You already know climate change is real, and bad, and caused by humans, and the humans causing it aren’t fixing it.
We’ve invented stuff like Earth Day to raise awareness of our impact on the planet. But you’re already aware.
So what are you doing about it?
Do you have kids? Do you intend to have kids? Do you like children? The most reliable projections indicate that things could get pretty bad within your lifespan, but the really scary shit will happen to the people who are growing up right now. Every time you see a child in grade school, or a toddler, or an infant, you should be reminded of this.
Millennials spend a lot of time griping about the selfish lives of the baby boomers, and it’s true: inheriting the consequences of your parents’ reckless hedonism and apathy is unfair. But what sacrifices have you made to end the cycle?
Pop-science articles present the latest bleak climate change data, then hedge with affirming statements about how we still have a small window to turn things around. In reality, we don’t know where the tipping point is. It could have been yesterday.
So it’s understandable to be a nihilist about the climate. Maybe it’s too late.
Embrace apathy if you wish, but know that apathy will be your legacy. You’ll hand down the consequences of your indifference to the next generation.
The alternative is to go down fighting. You can’t change the world, but there’s one thing you can change today: yourself.
Here are some unpleasant questions for you to answer:
While you contemplate your answers, remember that your creature comforts and indulgences come at the cost of the next generation’s basic living necessities.
You don’t have to be perfect. But you have to be as perfect as you can.
Climate change is death by eight billion cuts.
You can’t reshape geopolitics or alter human nature.
You can take your hand off the hilt.