It’s too late to STOP climate change.
It’s not too late to ADAPT to it.
I have been sounding the global warming fire bell for about 18 years now, first through the site CatastropheMap.com and now via an updated platform called RapidClimateChange.org. As the evidence has become undeniable, I increasingly find myself on the receiving end of well-intentioned scoldings (which I differentiate from trolling). These comments come from those who are securely on board the global warming train1and I take them seriously. That is why I am clarifying my standpoint here.
The criticism is: I am scaring people to the point that they will give up. I should soften the message so that people don’t lose hope. To me, this is like saying “Alaric and the Visigoths are just outside the gates with swords and pikes, but don’t worry they’ll probably just stop by the see the Colosseum.”
There isn’t much I can do about the way people react to info about the climate catastrophe. Furthermore I’m not sure what level of alarm is optimum in the face of a planetary crisis more threatening than nuclear war. From outright deniers and fossil fuel operatives to doomsday prophets, everyone has a different position. The best I can do is report as accurately as possible, which is no mean feat as the plundering classes continue to put out billions of dollars’ worth of misinformation2, as they have for at least four decades.
I will continue to argue that no one is going to do anything unless they understand that we have already been in the boiling water for several years now3. Indeed, climate science has been remarkably accurate in its predictions, with the caveat that most models have been too conservative in terms of speed and scale. It’s considerably worse than most people understand, even those who “believe” it.
Which leads to the key question: what is it that we should be doing as individuals to meet the greatest challenge this species have ever faced.4
The strategies fall into two categories: Adaptation and Mitigation.
Adaptation means preparing for a whole new world in which the quality of your life (if not your literal survival) will depend on what you do now.
Mitigation means taking steps to “stop climate change.”
These solutions are not mutually exclusive, but they do operate within different mindsets.
Our mitigation efforts today may slow the rate of warming in the mid-term and forestall an existential global catastrophe later in the century, but they will not halt what is already baked into the planetary climate systems. In the meantime we have to live. That’s why I strongly favor Adaptation over Mitigation as a priority for most humans.
Now, before you put me in the Iron Chair (or worse, stop reading), please note this important disclaimer:
I am not remotely suggesting that anyone with the means and MOTIVATION should not do everything they can do to reduce the quantities of CO2 (and now CH4) into the atmosphere.
In my opinion you should be doing these things anyway. Most of them make economic sense, certainly long term, and I think most people already know what they are.
WILL WE STOP EATING MEAT?
Deforestation to create pastureland dumps CO2 into the atmosphere.
WILL WE STOP DRINKING BOTTLED WATER?
Plundering disappearing aquifers and public drinking water supplies to transport water hundreds or thousands of miles in poison bottles that will sell for 3 or 4 times the price of gasoline, generally for no reason.
WILL WE STOP BUYING BILLIONS AND BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF HALLOWEEN, CHRISTMAS AND EASTER CRAP?
Plastic crap from China all over your front yard and house, just like Jesus preached. That Mylar balloon hanging at the grocery checkout? Plastic, Not even a little biodegradable. Let’s be happy. Are you happy?
WILL WE STOP WEARING “FAST FASHION” ?
Disposable clothing that really can’t be manufactured without an exploited workforce. But FF releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and required amounts of water and energy. But you look great.
WILL WE STOP FLYING OFF TO FAR AWAY VACATION DESTINATIONS?
WILL WE STOP IDLING OUR CARS WHEN IT’S 55 DEGREES OUT?
Unlikely. We are addicted to our comfort. Which we will be losing.
WILL WE STOP CONSUMING DAIRY PRODUCTS?
Agribusiness in general spews greenhouse contaminants into the environment on an industrial scale. This is not Old McDonald’s farm.
WILL YOU TAKE THAT LUXURY CRUISE?
On a ship the size of Rhode Island that not only burns a shit ton of fuel, but also dumps untreated waste in the open ocean.
WILL WE STOP VOTING FOR REPRESENTATIVES WHO ARE OWNED BY THE BOYS?
And the simple fact is: we as humans can’t continue plundering the planet the way we are now and expect to survive in any scenario that resembles “civilization.”
For most citizens of Earth, taking steps now to prepare for the crisis will yield a better ROI than “fighting climate change.”5 We have entered a stage of deceptive normalcy in which we have lots of options to moderate and cushion the EFFECTS of climate breakdown; we need to get down to business. Depending on your location, age and resourcefulness, many of the worst short term consequences of climate change may be averted, deflected or accommodated in your personal world.
The lynchpin of this unpopular position is that a catastrophic degree of climate collapse is already locked into the planetary weather systems. In spite of growing global awareness – especially among the young – the needle of progress has barely moved. CO2 emissions have increased rather than decreased and CH4 has skyrocketed.6
It’s going to keep on getting hotter and weather is going to keep on getting more violent. There will be more unprecedented droughts and floods until the very term “unprecedented” is no longer meaningful.
NATURAL GASLIGHTING
The addendum to that statement is that the fossil fuel industries and the government officials they own are not going to take the colossal and immediate actions required to stop this global emergency. As they continue to shift their position, the new strategy is “delayism.” Oil, gas and coal cabals will flog fake green messaging even while blowing coal smoke up our collective butts.
COP28, the global confab dedicated to pretending to stop global heating is being held in Dubai and hosted by Sultan al-Jaber, the head of United Arab Emirates oil giant ADNOC.
The fossil boys are actually expanding their operations globally, with huge new investments backed by US financial institutions. As we attempt to make a living, raise kids and make our way, citizens are no match for the resources these malefactors bring to bear. For every coal burning utility that closes in the US, three open in China and India. Indeed, the US leads the world in planned expansion of global oil and gas production in spite of claims of climate leadership.
Canada and Russia are next, followed by Iran, China and Brazil. Seventh is United Arab Emirates host of upcoming Cop28 in Dubai in November.
Billions were spent globally on fossil fuel expansion in 2022. Carbon emissions have not decreased and atmospheric levels continue to climb.
Eventually, grass roots action may bring this empire down, but we are outgunned for the moment. If the global authoritarian trend continues, the delay will be even longer.
For every time you shut off your car engine waiting picking up the kids from school, a half million pickup truck assholes have disabled the emissions controls on their big boy trucks.
So I am grieved to report that the small actions individuals take to reduce carbon in the environment will make little difference in the short term. The rate at which we are spewing greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere and oceans combined with relentless climate feedback cycles (loops) are not much affected by the everyday actions of civilians. In spite of global progress in many places, coal is still king.7
How bad it can and will get, of course, is a separate discussion.
NOTES:
- In actuality, everyone is aboard, whether they know it or not.
- By which I mean “lies.” Billions and billions of dollars worth of lies.
- Or: the excrement is already spinning into the fan blades. Or: the hand on the old Elgin clock on the wall is nearing midnight.
- Grimly fascinating to me that it is impolite to talk about this biggest global crisis ever faced in social situations.
- The term climate change was invented in the early 2000s by Republican operative Frank Luntz, who encouraged it’s substitution for “global warming” because it did not sound as scary. Luntz recanted and apologized in 2019.
- CO2 levels moved past 420 PPM earlier this year and atmospheric Methane levels set new records every year.
- Australia continues to fast track new coal mines.
(Continued from left column)
I don’t think it’s a contradiction to emphasize that we must deploy what mitigation tactics we can on a smaller, personal scale, even if it’s only making yourself unpopular by talking about global warming at dinner parties.4 The single mitigation measure I fully support is political action. Raise all the hell you can raise until the balance of power changes. Planetary scale solutions won’t happen without a change of ownership. But at the present time, fossil interests and the fossils who pull their strings control most levers of power. Until those levers are in other, more responsible hands, the puppet masters will do as little as possible. Gas lighting is less expensive than emissions controls.
ADAPTATION AS THE ULTIMATE CHALLENGE
On the adaptation side, I believe that humans are infinitely ingenious and flexible. I do not believe we are doomed as a species, but I am convinced that the planetary population is going to take a major hit, and that the cultural amenities we call civilization are going to break down – a process that is actually well underway. But this is not going to happen at the same rate around the world.
Depending on your age, your family situation, your location and your resources, it’s time to think about a future in which climate collapse is the most critical component of daily life. How will you survive, how will you thrive?
The first step in this process is to come to terms with the fact that things are not like they were and never will be again. This species needs to enter the new era with clear eyes and realistic expectations.
Your location will be among the key considerations for the future, which begins now. There are already places on the planet that are on the threshold of unlivable, a frugally acknowledged factor in the escalating global refugee crisis. The Middle East is among the places I would hesitate to relocate, but so is the American Southwest and perhaps even Australia. IMO retiring to Arizona to golf away your golden years is a bad idea, but it’s up to you.
Wherever you live, where do you think your food will be coming from? You may have noticed during and after the pandemic that the supply chain is far more fragile than we like to think about. If folks will fight over toilet paper, what will they do to get Pop Tarts? This winter, I expect shortages of beef, fish, wheat, olive oil and snow crab. If you live in a city, where will the food come from when the shelves begin to empty? In a global monoculture agriculture scenario, a drought 10,000 miles away can cut down on your available calories.
A lot of people are growing their own food, both indoors and out (I am one of them). But I can tell you from experience that there is a tough learning curve, so the sooner you start, the more likely you are to be ready. Once you grow it, you have to store it and protect it.
And then there is water. Mankind has always fought over water, but the scale of these conflicts is ratchetting up around the world. I feel a little better living near a large river and a giant freshwater sea, but when will the western states come for my drinking water?
The thing with water is that it is never where it’s supposed to be. There is either too much or too little. So if you live in a flood plain, or a place that has never been a flood plain before but is flooding now, what are you going to do about that? Massive infrastructure projects to hold back water and collect water are beginning to be funded, but how will they affect you? Adaptations is as much about how public money and resources will be deployed.
It’s a balmy 70° day in Chicago. The kids are back to school and the football team, marching bands and cheerleaders band are practicing. The landscape companies are blowing pollution into the air as the lawns are groomed and greened with chemicals. I don’t consider myself a radical prepper, but I can see where there is an end to this fantasy.
So take another look at the sack of Rome. If there was a chance to get out of Rome, wouldn’t you want to be warned?
As to my alleged obligation to soften the message,
sorry, I don’t think I can.