In three books, 3 graphs, 3 memes, 3 photos and 3 solutions
“For centuries, powerful forces of greed have tried to hide the truth, but that doesn’t change reality – the earth is round and climate change is real. The Madhouse Effect brilliantly dissects the climate denial industry, empowering all of us to see the facts and take action before it’s too late.” —Leonardo DiCaprio, Actor and environmental activist“In other words, one of the most fundamental ideas woven into the American ethos—the belief that anyone can get ahead through hard work and perseverance—really has little basis in statistical reality.”
“That shift will ultimately challenge one of our most basic assumptions about technology: that machines are tools that increase the productivity of workers. Instead, machines themselves are turning into workers, and the line between the capability of labor and capital is blurring as never before. ― Martin Ford The West is dying. Its nations have ceased to reproduce, and their populations have stopped growing and begun to shrink. Not since the Black Death carried off a third of Europe in the fourteenth century has there been a graver threat to the survival of Western civilization.
Population demographics
Figure 1. Historical and projected populations of Europe and Africa, 1950–2100, according to the United Nations (2017) medium variant projection. Source: Phil Cafaro and Jane O’Sullivan, “How Should Ecological Citizens Think About Immigration?” Ecological Citizen (2019) 3: 85-92.global temperatures are rising annually and at an accelerating rate, with each of the past 10 years (2015–2024) being the warmest on record, according to the United Nations. This warming trend is primarily caused by human-produced greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of fossil fuels, which trap heat in the atmosphere and are at record-high levels. The annual average temperature has already exceeded the 1.5°C threshold above pre-industrial levels for multiple years, most recently in 2024, a significant marker of climate change. Annual Record-Breaking Warmth: 2024 was the first year to exceed 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, and all months since July 2023 (except for July 2024) have surpassed this threshold. Accelerated Warming Rate: The rate of global warming has significantly increased in recent decades. The average rate was about 0.11°C per decade since 1850, but it more than tripled to 0.36°C per decade after 1975, notes NOAA Climate.gov. Primary Cause: Burning fossil fuels for energy and other industrial activities releases greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), into the atmosphere. Record Greenhouse Gas Emissions: In 2023, global greenhouse gas emissions reached a new record high. Ocean Heat: About 90% of the excess heat from global warming is absorbed by the oceans, making ocean heat content a critical indicator of the warming trend. Why This Matters: Pre-Industrial Levels: The current warming is measured against the 1850-1900 average. Paris Agreement Goal: The goal set by the Paris Agreement is to limit global temperature increase to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5°C. Consequences: Rising global temperatures have severe impacts on people and the planet, including heat stress, disruptions to food supplies, the spread of diseases, and environmental changes.
3 Photos that define our times:
A mass exodus from the Southern hemisphere to the North. Advanced western civilizations are being engulfed and subsumed by countless millions crossing the borders illegally.This is a visual metaphor of our times – We are burying our heads in the sand while the world burns. This image of golfers calmly putting against the backdrop of a wildfire on the third day of a fire that swept the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon and Washington for three months, burning 50,000 acres.“The Arctic is warming four times faster than the rest of the planet, melting the sea ice that polar bears require,” – Krista Wright, executive director of Polar Bears International.This is smog hovering over Mexicali, a city just south of the US-Mexico border – one of the most polluted cities in North America. The World Health Organization estimates that pollutants in the air we breathe contribute to 7m premature deaths a year from all sources, indoor and outdoor. Of these, 3.6m are estimated to come from burning fossil fuels.
