Respira
By Amy Glover Drake
The greatest risk humanity faces is climate change. Unfortunately, we are a species that struggles to address long-term risks and coordinate actions beyond our borders.
Climate change is not a problem that one country can solve alone—it is a challenge that demands cooperation, just as multilateral solutions seem increasingly out of reach. Even though it could mean our extinction, climate change is not our priority.
Today, there are more distractions than ever that keep us from taking the issue seriously, including major political and military conflicts. According to the Geneva Academy, there are more than 110 armed conflicts happening globally, including the most widely reported wars between Russia and Ukraine, Israel and Hamas, and the civil war in Sudan.
On the geopolitical front, the U.S. is dismantling the system of free trade and democracy it championed since World War II. President Trump has unnerved both allies and “enemies” alike through constant arm-twisting tactics. With so much news and fear, it’s difficult to plan beyond tomorrow.
Since the 17th century, the U.S. has been the largest contributor to climate change due to its emissions—and the plan is to continue polluting. President Trump sees environmental issues as a thorn in the side of his “America First” agenda, which promotes the use of hydrocarbons. Legislation passed by the Republican Party earlier this month hampers the development of renewable energy and the transition to electric mobility in the U.S.—both necessary steps to reduce carbon and methane emissions.
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