Thread by @ArjunNMurti

1 of 10/ An open letter to COP27 organizers

Dear Team COP27, A few suggestions from someone who sincerely cares about reducing energy poverty, ideally with zero CO2.

Warning: Another attempt at Parody. Save the hate for a future tweet about newfound E&P capital discipline.

2/ No brainer Suggestion #1: Ban all delegates from using private planes (ex world leaders). Come on, this one is a piece of cake. Normally, I poke fun at virtue signaling. But we are all progressives on this point. I hear Lufthansa now offers “green” seats!

3/ Suggestion #2: Hold a future COP in a truly developing area. How about the “developing” area just outside Mumbai airport? While we are saving the poor from the ills of future climate extremes, can we not get their opinions on what they want and think?

4/ Suggestion #3: Instead of staying in fancy hotels or Air BnBs, all delegates will get a free tent to “camp” in the area outside of Mumbai airport. With all the money saved on lodging, dinners and wine tastings, $$$ could be donated to help locals eat and attend school.

5/ Suggestion #4: Ask the locals what they prefer: A car + modern electricity or promises that you will do everything in your power to limit “dirty” energy supply before “clean tech” is ready for prime time, while ignoring the tough consumer demand choices in your own country.

6/ Suggestion #5: Ask the locals if air pollution in their country that only uses limited amounts of fossil fuels is better or worse than the air quality in high fossil fuel use countries. Why is that?

7/ Suggestion #6: Ask the locals if they would like energy poverty reduction to join the call for “justice”. What is “just” about billions of people being forced to live a sub-modern lifestyle?

8/ Suggestion #7: Ask the locals if they understand why rich countries are moving to intermittent forms of electricity without also ensuring adequate zero-carbon base-load energy, which almost certainly has to come from nuclear?

9/ Suggestion #8: Ask the locals if they are OK depending on Middle East and Russia oil supply since there is pressure on US/Canadian governments to reduce their own oil and gas supply?

10 END/ Suggestion #9: Ask the locals if they would like gasoline/diesel/LPG subsidies to be eliminated, consistent with a 1.5C warming objective.

PS/ In all seriousness, it is my humble, likely ill-informed, probably incorrect, and deeply conflicted opinion that we will never solve CO2 without first, or at least simultaneously, eliminating energy poverty. There are many billions of people that deserve modern energy.

PS2/ I am not a political person. I hate US cable news...all channels. I am a Wall Street analyst that has studied energy markets for 30 years. I am neither anti-environmentalist nor pro-fossil fuels per se. I do care about elevating the issue of energy poverty reduction.