Why our current response to the climate crisis is doomed to fail
This story is going to take some of you aback. But it also has a silver lining of coming together to solve the climate crisis.
So why is it that we are not reacting quickly enough to the climate crisis? If you asked world-renowned author of ‘The Limits to Growth’ and professor Dennis Meadow, the answer would be:
“Because we’re using the wrong method to solve the problem.”
Dennis L Meadows is an American scientist, Emeritus professor of systems management and co-writer of the iconic book ‘The Limits to Growth’, which foresaw many of today’s environmental problems upon publication in 1972.
Prof. Meadows in this keynote said that he had been thinking about issues related to climate change for the past 40 years. He is the co-author of the influential book ‘The Limits to Growth’ in 1972. Mr Meadows referred to that we have had the knowledge of how badly we need to cut carbon (CO2) and other greenhouse gas emissions ever since but this knowledge is not met by actual decrease in greenhouse gases from human lifestyle. He thus asked:
Why is it CO2 emissions are going up faster than before? — Dennis Meadows at the 2018 WeDontHaveTime Climate conference
According to professor Meadows the common idea about climate control goes something like this:
- We´re releasing too much carbon dioxide into the air
- We see the health of the biosphere decreasing
- We start fixing the problem
But this is assuming not only that we can actually see the biosphere health declining, and that we can all agree on the causes of the decline. It also assumes that this consensus would then quickly lead to control policies that in turn would reduce the emissions and rapidly improve the health of the biosphere. Mr Meadows gave these four explanations to the lack of action:
- First there is a long delay between CO2 emissions and CO2 concentration in the air.
- Secondly there is a long delay between the concentration levels and the biosphere health.
- Thirdly there is a delay between the declining health and the political consensus needed to take action.
- Finally it takes time from the political consensus to align until we actually start bringing the CO2 emissions down.
The rise of man made greenhouse gas emissions have continued and since modern time never really decreased on a global scale. The only time the curve has curbed in recent years is when the world experienced global economic recession, which is not a very attractive perspective for most people and policy makers. Even after the Paris Agreement the emissions merely flattened out, and then started to increase again in 2017. This puts us all on a long and hazardous journey going forward.
What if we decarbonized the world tomorrow?
To answer that question, please watch the video “What if Carbon Emissions Stopped Tomorrow?”. It gives a easy-to understand answer.
So, what would happen if we stopped all greenhouse gas emissions starting tomorrow? Well, unfortunately we are still in for a dramatic and critical future. No matter what. Or to quote the source ‘Hot Mess’ (YouTube channel with this description ‘The Coolest Climate Show on Earth’): “We have no time to waste”. Or to quote yours truly: #WeDontHaveTime .
This is why in this late hour for humanity, we better face ourselves and our addiction to carbon by the fist step of getting rid of an addiction: to realize that we are in fact addicts. And to resinate this message out loud in all ways possible to all friends and foes. — Mårten Thorslund, Chief Marketing Officer, WeDontHaveTime.org
One plus one does not equal three
Mr Meadow in his keynote reveals the idea of “The One Bathtub” and the, according to the professor, “The Three Bathtub” model, that instead we need to base our understanding in. If we are using the facit from the first bathtub to solve the problem in the third bathtub we are not going to succeed.
This is likely what has caused the climate crisis to evolve to the current and dangerous situation. We should in fact call it a ‘climate crisis’ more often than ‘climate change’ or the even more positive tone in ‘global warming’. WeDontHaveTime very much agrees with professor Meadows on this point.
Carbon emissions and human understanding are lagging behind
According to the professor it takes 20–80 years to eliminate those emissions. Serious damage is no longer unavoidable. Ignorance is not bliss. That’s why WeDontHaveTime.org are happy to echo Mr Meadows’s clear message from his keynote delivered on Earth Day, April 22 2018:
All assumptions of how first a consensus is achieved that in turn lead to policy change and implementation and then to actions have proven false according to Meadows.
Herein lies perhaps a major explanation of the “lack of action” in both personal and policy action and coherence in terms of level of understanding and interest to put actions in place to fight climate change, prevent climate and extreme-weather catastrophe and work with climate mitigation.
“If you are unable to understand a problem soon enough, it i impossible to solve it”.
He closed by the remark: “Soon enough is not far enough in the future. We don’t have much time”.
So how do we change this dysfunctional way of dealing with the climate crises? We need to ask the right questions to use the words of professor Meadows. And while we are at it at st system level, we need to exchange the facit we currently are using. Let’s finish off with some ideas of how-to.
Top 10-list how to disrupt a disrupted system and save humanity
- Challenge any resistance to the climate crisis from your peers that rather not change their ways. Do it by showing them what’s lies ahead in the business as usual (BAU) scenario.
- Make ‘climate positive’ the way forward and ‘fossil life’ a thing of the past.
- Call the bluff of the little but influential climate skeptic community.
- Bombard everyone with WeDontHaveTime tweets.
- Show people professor Meadow’s video
- Look around and share content from our YouTube Channel and blogg.
- Show the Hot Mess video to those who believe it’s enough to go on life and business as usual, or that to flatten out emissions “eventually” is enough.
- Have people look their kids and spouse in the eyes facing the facts of the carbon lifestyle most of us live today.
- Tell the story of that our choices also come with moral responsibilities.
- Add the word ‘addiction’ into the equation. Start by confessing: “I am addicted to a carbon lifestyle.”
People need to understand what’s at stake. We are all in on this one together. It’s a collective addiction and the burden and guilt we be unevenly, yet still, distributed on all of us. No one will be spared by the effects of climate change. In fact we are al-ready feeling them.
And even in the impossible scenario of cutting all emissions tomorrow, we are still close to toasted. But since our lives, and those near and dear to us depend on it, I) think we can agree it is worth the try. It’s the only doable way forward. It will be quite a ride and parts of it will get messy to say the least. But we can reach the other side enlightened and strengthened by having made it together.
We are not alone, we are billions! But it’s up to us now, no-one will save us. That part we have to deal with ourselves. Either we get behind the wheels for the sake of humanity and a livable Earth, or we go blindfolded into oblivion. — Mårten Thorslund, Chief Marketing Officer, WeDontHaveTime.org
Finally please sign UN’s Climate Pledge and make your personal Climate Resolution with WeDontHaveTime. Let us help make your voice heard and give your promise digital wings.
Facts about Dennis Meadows
Dennis Meadows was born 1942 is an American scientist and Emeritus Professor of systems management. He is the president of the Laboratory for interactive learning and is the co-author of “The Limits to Growth”, first published in 1972 by The Club of Rome, thereafter updated and re-released in 1992 and 2004.
Dennis Meadows has received numerous awards for his work. In 2009 he received the Japan Prize for his contribution to “the transformation towards a sustainable society in harmony with nature.”
Facts about WeDontHaveTime
We Don’t Have Time are currently building the world’s largest social media network for climate action.
Together we can solve the climate crisis.
But we are running out of time.
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