Almost daily scientists are sounding dire warnings about the effects of
climate change. Our young will bear an unprecedented burden. They are
eager to discover what can be done, as time slips away. But few of
them - or us - are aware that global warming is but one facet of a
looming planetary catastrophe. Most of the natural and social systems
humans depend on for survival are also in various stages of collapse.
Each failure will impact the other systems, including climate, in a
series of feedback loops that can unleash a virtual tsunami of
destruction, and do so far sooner than climate scientists, looking only
at their own discipline, predict. The corona virus pandemic has shown
how unprepared we are. Multiply its effects times 10, times 50, to get
an idea of what's coming. We have entered what scientists term a
"critical state," at the brink of an unstable precipice. The smallest
push or pull, from any direction, could suddenly topple us. Despite the
global scale of the emergency, its root causes are predominantly human
and surprisingly simple. With courage to act, we can slow the
devastating cascade and, perhaps, even reverse some of the worst
impacts.