Earth is warming at an unprecedented pace. Climate change is destroying our planet. And the evidence is all around us. In spite of the media’s sparse coverage of global warming, we are confronted daily with cursory reports about extreme weather events, dying coral reefs, the Zika virus, climate refugees, floods, wildfires, droughts, disappearing Arctic ice and more and more and more. The warming onslaught is visible. And it seems to be unstoppable.
How Climate Change is Destroying Our Planet
Even if the 195 signatories to the Paris Agreement comply with their stated targets for emissions reductions, the world will still heat up by as much as 3.5 degrees Celsius by 2100 — not the 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius promised in the pact.
In a recent article, Bill McKibben uses the war-metaphor to focus our attention on the global warming challenge.
By most of the ways we measure wars, climate change is the real deal: Carbon and methane are seizing physical territory, sowing havoc and panic, racking up casualties, and even destabilizing governments. (Bill McKibben).
We have known for decades that this day would come. The warming of the planet is speeding up with 14 consecutive months of record-breaking temperatures. Half measures will no longer work. The Paris Agreement is already inadequate.
The question is not, are we in a world war? The question is, will we fight back? And if we do, can we actually defeat an enemy as powerful and inexorable as the laws of physics? (Bill McKibben).
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Rolly Montpellier is the Founder and Managing Editor of BoomerWarrior.Org. He’s a Climate Activist and a blogger. He’s a member of 350.Org (Ottawa), Climate Reality Canada and Citizens’ Climate Lobby (Ottawa). Rolly has been published widely in both print and online publications. You can follow him on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and Pinterest.
This correct, Bill and Margaret are correct, WE are at war but we just don’t know it yet. I fear we only come to know our status when at least half of North America is either flooed, on fire, in extraordinary drought, or in a heatwave. Something, I don’t know.
What I am hoping for is THE CITIZENS, NOT GOVERNMENTS, of the developed world wake up and see our reality. If citizens don’t wake up first, then government won’t do us any good at all.
Danny,
It’s hard to even conceive that we are at war. The media coverage of such brain-numbing events as the Olympics, the Donald Trump campaign, the Clinton Foundation saga, etc. reminds me that most people are quite happy with the mundane and the ordinary. Climate change and global warming do not quite register on their radar screen yet.
Thanks for your support.
I think citizens are slowly waking up to the realisation that climate change will affect them negatively. While I still meet many sceptics, the detractors claims of ‘nothing unusual here,’ are being slowly drowned out by shouts of ‘help!’ from people experiencing the first hand effects of climate warming. However, response is happening far too slowly. Just as in a war, if we do not quickly recognise the enemy, we will be surrounded and any effort to retaliate will be overcome.
The pictorial indicators on Rolly’s post are almost Apocalyptic….and fair warning to all that if we don’t open our eyes and take a real good look at life on this planet and what needs to be done, we will be very sorry indeed. It is like a disease taking hold in the body, if we don’t pay attention to the early signs and get intervening medical help, the prognosis worsens and treatment to prevent death impossible!
Colette – I am indeed having an apocalyptic stretch. I’m frustrated at the lack of progress in tackling climate change. For every positive step that I see, I also observe 2-3 more that are counter-productive.
As Robert points out in his comments, we are facing a formidable enemy in Capitalism. I see no sign whatsoever that our economic mindset is about to change. It’s full speed ahead with economic growth as we race to the edge of the cliff. And we all know what happens then.
Thank you as usual for sharing your thoughts.
Boomer,
Congrats on crushing the graphic/chart/pictures worth a thousand words presentation format!
Would like to see one change. The 97% scientists believe climate change vs 72% media not, does not seem to provide the same impact as 97% scientists and only 28% media. The 69% gap, for me at least, points to so much of the problem.
It is so very hard for media to get on board because they sell advertising first, journalism second. A Capitalistic enterprise within a Capitalistic System. They have to get their $ or they die. That is why loss of federal $ for NPR and the like was such a crime. Leaves us without an impartial source of info at a time (perhaps past time) when we desperately need it.
The very system that has brought us so far, Capitalism, is about to kill us and an entire planet. Great Extinction Events are by definition very thorough. And normally accompanied by Climate Change.
The completion of the coming horrorific event may arrive breath takingly quickly. Sooner than expected may be a tragically inadequate description.
Please continue your efforts.
Robert,
I share your view that Capitalism is killing us. I had a conversation with a friend earlier this afternoon about that very issue. Unless we move away from Capitalism there is no chance, I repeat, no chance that we will solve climate change. We can change all the light bulbs in the world and transition to a clean energy platform, and drive electric vehicles, fly less, and so on but capitalism continues to consume more than the planet can replace.
Capitalism is the problem. And we are the problem. Capitalism on clean energy will pollute less but it will nevertheless destroy the planet. This is already well underway.
Thank you for your comments and for following BoomerWarrior – much appreciated.