Be it Resolved, Net Zero by 2050 is impossible
Nearly a quarter of the way through the 21st century, there is no doubt that governments and businesses around the world have made tremendous progress in stemming their carbon emissions.\xa0 But we still have a long way to go if we are to reach a goal of net zero emissions by 2050. For certain scientists, business owners, and public officials, net zero by 2050 is a chimera, and the costs associated with denying this reality will be tremendous.\xa0 Replacing an entire global economy\u2019s reliance on fossil fuels will take enormous sums of money, a complete reprioritization of natural resources, and an ecological paradigm shift in the global citizenry.\xa0 There are simply too many hurdles, some of which high beyond our reach, that will make this laudable goal yet another empty promise.\xa0 not only achievable, but absolutely necessary to avoid the worst effects of climate change. Progress towards this goal in the last few years has been consistent. New technologies are on the horizon that will transform how we create, store, and transfer energy, as well as technology that will reduce carbon in the atmosphere.\xa0 For the first time, it feels like the lion's share of the global community is pulling in the same direction. And when enough communities and governments are committed to the goal, they can and will move mountains.\xa0\xa0
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Arguing for the motion is Simon Michaux, Associate Professor of Geometallurgy at the Geological Survey of Finland. Dr. Michaux\u2019s long-term work is on societal transformation toward a circular economy and he advises the EU on how to best transfer from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources.
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Arguing against the motion is Tom Rand, Managing Partner of ArcTern Ventures and sits on the board of a number of clean energy companies and organizations. Tom\u2019s focus is on carbon mitigation as an entrepreneur, venture capitalist, author and speaker.
Speaker Quotes\xa0
SIMON MICHAUX: \u201cThe plan to phase out fossil fuels by 2050 or even go net-zero by 2050 is humongous and not practical\u201d.
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TOM RAND: \u201cThis is the hardest thing we've ever tried to do, but we're getting some early indications that the economy is going to start shifting in a pretty serious way\u201d.
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