Crisis? What Crisis?
No, I am not referring to the 1975 album by the English rock band Supertramp but rather the climate crisis.
It sums up how I believe many people in the Western world are reacting to the climate crisis. With nonchalance, a touch of surprise and denial. Or am I wrong on this? Is it a crisis to you? The most recent UN IPCC recent report shows that we are currently at a 1.1 deg C temperature increase since the start of industrial revolution which is proof that we, humans, have caused this change by our reliance on fossil fuels and overconsumption of resources (see link here UN IPCC Report). We have seen and continue to see wildfires all over the world, in Australia, Canada, the US and Greece. Germany recently experienced unprecedented flooding, And yet, we continue to live our lives as if all of this is not happening. It is not up to me to make any changes, is it? I have to go my job that continues to promote unlimited growth so that we can all make more money. We’ve got to support those billionaires who are paying less than 5% tax on their ridiculously large incomes. Someone else will take care of this. Hmm.
I understand the narrative that climate change is not up to the individual but governments and corporations. To be clear on the impact of corporations, a 2017 study by CBP showed that there were 100 companies responsible for 71% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions: 100 Companies responsible for 71% of GHG Emissions. Of these, China coal was responsible for 14.3% of emissions, followed by Saudi Aramco at 4.3%. The others in the top 5 are Gazprom OAO (3.9%), National Iranian Oil (2.3%)and Exxon Mobile (2%). To survive, we will need to make dramatic changes in the way corporations are allowed to operate. We also need to find a new of working and living that does not cause the destruction of our planet. Some governments are taking action, following the philosophy of the The Wellbeing Economy Alliance which focuses on human and ecological well being as a measure of the health of a society (www.weall.org). As of now, there are only five countries that are partnering to establish Well Being Economy Governments: Finland, Iceland, New Zealand, Scotland and Wales. These governments are putting in place systems to ensure the well being of its people and the environment. A country’s performance cannot be solely based upon GDP. Unlimited economic growth and focus on GDP has gotten us to where we are today. It has caused us to strip the planet of precious and finite resources. It has caused the pollution of our air and water. And worst of all, deforestation and the burning of fossil fuels has brought us extreme weather, heat, drought, tornadoes, hurricanes and flooding seen on a level never experienced before by humanity. So faced with this desperate situation, what are we to do?
First, we need to acknowledge the situation and act like we are really in a climate crisis. I try to talk to people about the urgency of the climate situation but unfortunately, the reaction that I get is one of discomfort and guilt. I get it! It’s not fun. But we have to face the facts and not play ostrich. As a result, dear reader, if you are still with me, I would ask that you speak to your family and friends about the urgency of the situation and the need to make changes in our way of living.
After that, the next key step is to use our democratic power to push all levels of government to take immediate action on climate change. We need to transition away from fossil fuels as soon as possible. We will likely need to change our economic model from one of growth, which cannot be sustained, to a well being economy where we measure the success of our society by the well being of its people and the environment and not solely wealth and material possessions. If COVID taught us anything, it is that stuff isn’t what makes us truly happy. It is our families and our friends. It is getting out and enjoying nature and the simple things in life. Our definition of success can no longer be based upon wealth and material goods.
If you still want to do more, I suggest that you do everything you can to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions (GHG).
Make a commitment to slowly start changing how you live your life. We, in the west, have had so much privilege and have taken such a large part of the world resources for ourselves. As developing countries grow and have their standard of living improve, they will produce more GHG. It is unfair for us to continue to take more and more. We have to reduce.
Look at how you live to see where most of your GHG emissions are coming from. If you fly for work or pleasure, this is going to be your largest source of GHG emissions. This means that we need to challenge the need for us to fly. Did you know that according to a 2014 study, only 6% of the world’s population has flown on an airplane? If you have a flown on a plane, you have to consider yourself part of the world’s elite. You are also responsible for 8% of the world’s greenhouse gases. I am part of that group. For 2021, I have taken the No Fly pledge (Take the No Flight Pledge Here). I intend to refuse to fly for work. TEAMS works well and I see no reason to change, plus it doesn’t hurt that I am near retirement and I am not afraid to push back. However, I love to travel during my vacation and accepting never to fly again is difficult. Will I fly again? Probably. For now, I am taking it day by day and trying to do what I can to get through this crisis. In spite of the grim situation, I have faith in people and confidence that we will do what is necessary for our planet to survive. Thanks for reading.