Just how worrying is this climate news?
I shouldn't laugh when being interviewed about negative news, but I did, albeit just a little, before formulating an answer.
The context
Do you remember my post about all those reports about the climate crisis a few days ago? If you missed it, you can read it by clicking here.
The "State of Climate Action 2023" report, published by Systems Change Lab, studied 42 indicators to assess the world's progress towards the 2030 climate targets. It concluded that 41 are not on track.
To remind you of a few conclusions: government subsidies on fossil fuels nearly doubled between 2020 and 2021, deforestation is increasing, the rollout speed of renewable energy should double, and we have to accelerate the closing of coal power plants by a factor of seven.
The interview
After TRT had shared some information from the study in the introduction to my five-minute live interview, the first question I got was: "Just how worrying is this news?"
I laughed. I laughed since I needed a few seconds to process that question. I laughed at the thought that the sad news about the rapid, large-scale destruction of the only home we have needed some kind of qualifier, a scale, or superlative.
I don't know if there is a methodology to measure the worry scale. Suppose you interview a house owner in an area where a forest fire rages. The introduction says that the fire is more extensive and developing faster than experts had predicted; only half the water is available to put out the fire while the wind is increasing and now blows in the direction of the owner's house. The garage is already on fire, and no firefighter can reach the place.
A journalist calls the man on his smartphone while trapped in his house and asks: "Just how worrying is the news?"
So the man in his burning house answers: "It can hardly get worse; I have nowhere to go; I can't understand that there are still people who don't recognize the urgency of my situation. All the firemen tell me it is only worsening unless putting out this fire is made the absolute priority for everyone involved".
I echoed this poor man; I only translated it to a global scale.
This is the full video; it's only five minutes.
You can subscribe to my YouTube channel by clicking here.
I hope you will watch it.
Yesterday’s newsletter:
The Renewable Energy Interview at Swiss Re
I'm excited to share with you the second of three videos I made with Swiss Re about the impact of climate change on the Camino de Santiago and how to deal with the new challenges posed by global warming. Some of you may have seen it already on the platform that we fondly used to call Twitter.
Two days ago, I wrote:
How to Unlock Your Leadership Potential for a Better World
Yesterday, I wrote about the frightening conclusions drawn by the authors of several recent reports about the lack of urgency in dealing with the climate crisis. Some of you wrote back with comments, and I always try to answer each of you. But one answer I wrote just kept growing, and fearing I had r…
A year (and one day) ago, TRT also interviewed me about climate change; you can find that video in this post:
Biden's climate action policy: is the glass half full or half empty?
TRT NewsHour recently interviewed me about President Biden's speech at the Climate Conference, COP27, in Sharm el-Sheikh. I mentioned it in my latest newsletter but didn't have the video yet to include it in the text. So, with a bit of delay, here is the five-minute interview about the massive climate action that the U.S. finally undertakes based on the funding in the Inflation Reduction Act.
Bravo Alex. Great interview. I can understand the laugh. Our planet is burning while our politicians are engaged in elbow slams and fist fights on the Senate Floor; the priorities here are laughable but very scary.
I am often overwhelmed with the massive scale of climate change. It is then helpful to lean into the simplicity and beauty of nature. To sit with trees. The lungs of our planet.
Martin Luther King: "For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of gold and silver."
All the silver and gold in the world cannot replace our scorched earth. It is the things that are precious to us that we protect. How hard is it to make the choice to protect our children's future? Vote? Fly less? Eat less meat? The choice is clear. La vida es preciosa.
Well done! Your “disaster scenario” reminded me in detail of the wildfires that consumed Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii not so long ago. I payed close attention out of worry for friends residing there a few years ago. The inhabitants faced precisely the challenges you outlined. Just one example; only one highway on which to evacuate with fires blocking exits. There is discussion that Maui should not be inhabited again because the risk is unavoidable and yet those who have lived their lives there are reluctant to relocate. I was never able to locate my friends; must assume they were living back in the states as they were of advanced age and likely with children. But I’ll never know for sure.
As you are aware, in the USA, we are fighting the battle of our lives for Democracy daily and thus funds needed beyond what dear Joe Biden has legislated in prior years are tied up in a MAGA GOP House with purse strings in knots. We hope to change that situation but the impasse is prohibitive at present. Day by day we advocate, write, rally,
etc. especially around Willow and similar projects that were passed due to initial actions by our former president of whom I will not speak further. Have done all day. No more. We can focus on no meat, no flying, using less energy and switching to green alternatives, maintaining wardrobes of plastic free fabrics over lifetimes of use ignoring the “planned obsolescence “ encouraged by fashion houses. Oh my, too much coffee. ☕️. I’ve been on a roll. Nice change of topic although this is extinction level and governance may or may not be. Off topic, but hoping for a ceasefire in Gaza to stop the genocide going on there and the demonstrations here. Great interview! 😘❤️🇺🇸🇺🇦🌎😽😽🐾🐾🐾🐾🌎