Fellow humans;
Last night (13/08/2024), Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, joined a call with Donald Trump, the three-time Republican nominee for President.
Elon Musk seems to have overlooked some basic principles of climate change, so let’s set the record straight.
Although Musk has previously shown an understanding of climate issues—he once correctly stated, “Climate change is real. Leaving Paris is not good for America or the world”—he repeated several talking points from the fossil fuel industry during this call, indicating a misunderstanding of climate change.
Mr. Trump, as expected, spread even more extreme climate misinformation.
While Musk did push back slightly against some of Trump’s statements, he largely compromised to a position that remains inaccurate.
For example, basic geometry tells us that rising sea levels lead to less shoreline, not more, as Mr. Trump claimed.
Trump’s lack of understanding of climate change is not surprising, given his history on the issue.
However, it’s more concerning when someone like Musk, who has claimed for over a decade that his personal and corporate mission is to address climate change, makes these errors.
Let’s start with some key facts:
The global climate is warming, primarily due to human activities.
Fossil fuel combustion is the largest contributor to this warming.
Other factors also contribute, such as the meat industry (due to methane emissions from livestock and deforestation) and construction (cement production emits CO2, though less than fossil fuels).
But fossil fuels are the primary cause.
Rising global temperatures are disrupting ecosystems, with potentially disastrous consequences.
Humans depend on these ecosystems for essential needs like water, air, food, and temperature regulation.
As ecosystems become destabilized, human life will become more difficult, leading to increased conflict.
The fossil fuel industry invests heavily in denying or downplaying these facts, shifting from outright denial to more subtle tactics that still undermine the urgency of the problem.
The longer we delay action on climate change, the more difficult it will become to address.
Climate change is a serious and immediate problem that requires collective action from corporations, governments, media, and individuals.
Thank you.