Prologue ( May 2019)
The climate emergency is a fast-changing topic and this page will quickly get out of date.
I am not
a crusader that posts daily, so this occasional blog may become no more than a record of
changing attitudes over the years.
Prior to 2019, I knew that climate change was an increasingly worrying problem for later this century. I also understood that, although there are many effective actions that humans can take, there was insufficient political will to take those actions. So I resigned myself to the pragmatic notion that "only when it gets much worse will humans see the need for change". I suspect many educated people took, or take, a similar view. But then in 2019, thanks to the efforts of many concerned climate scientists and activists, I got the message:
There is no time left to wait for the situation to get worse, to wait for humanity to directly sense the coming disaster and then react instinctively. By then it will be way too late; we will be on an irreversible path to the possible extinction of humanity. This century. We're in a climate emergency. We're heading towards a climate catastrophe.
So in 2019, I began my ongoing personal transformation into some type of eco-warrior. It's been a life-affirming process. I've made some new, like-minded friends as a result of joining Extinction Rebellion and taking part in recent exhilarating actions. I am discovering my own comfort zone: For instance, do I want to take a lead and in what way? Do I want to simply offer my support, as a soldier or a donor? Am I willing to be arrested for a noble cause? Or do I prefer to be led by our democratically-chosen representatives? Is it time to run away and build a survivalist bolt-hole?
I feel I can be a minor, occasional educator and campaigner. That involves first climbing some steep learning curves: the science, the politics and the human psychology. As a first effort, I have sifted through some of the overwhelming profusion of information that has blossomed recently. Below and on the right are links to useful web resources. [NB - my provision of a link does not indicate that I endorse all the views therein; it simply means the link makes interesting points regarding a complex issue].
 Message from leading climate scientists |
 An entry portal to Extinction Rebellion, circa April 2019 |
NASA: a high credibility source |
Update for September 2021
It feels, in late 2021, that the climate issue is well and truly on the map, and we can thank XR and Youth movements inspired by torch-bearer Greta Thunberg. Positive solutions are proposed across the media by scientists, celebrities, pundits, technologists, royalty and politicians alike, all along the lines of "We can do it! (but we must act now)". I'm highly dubious, however, that humanity will do anything like enough in time. The two polar views (pessimism and optimism), are well summed up by two YouTube talks; I've put the links on the right menu: i) Rupert Read Interview heralds the end of civilisation as we know it and ii) Just have a Think proposes that enlightened market capitalism will soon save the planet. Both well-motivated talks by well-motivated people but they couldn't be more different...