Scientists warn that we have approximately 30 years to eliminate our dependence on fossil fuels to avoid irreparable damage to our climate and the intensifying health impacts caused by climate breakdown.
Scientists warn that we have approximately 30 years to eliminate our dependence on fossil fuels to avoid irreparable damage to our climate and the intensifying health impacts caused by climate breakdown.
Over the past two decades, grassroots groups around the world have been demanding change, and “keep it in the ground” legislation banning the exploration and production of fossil fuels is starting to take hold. Angela Carter, a University of Waterloo professor of Political Science, is working with PhD students in the Faculty of Environment and at the Balsillie School of International Affairs to research how this movement gains strength—and what opportunities exist to spread similar bans around the world.
And now, as the price of oil collapses in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, there seems to be more need than ever before to reassess our relationship with fossil fuels.
"As oil prices plunge below zero and governments around the world make historic investments in economic recovery in response to the COVID-19 calamity, exploring pathways to leaving fossil fuels in the ground is now more relevant than ever," Carter says. "Here in Canada, our task in the months ahead is to jumpstart a low carbon economy that provides our communities with long-term stability, without worsening health crises caused by climate breakdown. Winding down fossil fuel extraction will be a challenging part of that effort — but we can learn from other countries that have already begun this process."
Read more at the University of Waterloo
Photo: Professor Angela Carter. CREDIT: University of Waterloo
