Fossil fuels cause climate change. The world ostensibly wants to mitigate climate change. But countries are planning to produce more than twice as much fossil fuel in 2030 as is compatible with 1.5C.
How is Denmark and Norway investing in non-fossil fuel infrastructure and energy? Norway exports a lot of natural gas and oil and has made billions from it, that they are now investing in many forms of renewable energy, public transportation, pedestrian safe infrastructure, electric vehicles, etc. etc. I don't know as much about Denmark's economy and why they're able to reinvest so much money on different infrastructure or other ways to reduce fossil fuel supply.. How are they doing it? How can you get around such aggressive and wealthy lobbying and marketing like we have in the United States?
Norway's a tricky one -- it's done a lot to decarbonize its own country (highest EV uptake in the world I think?) but still refuses to face the prospect of drawing down oil and gas production. Of course, if you're refusing to draw down production but actually working to decarbonize demand...that's probably better than the US which is doing neither, hahah. But the US is a low bar.
I think a big part of the issue is wealth inequality: I learned recently that the EU has the lowest inequality in the world (!), while the US is of course incredibly high. That kind of inequality manifests in corporate control of governance -- it's why our political scene is so intractable over here in North America. Europe has plenty of problems, but in terms of tangible progress on climate, the vast majority of European countries are so far ahead of North America it's getting ridiculous. And as you're alluding to, so much of what they're doing is just good for people -- public transit, safe infrastructure, etc. It's an absolute outrage that these aren't investment priorities here, but it's because the auto (and fossil fuel) industry has entrenched itself so effectively and made our infrastructure decisions subject, primarily, to their profit motive. I think to fix politics we need to fix wealth inequality (i.e. abolish billionaires), though of course there are many other steps to take at the same time.
How is Denmark and Norway investing in non-fossil fuel infrastructure and energy? Norway exports a lot of natural gas and oil and has made billions from it, that they are now investing in many forms of renewable energy, public transportation, pedestrian safe infrastructure, electric vehicles, etc. etc. I don't know as much about Denmark's economy and why they're able to reinvest so much money on different infrastructure or other ways to reduce fossil fuel supply.. How are they doing it? How can you get around such aggressive and wealthy lobbying and marketing like we have in the United States?
Norway's a tricky one -- it's done a lot to decarbonize its own country (highest EV uptake in the world I think?) but still refuses to face the prospect of drawing down oil and gas production. Of course, if you're refusing to draw down production but actually working to decarbonize demand...that's probably better than the US which is doing neither, hahah. But the US is a low bar.
I think a big part of the issue is wealth inequality: I learned recently that the EU has the lowest inequality in the world (!), while the US is of course incredibly high. That kind of inequality manifests in corporate control of governance -- it's why our political scene is so intractable over here in North America. Europe has plenty of problems, but in terms of tangible progress on climate, the vast majority of European countries are so far ahead of North America it's getting ridiculous. And as you're alluding to, so much of what they're doing is just good for people -- public transit, safe infrastructure, etc. It's an absolute outrage that these aren't investment priorities here, but it's because the auto (and fossil fuel) industry has entrenched itself so effectively and made our infrastructure decisions subject, primarily, to their profit motive. I think to fix politics we need to fix wealth inequality (i.e. abolish billionaires), though of course there are many other steps to take at the same time.