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AFTERNOON TEA
Afternoon TEA: Natural gas & fossil fuels made modern life possible
Did you know?
This week the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a doomsday report chock full of more dire predictions about the future effects of climate change. If it all sounds a little familiar, that would be because this is the same politicized rhetoric we’ve been listening to for literally decades. Like, in 1987, when then-U.S. Senator Joe Biden predicted a “catastrophe of biblical proportions for the entire world” from global warming “in the next few years.”
Here’s some facts, though, that you won’t find in the rhetoric. The U.S. is a world leader in lowering carbon emissions, largely because of increased use of natural gas for electric generation. And, we’re also enjoying the best air quality in the last half century or longer for the same reason. All while our economy has grown. Modern technology and fossil fuels have made our lives and the world a better place.
And, they’ve saved hundreds of thousands of lives too. Climate-related deaths have been decreasing significantly for decades. A study by the National Bureau of Economic Research concluded that “the drop in natural gas prices in the late 2000s, induced largely by the boom in shale gas production, averted 11,000 winter deaths per year” in the U.S.. Air conditioning and other modern climate control technology has made hot climates comfortable and cold climates livable. Modern weather infrastructure and emergency preparedness programs protect humans from extreme weather events.
Like we’ve said before, going backwards is not the answer. So, while the UN tries to scare the living daylights out of your family with their latest “landmark climate report,” we’re here to remind you that because of fossil fuels, now is a better time to be alive than ever before. And, American families and businesses are already doing the work to make the future even better, with lower emissions and better technology. If other nations begin to follow our lead, we can continue to not just save lives but increase the quality of life around the globe.
