Climate change 🌁: Are we all doomed? - UpFront

This month, the United States released an exhaustive scientific report on climate change, citing humans as the dominant cause of global warming.

So, should we still be optimistic about humans' ability to combat climate change? And should we be worried about the possible doomsday scenarios that have been presented in the media? Or are these scenarios counter-productive?

David Wallace-Wells, the author of a controversial article titled The Uninhabitable Earth, which paints a pessimistic doomsday scenario for planet Earth, believes people are not as worried as they should be about the grave consequences of climate change:

"I think when you look at the public as a whole, it's just very, very clear to me, and honestly, I don't see a counter argument, that the public is not alarmed enough about what is possible and not motivated enough by that alarm to take political action," says Wallace-Wells, who is also a deputy editor at New York Magazine.

For Andrew Freedman, senior science editor at Mashable, we need a more level approach:

"Is climate change fatalism a bigger problem than climate complacency?" asks Freedman, who is also a former science writer at Climate Central. "I think they're both big problems. Neither one of them is necessarily a solution. I would prefer, like, climate change realism here."

In this week's Arena, David Wallace-Wells and Andrew Freedman debate how to cover climate change in a way that motivates the public to action.

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[markgigiel]

We need to all scream from the rafters because it's possibly too late already to save humanity because Capitalism isn't giving up. It's not time to talk gently. Even if we do a WW2 mobilization, it may not be enough. We waited too long. Very few people are being honest to the detriment of us all.

[mycount]

we have known since the 70's this was happening. I recall in the 90's talk like we must roll back carbon emissions... 30 years later and we still have not done anything meaningful ... not bottom up and not top down... nothing meaningful as it has worsened every year.

[deniselauzon]

We're doomed because wild capitalism is spreading and being reinforced by politicians and corporates. Overpopulation is also making things worst.

[paulaxford]

Andrew Freedman has no idea that this is a one way deal. He thinks it’s a 50/50 thing and that is his failing.

[NoraGermain]

Why is this guy so sure this is not going to be "very very bad?"

[snowmiser]

Failed climate communicator argues his case for remaining ineffective.

[nick]

300 nuclear meltdowns plus plastic plus venus’s weather will be our legacy, not cooool

[bargdaffy]

Michael Mann works for what corporation again?

[firemannate]

So I live in this town most my life went away for work for a year at a time off and on over 25 years we used to get a 6 week window front the middle of July to the beginning of September were it would be in the 90's the whole time with a week of 99 to 103 some where in that time frame you could count on this year in year out the last five years it's in the 90's now and has already been in the 90's a few times from the end of April to today June 6th and now our 10 week window is 99 to 109 we are a huge farming community and the consequences are already being seen less mature produce smaller produce drier lands we are finding dead deer from hunger at the end of summer we used to have winter kill offs but we haven't seen significant snow in years now they are dying at the end of summer for lack of nutrients it's happening and people I know don't believe in global warming but they know something scary is happening they have been arming themselves preparing for the worst knowing that climate change is a hoax but realize that something bad is happening pay attention it's coming faster that you think

[Spooky_man]

Why would you care if the majority of world population would starve to death, cause the food production dried out.
That doesn’t affect you... right?
Just 15 ish years of the global temperature to spiral out of control ( AKA no matter what we do it ain’t getting better)
I mean it just took 15 years for global temperature to add one degree to the chart

[celestialteapot]

You could always pray to Allah, that always works.

[SamPasserdoodlesandhappenings]

Sam Passer
You all seem to have lost the will to try. I know things seem tough at this point. Maybe it’s because of our current government. Maybe it’s because people don’t have the courage to do something about it. But I’ve seen a lot of times when people help. We can’t give up now. I know I sound like an idiot to you and probably I’m falling on deaf ears, but I still have some hope that something will happen as long as we take action.

[krzystofsibilla]

It is important how we die, make a choice to love all beings, yes it is possible and that death may spark something we have no idea yet.

[RodMartinJr]

We live in an Ice Age. (Hint: those 2 "little" white things at the poles.) And climate has changed for nearly 4.5 billion years. Suddenly, it's dangerous. Only if you have some propaganda to sell. Every major warming period of the Holocene, led to abundance and prosperity for those ready to take advantage of it. Cooling led to famines and societal collapse.

[HenrikE]

what difference do it make, we can just remove the co2 anyway. The technology for that is already out there, the biggest issue is the cost, and when the biggest issue is the cost, there is no issue really. The danger is over.

[nlorand]

People talk about climate change being a threat to the world. No. People are that can either make the world a better or worse place.
When wars are happening for resources I do not think the people affected are worried about climate change. How is the world helping the Amazon rain forest and indigenous tribes that inhabit them.. These people will eventually be made to conform one way or another.
Norway is happy to make millions from its oil revenue with most of its own electric etc being green. Yet Norway is a big polluter but not in its own country.
Electric cars are not green. Where is the lithium mining going on. It is not environmental.
People make the earth uninhabitable by the actions of greed. Wars displaced the people.
The data is not adding up about climate change. Scientists who support climate change do not have the data to back up human intervention.
Al Gore has made millions of dollars for himself and buddies who make money from something that has not been proven by human interaction.

[renehernandez]

One word hoax. Ppl do ur research.lmao

[bumblebee]

Don't terrify people, that never works.

[carolyngrinberg]

So long, and thanks for all the fish.

[allrawpaul]

Yes, we are all doomed.   Runaway global warming is well underway and it will be abrupt, extreme, catastrophic, irreversible and unsurvivable.   Habitat for humans will disappear by 2030, because plants and animals will not be able to adapt to rapid global temperature rise which is locked in because of the drastic changes human pollution has made to atmospheric chemistry.   With dead oceans and all the land plants and animals dead,   humans will go extinct.    We broke it, we cant fix it, and we are doomed because of it.   Human extinction seems to be the only way to stop the runaway, omnicidal, toxic heat engine that is Capitalistic, oligarchic, kleptocratic, and utterly corrupt industrial civilization.