o new coal-fired energy stations ought to be permitted anyplace on the earth, John Kerry has mentioned, warning it could possibly be a “critical step” within the struggle in opposition to local weather change.
Describing coal because the “dirtiest fuel”, the US particular presidential envoy mentioned there may be “no rational reason” for contributing to the issue by burning it.
He made the plea in a speech in Edinburgh during which he additionally hit out at local weather change deniers, warning the world is now at a “precipice” the place the “reckless abuse” of the surroundings may have “unleashed forces of nature way beyond our control”.
With main wildfires having introduced devastation this yr to locations similar to Hawaii, Canada, Turkey and Greece, Mr Kerry warned: “Mother Nature is now sending an ever-more desperate distress signal about the coming catastrophe.”
Mr Kerry mentioned the local weather disaster was brought on by the “unabated burning of fossil fuel”, together with deforestation and “potent super-pollutants from industry and agriculture”.
Calling for motion, he mentioned: “It should be obvious by now – we have better choices.”
He mentioned it's time for international locations internationally “to join together and take a more critical step – there should be no more permitting of any new unabated coal-fired power anywhere in the world”.
He continued: “Knowing what we know are the impacts and given the alternative options, there is just no rational reason for contributing more to the problem by turning to the world’s dirtiest fuel burned in the dirtiest way.
“Unless we, all of us, start doing more, faster, now, future generations will trade the inalienable right to the pursuit of happiness for struggle in the pursuit of survival.”
The feedback got here as he delivered an handle on the inaugural Scottish Global Dialogues in Edinburgh – a brand new annual sequence of lectures centered on the local weather disaster.
Inaction doesn’t have a prayer of stopping what is occurring
Mr Kerry, who was launched by Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf on the occasion, used his speech to sentence these “extremist political voices” and people with “vastly vested interests” who he mentioned had “declared war on facts and science” when coping with environmental points.
These teams would “choose a destructive status quo over the opportunity to build a clean energy economy”, he added.
Hitting out at those that “refuse to accept the facts behind the increasingly obvious damages of the climate crisis”, Mr Kerry mentioned that “without facts or economics on their side, they flatly deny what is happening to our planet and what we must do to save it.
As a result, he said: “Humanity is inexorably threatened by humanity itself.”
But whereas he mentioned the Earth could possibly be at “one of the most dangerous moments in human history”, he added it “may also be the greatest moment of opportunity for human advancement”.
With the Cop28 local weather change summit as a consequence of happen in Dubai in November and December, he mentioned: “In this moment we have a unique opportunity to significantly accelerate this transition to a clean energy economy.”
The newest local weather talks will happen nearly a decade on from the signing of the Paris Agreement in 2015 – the place 200 nations vowed to attempt to hold world temperature rises to under 1.5C above pre-industrial ranges.
Mr Kerry warned “we’re significantly off track” with efforts in the direction of that concentrate on, noting emissions are at present rising, not falling.
Despite that, Mr Kerry insisted there are “many more reasons for optimism” as he highlighted the expansion in renewables and elevated gross sales of electrical autos.
However he mentioned the world is “now on the precipice of tipping points”, describing this as being “the point at which events can simply unfold of their own momentum, the point at which our reckless abuse of an ecosystem has unleashed forces of nature way beyond our control”.
Mr Kerry mentioned: “No-one can predict with certainty the exact pace and scope of this unravelling.
“But common sense tells us inaction doesn’t have a prayer of stopping what is happening.
“This is one of the most dangerous moments in human history.
“But it may also be the greatest moment of opportunity for human advancement. We have the chance now to write a future filled with choices that not only make life cleaner, healthier, fairer, and safer.”
Speaking to journalists after his keynote speech, Mr Kerry alluded to disagreeing with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s stance on maxing out new oil and gasoline alternatives within the North Sea.
Asked how these views can align with the particular envoy’s feedback on fossil fuels, he mentioned: “It’s not my job to be commenting on other countries’ policies specifically.”
But when pressed, he mentioned about his opposing views: “Well then, you’ve got your answer.
“We have to reduce unabated burning of fossil fuels.”
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