How to Talk Climate with Your Crazy Uncle at Thanksgiving

Ah yes…there’s nothing like Thanksgiving to bring the family together, and often the extended family at that. The thing about extended family, especially ones with older members, is that some of them may have developed very different thoughts about certain things, with climate being one of them. And chances are they will want to share them with everyone else there, either proactively or in response.

 One of the things that you have heard me say before is that reducing one’s carbon footprint is something we all should do but that it is not necessarily the first or easiest thing that a person can do when it comes to trying to help tackle climate change. And it may not be the thing that has the biggest impact. There are two other things that anyone can do regardless of how high or low their footprint already is. One is to become a climate voter, not just in the booth, but throughout an election cycle as I talked about in a recent Post. The other is to talk about climate with other people.

 What better place to talk climate than the Thanksgiving table, eh? And who better than you to bring it up, not just with the older people there but with the younger people. You will find the latter to have a lot to say about it.

But I am going to try to focus on a hypothetical conversation you may encounter at the table. Or for that matter, if it feels right, you might want to start this conversation. Below is my list of suggested comments and responses if someone makes a statement or asks a question like the ones I show. They represent what I would say if I were there at the table.

 However, if you have time before Thanksgiving, look at the newly released 5th National Climate Assessment. The Federal Government puts this out, by order of Congress, every four years. The last one came out during the Trump Administration. The Assessment is the product of 16 different federal agencies working together with over 1600 scientists and experts of all types. To me, one of its best features is that it takes a detailed look (and makes a specific prediction) about different regions of the U.S. So if you have time, at least skim the section of the Assessment that covers your region.

Here we go …

 Are global warming and climate change the same thing?

 Not exactly. Scientists in the 1800’s discovered that Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is a heat-trapping gas. That means that when it is in the atmosphere it acts like a greenhouse and does not let all the heat that comes in from the sun to then go out. The more CO2 (which along with methane are called greenhouse gasses) in our atmosphere the warmer the earth gets, and that’s Global Warming. The warming of the earth (land, oceans, air) is causing changes in the earth’s overall climate, with different impacts in different climate zones. So Global Warming is causing Climate Change.

 Is weather the same as climate change?

 No. Weather is something that occurs day to day and week to week. Weather is part of climate.

 How do we know the planet is warming and the climate is changing? Isn’t this a hoax?

 Scientists have been making detailed measurements for a long time, and among the techniques they use to “go back in time” is the sampling of ice cores. They are not guessing or estimating.

 The climate has always changed, and it has been hotter in the past than it is now.

 Yes. That is true. But not when humans existed. The amount of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere is the highest in 4 million years, which is before humans walked the earth.

 Why do people say that human activity is responsible for climate change?

 Increased amounts of CO2 and other greenhouse gasses began to be emitted when humans began to burn fossil fuels in the industrial revolution. A graph of the amount of CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere shows a clear match-up. Climate Scientists have studied this and concluded that the increase in greenhouse gasses is not coming from anything else other than human activity.

 I have heard that there are a lot of scientists that say climate change is not happening?

 There are millions of scientists in the world, and they come in all sorts of types, meaning that not all scientists are experts in the same thing. The important thing is to know what climate scientists think about climate change. And over 95% of them believe that it is happening in a serious way and that human activity is responsible. In fact, climate scientists have begun to publicly say that we are in a climate emergency.

 The climate has always changed, so what’s new?

 That is true, but never this fast. It has taken thousands and millions of years for the earth to experience past changes in the climate. We are seeing it happen in a couple of hundred. Many would say we are seeing it right before our eyes.

 How can there be climate change when it can be so cold in the winter?

 Scientists are not talking about the four seasons going away. But there are now measurements that show that seasons are shifting. It has been documented that in many locations Winter is arriving later, and Spring earlier.

 When will greenhouse gas emissions start to fall so we can get back to the levels we were at?

 They won’t if we don’t stop putting greenhouse gasses into the air. Greenhouse gasses take a long time to degrade and go away. A ton of CO2 will not be totally gone for hundreds or thousands of years. That is what is making global warming happen so fast. We are right now seeing impacts from greenhouse gasses put into the atmosphere in the past. If we don’t stop emissions, the amounts will continue to pile on top of what is already there with impacts felt for centuries.

Is sea level going to rise and if so, how much?

 It is already rising based on measurements. How fast it rises and at what rate will depend on what we do about emissions of greenhouse gasses. It is also important to understand that sea level rise will not be the same in all locations around the world.

 Isn’t climate change just a political issue? Does it matter which party is in charge?

 It shouldn’t, but it may. Climate change will affect everyone, regardless of their politics, and it is not something that one party or the other should politicize. But politicians and parties do have different positions and proposed policies when it comes to climate change. If you want to stop climate change, you may want to look at these.

 Isn’t China the big bad guy in terms of emissions?

 China is now the biggest emitter of greenhouse gasses on an annual basis. But the U.S. is the biggest total emitter on a historical basis. And it will take many years before China’s historical amount will equal that of the U.S. Most climate experts say that further climate change cannot be prevented unless both countries act, hopefully in a cooperative manner.

 Why all the fuss about EVs and heat pumps as climate solutions?

 One climate solution is electrification. Because as more and more solar and wind is put on the electricity grid, something that uses electricity gets “cleaner” over time as the grid gets cleaner. Yes, an electricity-using item is using some electricity made using fossil fuel, but that percentage is decreasing and projected to decrease dramatically.

 Why do we have to put solar panels and windmills (turbines) all over the place where they ruin the view and cause other problems. Plus, they only work when the sun is shining or the wind is blowing!

 Solar and wind do not generate any emissions when they produce electricity, and thus are an important part of reducing climate change. Putting solar panels on rooftops is something that should happen wherever a roof is capable of hosting those panels. There are also other ideas being pursued like putting panels over parking lots. But researchers have shown that there simply aren’t enough rooftops or other commercial areas to host the amount of solar we need. Thus, solar farms – large groupings of solar panels in one ground location – are also needed to sustain our electricity system. However, they must be done carefully and don’t make sense in all locations.

  It is true that the sun doesn’t always shine and that the wind doesn’t always blow. But one of the solutions to that is energy storage, including long duration storage for days. The technologies exist for all kinds of storage and are increasingly being put in place.

What is a carbon footprint? If we all lower ours, will it solve climate change?

 Carbon footprint usually refers to carbon emissions caused by an individual, as in one's personal carbon footprint. But a building, or an entire company can also have a carbon footprint.

 We should all try to lower our carbon footprints, for example by reducing our fossil energy use, but experts have run the numbers and shown that even if we all do this, it will not be enough. Industries such as oil & gas, utilities, transportation, agriculture and even cement are too large and reducing industrial emissions is seen as the key to sufficiently tackling climate change.

Won’t technology and inventions solve the climate change problem?

 Technology will be part of the solution, and new technologies are already in use and new ones about to roll out of laboratories and factories. But the problem is speed. It takes time for new technologies to be developed and put into widespread commercial use. Scientists say we must reduce emissions now.

 One technology that has been demonstrated on a very small scale is carbon extraction, where greenhouse gasses are “sucked out” of the atmosphere. But experts say it will take many years for this technology to be deployed at a large and wide scale.

Can't we just plant trees to solve the problem since they absorb CO2?

 Planting more trees and other plant life is definitely part of the solution. but scientists say that even with large new growth they can only absorb and store so much CO2, and cannot be the only thing that is done. And experts say that the more timely and important thing is to preserve the forests that we have, and to prevent deforestation.

 What about the kids and my grandchildren?

 That is the ultimate question, isn’t it? The older people gathered for Thanksgiving will not see the biggest impacts of climate change. It is the young ones who will, and it is them for whom we should try to stop climate change.