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We must stop climate action that destroys biodiversity

The author is a former U.S. Treasury Secretary and Chairman of the Paulson Institute.

It is widely agreed that climate change is an existential threat. But in our rush to meet this challenge, our efforts must not contribute to another, more pressing problem: global biodiversity loss.

We are losing seeds at a rate over 1,000 times the rate of nature. If we continue on our current trajectory, we risk losing up to half that by mid-century. Science is just beginning to quantify the scale of unbalancing a complex system like Mother Nature. But we know that biodiversity loss poses fundamental risks to health, prosperity and well-being.

Sadly, too much focus on solving climate change leads to neglect of biodiversity. A disturbing result is that many climate change measures are unintentionally accelerating the destruction of nature. Consider the great need for solar power. If not placed properly, it can have a huge impact on ecosystems and habitats.

In Virginia, for example, more than half of the solar installations are built on forested land rather than on rooftops or parking lots. Promoting solar power development by the state could lead to deforestation across most of the country. 30,000 acres per year.

In California, 161 utility-scale solar developments are planned or operating in undeveloped deserts sensitive to wildlife habitat. This has been a disaster for a wide range of flora and fauna in the Mojave Desert, and the destruction is only increasing.

Wind farms face similar challenges. Achieving net-zero targets will require a massive build-up of wind power. But meeting the Biden administration’s commendable goal of installing 30 gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2030 could increase the number of bird deaths from collisions to more than a million a year.

Poorly planned renewable infrastructure poses a real risk of having an even greater impact on biodiversity than existing fossil fuel infrastructure.Brookings Institution report To tell Wind and solar power require at least ten times more land per unit of electricity produced than fossil fuel-fired power plants.

Hydropower destroys aquatic ecosystems, cuts off fish migration routes, cause a flood. Deforestation of natural habitats to produce biofuels is leading to rapid depletion of rainforests in Asia and Latin America. And the key minerals needed for green technology are mined in environmentally sensitive areas.

Rather than addressing one environmental challenge, we need to chart a course that creates another. In fact, if we make realistic choices, we can do the opposite and use nature to combat climate change.

Consider carbon removal. research shows that between 2001 and 2019, forests around the world sequestered more than twice as much carbon dioxide as they were emitted, absorbing more than the annual emissions of the United States and the United Kingdom combined. . Nature is also important in addressing the adaptations needed to prepare for increasingly severe weather shocks, such as the role of wetlands and mangroves in absorbing storm surges and floods.

Governments need to change their minds and adopt better infrastructure plans at all levels. A report by The Nature Conservancy shows that careful installation can reduce the impact of clean energy storage by 70% compared to conventional installation. Solar power plants can be installed on already degraded land. Power lines and pipelines can be placed to minimize impact. Wind turbines can be placed to avoid critical crossing paths. He can avoid bird strikes by simply painting one of his blades black.

We need creative solutions, such as high-quality carbon credits, to help fund the transition to a clean energy economy while protecting rich ecosystems such as rainforests.

Regulators should take concrete steps to demonstrate to the market that there is no room for policies harmful to biodiversity in their efforts to reach net zero. Global governance structures need to be reformed to ensure climate and biodiversity efforts are not fragmented and siloed. There is now a global scientific body dedicated to biodiversity and a separate scientific body for climate. Similarly, there is a global UN conference on climate and another on biodiversity.

COP28 is an opportunity to bring biodiversity to the mainstream stage. The United Arab Emirates, the COP28 presidency, needs to ensure that COP28 is addressed in parallel with climate change and develop a global agenda that addresses both. Given that COP28 high-level champion Razan Al-Mubarak is also president of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, this should not be an easy task.

It would be a tragic irony if our efforts to address climate change were to accelerate a larger and more pressing crisis in the natural world.

Summarize this content to 100 words

The author is a former U.S. Treasury Secretary and Chairman of the Paulson Institute.It is widely agreed that climate change is an existential threat. But in our rush to meet this challenge, our efforts must not contribute to another, more pressing problem: global biodiversity loss. We are losing seeds at a rate over 1,000 times the rate of nature. If we continue on our current trajectory, we risk losing up to half that by mid-century. Science is just beginning to quantify the scale of unbalancing a complex system like Mother Nature. But we know that biodiversity loss poses fundamental risks to health, prosperity and well-being. Sadly, too much focus on solving climate change leads to neglect of biodiversity. A disturbing result is that many climate change measures are unintentionally accelerating the destruction of nature. Consider the great need for solar power. If not placed properly, it can have a huge impact on ecosystems and habitats. In Virginia, for example, more than half of the solar installations are built on forested land rather than on rooftops or parking lots. Promoting solar power development by the state could lead to deforestation across most of the country. 30,000 acres per year. In California, 161 utility-scale solar developments are planned or operating in undeveloped deserts sensitive to wildlife habitat. This has been a disaster for a wide range of flora and fauna in the Mojave Desert, and the destruction is only increasing. Wind farms face similar challenges. Achieving net-zero targets will require a massive build-up of wind power. But meeting the Biden administration’s commendable goal of installing 30 gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2030 could increase the number of bird deaths from collisions to more than a million a year. Poorly planned renewable infrastructure poses a real risk of having an even greater impact on biodiversity than existing fossil fuel infrastructure.Brookings Institution report To tell Wind and solar power require at least ten times more land per unit of electricity produced than fossil fuel-fired power plants. Hydropower destroys aquatic ecosystems, cuts off fish migration routes, cause a flood. Deforestation of natural habitats to produce biofuels is leading to rapid depletion of rainforests in Asia and Latin America. And the key minerals needed for green technology are mined in environmentally sensitive areas.Rather than addressing one environmental challenge, we need to chart a course that creates another. In fact, if we make realistic choices, we can do the opposite and use nature to combat climate change.Consider carbon removal. research shows that between 2001 and 2019, forests around the world sequestered more than twice as much carbon dioxide as they were emitted, absorbing more than the annual emissions of the United States and the United Kingdom combined. . Nature is also important in addressing the adaptations needed to prepare for increasingly severe weather shocks, such as the role of wetlands and mangroves in absorbing storm surges and floods. Governments need to change their minds and adopt better infrastructure plans at all levels. A report by The Nature Conservancy shows that careful installation can reduce the impact of clean energy storage by 70% compared to conventional installation. Solar power plants can be installed on already degraded land. Power lines and pipelines can be placed to minimize impact. Wind turbines can be placed to avoid critical crossing paths. He can avoid bird strikes by simply painting one of his blades black.We need creative solutions, such as high-quality carbon credits, to help fund the transition to a clean energy economy while protecting rich ecosystems such as rainforests.Regulators should take concrete steps to demonstrate to the market that there is no room for policies harmful to biodiversity in their efforts to reach net zero. Global governance structures need to be reformed to ensure climate and biodiversity efforts are not fragmented and siloed. There is now a global scientific body dedicated to biodiversity and a separate scientific body for climate. Similarly, there is a global UN conference on climate and another on biodiversity. COP28 is an opportunity to bring biodiversity to the mainstream stage. The United Arab Emirates, the COP28 presidency, needs to ensure that COP28 is addressed in parallel with climate change and develop a global agenda that addresses both. Given that COP28 high-level champion Razan Al-Mubarak is also president of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, this should not be an easy task.It would be a tragic irony if our efforts to address climate change were to accelerate a larger and more pressing crisis in the natural world.
https://www.ft.com/content/755d794a-7052-4512-86eb-6971cbeda003 We must stop climate action that destroys biodiversity

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