Age of Stupid (2009)
P. I. Q: categorize your notes!
People (names of people, things that people say)
Info (important pieces of information)
Questions (any questions that come up)
· The Archivist (P)
o Situated in the Arctic (alone) in an apocolyptic world.
· Jeh Wadia (P)
o Trying to create India’s third low-cost airline.
o Trying to make flights as low as 1-600 rupees
o He’s trying to eradicate poverty by making flights cheaper, but in turn it contributes to global warming.
o Airplanes are one of the biggest contributors to global warming. Fuel and carbon emissions. Contrails
· Fernon (P)
o A mountain guide in Chamonix, France (near Alps)
o Completed his training in 1956
o Meets Piers (P) and his family to climb the mountain
o The glacier that they wanted to see has melted. Fernon notes that the temperature has changed over the years.
o An empty gap where the glacier used to be.
o Fernon feels that there’s only two seasons.
o He admits that much of the world’s problems are caused by his generation. All in the name of progress.
o Protests against the doubling of the highway (“pointless transport trucks”)
· Alvin (P)
o He experienced Hurrican Katrina
o Is from New Orleans, Lousiana (near Gulf of Mexico)
o “The intensity of storms is related to surface temperatures.” Heat = more energy.
o Alvin rescued over 100 stranded people on his little boat (and pets)
o He also works for Shell to search for more oil
o He admits to being a “classic consumer.”
· Layefa (P)
o Wants to become a doctor and is approx 20-25 years old
o Situated in Nigeria
o Wants to build a facility, but construction stopped due to kidnappers (Boko Haram)
o Layefa’s sister died from cholera and it urged her to become a doctor
o She works as a fisherman
o How is it that this part of the world that produces so much oil, still have it’s community living in poverty (Q)? Ans: The resource curse. Resource rich nations produces wealth that is only held in the hands of just a few (especially in developing countries). In turn, the population gets poorer and the rich become richer.
o Health problems from air polution. Lungs and skin diseases. From the burning of gases.
o She transferred to the diesel business because the fish business was declining. She needs the cash for college.
· Jamila (P)
o From Iraq and left because of war
o Her and her family are refugees living in Jordan
o Jamila and Adnan’s father were killed in the war by American soldiers
o Jamila’s family buy unwanted shoes, repair them, and resell them
o Has an older bother named Malik. He got burned in a bombing because of his nylon clothing. He was not allowed to cross the border with the rest of his family
· Adnan (P) Jamila’s brother
· Mark Linus (P)
o Scientist and writer
o The effects of climate change won’t be seen until 2-3 decades later (too little too late kinda thing)
o According to Mark, human beings are adaptable to immediate danger.
o Mark and other scientists are warning about a “tipping point.” This is about 2 degrees higher than pre-industrial age. Once we have past the tipping point, we will not be able to recover, and it will accelerate the rise in temperature.
o Carbon capture (removing carbon and other greenhouse gases from the air)
· “People tend to get swept along with the predominant mindset/ideas, which has led to history’s greatest mistakes (holocaust, etc)”
· Piers (P)
o Builds wind turbines
o “No single alternative can provide the final solution to the problem”
o He’s trying to build a wind farm near his home
o NIMBY: Not in my backyard. People are in support of the idea, but they don’t want it in their area.
§ Argument #1: “least windy side of the country” (but the video clearly shows the wind blowing strongly)
§ Argument #2: “It’s going to affect the view” (decrease property value)
§ #3: “too much noise pollution”
§ #4: “hypnotic and may distract drivers”
o Piers is going to make a sales pitch in order to stop the NIMBYs. He lost.
o
· The neighbours have started to send threats to Piers to stop the wind farm construction.
· The Global Cap (I):
o All remaining fossil fuel
o The solution involves many countries agreeing (binding)
o By 2065, the emissions will be close to zero
o Year 1: not much change
o After year 1: the biggest users will have a decrease in emissions, but the smallest users would increase their allowed emissions (so, they would agree to sign on and start developing)
o Eventually, everybody will have equal access to consumption of fossil fuels.
o After equality, everybody will decrease at the same rate.
o Carbon rationing.
o Eventually everyone/all countries will have a similar carbon “allowance.”
