Why Didn't People Act Sooner On The Climate Crisis?

Hi Everyone!

Welcome back to Green World, where today I wanted to talk about why people didn't act sooner about the climate crisis, when we have known about this issue for decades. I asked myself this too, and it wasn't until I read the chapter about it in Greta Thunberg's book that I started to understand the reasons behind why action was not taken sooner, and why this crisis has been allowed to escalate as far as it has.

As someone who has only been on the planet for 14 years, a part of me does resent people around long before I was for not having acted on an issue that they knew would continue to affect people around the world. They knew it was not an issue that would go away, so why didn't they act, when it was easier to do so? Changing our now very ingrained habits is so difficult, whereas fifty years ago, ways of life could have been more easily influenced.
Well, there are a few reasons why action was not taken to combat climate change sooner.

1. Fossil Fuel companies

Unfortunately, people were lied to. Fossil fuel companies, let's face it, wanted money, and everyone suddenly no longer wanting to use their business anymore would have been just a little inconvenient. They took tactics from the tobacco industry, in convincing people that they were not in the wrong, that the science is uncertain, and so much more. This was done through advertisements, campaigns and misrepresentation of evidence. They funded research to deflect from the issue, told people they needed to manage their personal carbon footprint and even questioned the credibility of climate scientists.
They fed into and influenced politicians and ultimately the public, creating a warped view of this crisis, and delaying action being taken and decisions being made.

2. Infrastructure and renewables

Fifty years ago we just didn't have the infrastructure and renewable energy technologies to sustain a fossil fuel free life. They could have been fazed out but the solar, wind, geothermal, biofuel and other renewable technologies were not as advanced and developed. Transitioning to renewables is much easier now that these technologies are at their best yet.

3. The science wasn't AS advanced

The science was there. But we didn't have the last however many years of evidence that this issue is real and it is happening now, today. The science is complicated, and most people probably don't really understand it, but now, thanks to many campaigns, educational documentaries and books, more people have a basic understanding of what is happening, and therefore a basic understanding of the extent of it.

4. Climate change is affecting people now

It isn't a thing of the future anymore, and maybe that's why we are beginning to wake up. Maybe that's why we are beginning to take action. People today are feeling the effects of climate change, people today are feeling the effects of rising sea levels, of more extreme natural disasters and the extent of wildfires. People are living through this now. And I'm in a very privileged position where I can say that so far, climate change has not affected my life in any major way. But there are so many people, especially in developing countries who are feeling the effects of climate change today.

We don't want to be the next generation not to act. We don't want to be the ones who failed to turn it round. This is our only chance to fight climate change, on both a personal and community level. Through managing our own choices to protesting, this is an issue that we can find solutions to, and one which we can continue to fight. Let's be the generation who ACT.

Your Green World Blog Team💚

p.s. thank you so much for all of your support recently - it's been incredible!!

Sources:
The Climate Book by Greta Thunberg

Images:
This image is owned by a blog editor

Comments

Animals 36-40 in our '50 incredible animals' series

Hi, As you probably noticed, we took a break from this series, mostly due to having just too much to do. But we're back now with the last three posts. 36. The Pinocchio frog The Pinocchio frog can be found in the Foja Mountains in Indonesia. They mainly eat insects, although little is known about them. They are named because the males have a spike on their noses. They were only discovered in 2008, and this was completely by accident! It remained unnamed scientifically until over ten years later when it was given the name " Litoria pinocchio " . There is very little information about them but Wikipedia states that "the male Pinocchio frog inflates its nose when calling, and the nose decreases in size when the frog is calm and quiet," which I think is hilarious and so interesting! 37. Snub-nosed monkey Especially noticeable due to their curious looks, the snub-nosed monkeys can be found in the forests of central China and northern...

Animals 21-25 in our '50 incredible animals' series

Hi Everyone! Here are the next five animals in our current series! We hope you learn something from this. 21. Stick insect Stick insects are masters of disguise. They look like twigs or leaves. This strange appearance makes them hard to spot when stationary. Stick insects are herbivores, feeding on leaves, and can live for up to three years. Their habitat includes most tropical and subtropical regions, but there are a few species that live in temperate areas as well. There are roughly 3 000 different stick insect species! Not much more is known about them, because they are difficult to find. The two main threats to their populations are the pet trade and people killing them so as to frame their carcasses, like butterflies. Their conservation status ranges from critically endangered to least concern - so basically every category that is on the list! 22. Glass frog The glass frog is, well, see through. You can literally ...

13.12.2020 Animal Of The Week: Lark

Hello, Today's post is all about a rather interesting bird I don't know much about and so I can't wait to discover more! Habitat There are many different species of Lark so they are quite widespread. Different websites say different figures but most agree that there are between 90 and 100 different species of Lark. They live in open countryside from deserts to mountains. Their colour is adapted to their environment and so they can vary in appearance. Diet Larks are omnivorous animals and eat many species of insects as well as seeds, leaves, grasses and fruits, especially in Winter as insects are scarce. Some species will also eat snails which they break open on rocks. Lark Song The lark is reputed for its song, especially when it is in flight. This is the reason that they are sometimes represented in poetry. I love poetry and I haven't read any Lark themed poetry yet but writing this has made me want to. However, the wi...

Animals 11-15 in our '50 incredible animals' series

Hello, We have another five amazing animals for you today. Enjoy! 11. Dhole This is a dog species which looks rather like a red fox . They are difficult to put into any of the dog subfamilies. They aren't foxes, nor wolves, nor domestic dogs. Dholes are fast runners and live in packs of 5-12 individuals. Although sometimes, different packs will join forces to become a pack of 30 or more individuals! However, these super packs are broken up after a successful hunt. The different packs rarely attack each other as neighbouring packs are often closely related. Dhole packs live in burrows with multiple entrances. They can be found in eastern and southern Asia. They eat wild berries, insects and lizards and as a pack hunt deer, rodents and other wild mammals. Interestingly, unlike other dogs, they rarely kill by biting at the throat. They are also good swimmers! 12. Irrawaddy dolphin The Irrawaddy dolphin can be found in coastal areas of south a...

Metamorphosis

Hello! Today we thought it would be good to explain exactly how metamorphosis works. It's a term that we often use when talking about frogs, butterflies or other animals, but we've never actually explained what it is or how it works. What is metamorphosis? Metamorphosis is the term used to describe the changes that some animals undergo when turning into adults. It is a physical change that happens after birth/hatching. There is a brilliant quote from the website a-z animals that I just couldn't put any better: unlike the typical subtle developments in animals, metamorphosis is dramatic. It’s controlled by a release of hormones in the cells. Mammals usually move from adolescence to adulthood and old age gradually, maintaining their form and shape. However, in metamorphosis, an animal moves through those stages and changes from one form or shape to another. How does metamorphosis work? Let's take the classic butterfly example./d...

The life of ... a cicada

Hi everyone, We're back to talk about another animal. Cicadas ( Cicadoidea ) are invertebrates and are 1.9cm to 5.7cm in size. There are 3 000 species that can be divided into annual cicadas and periodical cicadas. Annual cicadas can be seen annually and are found worldwide whereas periodical cicadas only leave the ground every decade or two and are only found in North America with hotspots in the eastern and central areas of the United States. Most annual cicadas have a lifespan of about two to five years and periodical cicadas can live up to the age of 17. Female cicadas lay around 400 eggs split up over several places. They normally lay their eggs on twigs, branches or other vegetation. The eggs hatch after about six to ten weeks, now known as nymphs, and dig their way into the soil. The nymphs feed on the liquids found in plant roots. They fully develop underground, before molting their shells and coming to the surface, now fully deve...

10 Animals on the Edge of Extinction No. 10- The Javan Rhino

The Javan rhino is listed as the 1st animal on WWF’s list of the 10 world’s most endangered animals, and I for my part, had never heard of it! If you hadn’t either, we’re changing that now. A bit about the rhino’s lifestyle The Javan rhinos are now exclusively found on the island of Java in Indonesia, but were once found in vast regions of northeast india and Southeast Asia. They have a dark grey colour which looks almost black when wet, and their (often pink) skin folds look a bit like plated armor. Both males and females have lower incisors which resemble tusks that they use to fight. Males have one relatively short horn of about 25 cm (10 inches). Javan Rhinos live in tropical forests, marshy areas and in the thick bush. They are mainly browsers and eat over 100 plants species they find in the forest, weigh between 900 and 2300 kg (1984-5071 pounds) and are between 3 and 3.2 meters (10- 10.5 feet) long. How endangered are we talking? Javan rhinos are the most ...

Autumn Leaves: The science behind one of the most beautiful seasons

Hi everyone! We know that at the time this post is being published it will still be August, and the height of summer here in the Northern Hemisphere, but within the next two months or so, autumn will well and truly be upon us. So, today, we thought we could talk a bit about the science behind this beautiful season. Thinking of autumn automatically brings to mind images of crisp mornings, cosy evenings, and of the picturesque falling leaves with their hues of red, orange, yellow and gold. The change of colour of these leaves marks a change of seasons, and the decreasing temperature and light levels that goes along with that. But why do these leaves lose their greenness and fall from the trees? Trees' leaves contain a chemical called chlorophyll which allows them to convert water and carbon dioxide into glucose, or sugars, through a process called photosynthesis . This is how they gain energy from sunlight. Chlorophyll is green in colour, ...

10 animals on the edge of extinction you didn't know about no.5 - rice's whale

Welcome back to Green World Today we're exploring the Mexican gulf and a rather unknown whale species called the rice's whale (Balaenoptera ricei). The name doesn't have anything to do with cooking rice, instead, it's been named after Dale W. Rice, a cetologist. Rice's whales are found in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. They were originally considered to be Bryde's whales, due to their almost identical appearance until genetic analysis in 2021 determined that they are their own species. They are still often known as Gulf of Mexico Bryde's whales. In April 2019 they were listed as endangered by the NMFS under that name before it was officially changed in August 2021. They live in waters about 100-500m deep off the coast of Florida and although their diet is unknown, suspected food contains lanternfish and hatchet fish. They do not migrate and remain in the same waters all year round. Due to being such a recently confirme...

How much do you know about the greenhouse gas effect? - Quiz

Welcome back to Green World! Today we have a quiz that will test your knowledge about the greenhouse gas effect and its effect on the world. Enjoy! Questions True or False? Carbon dioxide is the only greenhouse gas. Burning fossil feuls mostly emits ... a) methane b) nitrogen c) carbon dioxide True or False? One ppm (part per million) is the same ratio as one drop of water in 13 gallons of liquid. Which one of these is not a greenhouse gas? a) carbon dioxide b) nitrous oxide c) oxygen True or False? Some greenhouse gases are only in the atmosphere for a few years. Which sector has the highest greenhouse gas emissions in the US? a) Agriculture and other land use b) Electricity c) Industry True or False? 94% of global methane emissions come from human activities. Which sector has experienced the highest increase in...

Green World

Search This Blog