A Virtual Reality Climate Experience
The Sierra Club and RYOT have partnered together once again to launch a joint virtual reality video experience, viewable on the RYOT-VR mobile app, Facebook 360, and YouTube 360. The immersive experience, narrated by legendary singer/actress Cher, highlights the dirty, dangerous effects of coal pollution from power plants and the industries that buy their power China. The video focuses particular attention on a small group of 21 individuals who are responsible for more than 10% of China’s CO2 emissions. Just one day before the start of the Paris conference, Beijing was shrouded by smog again forcing the authorities to issue their highest smog warning so far this year, underscoring the need for China to act immediately. Just yesterday, the city issued its first ever red-air pollution alert.
Watch the Video Here
Climate Disruption, and Why China Matters
For thousands of years, China stood as a global beacon of culture, achievement, and natural beauty. But now, the way we see China is as the earth’s leading driver of carbon pollution. China now produces more CO2 emissions than the United States and Europe combined. Even worse, the factories controlled by just 21 people are responsible for more than 10% of China’s enormous CO2 emissions. These factories also fill the air with sulfur, dust, nitrogen oxides, particulates and mercury. For the Chinese people, the results are tragic: spending one day in Beijing is now the equivalent of smoking 40 cigarettes.
The U.S. and China Must Turn Our Commitments into Action
As part of U.S.-Chinese bilateral cooperation, China has made a series of historic and ambitious climate commitments—but we must ensure these commitments are met. They include: a national carbon emissions peak by 2030 or earlier; ambitious carbon-free energy targets of 20% by 2030; pricing carbon through a cap-and-trade system; three billion dollars in climate finance for developing countries; strict limitations on future financing for high-carbon projects around the world; and “green dispatch,” which helps grow clean energy by giving it preference ahead of fossil fuels on the electric grid.
But now, as the world gathers in Paris, it’s more important than ever that we turn our shared commitments into action. Together, the United States and China must leave coal and other dirty fuels behind and turn our shared commitments into even further climate and clean energy action, because no country is immune from climate change and no country can meet the challenge alone.
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 2.4 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action.