How To Reverse Climate Change | Chad Frischmann

Thank You Vince it was a great way to start so Vincent talked a lot about the change we need to make in the world and I want to introduce you to Chad freshman Chad's the vice president and director of research at project drawdown and I've found Chad's work about a year ago and I fell in love with this book project drawdown I should have one right now but the book combined practical solutions real action and a vision for really changing how we're working with climate it was closing the gap between scientists artists environmentalists and us as the restaurant world so I'm so excited to welcome Chad freshman onto stage I have to tell you one more thing there was a little while when I was carrying the book around in my suitcase and I gave a copy I was giving copies away that's how good this book thank you thank you thank you everybody for having me here today I'd like to introduce you to word you may never have heard of but you ought to know drawdown drawdown is a new way of thinking about and acting on global warming it's a goal for a future that we want a future we're reversing global warming as possible drawdown is at point in time when atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases begins to decline on an annual basis more simply it's that point when we take out more greenhouse gases than we put in to the atmosphere and the proposition is really rather simple if we can reduce concentrations of greenhouse gases we can affect global cooling a reversal of human-induced human-induced global warming we're all concerned about climate change right but climate change is not the problem climate change is the effect of the problem it's the feedback of the planet telling us what's going on the problem is global warming provoked by the increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere so how do we solve the problem how do we reverse global warming drawdown is the only way we know how to avoid putting greenhouse gases up and to pull down what's already there but perhaps it sounds daunting but what if I were to tell you Humanity already knows what to do we have the technologies and practices today that when taken together can achieve drawdown project drawdown has mapped measured and modeled IDI existing solutions that when taken together can begin the process of reversing global warming and we've mapped 20 coming attractions these are solutions that are on the pipeline and when they come offline will accelerate the process these technologies and practices do one or more of three things replace existing fossil fuel based energy generation with clean renewable sources to reduce consumption through technological efficiencies and behavior change and to bio sequester carbon and our plants biomass and soils through a process we all learn about in grade school called photosynthesis it is a combination of these three mechanisms that makes drawdown possible humanity already knows what to do what we lack is the will to do it but why why is that the case well we've done a great job behind the science around the problem and the effect around global warming and climate change but that science is complicated it's complex technical too distant for most people to act upon and at the same time were inundated with stories of doom and gloom terrifying headlines and horrifying images designed to provoke fear and panic disempowerment and when we're confronted by fear what do we do we run away we distract ourselves right the apocalypse is upon you and there's nothing you can do about it so you might as well order some discounted wine and takeaway right but it's this combination of fear disempowerment and consistence with the science that results in apathy an indifference to the status quo and when we're confronted with fear and apathy well we know these are the tools of oppression right but project drawdown was created to change that discourse to reframe it to one of understanding possibilities and therefore opportunities if global warming is happening to us we're victims but if it's happening for us it's a turning point to create the future that we want now of course positive messaging alone isn't going to get us there so project readon is not only a communications organization but a living research program that rests on the foundation of data-driven credible information on solutions to reverse global warming we have brought together a team of researchers from all over the world over 65 researchers have taken part on this project over four years 50% of them have PhDs all have one or more master's degree the thing is we're not a bunch of data wonks and climate scientists well we are we do we love data don't get me wrong but we come from a diversity of perspectives from business from law human rights sustainable development engineering architecture forestry it's that combination of perspectives that we bring to this issue that allows us to address the solution to the problem we need those diversity of perspectives and what do we all do will we map measure and model technologies and practices that together can reverse global warming but rather than produce another technical report a complicated scientific manual we produced a book called drawdown it was published in April of last year this is just a spread of one of the solutions we profile rooftop solar you may have heard you may know about solar right think about this book about these store this this rooftop solar it's a story about solutions it's a narrative it's a design to engage and empower the reader not distance them from the science I like to think this is the kind of book that you can take to the park on a Sunday and enjoy your day it's the kind of book you can read before bed and not have a nightmare I mean how many books about global warming or climate change can you say that think about it but what are the results actually say here's it's a short list of the top 20 solutions now take a few seconds just to look over that to the left you'll see some numbers that represent the total equivalent carbon dioxide either avoided or removed from the atmosphere by 2015 in terms of gigatons that's a billion tons of carbon dioxide avoided or removed now when we think about climate solutions what's the first thing that comes to mind maybe coal-fired plants gas fire plants we think about electricity generation but one of the first things to note is only five of the top 20 solutions have to do with electricity all right the number one solution is refrigeration this is how we manage and destroy hydrofluorocarbons HFCS these are refrigerants that are used in air conditioners and refrigerators to cool the air why is it important well hydro fluorocarbons are hundreds to thousands of times more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide and what happens to the appliances that we all use they leak these hydro fluorocarbons over time and at the end of life what do we do we throw them into the landfill where they leak and contribute to global warming but we can change that it's actually rather simple the Montreal Protocol also did a great job with limiting chlorofluorocarbons because of the ozone layer do you remember that but what was replaced by chlorofluorocarbons was hydro fluorocarbons right so if we can manage to control that leakage and destroy them almost 90 billion tons of carbon dioxide can be avoided and land use was also incredibly important four of the top 20 solutions relate to how we manage our ecosystems how we manage our forests wetlands and currently degraded land we can think about trees as giant sticks of carbon right this is drawdown in action every year as trees sequester carbon pull it down from the atmosphere through through photosynthesis and store it and safeguard it and biomass and soil organic carbon but what surprised us is that eight of the top 20 solutions relate to the food system now the climate impact of food may come as a surprise to many came to a surprise to us to have so many of them but what this shows us is that the decisions that we make every day on how we produce consume and waste food is perhaps the most impactful solution every individual can make to reversing global warming who knew what do we need to do well first of all we need to change how we produce food away from modern agricultural practices the focus on monoculture synthetic fertilizers and pesticides that ultimately degrade land towards regenerative practices we model 13 different types of regenerative agricultural production methods this is regenerative agriculture one of those 13 this is a combination of reduced or no tillage cover cropping crop rotation manure or compost application and organic practices right well what this does is instead of degrading land it restores carbon to the soil it improves water retention it increases soil health and fertility and proves livelihoods of small holders and large-scale farming operations alike but the great thing is this is not some kind of newfangled idea we've been practicing regenerative agriculture for hundreds of years in fact it's what how we used to produce food and it's been displaced by modern agricultural practices regenerative agriculture is a win win-win-win it just keeps going right but it's not as how we produce food we have to think about what we are consuming the number four solution to reversing global warming as a plant rich diet now this is not a vegetarian or a vegan diet I applaud any of you who are we don't we kind of take a conservative perspective on it we try to a steady a healthy diet all right that means a healthy consumption of meat and an increased consumption of add of plant-based proteins right it's about reducing our consumption overall and raising the consumption in those countries that are deficient because that's the case we have to think about where we are in the world in high-income countries we over consume greatly but in low-income countries it's the exact opposite that needs to be rebalanced right and when we rebalance that situation we get plant rich diets right one of the most sensitive solutions to reversing global warming but it's not just what we consume it's how we consume it reduced food waste is the number three solution with nearly 70 billion tons can be reduced now approximately one-third of all food is wasted it accounts for about eight percent of the world's global greenhouse gases eight percent if we were to add it all up and compare it to different countries it would be number three after the United States and China global food waste right but we have to think about where on the supply chain that waste and loss happens because that allows us to understand what kind of solutions there are in low-income countries they don't waste food at market or consumption after it leaves the farm most food in low-income countries is wasted or lost during processing and packaging or distribution it's an infrastructure and technology problem that we can solve in high-income countries it's the opposite after food leaves the farm most food is wasted at the point of market and consumption nearly 20 to 30 percent of food wasted then it's not a technology problem it's a consumer choice and why is it the case that food is so important if we think about reduce food waste and plant rich diets and all these regenerative practices why is it so important well every seed every drop of oil every crust of bread is embodied with greenhouse gas emissions carbon dioxide nitrous oxide methane fluorinated gases like hydrofluoric carbons all along the supply chain from production to just packaging distribution market our restaurants our refrigerators all the way to the landfill where food decomposes and releases methane which is many times more potent than carbon dioxide every bit of food we produce is embodied with those emissions but here's the surprising thing if we adopt all of these 13 regenerative agricultural practices we adopt a plant rich diet and we reduce our food waste right we do it all in parallel over time we would produce enough food today on current farmland to feed the world's population a healthy nutrient-rich diet now until 2050 and beyond without having to cut down any new forest when we think of the food system as a solution to reversing global warming we also solve our food security problems all right who knew so you might be asking yourselves is drawdown possible by 2050 it's certainly ambitious but the answer is yes it is possible but there are no silver bullets the top 10 aren't going to get us there the top 20 no top 30 40 50 not going to get us there we need all 80 existing solutions to be adopted in parallel as a system a system of solutions in parallel and together that can we can achieve drawdown we can start the process of reversing global warming by adopting all 80 of these solutions and we also need to innovate we do you do innovate and bring those coming attractions back online to accelerate the product the process because we need to move fast with the good thing the great thing about this this set of solutions we want them whether or not global warming was a problem renewable energy is about clean abundant resilient energy for all it's about air pollution family planning educating girls is about gender equity it's about human rights as about improved livelihoods it's about justice regenerative agriculture managed grazing silvopasture tropical tree staple crops this is about restoring carbon to the land about improving soil health and fertility right this results in improved livelihoods for small holders and for large-scale farming operations benefits lives of farmers all over the world protecting our forests and wetlands also protects biodiversity and the intrinsic value of our ecosystems it protects the oxygen that we breathe a plant rich diet reduce food waste results in a healthy nutrient-rich food system to feed the world's population these are solutions we would want anyway and if you take these solutions together as a system what we see is that there's a shift a shift in the system a shift in the way we do business from one that is inherently exploitative and extractive to a new normal that is restorative and regenerative by nature this set of solutions is the future that we want reversing global warming is a welcomed co-benefit thank you