Down to the wire : confronting climate collapse / David - Index of
Down to the wire : confronting climate collapse / David - Index of
Down to the wire : confronting climate collapse / David - Index of
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S<br />
174 far<strong>the</strong>r horizons<br />
in<strong>to</strong> an invitation <strong>to</strong> openness, catharsis, growth, and renewal—<br />
but not <strong>to</strong> retreat back <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> status quo. In each case, <strong>the</strong> solution<br />
requires honesty, introspection, and <strong>the</strong> admission <strong>of</strong> hurt and vulnerability.<br />
Similarly, <strong>the</strong> self-induced crisis <strong>of</strong> planetary destabilization<br />
is an invitation for transformational leaders <strong>to</strong> help us rethink<br />
our place in <strong>the</strong> world and <strong>the</strong> way we relate <strong>to</strong> each o<strong>the</strong>r and<br />
<strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> larger web <strong>of</strong> life and radically reconsider our prospects.<br />
In each case, <strong>the</strong> narrative includes <strong>the</strong> recognition that as some<br />
things are ending, o<strong>the</strong>r possibilities are beginning. Americans in<br />
conditions <strong>of</strong> <strong>climate</strong> instability and <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> era <strong>of</strong> cheap<br />
fossil fuels will witness <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> lots <strong>of</strong> things, some <strong>of</strong> which<br />
will be <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> good-riddance sort, while o<strong>the</strong>rs will be more<br />
painful. Transformational leaders will help us summon honesty<br />
and courage <strong>to</strong> admit that we are <strong>the</strong> chief culprit in driving <strong>the</strong><br />
global changes now under way and <strong>to</strong> discard <strong>the</strong> belief that by<br />
more drilling, mining, economic growth, heroic technology, or<br />
military power we can keep <strong>the</strong> world as it once was. The world in<br />
which those were useful or appropriate responses <strong>to</strong> our problems<br />
is disappearing before our eyes.<br />
Do we have grounds for optimism? In <strong>the</strong> near term, I do not<br />
think so. We have yet <strong>to</strong> attain full awareness <strong>of</strong> our situation, let<br />
alone what will be required <strong>of</strong> us <strong>to</strong> deal with it. But I believe<br />
as well that <strong>the</strong> dawn <strong>of</strong> awareness is close at hand. When we do<br />
settle down <strong>to</strong> work <strong>to</strong> stabilize <strong>climate</strong>, good possibilities will<br />
take decades or longer <strong>to</strong> reach <strong>the</strong> scale <strong>of</strong> deployment necessary<br />
<strong>to</strong> reverse <strong>the</strong> accumulation <strong>of</strong> carbon and defuse o<strong>the</strong>r crises. In<br />
<strong>the</strong> mid <strong>to</strong> longer term, grounds for optimism depend on how<br />
rapidly and creatively we make four fundamental changes.<br />
The fi rst necessary change is a radical improvement <strong>of</strong> societal<br />
resilience by reshaping <strong>the</strong> way we provision ourselves with<br />
food, energy, water, and economic support. Resilience implies <strong>the</strong><br />
capacity <strong>to</strong> withstand and recover from disturbances, but critical<br />
parts <strong>of</strong> our infrastructure, including <strong>the</strong> electric grid, energy systems,<br />
food system, information technologies, and transportation