But whatever their differences, these leaders are sharing this one small beautiful planet with everyone else. And their stay on earth is short; if you summarize the earth's history into one year, each of these leaders is just present for only half a second. That sounds less irrelevant than it is because, for once, they have the chance to finally achieve the greatness that they all dream about in the next two weeks. At COP26, they can take decisions that will impact the conditions for life on this planet. That includes the future for their own children and grandchildren and all their countries' citizens and future inhabitants.
I didn’t realize Halloween was more common to North America.
Of course consumerism can attach itself to anything in my country and frequently to its detriment. As a child, I remember making our costumes from whatever was at hand. Old bedsheets with holes cut out for eyes were always popular. Now everyone buys elaborate ones.
It’s definitely ominous for COP26 to begin on The Day of the Dead. A frightening prospect especially when some of the participants are equally frightening.
Thank you Alex for this article, which I really appreciated.
I learned a lot about this Halloween party (or old celebration).
A party which isn’t part of my culture, and which remains a "strangeness" for me 😉 !!
An omen between the date of Halloween and the date of COB 26 ??
In a y case, l hope that the leaders present will be able to go beyond purely partisan and personal interests, to quickly put in place effective, bold and coordinated measures.
But many are in power in general for a very short time ... Do they have the will for a common and united vision of the future to preserve our fragile planet and future generations?
The ideal would be a planetary commission, detached from the interests of each of the nations and endowed with powers ... But this is a pure science-fiction scenario😉 (as we have already seen in the cinema… curious, no ?) !!
Our current leaders are not in place for long ... what will they leave tangible after their passage, who will take over and take responsibility?
You write that you cannot live "without hope" ... nobody can if she is aware of the stakes, of the long-distance race to lead, of the damage already visible
So to keep hope, I think we should - but of course everyone as they can — do what you have done with your convictions, your scientific knowledges and your visionary spirit for so many years: talk about it, raise awareness , explain the inevitable if nothing is done!
That is to say, talk about it to those around us, our friends, our relatives, make them aware..
And above all, our role is to put in place leaders in solidarity, committed to this objective of safeguarding, so that the relays last, so that they are assured for the decisive years to come!
I remember listening to you during one of your conferences where you started your speech almost directly by: "there is no plan B, we have no choice" and end the debates by same sentence !!
Your speeches, like those of many scientists, lecturers, activists, have marked many people and especially young people by an irreversible awareness.
And that also gives hope !!👌
Nothing of the past actions will have been done for nothing!
Thank you, Danièle, We should all do what we can, in my case that is to talk and write about climate. And on inspiring the young people; in my case, I believe it has often been the other way around. The youth movement on climate has been -and still is- an enormous source of inspiration for me. They have changed the way that I see the urgency and impact of climate change, even after the many years that I have been working on these global environmental issues.
So I allow myself this comment: the urgency comes from waiting to put in place the right measures, despite repeated alerts from the entire community of various stakeholders, like you.
And at the time, there were more people who were very skeptical or people who refused to admit the inevitable. A huge brake!
It is also because this community continued to sound the alarm bells that young people became aware of this reality which was becoming more and more urgent and above all visible!
Their actions naturally change thoughts, ideas, consciousness, because now the urgency is there and obvious!
And it is thanks to previous achievements that they were able to get involved in this way! Their visions are more anchored in the urgency, because it is their whole life which is concerned.
I didn’t realize Halloween was more common to North America.
Of course consumerism can attach itself to anything in my country and frequently to its detriment. As a child, I remember making our costumes from whatever was at hand. Old bedsheets with holes cut out for eyes were always popular. Now everyone buys elaborate ones.
It’s definitely ominous for COP26 to begin on The Day of the Dead. A frightening prospect especially when some of the participants are equally frightening.
But, yes, hope.
Well, tomorrow it is All Saints, let's hope that's a positive sign... ;-)
Yes, with the help of the Saints there’s always hope 😇🙏
Thank you Alex for this article, which I really appreciated.
I learned a lot about this Halloween party (or old celebration).
A party which isn’t part of my culture, and which remains a "strangeness" for me 😉 !!
An omen between the date of Halloween and the date of COB 26 ??
In a y case, l hope that the leaders present will be able to go beyond purely partisan and personal interests, to quickly put in place effective, bold and coordinated measures.
But many are in power in general for a very short time ... Do they have the will for a common and united vision of the future to preserve our fragile planet and future generations?
The ideal would be a planetary commission, detached from the interests of each of the nations and endowed with powers ... But this is a pure science-fiction scenario😉 (as we have already seen in the cinema… curious, no ?) !!
Our current leaders are not in place for long ... what will they leave tangible after their passage, who will take over and take responsibility?
You write that you cannot live "without hope" ... nobody can if she is aware of the stakes, of the long-distance race to lead, of the damage already visible
So to keep hope, I think we should - but of course everyone as they can — do what you have done with your convictions, your scientific knowledges and your visionary spirit for so many years: talk about it, raise awareness , explain the inevitable if nothing is done!
That is to say, talk about it to those around us, our friends, our relatives, make them aware..
And above all, our role is to put in place leaders in solidarity, committed to this objective of safeguarding, so that the relays last, so that they are assured for the decisive years to come!
I remember listening to you during one of your conferences where you started your speech almost directly by: "there is no plan B, we have no choice" and end the debates by same sentence !!
Your speeches, like those of many scientists, lecturers, activists, have marked many people and especially young people by an irreversible awareness.
And that also gives hope !!👌
Nothing of the past actions will have been done for nothing!
Thank you, Danièle, We should all do what we can, in my case that is to talk and write about climate. And on inspiring the young people; in my case, I believe it has often been the other way around. The youth movement on climate has been -and still is- an enormous source of inspiration for me. They have changed the way that I see the urgency and impact of climate change, even after the many years that I have been working on these global environmental issues.
I find you very modest Alex!
So I allow myself this comment: the urgency comes from waiting to put in place the right measures, despite repeated alerts from the entire community of various stakeholders, like you.
And at the time, there were more people who were very skeptical or people who refused to admit the inevitable. A huge brake!
It is also because this community continued to sound the alarm bells that young people became aware of this reality which was becoming more and more urgent and above all visible!
Their actions naturally change thoughts, ideas, consciousness, because now the urgency is there and obvious!
And it is thanks to previous achievements that they were able to get involved in this way! Their visions are more anchored in the urgency, because it is their whole life which is concerned.
So well done to everyone who paved the way 👏👏
Ohoh !… not « skeptical » but septic …
PS : Sorry in advance for my surely very approximate English!… 🙋♀️🇫🇷
🎃 I think it can be pretty scary for kids . . .