"The first of our current challenges is to admit that we will not stop climate change. Prevention is no longer an option." - David Schlosberg, Professor of Government and International Relations, University of Sydney
The climate change onion has many layers, and peeling back each one causes tears. That it's real, that it's caused by us, that it will have significant effects - each of these takes quite a while to sink in. But many people who believe all that still don't believe the quote above. One reason is that it's sad. Another is that it takes a lot of science, and a lot of hard numbers, to get to this conclusion.
Personally I'd say that prevention isn't an option, but there's still a huge difference between a disaster, a really bad disaster, a really really bad disaster, a really really REALLY bad disaster, and so on. I don't think we'll reach a stage where we can honestly say "it can't get worse than this, so we might as well just relax."
The climate change onion has many layers, and peeling back each one causes tears. That it's real, that it's caused by us, that it will have significant effects - each of these takes quite a while to sink in. But many people who believe all that still don't believe the quote above. One reason is that it's sad. Another is that it takes a lot of science, and a lot of hard numbers, to get to this conclusion.
Personally I'd say that prevention isn't an option, but there's still a huge difference between a disaster, a really bad disaster, a really really bad disaster, a really really REALLY bad disaster, and so on. I don't think we'll reach a stage where we can honestly say "it can't get worse than this, so we might as well just relax."
We imagine we live in a rational, enlightened society. If we did, though, experts would identify issues to be addressed, and goals to be reached. In fact, we see direct intervention to break the link between knowledge and policy. The climate issue unmistakably shows us that it is a small matter for power to trump and corrupt knowledge, on a global scale.
It's too late for an optimal solution now. It is time to start coping. But how?
It's too late for an optimal solution now. It is time to start coping. But how?
