I'm massively worried about climate change. In my country (US) the next administration denies the existence of it, even though we've known about it for almost 20 years.
To my knowledge, the recycling movement first started in the late 80s. Over 30 years ago, people knew about the damage plastic was causing to our oceans and environments. People knew it would get worse, and what did they do? Basically nothing. I'm not gonna pretend that recycling doesn't have an impact, but we have to understand that the first of the three environmental R's is REDUCE. Recycling is last because it has the least impact, and yet its given the most attention. Why didn't people back in the late 80s decide to reduce plastic? Why did we have to wait now, in the year 2024, to finally understand or atleast attempt to implement this idea? Now, plastic is so prevalent that its in our bodies. Babies are born with microplastic in them, and its so small that it goes into our cells and stays there. We can't get rid of it. Its a part of the human body the way the heart and lungs are, even though its literally PLASTIC. We breathe it in the air. We eat it and drink it, and the microplastics are so small that we can't even taste or perceive them.
And lets not forget carbon emissions. In COVID, despite most people being shut in their homes and barely any flights being scheduled, there was only a 12 percent decrease in fossil fuels. The most carbon intensive parts of our society SHUT DOWN for 9 months and we could only get 12 PERCENT of a decrease. Thats how prevalent plastic is. When we used it for masks or other purposes, it overrode all the carbon we don't use from flying and driving. And carbon emissions will only increase. People will want to get back to their normal, consumerist lives without worrying about reducing or carbon footprint.
Needless to say, I doubt our planet will become carbon neutral by 2050. Even if we use 'carbon offsetting' (basically planting trees while still emmiting carbon) I doubt we will become carbon neutral then as well. So its just over for us. Eventually we'll become so nihilistic that we will continue to produce waste and spend ourselves into oblivion. Not only ourselves, but all life on the planet, from small bacteria to mighty lions in the savannah will be destroyed as well.
We have no solution. Every time I just hear about how 'young people will solve it'. If anything, young people lack a lot of freedom. They are physically fit but since they haven't saved a lot and found their financial footing, they will most likely just spend money on the cheapest objects(read: plastics) to avoid damaging their finances. And everyone who is financially independent is too complacent or worried with other things on their lives to make a difference. Simular to the bystander effect, they expect someone else to put in the effort for them.
And it won't be the government. The fossil fuel industry has been lobbying politicians extensively for a very long time. No strong carbon tax or any other climate action will (probably) be passed for a very long time, and it will most certainly be implemented too late.
All this to say, if basically no one is able or willing to put in the effort, nothing substancial will be done with climate change. The only thing you could hope for is that people continue to buy electric vehicles and reduce while they can, or some new and cool energy source comes along and completely switches us in the right direction. Either way, its taken way too long for us to get to this point.
Anyway yeah i didnt mean to be depressing its just on my mind
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