We're missing the point

When I was young, there was a common joke told by comedians: “Everybody keeps talking about the weather, but nobody is doing anything about it.” This was also a sad reference to the politics of our democracy. That is, we spend a lot time talking about our problems, but much less time addressing them.

The truth of this sentiment that is most alarming is the “climate change” debate. It is very much in keeping with the intent of the old joke. What is even more disconcerting is that the debate blinds us to a greater understanding of what we are really facing.

The analogy that comes to mind is a tsunami or tidal wide. The current debate on climate change is like two people standing on the shore with an approaching tsunami. They notice that the tide has receded and begin debating: “Why has the tide gone out?” “How low do you think the tide will go?” “Who or what is responsible for the tide going out at the wrong time?” “Do you think that it’s a bad thing?” “What control do we have over the tide anyway?”

While these two people debate about the receding tide, they will soon be victims of the inevitable event. The climate change debate is much like what these two are debating about. Our focus on climate change, while an important indicator of events to come, is not the ultimate disaster. The ultimate disaster is irreversible alteration of the ecology of the planet and the impacts of that massive alteration. That is the “tidal wave,” and like all natural events, it is indifferent.

As is often the case with science, we are fairly good at observing the situation, but not so good at predicting the next result or the timing. In the 1970s, there were many dire predictions of events to come. And the sad truth is that many of those events have come to pass, but with little fanfare and even less meaningful response (i.e. famines, climate change, mass extinction). These predications were accurate with regard to the occurrence of the events, but not accurate with regard to the direct impacts on the developed cultures of the world.

The developed world seems to be immune to these events. We think that our created environments will withstand any of these natural occurrences. Our technology and ingenuity are only delaying the repercussions of our disturbance. Mitigation does not reverse destructive actions. It only forestalls the consequences.

Like hermit crabs, we crawl back into our shells of social media and ignore the obvious. The tsunami is coming. Seek higher ground.