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alanpater.bsky.social
Alan Pater
@alanpater.bsky.social
220 followers 840 following 1.8K posts
vegan restaurateur | the profane buddha
canada | the world
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alanpater.bsky.social
It's not enough at this point, we need to do much much more, but here is the minimal list of actions we need to take right now!

(From the IPCC Mitigation Report)
Mitigation strategies can be classified as Avoid-Shift-Improve (ASI) options, that reflect opportunities for socio-cultural, infrastructural, and technological change. The greatest Avoid potential comes from reducing long-haul aviation and providing short-distance low-carbon urban infrastructures. The greatest Shift potential would come from switching to plant-based diets. The greatest Improve potential comes from within the building sector, and in particular increased use of energy efficient end-use technologies and passive housing.
November 16, 2025 at 9:39 PM
alanpater.bsky.social
Where is that 4% number coming from?

ourworldindata.org/grapher/tota...
Annual greenhouse gas emissions including land use Europe 6.73 billion tonnes United States 5.89 billion tonnes Africa 4.66 billion tonnes India 4.20 billion tonnes South America 3.86 billion tonnes
November 15, 2025 at 2:00 AM
alanpater.bsky.social
On Earth Day last year, Bloomberg Green did a Q&A on the global plastic pollution crisis.

Here is my question, and their answer.

www.bloomberg.com/news/live-bl...
Here’s an interesting question from a reader: If plastics are produced using clean energy rather than by burning fossil fuels, does that mostly eliminate their contribution to climate change? So currently, the energy going into making plastics is mostly from oil, gas or coal. These fuels can achieve the higher temperatures required to turn oil into plastics. To be able to use clean power, the industry would have to find a way to make plastics using energy from electricity -- which it currently does not do. This is feasible. There are a few technologies in development, but it will involve a big capital expense for the industry. It will also require 24/7 availability of clean power, which is something still not readily available in most countries. For the plastic sector to go net-zero by 2050 with its production emissions, BNEF expects clean power will be a large part of the story (53%), although there is also a role for carbon capture and biomass.
November 14, 2025 at 9:12 PM
alanpater.bsky.social
For those interested in sourcing protein with the smallest environmental footprint, we present: The lowly bean!

Delicious, nutritious, economical, and traditional in diets around the globe. What's not to love?
Top 10 Beans and Legumes Highest in Protein [50g of Protein = 100% of the Daily Value (%DV)] 1 Boiled Soybeans (Edamame) 63% DV (31.3g) per cup 296 calories 2 Lentils 36% DV (17.9g) per cup 230 calories 3 Large White Beans 35% DV (17.4g) per cup 249 calories 4 Cranberry (Borlotti) Beans 33% DV (16.5g) per cup 241 calories 5 Split Peas 33% DV (16.3g) per cup 231 calories 6 Pinto Beans 31% DV (15.4g) per cup 245 calories 7 Kidney Beans 31% DV (15.3g) per cup 225 calories 8 Black Beans (Frijoles Negros) 30% DV (15.2g) per cup 227 calories 9 Navy (Haricot) Beans 30% DV (15g) per cup 255 calories 10 Lima (Butter) Beans 29% DV (14.7g) per cup 216 calories
November 13, 2025 at 7:11 PM
alanpater.bsky.social
From the IPCC mitigation report, here is a short list of what needs to change. What together we must and can change.
Mitigation strategies can be classified as Avoid-Shift-Improve (ASI) options, that reflect opportunities for socio-cultural, infrastructural, and technological change. The greatest Avoid potential comes from reducing long-haul aviation and providing short-distance low-carbon urban infrastructures. The greatest Shift potential would come from switching to plant-based diets. The greatest Improve potential comes from within the building sector, and in particular increased use of energy efficient end-use technologies and passive housing.
November 13, 2025 at 6:52 PM
alanpater.bsky.social
No reductions since 1990, that is true. But 1990 was not the peak.
November 12, 2025 at 3:53 PM
alanpater.bsky.social
From the IPCC mitigation report, here are the recommended actions.
Mitigation strategies can be classified as Avoid-Shift-Improve (ASI) options, that reflect opportunities for socio-cultural, infrastructural, and technological change. The greatest Avoid potential comes from reducing long-haul aviation and providing short-distance low-carbon urban infrastructures. The greatest Shift potential would come from switching to plant-based diets. The greatest Improve potential comes from within the building sector, and in particular increased use of energy efficient end-use technologies and passive housing.
November 10, 2025 at 10:19 PM
alanpater.bsky.social
Here is the list of actions needed, via the IPCC Mitigation report.

#Avoid-Shift-Improve
Mitigation strategies can be classified as Avoid-Shift-Improve (ASI) options, that reflect opportunities for socio-cultural, infrastructural, and technological change. The greatest Avoid potential comes from reducing long-haul aviation and providing short-distance low-carbon urban infrastructures. The greatest Shift potential would come from switching to plant-based diets. The greatest Improve potential comes from within the building sector, and in particular increased use of energy efficient end-use technologies and passive housing.
November 10, 2025 at 9:12 PM
alanpater.bsky.social
The IPCC mitigation report provided this TL;DR of solutions.
Mitigation strategies can be classified as Avoid-Shift-Improve (ASI) options, that reflect opportunities for socio-cultural, infrastructural, and technological change. The greatest Avoid potential comes from reducing long-haul aviation and providing short-distance low-carbon urban infrastructures. The greatest Shift potential would come from switching to plant-based diets. The greatest Improve potential comes from within the building sector, and in particular increased use of energy efficient end-use technologies and passive housing.
November 7, 2025 at 6:42 AM
alanpater.bsky.social
There is more on how shifting diets would help in this article.

ourworldindata.org/carbon-oppor...
How much could we reduce climate impacts through dietary change? The potential reductions in global greenhouse gases, if everyone in the world adopted a given diet. Global food production today emits 13.7 billion tonnes (Gt) CO2e each year from 2 sources. Production emissions: annual emissions reported from life-cycle analysis Opportunity costs of land: the potential carbon sequestration from regrowing vegetation on land currently used for agriculture. No beef or lamb: -7.1 Gt CO2e (-2.7 Gt CO2e production, -4.5 Gt CO2e land) No beef, lamb, dairy: -12.3 Gt CO2e (-4.6 Gt CO2e production, -7.7 Gt CO2e land) No meat or dairy: -13.6 Gt CO2e (-5.5 Gt CO2e production, -8.1 Gt CO2e land) Vegan: -14.7 Gt CO2e (-6.6 Gt CO2e production, -8.1 Gt CO2e land)
November 6, 2025 at 5:36 PM
alanpater.bsky.social
I think this nugget from the IPCC mitigation report is still valid.
Mitigation strategies can be classified as Avoid-Shift-Improve (ASI) options, that reflect opportunities for socio-cultural, infrastructural, and technological change. The greatest Avoid potential comes from reducing long-haul aviation and providing short-distance low-carbon urban infrastructures. The greatest Shift potential would come from switching to plant-based diets. The greatest Improve potential comes from within the building sector, and in particular increased use of energy efficient end-use technologies and passive housing.
November 6, 2025 at 5:04 PM
alanpater.bsky.social
Everybody needs to go back and re-read the IPCC Mitigation report.
Mitigation strategies can be classified as Avoid-Shift-Improve (ASI) options, that reflect opportunities for socio-cultural, infrastructural, and technological change. The greatest Avoid potential comes from reducing long-haul aviation and providing short-distance low-carbon urban infrastructures. The greatest Shift potential would come from switching to plant-based diets. The greatest Improve potential comes from within the building sector, and in particular increased use of energy efficient end-use technologies and passive housing.
November 6, 2025 at 5:01 PM
alanpater.bsky.social
Everybody needs to go back a re-read the IPCC Mitigation report.
Mitigation strategies can be classified as Avoid-Shift-Improve (ASI) options, that reflect opportunities for socio-cultural, infrastructural, and technological change. The greatest Avoid potential comes from reducing long-haul aviation and providing short-distance low-carbon urban infrastructures. The greatest Shift potential would come from switching to plant-based diets. The greatest Improve potential comes from within the building sector, and in particular increased use of energy efficient end-use technologies and passive housing.
November 6, 2025 at 4:58 PM
alanpater.bsky.social
We could all chip in our share to keep it going.
Canadian 25 cents coin.
October 29, 2025 at 10:09 PM
alanpater.bsky.social
This photo is from the train on that trip!
A pickup truck in Mexico waiting at a crossing for the train to go by.
October 29, 2025 at 9:58 PM
alanpater.bsky.social
Ten million dollars a day? Here is my share.
25 cents Canadian coin
October 23, 2025 at 9:37 PM
alanpater.bsky.social
Disappointing that fixing food's big climate problem did not make the list.

www.ipcc.ch/srccl/chapte...
IPCC chart showing the GHG mitigation potential of different diets. Vegan: 7.8 GtCO2-eq yr Vegetarian: 5.9 GtCO2-eq yr Flexitarian: 5.1 GtCO2-eq yr Healthy Diet: 4.6 GtCO2-eq yr Fair and frugal: 4.0 GtCO2-eq yr Pescatarian: 4.0 GtCO2-eq yr Climate carnivore: 3.3 GtCO2-eq yr Mediterranean: 3.0 GtCO2-eq yr
September 26, 2025 at 7:53 PM
alanpater.bsky.social
If only it was that simple ...
A pie chart titled Greenhouse Gas Sources. It has 6 sections labelled by name and by percentage of total GHG emissions. Each section is broken down into several subsections. Electricity Production -25% Electricity Used in Buildings 12% Electricity Used in Industry 11% Other Electricity Use 2% Food, Agriculture, and Land Use -24% Deforestation, Other Land Use 9% Methane From Animals 5% Methane From Rice 1% Nitrous Oxide from Fertilizer, Manure 4% Other Food, Agriculture, Land Use 5% Industry -21% Industry: Waste 3% Industry: Chemicals 3% Industry: Cement 3% Industry: Metals 5% Industry: Other 7% Transportation -14% Transportation: Road 10% Transportation: Flying 2% Transportation: Other 2% Buildings -6% Buildings: Residential 4% Buildings: Commercial/Other 2% Other - 10% Flaring/Fugitive 6% Other Energy 4%
September 10, 2025 at 8:22 PM
alanpater.bsky.social
The IPCC says that it is an effective mitigation strategy as well.

www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/w... > TS.5.8 Demand-side Aspects of Mitigation
Mitigation strategies can be classified as Avoid-Shift-Improve (ASI) options, that reflect opportunities for socio-cultural, infrastructural, and technological change. The greatest Avoid potential comes from reducing long-haul aviation and providing short-distance low-carbon urban infrastructures. The greatest Shift potential would come from switching to plant-based diets. The greatest Improve potential comes from within the building sector, and in particular increased use of energy efficient end-use technologies and passive housing.
September 9, 2025 at 10:19 PM
alanpater.bsky.social
It should also be mentioned that they are an excellent source of dietary protein!
Top 10 Beans and Legumes Highest in Protein 50g of Protein = 100% of the Daily Value (%DV) 1 Boiled Soybeans (Edamame) 63% DV (31.3g) per cup 296 calories 2 Lentils 36% DV (17.9g) per cup 230 calories 3 Large White Beans 35% DV (17.4g) per cup 249 calories 4 Cranberry (Borlotti) Beans 33% DV (16.5g) per cup 241 calories 5 Split Peas 33% DV (16.3g) per cup 231 calories 6 Pinto Beans 31% DV (15.4g) per cup 245 calories 7 Kidney Beans 31% DV (15.3g) per cup 225 calories 8 Black Beans (Frijoles Negros) 30% DV (15.2g) per cup 227 calories 9 Navy (Haricot) Beans 30% DV (15g) per cup 255 calories 10 Lima (Butter) Beans 29% DV (14.7g) per cup 216 calories
September 6, 2025 at 9:05 PM
alanpater.bsky.social
Here is another chart from @projectdrawdown.bsky.social. The problem is not just fossil fuels.

Burning oil and gas is 62% of the problem, but the our forests will still burn if we don't cut the other 38% as well.

drawdown.org/climate-solu...
A pie chart titled Greenhouse Gases. The 6 sections are labelled as follows: F-gases (2%) N2O from Agriculture, Industry (6%) CH4 from Agriculture, industry (16%) CO2 from Deforestation, Land Use (11%) CO2 from Cement, Industrial Chemicals (3%) CO2 from Burning Fossil Fuels (62%)
September 3, 2025 at 9:21 PM
alanpater.bsky.social
Oh but we do know how to fix the problem. Here is the tldr version from the IPCC.
Mitigation strategies can be classified as Avoid-Shift-Improve (ASI) options, that reflect opportunities for socio-cultural, infrastructural, and technological change. The greatest Avoid potential comes from reducing long-haul aviation and providing short-distance low-carbon urban infrastructures. The greatest Shift potential would come from switching to plant-based diets. The greatest Improve potential comes from within the building sector, and in particular increased use of energy efficient end-use technologies and passive housing.
August 26, 2025 at 2:09 AM
alanpater.bsky.social
Back in the day, the IPCC mitigation report included this TLDR nugget.
Mitigation strategies can be classified as Avoid-Shift-Improve (ASI) options, that reflect opportunities for socio-cultural, infrastructural, and technological change. The greatest Avoid potential comes from reducing long-haul aviation and providing short-distance low-carbon urban infrastructures. The greatest Shift potential would come from switching to plant-based diets. The greatest Improve potential comes from within the building sector, and in particular increased use of energy efficient end-use technologies and passive housing.
August 22, 2025 at 7:31 PM
alanpater.bsky.social
The IPCC Mitigation report classified mitigation strategies as Avoid-Shift-Improve (ASI) options.
Mitigation strategies can be classified as Avoid-Shift-Improve (ASI) options, that reflect opportunities for socio-cultural, infrastructural, and technological change. The greatest Avoid potential comes from reducing long-haul aviation and providing short-distance low-carbon urban infrastructures. The greatest Shift potential would come from switching to plant-based diets. The greatest Improve potential comes from within the building sector, and in particular increased use of energy efficient end-use technologies and passive housing.
August 21, 2025 at 8:07 PM
alanpater.bsky.social
More beans please!

www.myfooddata.com/articles/bea...
Top 10 Beans and Legumes Highest in Protein 1 Boiled Soybeans (Edamame) - 63% DV (31.3g) per cup 296 calories 2 Lentils - 36% DV (17.9g) per cup 230 calories 3 Large White Beans - 35% DV (17.4g) per cup 249 calories 4 Cranberry (Borlotti) Beans - 33% DV (16.5g) per cup 241 calories 5 Split Peas - 33% DV (16.5g) per cup 231 calories 6 Pinto Beans - 31% DV (15.4g) per cup 245 calories 7 Kidney Beans - 31% DV (15.3g) per cup 225 calories 8 Black Beans (Frijoles Negras) - 30% DV (15.2g) per cup 227 calories 9 Navy (Haricot) Beans - 30% DV (15g) per cup 255 calories 10 Lima (Butter) Beans - 29% DV (14.7g) per cup 216 calories
August 5, 2025 at 9:45 PM