LINDAU, Germany, July 3 (Xinhua) -- As extreme heatwaves sweep across Europe and climate change remains high on the global agenda, Nobel Prize-winning physicist and former U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu has said that humanity could still avoid the worst consequences of the climate crisis, but it must act fast.
Chu made the remarks in a recent interview with Xinhua on the sidelines of the 75th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting in Germany, which concluded on Friday.
He warned that tackling the climate crisis is like trying to turn around the Titanic after the iceberg has been spotted. Just as a giant ship cannot change its course immediately, transitioning to clean energy and more sustainable practices "would take about 50 years," said Chu. "Even if you turn as fast as you can, it may be 40 years."
Early action is essential, he underlined. "The longer we wait, the greater the chance of some kind of collision."
Chu said that current extreme weather and climate events, including more frequent heatwaves, storms, heavy rainfall causing flooding, and rising sea levels were already anticipated 10 and 20 years ago. "We are just more aware of it now."
The deeper risk lies in the delayed effects of climate change, Chu said. Many people do not realize that today's climate impacts are only part of the problem, as "90 percent of the extra heat goes into the ocean."
Because the ocean is cold and has enormous heat capacity, it can take 50 to 100 years for that heat to be released back into the climate. "That means that we have roughly 50 years of much worse weather already baked into the system," he said.
However, Chu said some of the effects of climate change can still be reversed, but this would require removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, not merely stopping emissions.
On the global green transition, Chu said China plays an enormous role, underlining its development in photovoltaics, electric vehicles (EVs) and batteries.
In photovoltaics, Chu said, China has achieved global market leadership by making solar cells better and cheaper. He noted a similar trend in China's development of EVs and said the country has become "a pioneer" in making batteries.
China's industrial development reflects positive trends in the global green transition. "EVs are becoming cost-competitive and batteries are getting better," he said. "Fast-charging batteries are now the goal. When that happens, having an EV makes common sense."
However, Chu cautioned that many challenges remain. For example, "if fertilizers are not absorbed by plants, microbes will turn them into a very dangerous greenhouse gas that is 300 times worse than carbon dioxide over 100 years."
Nevertheless, he stressed that there is still no way to grow enough food to feed the planet without fertilizer.
He also voiced concern over misinformation and its impact on climate action. The public does not always understand the science behind issues such as genetically modified crops and nuclear energy, he said, and the internet facilitates the rapid spread of misinformation. ■
