It’s Now or Never on Climate

Part III: Climate Inequality & Indifference

Sam Chavez
Sam Chavez

Table of Contents

🤓 Bite-Sized Knurd: A new global climate report shows we only have 3 years to act if we hope for a “livable planet.” We have the solutions yet governments and businesses aren’t taking the necessary steps.

Read on for more…


Time is running out.

The game clock is ticking down.

Will humanity hit a buzzer-beater before it’s too late?

Last week's climate report by the IPPC (the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) makes clear that we must take drastic action immediately.

If you’ve been following climate news, you know full well that we are hurtling towards a planet that cannot sustain human life.

This is not an exaggeration.

“I’m lacking words for this. It’s beyond immoral. It’s suicidal,” climate diplomat Christiana Figueres

Here’s what the report had to say:

  1. We have three years (until 2025) to start lowering emissions or we’re screwed
  2. Coal must be completely phased out or we’re screwed
  3. Cut oil and gas use by 60-70% or we’re screwed
  4. The entire global economy needs to change or we’re screwed (energy, transportation, manufacturing, food, etc.)
  5. It is “almost inevitable” that global temperatures will rise to 1.5C (where the effects of climate change will become irreversible)
  6. You can’t adapt your way out of this. If action isn’t taken, humanity is screwed.

Notice a pattern?

If the message hasn’t gotten through yet, now would be a good time to get it.

Why Isn’t Climate Action Happening?

Simply put, too many people in power benefit from the status quo.

"Some government and business leaders are saying one thing—but doing another. Simply put, they are lying. And the results will be catastrophic" - UN Chief Antonio Guterres

The biggest barriers to addressing the climate crisis are the consequences of a world order that has been taking shape for centuries. Capitalism asks that we keep producing and growing the economy, but doesn’t stop to ask if the planet can sustain constant growth. We’re only in the beginning stages of seeing how this mindset cannot be sustained.

Top 5 Reasons We Can’t Act:

  1. Change is hard; status quo is easy
  2. Powerful people profit from climate disaster
  3. Companies value stock prices more than humanity
  4. Short-term thinking infects governments
  5. The Empathy Gap is too deep

What is required to address the climate crisis is nothing short of a complete transformation of the world economy and society.

I get that that is really scary. Most people don’t like change.

I raise up the truth about the climate crisis and the hurdles that climate activists face not to scare you, but so more people are aware of what we actually face.

The media, government, and businesses are incentivized to keep the status quo. If we are to have any hope for our lives and future generations, anyone that cares must do everything they can.

I’ll end with a hopeful note: We have more power than we realize. We just have to start using it.

Up Next:

🗼🗞: Newsletter

Sam Chavez

Sam is a writer, strategist, and curious human. She founded the roots of change agency in 2020. Sam is a queer, white, LatinX activist who’s passionate about a livable planet & equitable societies.

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