Michael Mann: 2024 Election Is About Doubling Down on Fossil Fuels vs. Acting on the Climate Crisis

VOSSOUGHIAN Let s talk ░░░░░░░░ for a moment if ░░░░░░░░ can So 2023 has ░░░░░░░░ wildfires it has brought ░░░░░░░░ tornadoes and earthquakes and ░░░░░░░░ eruptions and this year ░░░░░░░░ coming to an end ░░░░░░░░ the hottest year on ░░░░░░░░ Now there s a ░░░░░░░░ warning that 2024 could ░░░░░░░░ a whole new record ░░░░░░░░ global temperatures New research ░░░░░░░░ temperatures are approaching a ░░░░░░░░ U N warming benchmark ░░░░░░░░ than scientists expected University ░░░░░░░░ Pennsylvania Professor of Earth ░░░░░░░░ Environmental Science Michael Mann ░░░░░░░░ us now with more ░░░░░░░░ this On his birthday ░░░░░░░░ the way of all ░░░░░░░░ Michael Mann happy birthday ░░░░░░░░ you And we re ░░░░░░░░ you re joining us ░░░░░░░░ spending a little time ░░░░░░░░ us on your special ░░░░░░░░ So appreciate you sir ░░░░░░░░ we at a point ░░░░░░░░ no return MANN Thanks ░░░░░░░░ it s good to ░░░░░░░░ with you on my ░░░░░░░░ No we re not ░░░░░░░░ that s actually a ░░░░░░░░ that I drive home ░░░░░░░░ my recent book Our ░░░░░░░░ Moment which is about ░░░░░░░░ fragility of this moment ░░░░░░░░ we find ourselves in ░░░░░░░░ do face a monumental ░░░░░░░░ here in averting the ░░░░░░░░ impacts of climate change ░░░░░░░░ there is still time ░░░░░░░░ reduce carbon emissions to ░░░░░░░░ what we might describe ░░░░░░░░ truly catastrophic planetary scale ░░░░░░░░ where we start to ░░░░░░░░ some of the worst ░░░░░░░░ of human caused climate ░░░░░░░░ We can still avoid ░░░░░░░░ that danger limit of ░░░░░░░░ degrees Fahrenheit if we ░░░░░░░░ decarbonize the infrastructure of ░░░░░░░░ climate The obstacles are ░░░░░░░░ physical they re not ░░░░░░░░ At this point they ░░░░░░░░ entirely political VOSSOUGHIAN How ░░░░░░░░ though needs to be ░░░░░░░░ by the United States ░░░░░░░░ with the global community ░░░░░░░░ well right Because this ░░░░░░░░ not just a problem ░░░░░░░░ we re facing here ░░░░░░░░ this country we re ░░░░░░░░ it around the world ░░░░░░░░ as you say politically ░░░░░░░░ country every nation has ░░░░░░░░ approaches to climate change ░░░░░░░░ what they re willing ░░░░░░░░ commit to For instance ░░░░░░░░ China is not committing ░░░░░░░░ what the United States ░░░░░░░░ to commit to how ░░░░░░░░ does that set us ░░░░░░░░ and changing course here ░░░░░░░░ Yeah that s true ░░░░░░░░ let s look at ░░░░░░░░ world s two largest ░░░░░░░░ carbon emitters the United ░░░░░░░░ and China Now we ░░░░░░░░ actually emitted more carbon ░░░░░░░░ the atmosphere we ve ░░░░░░░░ more fossil fuels and ░░░░░░░░ more carbon pollution than ░░░░░░░░ other country on Earth ░░░░░░░░ you look at the ░░░░░░░░ contributions for more than ░░░░░░░░ centuries our burning of ░░░░░░░░ fuels that we use ░░░░░░░░ grow our economy and ░░░░░░░░ countries like China argue ░░░░░░░░ hey don t we ░░░░░░░░ our own opportunity to ░░░░░░░░ our economy using cheap ░░░░░░░░ dirty fossil fuel energy ░░░░░░░░ who are we to ░░░░░░░░ them they re not ░░░░░░░░ we don t take ░░░░░░░░ ourselves And we ve ░░░░░░░░ that U S leadership ░░░░░░░░ critical here Under the ░░░░░░░░ Administration when we demonstrated ░░░░░░░░ when we passed the ░░░░░░░░ Power Plan when we ░░░░░░░░ taking actions to reduce ░░░░░░░░ carbon emissions that brought ░░░░░░░░ to the table And ░░░░░░░░ was a bilateral agreement ░░░░░░░░ the U S and ░░░░░░░░ that laid the foundation ░░░░░░░░ the very successful Paris ░░░░░░░░ So that was a ░░░░░░░░ of U S leadership ░░░░░░░░ we lead on this ░░░░░░░░ others come to the ░░░░░░░░ And so that s ░░░░░░░░ s so important than ░░░░░░░░ year ahead and we ░░░░░░░░ facing a presidential election ░░░░░░░░ 2024 general election which ░░░░░░░░ decide which path we ░░░░░░░░ do we follow the ░░░░░░░░ of doubling down on ░░░░░░░░ fuels and failing to ░░░░░░░░ on the climate crisis ░░░░░░░░ do we rise to ░░░░░░░░ challenge That s what ░░░░░░░░ are going to has ░░░░░░░░ to ask themselves when ░░░░░░░░ go to the voting ░░░░░░░░ next year We still ░░░░░░░░ meet this moment but ░░░░░░░░ requires effort on our ░░░░░░░░ in particular political participation ░░░░░░░░ politicians who are willing ░░░░░░░░ act before it s ░░░░░░░░ late VOSSOUGHIAN Michael Mann ░░░░░░░░ you for joining us ░░░░░░░░ birthday again sir Have ░░░░░░░░ great day MANN Thank ░░░░░░░░ so much.”