The AGE of CLIMATE CHANGE. A RITE of PASSAGE.
Humanity as a Geological Force of Nature for Planetary Energy Equilibrium.
The title of the book, The Age of Climate Change implies that climate change has a beginning, middle, and an end. The book says climate change began in 1776, not with the signing of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, but with the publishing of Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations. We are in the middle of it now. What we are trying to figure out is how will it end.
Humanity collectively will make choices to decide the outcome. The Age of Climate Change frames the climate change while considering contributing factors from a variety of disciplines and presents three options for how to proceed and then asks you the reader to choose.
The Age of Climate Change is a story of a species, us, on a planet, Earth, here and now. It is a story of astounding success achieved with a hidden cost, climate change. The challenge of climate change is how to retain the success that brought us to where we are here and now while managing the cost. The Age of Climate Change is a proposal of how to retain our collective successes and dispose of the debt, in the form of climate change, incurred to achieve it.
Our success is astounding. We, humanity, have prospered, filled the Earth, and subdued it. So much so that the collective output of daily human activity is now large enough to affect the planet's energy balance. Since 1776 humanity has injected two trillion tons of greenhouse gases into the biosphere. The GHGs, warmed by the sun, disrupt the energy balance of the planet to the hot side of equilibrium. As the concentration of CO2 in the air increase the scale and scope of the disruption will increase. Already, given an atmospheric concentration of CO2 of 415 ppm, we are in uncharted territory. That makes us a geological force of nature. We are now in partnership with nature to manage the energy equilibrium of the planet.
We have the numbers. We can do the math. We can predict the growth of GHG concentrations in the biosphere. We know, on a business-as-usual path, where it is going. The consequences are unclear. But as a species in partnership with nature to manage the energy equilibrium of the planet, knowing what we know today, does it seem prudent to keep going on the same path?
This brings us to a pivotal moment in our existence. We have collectively advanced to the point where we will have the power to affect the planet in many ways. With great power comes great responsibility. We are no longer mere inhabitants of the planet. We are co-owners of the planet, in partnership with nature.
As managing partners for energy equilibrium on the planet, are we up to the job? Or in creating climate change has humanity created a problem that humanity cannot solve?
The Rite of Passage that we face is to transition to accept the responsibility commensurate with our power. We can assume the role of stewards of the planet or be child-like in how we wield our power. The choices we will make will have profound consequences for Earth going forward.
The Age of Climate Change explains why climate change is difficult to recognize and why many people resist the idea of it. The book explains that climate change is real, we have caused it since 1776, the situation is more serious daily. Humanity is now a partner with nature to manage the planet. Regardless of your opinion on the reality and severity of climate change, humanity is moving into the future and as a people, we are uniquely adapted to decide how that future will look for all of us.
