Oppenheimer’s legacy: an unheeded warning for our climate

TORONTO—“Now I have become death, the destroyer of worlds." This quote originates from the Bhagavad Gita and has been popularized by the film Oppenheimer as American theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer showed remorse in an interview regarding the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. On Aug. 6, 1945, “Little Boy” was dropped on Hiroshima, killing between 70,000-126,000 civilians. Three days later, a second bomb in Nagasaki killed between 60,000–80,000 civilians. As the men were at war, most of the victims were civilians, notably women and children. Yet, thousands of people are dying daily, but we generally find such deaths to be worse; why is that? Is it because the bomb killed innocent civilians, or the fact that the Americans decided to push the button? Would these deaths be suddenly ethical if the targets were chosen by rolling a dice? Not really. What makes these deaths horrible is the premeditation to kill innocent civilians. Whoever dies, regardless of where or when, if there is a clear causal link between human action and the deaths then they become unethical. Hugo Cordeau. Handout photograph Yet, I think we forget how the thick layer of pollution—notably coming from our vehicle engines—affects the climate. Since 1971, our activity has trapped the energy equivalent to 25 billion nuclear bombs creating a suffocating blanket of pollution around our cherished pale blue dot: Earth. The science is unambiguous: as this trapped energy seeks to dissipate, it results in extreme weather events such as torrential rains and hurricanes. As not all of the energy can be dissipated, the planet is warming, generating heat waves, drought, and—in my home province—historic wildfires. These catastrophes have tremendous human and economic costs. They cause a staggering amount of damage, such as $1-trillion annually by 2050, or 250,000 additional deaths from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea, and heat stress. Much like the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, there is a causal link between the pollution we increasingly emit into the atmosphere, and the fatalities from climate change and natural disasters. The federal government just released a report stating the social cost of a ton of pollution is $250 ($150-$450). This implies a round-trip flight from Toronto to Paris imposes a societal cost of $500 per passenger. In comparison, an SUV and an F-150 pickup generate annual costs of $1,000 and $1,750, respectively. Indeed, while individual actions are crucial, it's important to remember that the crisis we face extends beyond individual efforts. It's a fight for collective survival. While decarbonization represents the way forward, there's substantial debate concerning its implementation. For example, the federal government bet on the oil and gas sector by investing in blue hydrogen—processes associated with hydraulic fracturing, a technique with severe consequences on our health—and carbon capture. But the fossil fuel sector is no ally. Just observe their last year's investment as they made record profits. Had they been allies, they would have invested in renewable energy. They did not. Instead, they repealed their climate pledges, doubled down in oil and gas exploration, and emitted starling dividends. “Now I have become death, the destroyer of worlds.” Oil and gas companies might have never pronounced these words, but it seems increasingly appropriate in view of the worsening climate crisis. The positive news is that the federal government just announced its plan to cut the current subsidies given to the fossil fuel industry, marking a significant step forward. More progressive measures are expected, including a cap on oil and gas emissions. Certainly, these firms have made substantial contributions to our well-being. However, reminiscent of Oppenheimer, their creations now pose an existential risk to life as we know it. The grim reality is that these firms cannot transition to greener practices on their own because doing so would jeopardize their existing capital. Undoubtedly, we must reduce our individual impact on the climate, but above all, we need bold, impactful policies. A decreasing cap on the emission of the oil and gas sector is a must, and this should not be bailed out by the taxpayer but by these record profits firms. Hugo Cordeau is a PhD student in economics at the University of Toronto. The Hill Times