[MCN] Stopping Climate Change Is Hopeless. Let’s Do It.

[Lance Olsen]

New York Times  Oct 6 2018

Opinion <https://www.nytimes.com/pages/opinion/index.html>
Stopping Climate Change Is Hopeless. Let’s Do It.
It begins with how we live our lives every moment of every day.

By Auden Schendler and Andrew P. Jones
Mr. Schendler is a climate activist and businessman. Mr. Jones creates climate simulations for the nonprofit Climate Interactive

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/06/opinion/sunday/climate-change-global-warming.html?


Excerpt

On Monday, the world’s leading climate scientists are expected to release a report on how to protect civilization by limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, or 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit. Given the rise already in the global temperature average, this critical goal is 50 percent more stringent than the current target of 2 degrees Celsius, which many scientists were already skeptical we could meet. So we’re going to have to really want it, and even then it will be tough.

The world would need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions faster than has ever been achieved, and do it everywhere, for 50 years. Northern European countries reduced emissions about 4 to 5 percent per year in the 1970s. We’d need reductions of 6 to 9 percent. Every year, in every country, for half a century.

We’d face opposition the whole way. To have a prayer of 1.5 degrees Celsius, we would need to leave most of the remaining coal, oil and gas underground, compelling the Exxon Mobils and Saudi Aramcos to forgo anticipated revenues of over $33 trillion over the next 25 years.


As the journalist I.F. Stone was said to have explained <https://books.google.com/books?id=AAARNEWay1kC&pg=PR10&lpg=PR10&dq=The+only+kinds+of+fights+worth+fighting+are+those+you+are+going+to+lose,+because+somebody+has+to+fight+them+and+lose+and+lose+and+lose+until+someday,+somebody+who+believes+as+you+do+wins.+In+order+for+somebody+to+win+an+important,+major+fight+100+years+hence,+a+lot+of+other+people+have+got+to+be+willing+-+for+the+sheer+fun+and+joy+of+it+-+to+go+right+ahead+and+fight,+knowing+you%27re+going+to+lose.+You+mustn%27t+feel+like+a+martyr.+You%27ve+got+to+enjoy+it.&source=bl&ots=9nQIZ0EXcO&sig=byDtbuyBBZMlH7igYzqkoSLxONg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwit0MKj2u_dAhVHVd8KHW8kDSsQ6AEwBHoECAEQAQ#v=onepage&q=The%20only%20kinds%20of%20fights%20worth%20fighting%20are%20those%20you%20are%20going%20to%20lose%2C%20because%20somebody%20has%20to%20fight%20them%20and%20lose%20and%20lose%20and%20lose%20until%20someday%2C%20somebody%20who%20believes%20as%20you%20do%20wins.%20In%20order%20for%20somebody%20to%20win%20an%20important%2C%20major%20fight%20100%20years%20hence%2C%20a%20lot%20of%20other%20people%20have%20got%20to%20be%20willing%20-%20for%20the%20sheer%20fun%20and%20joy%20of%20it%20-%20to%20go%20right%20ahead%20and%20fight%2C%20knowing%20you're%20going%20to%20lose.%20You%20mustn't%20feel%20like%20a%20martyr.%20You've%20got%20to%20enjoy%20it.&f=false>: “The only kinds of fights worth fighting are those you are going to lose because somebody has to fight them and lose and lose and lose until someday, somebody who believes as you do wins.” He added: “You mustn’t feel like a martyr. You’ve got to enjoy it.” Or as Camus put it <https://medium.com/@mustaphahitani/camus-suicide-and-imagining-sisyphus-happy-bec124dad750>: “One must imagine Sisyphus happy.”

To save civilization, most of us would need to supplement our standard daily practices — eating, caring for family and community, faith — with a steady push on the big forces that are restraining progress, the most prominent being the fossil fuel industry’s co-option of government, education, science and media. This practice starts with a deep understanding of the problem, so it will mean reading a little about climate science. Our actions must be to scale, so while we undertake individual steps in our lives, like retrofitting light bulbs, we must realize that real progress comes from voting, running for office, marching in protest, writing letters, and uncomfortable but respectful conversations with fathers-in-law. This work must be habitual. Every day some learning and conversation. Every week a call to Congress. Every year a donation to a nonprofit advancing the cause. In other words, a practice.


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