Right now, we have multiple crises. War, rise of fascism, economic crisis and climate crisis.
The most important and urgent one, is the climate crisis, but in the media and the public it plays only a minor role.
Why is that? And why is the climate crisis the most essential crisis? I try to give an answer in this article.
A metaphor
Imagine you find a black mole on your back. It looks suspicious, and you think you should schedule a doctor’s appointment to let it check. But you have an important deadline at work, your kids need something, you have to handle the household and other seemingly more urgent things come up.
For weeks, months, even years, you postpone the appointment.
Occasionally, you recognize the mole and it itches, it gets bigger. And every time you think you should do something. But there is always an interference.
One day, you wake up at night. Your back burns, you can’t sleep.
Now, you go to the doctor because the pain is immense.
You have cancer. And you require an intense and expensive treatment over several months.
A small crisis, that could have been easily solved with a short, inexpensive surgery, is now a major life-threatening issue.
It’s similar to the climate crisis, we could easily have solved it already decades ago. But there was always another seemingly more important crisis. Either it was war, an economic crisis, the Cold War, a pandemic, or the rise of fascism.
One thing that is different from the metaphor. There were and are forces that actively work against climate policies. Hopefully, no-one actively hindered you going to the doctor. Besides, a non-functional health care system.
Find climate-friendly solutions
Now, to fight the climate crisis, we need a lot of money, and we need to take measures that will hurt.
But we are not doing it because there are many crises right now. And all of them are seemingly more urgent, than the climate crisis.
And they are, to a certain extent. We need to end war as fast as possible, fight the fascists, and solve the economic crisis.
But we have to do it in a way that is climate-friendly.
Because if we end in a climate catastrophe, the existence of mankind is threatened. And it will end in more wars, more authoritarian societies and a non-existing economy.
Without a working climate nothing works.
Why other crises are more important
But why is that so?
First, as already mentioned, people in power put their short-term profits above the long-term consequences and work actively against climate policies.
Then the other crises are easier to understand. Because we had all this before. Several times.
We know the framework and we know the consequences. Everything you know is easier to handle. It’s the unknown, that frightens us and that holds us back.
And while these other crises are similar but not the same, they seem to be new. And new things give the feeling of being more urgent.
It’s like when you work on a long-time project with a due date in several months, that e-mail that came right in about the new bin in the kitchen is far more urgent and distracting.
The other crises also seem to be smaller and easier to manage. That may sound ridiculous in our current situation, but most of the other crises only affect one or two countries or one singular sector of the system.
While the solutions are not easy, if there is one, they are manageable.
A crisis of the system
The climate crisis shatters the whole system. The economy, politics, society, safety, health, housing, the entire environment. Everything is interconnected. Handling one part impacts another and a solution for one problem makes another possibly worse.
That’s why every crisis today is part of the climate crisis.
War has a massive pollution, fascists fight against climate policies and the economy defends itself against the necessary change.
The climate crisis should bring everyone together to fight against it. Because everyone is affected.
Politics failed us
Socialist parties should have an interest in fighting climate change because the poorest are affected the most.
Liberal parties should push the shift for a sustainable economy. Otherwise, the old industries will crash.
Conservative parties want to conserve things, but there will be nothing to be conserved, if they do not fight climate change.
And even far-right parties, if they honestly intend to fight migration, they have to fight the climate crisis because billions of people will have to flee when their home isn’t livable anymore.
But the politic parties fail to address it.
Far-right parties say climate policies are leftist bullshit, the left doesn’t have any climate policies, and the green parties struggle to get votes.
Just to clarify it, climate policies are neither left nor right, they are necessary.
That we are still at the stage, where we discuss whether there is climate change or not, if we need climate policies or not, makes me mad.
Why isn’t it possible that every party provides suggestions on how to fight the climate crisis that serves their supporters most? Then we find together a compromise that works.
I answer it myself because the current system is broken, and it needs to change.
What to do
So, what can we do?
What can we do to shift the focus onto the climate crisis and make it the most urgent to the public?
I am honest. Our possibilities are limited.
The media, classic and social, is in the hand of few people who have no interest in climate policies. Many parties are influenced and lobbied by the same people.
But we have possibilities. Act global and local.
Go online, find international groups to connect with. Spread the word on the different platforms. Don’t be ashamed to use populist methods. It’s how these platforms work. For example, if a car is used for a terror attack, say that cars should not be allowed in cities because they are weapons.
Right-wing populists do the same when a mentally ill person with a migration background kills someone.
While it is important to show presence on the global net. Acting locally is far more effective.
Protesting, being a climate advocate and living a sustainable lifestyle can be an important part of it. But the biggest advantage of local action is the personal connection.
Talk to people, show them how their life is affected by climate change and the policies of the government, tell them about possible solutions.
But most importantly, listen to them, ask questions.
This works also online.
Conclusion
We are so on the wrong path. It will be extremely difficult to make a turnaround.
But we can’t give up. Every little bit counts. Every tenth of a degree the earth warms up less is a massive win.
For that, the climate crisis must be recognized as the most urgent of all crises.
We can only achieve that one small step after another. This is frustrating.
But let me assure you. Most of the people on earth are very decent. They want a good life, and they want it for others too.
But in the current system, everyone is forced to fight against one another to survive. Let’s create The Good System where working together achieves the best outcome.
My name is Ian DeBay.
I am the founder of iandebay.com. I am a content creator, blogger, podcast, YouTuber. This is my blog where I talk about system change, sustainability and other fun stuff.
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