“Now Is the Time” for Green Recovery, Scientists Say

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https://eos.org/articles/now-is-the-time-for-green-recovery-scientists-say

Source:  By Jenessa Duncombe. Eos/AGU. 

Excerpt: Daily carbon dioxide emissions are spiking again as economies roar back to life from pandemic lockdowns. ...Le Quéré believes the CO2 reductions are short-lived, as the recent data show. “As soon as the confinement eases, then they come back up again, ...We still have the same roads, we have the same cars, we still have the same heating systems for the other sectors, and the same industries.” “The changes in emissions during confinement are not structural changes. They are forced behavior changes—they are painful, they are brutal even,” Le Quéré said. Future reductions will rely on positive changes that boost quality of life and create jobs. How? Le Quéré has some ideas: Invest in green infrastructures, build cycle paths, insulate homes, install heat pumps, install renewable power, and “electrify everything.” Cook vegetarian meals, train workers to renovate homes, and plant more trees. She urges countries to stop investing in fossil fuel infrastructure: no new roads and no more coal plants “if we can help it.”.... 

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