James Lovelock, a highly respected scientist, thinks that saving the planet from climate change is ‘beyond our ability’ , and we should stop wasting time trying to tackle global warming. In his view “. . . saving the planet is a foolish, romantic extravagance.”
He reconciles this conclusion with his belief in the capacity of humans and robots and the planet to evolve. He evokes his memories of Great Britain in the Second World War:
“When the climate crisis finally breaks, the world’s differences will again be put aside – and our species, for all its present idiocies, will pull together in a way that will astonish the cynics among us.”
Lovelock’s views are a striking combination of hope and hopelessness.
Other scientists are not prepared to give up on our future, despite their recognition of the great problems to be overcome.
Piers J. Sellers was a physicist with the US NASA who – together with his colleagues – researched the whole earth system. He was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer, a disease that “much foreshortened my life”.
He had to answer his own question: “Was continuing to think about climate change worth the bother?”
As an astronaut he had seen the earth from space “I saw how fragile and infinitely precious the Earth is. I’m hopeful for its future.”
He decided to spend his foreshortened days by continuing his work for NASA.
The best way to support his hope.
