On Friday I got to read an article via Twitter: Climate change: the truth will out, from the Guardian sustainable business.
I read it a few times and I can’t really get it out of my head. It’s something that may interest some but concerns all.
Please click on the title to read the article and let me know your thoughts.
The author, Jo Confino, writes about the news on sustainability he acquired during his recent trips.
Here are a few of his key thought-provoking paragraphs:
“I spoke to climate scientists, business leaders and activists, and the challenges we face appear even more gargantuan then I had thought and, by comparison, progress on addressing them infinitesimal. And that’s before superstorm Sandy struck the eastern board of the US.”
This paragraph didn’t surprise me, after all we live on a planet where there are still millions of polluting vehicles going around even though there are sustainable alternatives, such as electric cars, already available.
“Mann told me that the speed of ice melt is so great that vulnerable low-lying island states may have to be evacuated within a decade – far quicker than anyone had imagined.”
This paragraph definitely made me pay a lot more attention. A decade? Just think of all the coast cities in the world: can you imagine them being evacuated within a decade? That is such short amount of time…Good bye Venice…
Venice under water – picture from the Telegraph
“Montgomery raised the spectre of people starving in this country within 20 years as climate change disrupts global food supplies. Did I hear him right? In the UK?”
And did I read that properly? In the UK? People starving in a place where most moan about being so overweight?
My mind is used to being selfish – millions of people are already starving around the world…however reading about this happening so soon where I am makes it real, I can no longer pretend it’s not something that would affect me.
My head started filling with endless thoughts, going from one extreme to another: While all this is going on what am I doing? Is it helping or is it useless?
I went to my cousin’s 1st birthday the past weekend: so by the time he’s ready to celebrate his 21st birthday he won’t have anything to celebrate about? It’s my birthday tomorrow: I will be a quarter of a century old, but by the time I’m in my mid 40s we’ll all be starving, so why would I ever want to have children?
I know this all sounds very dramatic, but these were the thoughts that whizzed around my mind.
Fortunately the author also said: “Face up to the truth but also have an action plan.”
In the article he continues explaining that we should have a goal, as fear of what may happen is only going to increase the distance between us and the issue.
What does this article make you think?
Does it make you see things that a part of your daily life in a different light?
billow 
Hi Sophie, I know what you mean, but I don’t actually think it is being dramatic. I think that your concerns are valid, it’s just that, even with the best will in the world (recycling etc…) most of us just go about our lives and don’t really think about the future in terms of real numbers. It’s kind of a nebulous concept for most of us – even if we do care about being careful. It does kind of change things though, as you say, to realise it could be us starving one day. But I do think the decisions you are making are definitely worth something. Especially if a lot of people making the same choices would make a difference 🙂
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Yes, I guess with no real numbers what may happen in the future just seems like a distant blur but it would make a difference to make sustainable choices…Thanks for your comment! 🙂
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Makes one feel kind of helpless, doesn’t it?
Becoming conscious of the changes is important, though. Perhaps it will spur us on to positive change!
Happy Birthday, Sophie!
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Mm yes, when I read it it was a bit of a shock…it’s probably best to make the most of and use it as a “wake up call” to change things positively! Thanks so much Karen! 🙂
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Thinking about these things are so important but you have to remember that we are not going to change what will happen with the climate, the damage I am afraid has already been done! Please enjoy your life Sophie and stop worrying about things you cannot change yourself. Life is too short, enjoy the beautiful world we have been blessed with while it is still here and while we are still here x x Happy Birthday!
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Thank you Christine! 🙂
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yeah, happy birthday. And don’t forget to have children at some point. I’ve got 2 and I hope they are going to more than previous generations to turn things around. Someone has to.
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Hi Karl, yes I think future generations will have to turn things around, I just expect them to grow up and say “why didn’t anyone do anything about environmental problems?!”…
Thank you Karl!
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One thing you shouldn’t worry about is if what you’re doing is useless – I think it helps a lot. The choices you make impact the people around you, and the fact that you blog about them impacts even more people. The ideas that you share spread further than you think, and are out there in the world shaping the world, as ideas are wont to do. Even when you sleep.
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Thank you so much, I can see that my choices now have some sort of effect on the people around me, even if it’s a matter of curiosity…when I read the article I was a little disheartened but thank you so much for your comment!! 🙂
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There is a theory, I think it’s called the black hole theory, which explains how, when a very big situation is happening it is almost impossible to realize it’s significance until you actually can “see” the problem, and by then it is usually too late.. that is why it is so difficult to get people to act sustainably, we can’t now for sure it is the only way forward, because we can’t really understand the situation we re in until it get’s bad enough.. I don’t think this means there is no hope, it just means change takes long and normally happens quicker after some big stuff has happened.. What we can do as individuals in the meantime is change our own ways and influence as many people as we can, that’s why what you are doing is so great! There is always hope.. (I hope!)
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I think that’s what’s happening, so many people are thinking that what may happen will be so far in the future that it doesn’t concern them at all and they don’t feel like they should be changing their ways…I enjoy what I do and I shall carry on though! Thank you!! I hope there’s hope too 😀
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On the positive side, the same warming that has begun to cause problems for coastal regions can cause large areas that are currently too cold for more than token habitation to become temperate enough for people to live and thrive there. It may be the case that in the future Siberia and Canada will produce enough food to feed many people in the rest of the world.
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That’s true, all those vast areas that are too cold at the moment could definitely become fertile and habitable, I’m just afraid the natural balance of the ecosystem might be too damaged by then and therefore there would be additional problems…
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