What was the point?

With COP26 now in the backburner of the public consciousness and COP27 seemingly forgotten by the media. What actually came of it? 118 world leaders came to COP on private jets. It was always going to happen, but the dripping irony was palpable. How can the public believe world leaders are going to do anything of any substance when thousands of tonnes of carbon were squandered so easily. It is hard to have any form of hope when there is such blatant disregard for even such a simple measure. Of course, there is a litany of reasons for this, security, the time of such important people being at a premium and prestige. But it is rather hard to swallow when there is such pressing need for immediate drastic action on climate.

Something released with fairly little fanfare some time ago is the Carbon Clock. The clock show's just how little time we have left as a species to effect real solutions before climate change makes fundamentals of life radically different. What COP26 managed to achieve was something truly terrifying, the world effectively giving up on 1.5° to stay alive. It's now very much 2° to keep the sleaze. With seven or so years left on the clock before the 1.5 target has effectively come and gone, it has become effectively impossible to achieve, so the world has moved on to a new target a generation ahead. What is truly tragic about this however is that the coral reefs were barely going to survive at 1.5°, 2° and they are effectively extinct.

It might not sound like much of a problem until one realizes that the coral reefs are the backbone of the ocean. A quarter of marine life depends upon the coral reefs and with the coral reefs dead, so too are the fish. Fishing is incredibly important both economically and as a vital source of food to millions, the warming that has already occurred has contributed to significant losses in fishing populations. A study has found that 8% of fishing areas have been significantly negatively affected in terms of stock by warming, in Asia, it has been found that fish stock has decreased across the board, up to 35% in some fishing areas.

Our carbon addiction is going to ensure that the quality of life of billions and the billions to come will be a hollow, immeasurably challenging existence. The sad reality is that media can't keep on topic for something as existential as climate change. The clicks, likes and watch time dictate they move on.

So the real question is, what can I really do? Well, the first thing is, don't be fooled. Just 100 companies are responsible for 71% of carbon emissions. That is quite the statement, of those companies, not one is outside extractive industries. Due to people needing fuel for electricity and transport, it is largely out of the hands of individuals to do much to fight climate change. The only way to fight against that kind of corporate power is to pressure your politicians. Ending the reliance on fossil fuels for growth is paramount but convincing a highly profitable and ESSENTIAL company to wind down its services is just not going to happen without legislation, which in turn cannot happen without public pressure.

The saddest thing about this very post is that it has been powered by approximately 80% fossil fuel. The very act of informing you has a carbon footprint.

Enough with the pessimism, all I can ask is

Do you have faith in COP?

• Absolutely
• I have nowhere else to put it
• Perhaps, can't really say
• Not a chance