A Canadian Carbon Election Parable
Originally published in The Sudbury Star on Sept. 4, 2021
There was a man named Jack, a self-employed, hard-working fellow with Type 2 diabetes, who lived in a fake town called Carbon City.
Now Carbon City was a peculiar place, where planning for retirement was straightforward. Every citizen knew precisely how long they would live, and how much each year of living would cost. In Carbon City, banks didn’t offer interest. People had to manage on what they’d saved, but with care, life could be wound down gracefully.
After 40 years of toil, Jack had managed to save $1 million. He decided his time had come. With 20 more years to live, at a cost of $40,000 a year, he would have $200,000 left for unexpected costs and a wee bit of fun. His financial advisor gave him a 50-66% chance of having enough money to see himself through.
During his first year of freedom, Jack decided he deserved a real vacation. His doctor had warned him about the potential complications of diabetes and Jack wanted to enjoy a cruise while he still had both legs. He blew $8000 and had a blast. His advisor wasn’t so happy.
The next year, Jack’s old Honda Civic called it quits, so he bought himself a brand-new souped-up Ford truck. For some reason, his advisor wasn’t interested in taking it for a spin. He just shook his head and walked away.
As year three rolled around, a pandemic struck, and Jack was stuck at home. What with the diabetes, he always felt too hot or too cold, so he invested in AC and got a two-for-one deal on gas fireplaces. His financial advisor accused him of flouting his advice and threatened to quit if Jack didn’t stop spending so much money.
But on it went. By year ten, Jack’s diabetes was out of control. His legs were a weird bluish-purply-grey colour, and he would soon be a double amputee. Life just wasn’t much fun anymore. Unexpected bills were piling up on his countertops. His “extra” $200,000 was gone, and Jack was dipping into his cost-of-living money to keep his creditors at bay. With ten more years of life to pay for, he started buying lottery tickets.
In year eleven . . . well, need we go further? Jack was in poor health, and in serious financial trouble. He had repeatedly failed to stay within his budget and plan for the unexpected. But instead of taking responsibility for his actions, Jack blamed his financial advisor. Why had the guy ever suggested that a 50-66% chance of having enough money was good enough odds? Life was going to be tough on the streets for a guy with no legs.
Readers may ask what this parable means, so I will offer an interpretation. Carbon City is our fossil-fuel-based global economy. Jack represents all of humanity, but especially those who inhabit the industrialized world. Jack’s $1 million is the fixed budget of greenhouse gases we have left, if we are to avoid global warming of more than 1.5-2.0C. This budget has been ordained by the laws of physics and can’t be changed. When it’s gone, it’s gone. Jack’s financial advisor represents the verdict of science and the best advice and warnings of the world’s climate scientists. Jack’s odds of having enough money (50-66%) are the same odds many of the currently recommended actions are based on.
Jack’s overspending and poor financial management represent our ongoing failure to seriously curtail our emissions and wind down our fossil fuel economy gracefully within the years allotted to us. Jack’s deteriorating health and loss of his legs represent the increasing near-term impact of climate change so evident in the news these days, and the devastation to come if we don’t change direction immediately.
As Jesus used to say, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”