Never before has humanity obtained an agreement as advanced as that of Paris. Never before has it been as close as now to taking concrete actions to prevent Global Warming from continuing to increase. It should also be noted that for the first time terms such as those of the Paris Agreement, sponsored by the UN, UNFCCC, were accepted by almost all the countries on Earth. However, one issue is the good intentions, the spirit and the letter of the agreements and another is the reality that is observed in practice, as has been seen in the past, the most regrettable example of which was the failure of the Kyoto Protocol.
The purpose of this article is to warn about some dangers that loom over the Paris Agreement, negotiated within the framework of COP 21, Paris 2015, which contemplates the limitation of the global temperature increase to 2º C by the end of the century by means of reduction of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, which cause global warming and climate change. In this way, it tries to avoid consequences such as rising sea levels, floods, landslides, hurricanes, tornadoes, forest fires and other catastrophic phenomena, capable of causing immense damage and placing many species that inhabit the Earth in danger of extinction., homo sapiens included.
To begin with, it is currently forecast that CO2 emissions will increase by up to 25% more by 2030, which moves away the main objective of the Paris Agreement, to keep the global temperature below 2ºC. But There are also other indications that can blow up the agreements given birth in the French capital, which forces us not to get carried away by excesses of optimism and be more prudent when observing what some nations are doing and not believing the commitments they have made. Too many are still betting long-term on cheap energy sources such as oil and natural gas, as well as sophisticated fossil fuel extraction methods. Let's look at the following headlines collected from different sources, which serve to illustrate what we say:
" The discovery of four large oil fields gives Pemex a break." "The discovery, on the coast of Tabasco, is the most important in five years and will allow an 8.5% increase in production." Mexico 11 Jun, 2015.
" Alaska: An Oil 'Macro Discovery' Could Increase Proven Reserves By 80% "
“Un descubrimiento de 6.000 millones de barriles de petróleo / De esa cantidad, unos 2.400 millones podrían ser recuperables. (…). Las reservas de petróleo de Alaska podrían crecer en un 80% después de que la empresa Caelus Energy, que tiene sede en Dallas, anunciara el descubrimiento de 6.000 millones de barriles en las aguas del Ártico. «El descubrimiento podría ser algo muy emocionante para el Estado de Alaska», asegura el máximo responsable de Caelus (…). «Tiene una magnitud que le permitiría desempeñar un papel importante en la actividad petrolera de Alaska durante las próximas tres o cuatro décadas». Eleconomista.es / Bloomberg 6 Oct, 2016.
" Largest Shale Oil Field in US History Discovered in West Texas " “(…) The Wolfcamp field is located in the Permian Basin, one of the most energy-rich regions in the southwestern United States. (…). The United States Geological Survey (USGS, for its acronym in English) explained in a statement that it is the largest shale oil field ever discovered in the United States. (…) In addition to containing millions of barrels of oil, underground they estimate that there are about 16 trillion cubic feet of associated natural gas (which is mixed with oil) and 1.6 billion barrels of liquid natural gas ”. BBC Mundo, Nov 17, 2016.
" China will finance oil projects in Venezuela with US $ 5 billion " (…) The commission also signed a commitment to accelerate the construction of the Jienyang refinery in China, with the capacity to process 400,000 barrels of oil per day. " AFP - Feb 14, 2017.
" Caution in the oil world before Trump's first steps." “Experts warn that the emergence of more US crude could reverse the rise in prices. OPEC welcomed the "new republican administration and has recalled that the United States is its first customer." AFP, Feb 25, 2017.
Our note: In this news there is not a single mention of the effects that said oil overproduction will have on Climate Change nor that overproduction contravenes the main purpose of the Paris Agreement, such as the gradual reduction of the use of fossil fuels and its replacement by clean energy.
"Arctic Oil Exploration" "Arctic oil exploration is technically more challenging than in any other environment. However, with the increase in technology (sic), high oil prices, and the drastic melting of glaciers due to global warming facilitate exploration and extraction, the region now receives a high interest from the oil industry ”. Wikipedia, downloaded Feb 27, 2017.
Note that the editors of this information celebrate the melting of the glaciers and consider it an advantage, since they "facilitate the exploration and extraction of oil" !!!!!!!
We continue to think that the signing of the Paris Agreement is a historic and momentous event thanks to the sustained work of the UN and other actors, who were simmering their ingredients over decades, finally served at the table by France, whose authorities They also deserve a standing applause, as well as all those who worked hard and managed to reach agreements.
However, we must be attentive to what happens in the future and it is the duty of human communities in all parts of the planet to defend the Earth and the life that has so generously developed on it, the most varied and prolific that so far it is known in the universe.
Recommended Reading: A Brief History of COPs - Climate Change Conferences. Author's article published in September 2015. Updated in March 2017.
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