A friend, noticing my strong beliefs in favor of climate action, recommended two books to me: "False Alarm" by Bjorn Lomborg and "Unsettled" by Steven E. Koonin. Whew... Thankfully, my cat (chat translates in cat in French) was there to help me through it! I then compared the core essence extracted from these readings with the stance of the IPCC, the findings of the Stern Review, which is impressive as it incorporates economic analysis externalities (like the impact of industry, and our activities on nature, pollution, health, biodiversity reduction...) and the position of our young climate activists, climate mobilizers, whom I support as an Ambassador of Herocircle.app (the first subscription based climate-focused startup).
Broadly speaking:
- "False Alarm" offers a critical analysis of climate alarmism, suggesting that the costs of some climate policies exceed their benefits. Lomborg does not deny climate change but advocates for more measured and economically viable solutions.
- "Unsettled" questions the scientific certainty surrounding climate models and raises questions about the complexity of climate systems, highlighting the uncertainties that remain in our understanding of the climate.
- These two works question some of the dominant discourse on climate: they also emphasize the crucial importance of innovation and critical thinking in our quest for solutions.
Today, models are becoming increasingly close to reality as the points of observation are more numerous, more reliable, and more regular. Glaciers are melting, even in Greenland, the same with the permafrost, drought is severe this year again around the Mediterranean, and you've seen the mega fires in Quebec and Texas, ... and the hot summers that follow one another in the south... near you.
The climate crisis, unanimously recognized by the entire scientific community (97% agree on the significant human impact on the climate), demands a paradigm shift from us.
Or to paraphrase Einstein: "We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them."
To truly address this issue, it is imperative to adopt innovative and different approaches. This means exploring solutions that are not limited to emission reduction or traditional environmental policy but also include emerging technologies, changing individual and collective behaviors, and a deeper engagement of local communities in the fight against climate change.
Our youth, as well as the older generation engaged in this fight, show us the way with creative solutions, ranging from climate-focused startups to biodiversity conservation initiatives and sustainable development. They reject the conclusions of these works (Unsettled and False Alarm) because they sow doubt and delay the immediate action needed to reduce emissions, to have still "livable" temperatures by 2030 and then by 2050. The ambassador role I hold at my son's startup, Hero Circle, reminds me daily of the importance of supporting and promoting these innovative paths for me, but especially for my grandchildren! We created the problem: let's participate in its solution, within each person's means, is my philosophy.