#climatestrike — Why we will lose and how we can win
Politicians are figureheads driven by economics. We can no longer rely on them — it’s all up to us!
Greta Thunberg has made it to the Golden Globes — in a monologue, at least. She has agitated the masses, and now, has as many admirers as haters. Celebrities are getting arrested (weekly) and more strikes and protests are being organized worldwide. They are making headlines regularly — surely, this is progress — yet, COP25 failed. Are the effects of civil disobedience wearing off?
What is compelling, is that we already know the causes; have identified the actions (needed); heard the arguments; and seen the effects of climate change. While more have acknowledged it as a crisis, it wasn’t before having their social media feed filled with pictures of burning landscapes, injured koalas and kangaroos.
There was no political conflicts or act of terrorism, yet, millions of acres were wiped out, billions of wildlife perished and thousands of homes lost — all within months. What was thought that could happen in 20 years is happening (right) now. Australia, a nation (once) known as among the most prosperous, is literally burning; and let’s not forget the Amazon massacre just months before.
There is no stopping mother nature — she is the ultimate bitch.
What comes next, if not swift remedial action, will surely narrow down humanity’s chances of survival from extinction. While we can focus all our efforts on stopping fossil fuels, it is uncertain if we could live without it. It may take years before we could convert all energy sources to nature-friendly, renewable ones, while other unknown sources of carbon emission could be emerging.
So, the burning question is, can we keep global temperatures down in the next 10 years — while living as usual? If it’s a global emergency, shouldn’t everyone play a role in this crisis? We are, after all, all culpable to climate change — one way or the other.
Why we will lose
Too few, too little impact. While New Zealand has taken a lead in fully committing to a net-zero carbon emissions target, they barely represent 1% of the global population. While we could keep recycling, up-cycling and conserving energy, there is no permanent solution to free us of waste, and lifetime use of energy. As long as anyone surfs the net, the servers will be operating anyway. Single used plastics (or trash) will likely end up in some other country — and then back to the ocean. Halting procreation altogether is no different from orchestrating humanity’s own demise — albeit, slower. If we were all vegans, won’t we still be competing for farmland? So, why bother? These solutions, are obviously, not inclusive and will unlikely be sustainable. How could it be viable then?
How we can win
What we need is innovative and practical solutions for everyday use of products. Solutions that could reduce or eliminate waste, while conserving energy consumption. These solutions must be designed for not just the environmentally conscious, but the conspicuously ignorant and absent-minded — equipped with fail-safes for worst-case scenarios.
The goal… is to create a net-zero carbon and waste-less lifestyle, that is not just achievable, but convenient and alluring.
What we need
For a start, are (more): -
- Designers and engineers (inventors) to develop more durable and multi-purpose use products, to extend lifecycles for recyclable products.
- Scientists to develop biodegradable materials for consumer goods.
- Activist or influencers to promote resource sharing.
- Venture capitalists to invest in climate-friendly start-ups.
- Governments to provide tax breaks and incentives to industries providing solutions reducing waste reduction or carbon footprints.
- Businesses to incorporate resource efficiency usage into end-to-end processes.
How we can make it in 10 years
We need a revolution — not a coup d’état, but a coup nonetheless — to unite the masses — in a concerted and coordinated attempt to produce and execute plans on a grand scale. Wishful thinking perhaps, but we have the sciences, and the technology is present. All we really need is to instill a sense of priority and vigor, that drove the 100 years of the industrial revolution into 10. We are talking about restructuring the global economy to be driven by climate change agendas, that would revise business objectives and revamp business-as-usual. While technology is the catalyst, what comes first is numbers, and I don’t mean statistics — I mean demand from stakeholders — like you and me.
It’s back to economics.
