G8 To Save The World

I always find these silly "G" title names over the top, it suggests more than it delivers. This gathering of G's are to save the world from climate change. No doubt it will be reported as historic, just as every G summit has.

Climate change is one of those terms that splits people into believers and non-believers. Yet that is a straw man argument. The real question is can we continue to live in the unsustainable way that we are? Just one example would be oil, it's called non-renewable energy for a reason, what happens when it runs out? If the threat of climate change is what gets us to address sustainable living, then call me a believer.

For some perspective, there's an interesting article on Mental Floss about how long the US supplies would last without oil imports:

The United States currently consumes more than 20 million barrels a day—more than any other country in the world. Factoring in the 5 million barrels a day that we currently produce at home, the Department of Energy estimates that the SPR could support America for 58 days.

It would obliviously in reality be shorter than that as people would panic buy. Britain's consumption of oil isn't as much, about 1.763 million barrels a day, we aren't in such a dependent situation as we produce 1.69 million. Yet when it all starts to run out prices will rise and everything that's transported will rise with it - food, goods, travel, imports and exports. We are all united in being screwed.

Which is why the G8 is important, we need to be making progress. The usual deadlock between the developed and the developing world has appeared over emissions targets. Though this year there is speculation of a fund to spend on green technology. Which is a good idea, sharing and working together on technological developments will be the way out of this. As everyone won't just simplify their life styles.