Go on, have the balls to actually look at it:
See where we are? We’re right at that point where we don’t want to be. That’s where we are. The appropriately red-coloured line that is beneath all the others (well beneath).
Look, I don’t claim to know much about climate science. I know about materials science. But if there’s one thing scientists know how to do, it’s to respect others’ areas of expertise. Especially the expertise of other scientists.
It’s a bit like the song:
“What you don’t know you can feel it somehow” — U2
We know that there are others who are cleverer than us. And we respect that knowledge.
So I admit that I don’t know how the Earth’s climate fully works. But this latest graph worries me. This graph worries me a lot.
Because its pretty darn obvious to anyone what is going on in this graph.
I don’t think the Earth is completely screwed just yet. But if we don’t change NOW, then it will be.
I think the Earth’s climate is remarkly resilient considering all we’ve thrown at it over the last century.
But all I know is, if man thinks he can change local environments —on a global scale mind you— without global consequences, well then he is sorely mistaken.
That is not the way this world works. That is not how any world works.
Because this is the graph of all graphs. This graph should be printed on the insides of all petrol tank lids.
Every time you wish to use your car, you should be thinking of this graph!
Every time you want to fly somewhere, you should be thinking of this graph!
Every time you eat meat, you should be thinking of this graph!
This is the “climate emergency” graph that James Hansen is referring to.
And what do I see? In reality? In reality, I look around today, and I see bugger all people talking about this problem. And yet it is a big problem. A very big problem.
People should be talking about this over their lunch break and their coffee break. And for some reason they’re not. They’re just not.
It’s always the environmentalists –the conservationists– who are the ones talking about it. It needs to go mainstream. These articles need to go viral, now. Not people punching kangaroos to save their dog. Not videos of cats walking backwards up trees or whatever. Not people showing off by breaking laws. This. Now. Today.
I think a lot of people are really in denial, I really do. I was warned of this shit in 1992. So I’ve had a bit of time to prepare. As I said in another post, I could see the concern in my teacher’s eyes. And now twenty four or twenty five five years later, it’s all coming true. It’s all coming true. All of the predictions about global warming and extinction. They are all coming true.
Seriously, people just aren’t doing enough. Or rather, it’s not that they’re not doing enough. It’s that they’re still doing too much. They’re still buying too much. Buying an eco-mug is worse than buying no eco mug at all.
People aren’t changing fast enough. People need to get with the fucking program already.
Stop ignoring it. Stop the denial. Stop burying your head in the sand. Stop pretending that it will go away. Stop pretending that it will just disapppear magically somehow… all by itself. It won’t. It’s here.
Yes we all need to cut down on emissions, stat. You know that word, “stat”? That’s the word surgeons use when they want something now. When they need something NOW!
I think the onus is on scientists1 –myself included– to put their money where their mouth is… and change. We need to change ourselves. And that is precisely what I am trying to do. What I am doing. Changing.
Because if climate scientists don’t even stop driving and flying everywhere and anywhere, how can they expect other people to change their lifestyles? If they don’t even do it?
That’s why I am changing. It’s hard but I am changing. I drive about 10x less than I did before. Truth be told, I don’t even own a vehicle today. I love motorbikes. But knowing what I know, I couldn’t. I just couldn’t. Not even a second-hand one.
Actually, the reality is that it’s not that hard. The hardest part is making the commitment to changing your lifestyle.
I hope you are ready to do that today.
Today’s the day.
Today is that day.
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