Cool Proposal
Global Warming/Climate Change, peak oil — by Marcin Gerwin June 3, 2009
It’s not about technology. It’s about transitioning to a sustainable society. More than a hundred years ago when gasoline-powered and diesel engines were developed, gentlemen like Karl Benz, Rudolf Diesel and Gottlieb Daimler most probably had no idea what the consequences of their inventions might be. They didn’t expect the suburban sprawl, the oil pollution in the Amazon, conflicts in the Middle East or millions of acres land of paved with highways. Now imagine it was possible to sit down with them at that time and draft a policy for introducing their inventions in a sustainable way. Imagine you could say: “Karl, dude, your engine is great, but when you burn fossil fuels you emit a greenhouse gas which will eventually cause a climate crisis. Cars can be practical on a small scale, but generally let’s stick to walking and bicycles.”
The Invention of artificial photosynthesis is a game changer. CO2 emissions can be quickly reduced by re-using them for the production of gasoline, zero-emission power stations can be easily built and even air quality in the cities can be improved – thanks to the use of clean fuels. Nevertheless, let’s do our best not to repeat the mistakes of the past. This time let’s foresee the problems before they appear and let’s prepare a set of solutions for introducing artificial photosynthesis in a sustainable way.
Artificial photosynthesis is the core of the Cool Proposal which is developed for the climate conference in Copenhagen in December this year. It is based on open collaboration, which means that you are welcome to contribute your ideas and comments at: www.coolproposal.org. Besides artificial photosynthesis there are also food forests and rainwater harvesting included. Food forests can not only secure livelihoods, but they also cool local climate – hence the name of the proposal. And harvesting rainwater is essential for providing water for gardens and wild nature in dry areas of the world.
When the Andean glaciers melt completely, where will the water come from? Climate change means that in many areas of the world rains may become more erratic and that long droughts may become more frequent. In Bolivia the Uru Chipaya tribe has survived for 4,000 years on the barren plains of the Bolivian interior. Now, with the Lauca river drying up, they may be forced to leave their traditional lands and lifestyle and migrate to cities.
However, rivers can be restored, soil in the gardens can be kept cool and moist. But it takes knowledge of the basic rainwater harvesting techniques such as mulching, swale building or placing gabions across the stream to be able to do it. How can we teach people to look after their rivers? Where will the money for the workshops come from? One of the points of the Cool Proposal for governments of 192 countries is to create a fund especially for this purpose – to teach people how to harvest rainwater.
There is also a separate fund proposed for teaching people how to design food forests. Instead of clearing another patch of the rainforest for pasture or sowing maize, small farmers could establish forest gardens, so that the fertility of the soil could be maintained. The fund could provide money for educational courses, seed orchards, buying basic tools or creating educational centers.
Can I guarantee that the Cool Proposal will get on the table at climate negotiations? No. It’s up to us develop the proposal and to encourage governments to support it. If we can make it, then we might have a chance to improve the lives of millions of people and push forward solutions for more sustainable living.
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