PCI Executive Director's slide deck for a 30 minute presentation he delivered to a group of Democratic Party supporters, on the topic of why tackling the climate crisis is so intractable politically.

1. when physics meets politics
why the last line of the
climate crisis is here at home
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2. 2

3. • insert photo of avi & eli
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4. 4

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13. 13

14. three threads
1. welcome to the “new normal”
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15. three threads
1. welcome to the “new normal”
2. denial... it ain’t just a river in Egypt
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16. three threads
1. welcome to the “new normal”
2. denial... it ain’t just a river in Egypt
3. “e”s on the edge
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17. the “new normal”
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18. embed video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhCY-3XnqS0
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19. the “new normal”
"My sick joke is that Eastern Australia had average rainfall
for the last seven years. e rst six were the driest six
years in the record books, and the seventh was feet deep in
unprecedented oods. Such 'average' rainfall makes
farming difficult."
Jeremy Grantham
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20. you are here
391 ppm
8
million metric tons
6
4
2
0
1750 1825 1900 1930 1955 1970 1985 2000
source: Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center
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21. * not my real grandmother
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22. we need to be here
391 ppm
8
350 ppm
million metric tons
6
4
2
0
1750 1825 1900 1930 1955 1970 1985 2000
source: Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center
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23. 23

24. not just a river in Egypt
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25. declining concern
Caused Mostly by Humans Not Real or Not Manmade
70%
60% 61%
57%
50%
47%
40%
36%
30%
20%
10%
0%
2008 2011
source: Yale Project on Climate Change Communication
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26. declining concern
Environment Economic Growth
80%
71%
67%
60%
54%
40%
36%
28%
20%
19%
0%
1984 1991 1995 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010
source: Gallup
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28. why deny?
1. facts obey Einstein’s laws of relativity
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29. why deny?
1. facts obey Einstein’s laws of relativity
2. Now always kicks Later’s butt
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30. why deny?
1. facts obey Einstein’s laws of relativity
2. Now always kicks Later’s butt
3. climate science = revolutionary science
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31. 31

32. choices choices
one now?
or two later?
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33. viva la revolution?
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34. why are environmentalists like watermelons?
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35. “e”s on the edge
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36. 36

37. US energy use 1705-2005
Biomass (Wood) Coal Natural Gas Petroleum Hydro Nuclear
100
80
quadrillion BTU
60
40
20
0
1705 1755 1805 1855 1905 1955 2005
source: US Energy Information Agency
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38. oil
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39. oil
coal
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40. natural gas
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51. 51

52. good riddance, right?
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53. 53

54. evaluating alternatives
- size of resource
- infrastructure requirements
- convenience of use
- environmental impact
- renewability
- scalability
- location of resource
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55. 0 :1
25 :1
50 :1
75 :1
100 :1
domestic oil (1930)
coal (2005)
hydro-electric
imported oil (1970)
domestic oil (1970)
rewood
imported oil (2005)
wind
natural gas
energy return on energy invested
nuclear
domestic oil (2000)
solar photovoltaics
tar sands
biodiesel
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56. the tough reality
There is no credible scenario
in which alternative energy
sources can make up for fossil
fuels once declines begin.
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57. • insert photo of avi & eli
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58. resilience
the ability to absorb shocks
and continue to function
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59. crisis = opportunity
This is the biggest opportunity
of our lifetimes.
Who will seize it?
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