Do the Math Climate Change

For the month of November, Bill McKibben will be traveling throughout the U.S. on his Do the Math Tour to build a movement to stand up to the fossil fuel industry by a variety of means, including divestment to cut off the industry’s financial and political support. The math, McKibben explained, works like this. Global leaders recently came to an international agreement based on the scientific understanding that a global temperature raise of 2°C would have “catastrophic” consequences for the future of humanity. In order to raise global temperatures to this catastrophic threshold, the world would have to release 565 gigatons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Here’s the problem: Fossil fuel companies currently have 2,795 gigatons of carbon dioxide in their fuel reserves—and their business model depends on that fuel being sold and burned. At current rates of consumption, the world will have blown through its 565-gigaton threshold in 16 years.To prevent the end of the world as we know it, it will require no less than the death of the most profitable industry in the history of humankind.

This Friday, Bill McKibben’s Do the Math Tour, will be in New York City. Click here to buy tickets. You do not want to miss it!

I’m glad to report that Sesame Street will continue on the air. Below is this week’s lesson.