How many more floods, droughts, and wildfires will it take before governments and big businesses wake up to climate change? Lives and homes are at stake, yet many leaders cling to fossil fuels like they’re lifelines.
Take President Trump, for instance. He has called climate change a “hoax” and a “con-job.” This mindset fuels an endless cycle of greed and growth, ignoring the real-world damage. Meanwhile, people in Jamaica face destruction from hurricanes, while 13 million in Bangladesh are displaced from devastating floods. And Europe recently experienced its hottest summer, with temperatures soaring to 48°C.
In central China, 40,000 were evacuated due to landslides and severe flooding last July. Japan, too, faced extreme weather, swinging from heavy snow to sudden warming that triggered landslides. The effects of climate change are everywhere—and they’re intensifying.
Currently, the Earth is about 1.3°C warmer than it was before industrialization. If we don’t significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions, we could reach an alarming 2.6°C by 2100. Bill Hare from Climate Analytics warns that this could lead to catastrophic tipping points: collapsing ocean currents, disappearing coral reefs, and massive environmental shifts.
Such a future would spell disaster for agriculture, cause droughts in Asia and Africa, and create unbearable heat. Yet, denying the reality of climate change allows powerful figures to sidestep responsibility. Their inaction not only worsens our situation but also emboldens those who prioritize short-term gains over long-term survival.
As COP30 wraps up, the question remains: if we won’t act now, when will we? Despite the urgent need for commitments to cut emissions, relentless lobbying from fossil fuel interests makes real progress difficult. At COP30, over 1,600 fossil fuel lobbyists attended, undermining efforts for meaningful change.
Some countries even included fossil fuel representatives in their official delegations. This reflects a troubling trend of hypocrisy—politicians talk about peace and sustainability while enabling systems that harm the planet.
Many still cling to harmful ideologies, dismissing climate science and overlooking the humanity in the consequences. Despite acknowledging the need to phase out fossil fuels, the commitments made are vague and insufficient. A pledge to provide $120 billion annually for developing countries is promising but won’t take effect until 2035, and wealthy nations often fail to fulfill such promises.
The real issue lies at the intersection of money and environmental responsibility. Climate change is a symptom of a larger disconnection from materialism, inequality, and greed. To combat this, we must not just replace fossil fuels with renewables, but also rethink our entire economic model. It’s about moving from a cycle of excess to one focused on sustainability and sharing.
If we don’t make these changes—if we let denial and greed continue to dominate—our future will be bleak. Extreme weather will become the norm, agriculture will crumble, and vast areas of land could become unlivable. This isn’t a distant possibility; it’s a looming reality driven by a few powerful interests refusing to adapt.
For a sustainable future, we need political will and moral courage—a shared responsibility toward the environment that prioritizes well-being over profit.
