Climate Crisis Series

We know from the IPCC reports that the world needs to reach net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions within 30 years. But what would that look like? Is it even possible for us to completely stop emitting greenhouse gasses?
I didn’t even know the answer to that question when I started this series, despite having read fairly widely on the climate crisis. But I have become convinced that it is not unrealistic to reduce our GHG almost to zero — say by 95% or more — within that timeframe. this article is an overview of what that would look like for the United States.

Ever since the merchants of doubt started spending huge sums to fight against the United States dealing with global climate change, we have heard the narrative that even if it is real, dealing with it is far too expensive and would destroy our quality of life. For example, Republican lawmakers claimed that the Green New Deal, if enacted, would ban hamburgers, air travel, and ice cream.

The reality is far different. If we look back to the last two times the United States treated a situation as a true national emergency, we see that the outcomes were remarkably more positive.

The climate crisis issue hits a blind spot in the human brain.
World-wide, the fact that we are facing a climate crisis is almost universally acknowledged. Except in the United States, the vast majority of people in all countries recognize that we are facing a problem. And yet, to date, the world is only taking baby steps.

A key reason for this failure to take appropriate measures is that the climate crisis is precisely the kind of problem that we as humans are badly equipped to deal with. There are several reasons for this. Let’s look at them.

Are you feeling overwhelmed, fatalistic, or despairing about the climate crisis? You’re certainly not alone. After all, the upcoming crisis is so huge, and our sense of agency, our ability to have an impact, feels so tiny.

But there are steps you can take to help you move out of these feelings. They are good for you, and good for the planet, as well. Here are four of the steps you can take to change your perspective.