That our climate is changing is obvious. It always has. Whether we should be in a historical cooling cycle has been debated. The fact that the planet is warming and why, is a given and is not up for debate. There are deniers of course. There always are and will be for everything. Sometimes they are right. This time they are not. And if we were even inclined to take a chance they were right, the penalty for being wrong is the ultimate penalty. So that makes it undebatable except for the insane.
What is debatable is how fast our planet is warming, how sensitive the earth is to greenhouse gas accumulation, at what temperatures do tipping points occur, what is the fail safe point for survival, and what are the solutions. One could make a reasonable argument between the extremes of a minor inconvenience to the Venus Syndrome. With a reasonable prevention effort the outcome is somewhere in between.
Some reasonable and learned folks argue that it is all over but the shouting and it can't be changed. So they say let's just don't shout and let's be nice to each other for our remaining time.
But if the outcome is the worst possible, do we really want to roll up in a ball and whimper and die? I think not. As for being nice to each other, that should be a priority in any climate. It seems we have had a hard time learning that trick.
What is most important is to accept reality and believe we can make a difference. And if you went to college give it that "old college try" and if not, try anyway. We must work together and relegate the dead weight not to the back seat but to the trunk.
Karl Mathiesen in The Guardian gives us 10 pretty good reasons to be hopeful. Can you think of some more?
10 Reasons To Be Hopeful That We Will Overcome Climate Change
Karl Mathiesen , theguardian.com
From action in China and the US to falling solar costs and rising electric car sales, there is cause to be hopeful.
For the last few months, carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere have been at record levels unseen in over 800,000 years. The chairman of the IPCC, an international panel of the world’s top climate scientists, warned earlier this year that “nobody on this planet is going to be untouched by the impacts of climate change”.
Future generations will no doubt wonder at our response, given the scale of the threat. It’s known that death, poverty and suffering await millions, and yet governments still vacillate.
But solutions are available. Here are ten reasons to be hopeful that humans will rise to the challenge of climate change.
I can think of a few more
1. Young people think conservatives are daffy on Global Warming. Will they turn out to vote?
2. Fundamental Christians in the US are finally starting to accept the responsibilities for belief in dominion and stewardship.
3. Climate deniers in the US are mostly fat old Southern or near Southern white men and they are by far in the minority.
4. There may be a movement towards the empowering of women in our political systems.
Now you add to the list and get to work.
Fear And Hope: Climate Change And Policy Solutions
Hal Harvey, CEO of Energy Innovation and Senior Fellow at The Paulson Institute, explains the incredible dangers climate change presents humanity and the surprising innovations that may be able to prevent them.
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About the Author
Robert Jennings is co-publisher of InnerSelf.com with his wife Marie T Russell. InnerSelf is dedicated to sharing information that allows people to make educated and insightful choices in their personal life, for the good of the commons, and for the well-being of the planet. InnerSelf Magazine is in its 30+year of publication in either print (1984-1995) or online as InnerSelf.com. Please support our work.
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