Who are we kidding? The human race is never going to get a handle on climate change, no matter how many climate talks we schedule or how many treaties are signed.
That’s a pretty bold statement, but I stand by it.
I’m no expert, but it doesn’t take a genius to look around and realize that we’re going to go down with the ship; pointing fingers, too stubborn to take the necessary measures needed to stop this.
Sure, we’ve made some progress, but not nearly enough; not enough to make a difference.
While we waste time arguing and blaming each other for this, that, and the other, we get closer to a tipping point where it’ll be too late.
The Oil Industry (Today’s fuel)
The oil industry is not going down without a fight, and that’s a big problem. For them, it’s life or death and their very existence is at stake. I can understand their point of view, but we aren’t going to make a dent in greenhouse gas emissions unless we steer away from fossil fuels and adopt cleaner ways of powering our vehicles and generating our electricity.
Unfortunately for the environment, big oil has friends in high places. They are constantly lobbying our politicians to change (or create new) laws and policies that benefit them. In 2022, the oil and gas industry spent $124 million lobbying the federal government while they enjoyed record profits.
I realize that oil and gas are a huge part of our economy and we are still very reliant on them to power our world, but we also need to shift to alternate sources of energy if we are to make a dent in greenhouse gas emissions and have any chance of surviving the next 50 years.
Fusion (Tomorrow’s fuel)
We need to build fusion reactors on Earth; this is the only non-fossil fuel source that could literally save the planet. There’s only one problem: The technology is decades away. It’s estimated that we won’t have commercial fusion reactors online until 2050, at the earliest. Physicists and engineers are still figuring out ways to work around the mass problem.
Once it becomes reality, fossil fuels will go the way of the dinosaur. And come to think of it, wind and solar may also be made obsolete. Fusion is just so much more energy rich, and like wind and solar, it’s clean. Fusion will provide us with an almost limitless supply of electricity once those reactors are online. The entire planet will run on clean electricity from that moment on.
But will we make it until then? That’s the million dollar question.
Here’s an article I wrote on Nuclear Fusion.
But now, let’s get back to 2023 and the pending climate crisis.
Climate Deniers And Politics
One of the biggest problems we have today is that a significant portion of the population refuses to believe how serious global warming really is (I’m using the U.S. as an example since they are, by far, the world’s leader in consumerism). They think it’s a hoax perpetrated by the liberal left; like they have some kind of agenda. Social media has ensured that any crackpot, climate change denier can have a platform to spout their lies. What’s in it for these new-age conspiracy theorists? Well, that’s where it gets a little complicated.
What I can say is that members of the far right faction are not only climate change deniers, but also, likely, anti-abortion, anti-vax, anti-immigration, and so forth. The climate change denialism is just part of it. It fits a certain profile, fuelled by far right television, podcasts, video, and social media.
As for the podcasters, news hosts, and other far-right social media stars, you have to wonder what’s in it for them. Most probably don’t believe what they’re spouting, so why do it? Well, in some cases (most cases), it’s money, power, and recognition. Unfortunately, they are doing real harm by convincing people that climate change is a hoax.
People Won’t Make The Needed Sacrifices Anyway
Let’s say that, by some miracle, we finally convince climate change deniers that the planet really is in trouble, you’d still face an even bigger challenge trying to get people to change their lifestyle.
Changing one’s lifestyle (especially if it’s an affluent lifestyle) is next to impossible. Imagine telling people they have to get a much smaller house, ride a bicycle to work, eat a plant based diet, and limit purchases to the absolute bare minimum; no more extravagances. No way is that going to fly. Modern humans are wired to work hard, make money, then use that money for a “better life.”
The measures we have in place today, and those that are proposed, are a joke. It’s not going to be enough. And here we are, countries struggling to get even the lamest of measures in place. Imagine how people would react if they had to make the kind of sacrifices that are actually needed; they would lose their shit.
And that is why we are going to go down with the ship.
They are not going to give up their big home, 2 cars, and other consumer crap that they think they need – that they’ve become addicted to. We are all just sleepwalking towards the abyss, head stuck in the sand, pretending there’s no crisis.
And that’s because it hasn’t been that bad yet. The problem is, when it gets so bad that people have no choice but to change, it’ll be too late.
Get ready for deadly heat waves, scorched crops, dry reservoirs, coastal flooding, and more. Mass starvation will kill billions if we lose this fight.
For a so called “intelligent species,” we sure are dumb. What’s it going to take? Empty supermarket shelves? People dying in the street? Half the country underwater?
Think it won’t happen? Well, here it is in a nutshell. We are still at number 1. Number 2 is right around the corner.
1. Many people don’t see the proof. In their eyes, it’s not too bad right now.
2. When the tipping point comes and we are past the point of no return, things still won’t seem that bad.
3. When things finally get bad, it’ll be much too late.
I’m not an alarmist or doomsayer, but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that we’re heading toward the edge of a cliff while living our “best lives,” in the “best of times.”
What can be done?
Nothing, because that is the nature of our species.
The planet will recover, even if it takes a few million years. Our time here is nothing more than a drop in the bucket when you consider Earth’s overall lifespan.
