I am writing this from southern France where we are taking a break in early July to avoid the heat of August. However, over the next few days the temperature is heading past 40 degrees and the nights, even though we are fairly high up, are not going to go below 20. Over the last few decades, I have sat listening to many academics talk about future climate change scenarios, but they have always remained somewhat theoretical. No longer.
Over those same decades, there have been numerous warnings of the dire consequences of inadequate action. More recently they have become even more scary as modellers admit that what we are seeing is much worse and quicker than anything their models had envisaged. Yet, most of the world goes on as if business as usual is fine, which means striving for more, better, fairer or whatever growth, but growth never the less.
If I wasn’t seeing climate change with my own eyes, I would certainly begin to doubt my sanity. The only conclusion then is that the world is insane or at least those who currently run it. This issue is then attempting to aim for sanity, to face as unflinching as possible the reality of the predicament we are in and hopefully provide some basis for reasonable responses, plus of course much else.
Rupert Read sets the tone arguing that climate breakdown is no longer an abstract danger parked safely in the future; Ananya Tiwari reckons the tale of climate change is now at the messy stage of dealing with its growing consequences; and I suggest it is time to start building our own escape routes.
Tim Garrett and Matheus Grasselli argue that climate inflation is the light on the dashboard telling us our economic vehicle is clapped out; Duncan McLaren looks at proposals to develop a questionable engineering measure as a means to counter climate change; and Howard Stein outlines the opportunities for Africa’s prosperity that lie in the continent’s mines.
Cliff Mills and Simon Grove-White on why cooperation is the way forward in public services; Divya Priyadarshni tells a story of market success built on traditional practices without breaking the mold; and Willy Diddens charts how a democratic foundation and government involvement has created a resilient cooperative movement in Canada’s largest province.
Steve Laughton talks about money, not money in the everyday sense but as a political story — so badly misconstrued that it has trapped governments, parties and voters inside a false economy of fear; and John McArthur argues that beans should be a mainstay in livestock feeds for resilience and sustainability.
Caroline Knowles points out the marks made on British society by Chinese money while Britain’s understanding of the superpower remains scant; and Vix Anderton questions the welfare or weapons argument that currently dominates UK politics.
Last but not least our regular columnists weigh in: Frances Coppola takes stock of how humanity is doing in the 21st century, while Professor Verity Bastion finds out why goats are the answer (or not).
So much to get your teath into as the energy in our atmosphere increases..
Best wishes
