Climate Change Mitigation Means Compassion, and That’s a Problem

Will our civilization here on Earth meet its emissions targets, agreed to by 179 countries (notably excluding the U.S.) as required to limit the rise in global temperatures to 2 degrees C?  While no one has a crystal ball, let’s face the obvious:

Here’s a recent article in The Economist explaining what’s happening in India vis-a-vis coal. One gets the sense that the process of minimizing the environmental damage from coal, if it happens at all, will take an unacceptably long period of time.

Add on top of that the enormous tribalism that underpins much of today’s civilization, in which we pit one group of humans against another. In its extreme forms, of course, we have the ethnic cleansing/genocide that continues unchecked around the world.  Yet this enmity isn’t relegated to Rwanda or Myanmar or Palestine or Yemen.  Just look at the huge part of the American population that hates immigrants, and regards them as vermin pouring across our borders.

Dealing with climate change starts with caring, and that means mutual respect and brotherly love.  We’re a million miles away from that.