BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 9, 2023
The world needs to cut emissions by half by 2030 and reach net zero emissions by 2050. That means that humanity’s greenhouse gas emissions will have to decrease, and that we need to take out some of the greenhouse gases already in the gas blanket that surrounds the Earth. If those two steps are taken, the world and its inhabitants have about a 50 percent chance of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The two largest emitters, China and the U.S., still have plans to increase their use of oil and gas. That has to stop, though a limited amount of fossil fuels may be needed as the world transitions to renewable energy. Rapidly speeding up the adoption of electric vehicles in the U.S. would require these changes: construction of millions of new EV charging stations, an overhaul of electric grids to accommodate the power needs of those chargers and securing materials needed for EV batteries. ~ Rev. Richard Killmer, retired Presbyterian minister, Yarmouth