Climate crisis denial is increasingly being replaced by calls for climate doom. Let’s think. With the simplest game theory, who will benefit most in the short term?
The climate crisis is now beyond denial. Because people see its effects everywhere; above all lives. The situation where the climate issue is handed over to future generations, on the contrary, stands out as a problem of today.
Therefore, political and economic systems lobbying for the continuation of the current system need to take precautions against harsh actions that will mobilize people with a new discourse or transform the system against it. The solution is to call for a climate doom, saying that it is too late for everything or that the measures to be taken will not work!
Those who cause the greatest damage to the environment and fuel the climate crisis (some states and companies) are developing new discourses by going to the very heart of human psychology in order to keep this issue in the shadows. Ironically, one of them is doomism!
The starting point is simple. As we trivialize taking individual responsibility in the face of this great disaster and convince people that it is too late to do anything under today’s living conditions, a perfect environment of inertia is created for the continuation of the current order. What it feeds on is very basic human behavior; feeling of defeat, hopelessness and thus inaction…
Famous climate scientist, in his latest book ‘Our Fragile Moment’, Michael E Mann says that it is possible to curb the climate crisis but faces major political obstacles. Mann states that our climate fate is still in the balance, and there is very convincing evidence from the past, combined with information from climate models, that we can preserve this fragile moment if we can keep warming below 1.5 degrees.
However, he emphasizes that the real issue is how bad we will allow this situation to get. He says the obstacles to keeping warming below catastrophic levels are political rather than physical, and the biggest hurdle is political agendas.
Not wrong. Look at the discussions in England. The government, which said it would phase out diesel vehicles by 2030, took a step back and postponed the issue to 2035. Really, what is the situation of the countries, especially Germany, that cling to coal like old lovers in the energy shortage started with the Russia-Ukraine crisis?
Just governments? There are examples of similar hypocrisy everywhere.
Cop28, the UN’s largest climate summit, will be hosted by the United Arab Emirates at the end of November. The UAE is one of the most important players in oil and gas expansion in the world. Ironically, the president of COP28 is also the chief executive of Adnoc, the UAE’s state oil company! Is not it beautiful?
The solution is on us!
The feeling of hopelessness and defeat we experience in the face of calls for disaster prevents us from taking responsibility and taking action.
The political and economic agendas put before us are actually like walls built to make us sit aside rather than speaking out loud on these issues.
We are expected to make a choice between today’s living conditions and practices and tomorrow’s possible healthier world for humanity, and to keep our mouths shut and stay away from what appears to be a ‘romantic’ and ‘idealist’ approach.
However, the solution really lies with us. Continuing to take responsibility and acting with awareness of our individual power everywhere will after a while turn into a power and pressure that will keep even those who laugh at these issues in line.
Therefore, continue the struggle without despair…
Reading: ‘Our Fragile Moment’, Michael E Mann
