Who Could Rescue Us from Climate Catastrophe?
Here’s a clue: it’s not Andy Burnham, Chris Packham or Sir David Attenborough. Nor is it Zack Polanski, by the way.
You either believe that we are on the brink of a threat to the very continuance of humanity or you will already have stopped reading. Vested interests and the vile politicians who seek power by reviling anyone honest enough to tell the frightening truth have, between them, delayed anything approaching adequate countermeasures for far too long. As I read current expert opinion, there is a small chance that we can start to check and reverse exponential global warming if we ask fast, act now and act with international cooperation. Surely we owe it to our children to try.
No job for a talking shop
Climate Change Summits come and Climate Change Summits go and still the world gets warmer, sea levels rise, glaciers melt, wildfires rage, hurricanes happen (but not yet in Hertford, Hereford or Hampshire). The sad truth is that change is faster than progress in tackling it.
A new mechanism has to be found to boot the world into action. Another conference is not going to do it.
So, who is it?
Can there be any doubt that most national leaders recognise the impending disaster posed to humanity by global temperatures? Most are trying to cope with flood, fire, famine or drought with increasing regularity. For too long most have been reticent to broadcast the enormity of the threat, at least until they believe they have a convincing plan for salvation that they can take to their people.
The threat of retribution at the ballot box leaves all but the bravest and most secure political leader unable to apply stringent ‘net zero’ policies in isolation. There’s always a populist nay-sayer, happy to lull the gullible into a false sense of invulnerability – better to do nothing unless every other nation will swallow the medicine, too. This specious argument resonates particularly well as the World’s second largest polluter (USA) will not play its part, let alone lead the way to CO2 reduction.
I cannot conceive of a way through this international stand-off unless one very strong world leader, and one that can take their nation with her/him, will take the lead, on behalf of the world’s worried nations. Like him or loath him, that one person is Xi Jinping. He has ‘previous’ in that RoC has far greater investment in alternative power and green technology than any other nation and I do not believe that development at that pace occurred without the encouragement of this strongest of leaders.
We may not like many of his policies but nobody can doubt that he is resolute, consistent and has fewer outright enemies than USA (among many).
Making it happen
How difficult would it be for the leaders of UK, Canada, the EU and other very concerned nations to call on President Xi to convene a top-level ‘Cabinet of the Willing’?
No need to consult the whole world, or wait for the next Climate Change Summit. All leaders would give assurances that all are prepared to play their full part in reducing greenhouse gases.
Such a power block, with sufficient determination should be able to persuade more reluctant nations to join an unstoppable change of direction, and they could impose any sanctions necessary on nations who will not adopt remedial measures.
It is to be hoped that the might of China would resolve the petty national arguments about who created most of the pollution and who should pay most to remove it. It needs to be made more painful to stand outside the consensus than to join it.
In effect, I suggest asking the most influential world power to help impose the will of many where Trump’s USA has trashed its influence by trying to impose only its own will. I doubt this would be lost on President Xi!
A not-unimportant point is that international action of such critical importance, agreed by almost all the world, should not find itself at the mercy of the hedge funds. Huge amounts would have to be found but, as with a world war or a pandemic, they would be found. Unlike any conventional world war, however, we would all be winners!
Pass it on!
If you think this makes sense. If the logic resonates with you then, for the sake of humanity, please pass it on, especially in influential circles.
I share the fear of many that we are already too late but there is just a chance – if the world can be brought to act now.