The Future We Choose: Surviving the Climate Crisis

The introduction presents a snapshot of where the world stands in terms of climate change: “The world is on fire” (xv). Young people around the world are protesting climate inaction because the hour is late. Humans have known about the science behind climate change since the 1960s but have continually kicked the can down the road.

The moment of crisis is fast approaching. World governments responded in 2015 by signing on to the Paris Agreement. This still falls short of what needs to be done, however, and time is running out. The authors describe three groups of people in relation to the issue. On one extreme are those who flat-out deny climate change, which the authors note is akin to denying gravity, as the science is clear. On the other extreme are people who believe in the science and are falling into despair over the lack of action. Finally, there’s a large group in the middle who do nothing either because they’re unsure of what to do or because it’s easier to ignore the problem.

Doing nothing is a mistake, the authors contend: Society must at least take steps to minimize the damage.