Why we’re so useless at cutting carbon
If our success in mitigating climate change relies upon understanding it, our success must also rely upon our understanding of why we have been so bad at combatting it so far. We are partially in denial, as this piece in the New York Magazine highlights, but there are other key reasons, like a lack of technology (or cheap technology), obsession with economics, and political will to act. Here’s a look into some of them.
When I say we are in denial, I mean not that we don’t believe, but that we aren’t willing to accept the reality or our duties. That’s because, to take the analysis of the linked article further, the model of climate change that we understand is so far removed from day-to-day reality. Take this as a basic model:
- humans emit lots of carbon dioxide
- this carbon goes into the atmosphere and contributes to the enhanced greenhouse effect
- this means more heat is trapped within the atmosphere, warming the planet up
The problem with this model is that it is so abstract, and hardly connects to our daily lives at all. The idea of the greenhouse effect is something that we can comprehend, but never have an innate understanding of. It’s not a tangible thing, like the cars or the power plants at the start of the process, nor an interaction or emotion.
