When the global climate elites meet, no one expects the media to offer any skepticism to the doomsaying consensus. No, the only way journalists can dissent is to say the climate crackdown isn't moving fast enough. When can we get rid of fossil fuels?
On her eponymous MSNBC show, Katy Tur on Wednesday afternoon welcomed frequent guest and climate alarmist Michael Mann to call for the elimination of fossil fuel use as she devoted a segment to whether the recent COP 28 environmental summit had accomplished enough.Tur seemed skeptical about whether there was enough new regulation as she recalled:
Something potentially amazing happened in Dubai today at the COP 28 international climate summit. Delegates from nearly 200 nations agreed to a deal to transition away from fossil fuels. Now, I say "potentially" because it is only just that -- a deal with potential. While the wording was a breakthrough, it still stopped short of calling for a complete phaseout of fossil fuels. The agreement is also nonbinding, so what will it actually do functionally speaking?
After Tur began by asking her guest if the agreement is a "big deal," the University of Pennsylvania professor lamented:
I would say it's sort of mixed, you know. Promising to transition away from fossil fuels -- I liken it to being told by your doctor that you have diabetes. You've been diagnosed with diabetes and you'll promise to transition away from donuts. Transitioning away isn't enough. We need to phase out fossil fuels, and we need to do so rapidly. We need to bring down carbon emissions to 50 percent by 2030 and down to zero by the middle of the century. I don't think this agreement meets the moment. It doesn't really speak to the urgency of a dramatic and immediate need to transition quickly off of fossil fuels.
Tur then wondered if these non-binding meetings were pointless: "Do these summits do anything? Are they worthwhile?"
After praising the conference for agreeing to reduce methane, Professor Mann reiterated his push for less fossil fuel use:
...but the central problem is, of course, the carbon dioxide that we're producing from fossil fuel burning, and the agreement doesn't go far enough, especially because that window of opportunity is closing. If we are to keep warming below a catastrophic three degrees Fahrenheit, we've got to bring those carbon emissions, like I said, down by 50 percent this decade and down to zero shortly thereafter. So that window of opportunity is closing, and, as of yet, we are not on the path that we need to be onto avert catastrophic warming.
After asking her liberal guest about the use of technology to reduce fossil fuel use, she wrapped up the segment with a lame suggestion that people use a new "very white paint" that will soon be available.
Transcript follows:
MSNBC's Katy Tur Reports
December 13, 2023
3:56 p.m. Eastern
KATY TUR: Something potentially amazing happened in Dubai today at the COP 28 international climate summit. Delegates from nearly 200 nations agreed to a deal to transition away from fossil fuels. Now, I say "potentially" because it is only just that -- a deal with potential. While the wording was a breakthrough, it still stopped short of calling for a complete phaseout of fossil fuels. The agreement is also nonbinding, so what will it actually do functionally speaking? Joining us now, presidential distinguished professor of Earth and environmental science at the University of Pennsylvania and author of the new book, Our Fragile Moment: How Lessons from Earth's Past Can Help Us Survive the Climate Crisis, Michael Mann.
Michael, it is good to have you. I think that, you know, when you look at what happened today at COP 28, and you're just looking from the outside, it does seem pretty major. Is it a big deal? Can it potentially be a big deal?
MICHAEL MANN, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA: Yeah, good to be with you, Katy. And, you know, I would say it's sort of mixed, you know. Promising to transition away from fossil fuels -- I liken it to being told by your doctor that you have diabetes. You've been diagnosed with diabetes and you'll promise to transition away from donuts. Transitioning away isn't enough. We need to phase out fossil fuels, and we need to do so rapidly. We need to bring down carbon emissions to 50 percent by 2030 and down to zero by the middle of the century. I don't think this agreement meets the moment. It doesn't really speak to the urgency of a dramatic and immediate need to transition quickly off of fossil fuels.
TUR: Do these summits do anything? Are they worthwhile?
MANN: Well, I mean, there were some, you know, positive developments here. There was an agreement on methane, and methane is a greenhouse gas, and it adds to the warming, but the central problem is, of course, the carbon dioxide that we're producing from fossil fuel burning, and the agreement doesn't go far enough, especially because that window of opportunity is closing. If we are to keep warming below a catastrophic three degrees Fahrenheit, we've got to bring those carbon emissions, like I said, down by 50 percent this decade and down to zero shortly thereafter. So that window of opportunity is closing, and, as of yet, we are not on the path that we need to be onto avert catastrophic warming.
TUR: Michael, is there any technology out there that you think might be helpful?
MANN: I do think there is. You know, we can actually do this with existing renewal energy technology. The limitations aren't technological at this point, but new technology will help ease that transition, and it will speed up that transition. And so we're looking at not just, you know, better solar panels and wind turbines and geothermal technology, but energy storage is critical because the wind isn't always blowing, and the sun isn't always shining, and there's new technology. For example, hydrogen cell technology that may really help with, you know, the speedup of that transition that we need.
TUR: There's also a very white paint coming on the market next summer that could help with it as well. I'm serious. It's a very, very white --
MANN: Sure. Why not paint your (inaudible) white? It helps a little bit, sure.
TUR: Absolutely. Everything helps a little bit. I mean, might as well take it all. Michael Mann, thank you very much. Appreciate it.
