The past is a foreign country: they do climate differently there

Credit: pixabay  

What can we learn from the past? Is it important to know about the climate on timescales that are almost incomprehensible to our human lifespans?

Timescales give ammunition to climate deniers as they can say, 'we survived before and we'll survive again' (glossing over the fact that 'we' was very different then, and didn't include humans).

The fact that we know how extreme the PETM was, and there is still no global urgency to combat a warming planet, suggests the fear factor isn't working. I think most people in the developed world are aware of climate change but also know they will be protected from the worst effects of it by time (they'll be dead), location or money.

There have been a few comments (on the discussions boards of the University of Exeter's Climate Change: The Science course) damning politicians for a lack of action. I've nothing against damning politicians, but - while you can cite eco 'gestures' for most countries in the world - no country is leading on climate change - the inertia is terrifyingly widespread. This is no doubt partly because, again, of the timescales involved - election in four years' time vs data from 56 million years ago - but also because there is not one set of actions agreed upon that would halt climate change.

Somebody mentioned they felt switching their TV off standby was worthless in the face of massive industrial and leisure projects that guzzle energy and belch carbon. I think some politicians and countries also feel like that (it's certainly a theme that has emerged at previous climate talks) - why should I risk my political career/country's economy/unemployment stats if my neighbour consumes coal like it's jelly babies?

And green issues are so broad that it's difficult to ascertain what is specifically an action to limit - I don't think we can say prevent any more - global warming, and what is a more generalised environmentally friendly way of living. And people are full of contradictions - using a reusable coffee cup and flying lots; religiously recycling all their meat trays; driving to the organic supermarket in a diesel car.

One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet much in the threads is population. Part of the horrors of plastic are not simply because of plastic per se, but because of the sheer volumes of it that 7 billion people use. Same with greenhouse gases.

Technology is a way forward, perhaps the only way. People don't invent (or mass produce) a climate-saving device, such as compostable packaging, carbon capture and storage, solar panels, a TV that turns off automatically, until the demand is there. And when it comes to selling stuff, the world listens more to consumers than politicians.