Why?

We waited too long to confront the climate emergency. Why?

Pakistan’s flood

Every now and then, I feel the upsurge of a compulsion — an inner necessity — to review and reflect upon the evidence around accelerating climate change, yet again. Actually, the evidence hardly interests me anymore. Any reasonable debate ended some time ago.

When it comes to maintaining a stable climate, we are past the point of no return. It is not that all human life inevitably ends in the next century, although that is distinctly possible. Yet we have entered a period of intensifying chaos that will smash apart everything we count on, everything we consider stable and enduring.

My still-burning question is why?

Why, given the massive preponderance of evidence, the overwhelming heft of scientific certainty, was post-industrial civilization paralyzed? Why were we — why are we still — unable to respond authentically to this overwhelming menace, this giant guillotine hanging over everyone’s future?

Why were all of our corporate tycoons and political leaders — anyone with serious power — willing to sacrifice their children’s future for the sake of short-term expediency, for power and plunder? Why were our intellectuals, spiritual leaders, and philosophers so easily distracted and co-opted? Why did the rest of us lie down and let them get away with it?

Why couldn’t we get our act together to stop them?

What’s wrong with us?