To those willing and able to come to grips with the vast and accelerating changes happening to our global climatic system, the tendency to despair or to just turn it all off can be ever present. And there are those, like Conservation Biologist, social critic (and certified grief recovery specialist) Guy McPherson (http://guymcpherson.com/) , who lay out a strong case that human extinction is inevitable at this point and sooner than we think. But even he stresses: "Lest the reader conclude I’m promoting surrender, let me be clear: resistance is fertile, and it’s a moral imperative."
And there are growing numbers of scientists on the front-lines of studying climate change, like Prof. Peter Wadhams (Wed. Talk Radio 6/22/16 http://kboo.fm/media/50605-end-polar-ice-and-world-we-know-it) and today's guest Paul Beckwith ( https://paulbeckwith.net/), who have stepped into the public spotlight to sound the alarm. Not only do they do high-level research and maintain their professional careers, but find themselves having to devote time to media interviews, public presentations and non-technical writing and video talks.
In so doing, they address issues well outside their fields of expertise (such as public policy, engineering solutions, etc.) and are challenged to find the most effective ways of communicating with a public at widely varying levels of scientific literacy and understanding.
In a recent video (https://paulbeckwith.net/2016/06/19/climate-system-change-too-late-or-not-too-late/), Beckwith deals with the big question "Is it too late?" from a variety of angles. Here is what he wrote for his youtube entry:
Which is correct regarding the abrupt climate system change that humanity has set into motion? What does this phrase “Too Late” really mean anyway. Too late for whom, and in what way.
Humanity occupies the entire spectrum of views, from outright ignorance and climate denial to the view that all 7.4 billion humans will die in the next 15 years and humanity will go extinct. Not only that, each subgroup has no tolerance for the views of others.
What does it all mean? For a start, we need to ask what people mean by “Too Late”!
As always the number to call in and join the conversation is 503-231-8187.
- KBOO