More Resolve Required

The findings of science in their research concerning climate change/global warming continues to suggest humanity is careening down the wrong paths. The warnings of ongoing incremental global temperature increases seem to be falling on deaf ears. Frankly I have lost confidence in the resolve of our politicians, industry leaders, the wealthy and vast bulk of common folk to climb off the growth bandwagon and actually do something to stop climate change. I also believe the wrong message has been circulated by the inappropriate choice of a word in common use now to suggest what we need to do to curb warming. I have written in other essays humanity is crisis oriented. It is also true we plan in preparation of opportunities and risks. Climate change/global warming is a major risk about which warnings have been issued for decades. Our response has been to suggest mitigation of the affects of climate change/global warming to stay below what has been determined a temperature threshold we just do not want to cross. The message is not working. Extremes are becoming worse and most important temperatures continue to rise. Our messaging needs to be stronger. We need to bump up the gravity of our situation. Mitigation is soft in resolve as it suggests efforts should be designed to achieve mild relief from climate change/global warming. It suggests a band-aid will do when major pressure is required to stop the discharge. Mitigation also leaves too many options on the table, allowing us to believe our modest efforts will do the trick. Unfortunately, mild just will not achieve the necessary changes required in the design and function of our societies. We can act in a mitigative way and achieve virtually nothing. We need to prevent as it will only be with such resolve that we limit climate change/global warming to a 2ºC rise and that threshold may be too high given what we are witnessing at around a 1ºC rise so far. I long to hear greater resolve through the use of a stronger word with appropriate actions accordingly.