John Abraham, a professor in the College of Engineering at the University of St. Thomas, joined WCCO Radio to discuss extreme weather, climate change and renewable energy. He explained how climate change is driving more frequent and intense swings between heat, drought and heavy rainfall, compared the climate system to a freight train that takes time to change course, and discussed how expanding renewable energy sources like wind and solar can reduce emissions while creating jobs and lowering energy costs.
From the conversation:
Adam Carter: The good news is there is something we can do about it. But for anyone looking for a quick fix, is there one?
Abraham: There’s bad news and there’s good news. The good news is that there is something we can do about it, and we can do that today with today’s technology. ... There’s bad news, though. The climate is like a freight train going down the track. It’s really heavy and it’s going really fast, and it takes a while for our actions to actually change the speed or the trajectory of that train. So, if we really want to make a difference, we have to have a sustained approach of reducing our pollution emissions. And over time – and this is going to be years and decades – we can bend the curve of climate change. But for anyone looking for a panacea that we can fix this by tomorrow or even by next year, such a panacea just doesn’t exist. It’s going to take a long-term effort.
