, which has turned from white to black, absorbs sunlight, warms up rapidly, and has a major impact on the climate. The Bering Strait is a relatively shallow and narrow place where human beings can make a dam. We must start dam construction as soon as possible and control warm water from the south. Many countries are starting investigation of the Bering Strait.
(4) A large amount of plastic waste has currently lost place for storage, spilling into the ocean, causing environmental pollution. It is quite difficult to replace present plastic with naturally decomposable material in near future, and it is also difficult to recycle plastic waste of complicated composition mixed with other organic matter. Furthermore, incinerating this will further accelerate global warming. Meanwhile, there is an organic waste carbonization system that solves this problem. At present, the introduction of this equipment is delayed because waste can be incinerated at low cost. However, by introducing carbon price, the carbonization of plastic becomes feasible and it contribute to onshore treatment of plastic.
(5) In order to create the funds required for combating global warming, including the costs for (3) and (4), and in order to carry out carbon pricing worldwide to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, a global monopoly corporation for fossil resources needs to be established. The existence of the company and carbon pricing will help countries to reduce GHG emissions smoothly and to prevent the collapse of the economy of fossil resource holding countries. It is a decision to save the world’s collapse and create peace and happiness. From the standpoint of religion, too, by all means, I would like to ask you to list these methods on the G20 agenda.