The world is currently facing a climate emergency, and the impacts of burning fossil fuels are becoming increasingly evident. As the author, Seth Klein, observes, the wildfires raging across Europe, Australia, Canada, and the United States are a stark reminder of the urgency of the situation. The images of emergency aircraft, black smoke, and devastated towns are reminiscent of war, and the author argues that we need to adopt a wartime mindset to combat the climate crisis.
Klein begins by highlighting the devastating wildfires in France and Spain, drawing comparisons to the Second World War. He notes that the French president, Emmanuel Macron, has called the wildfires his country's most difficult situation since the Second World War. The author then expands the discussion to other parts of the world, including Australia, the United States, Brazil, Greece, Portugal, Chile, Russia, Turkey, and Indonesia, all of which have experienced the terror and loss of wildfires.
One of the key points Klein makes is that while many leaders in Europe have linked the wildfires to the climate emergency, this connection is less common in Canada and the United States. He argues that the extreme weather events we are experiencing are attacks on our soil and call for mobilization. However, the author criticizes the current defensive and rearguard actions of governments, which have not yet adopted a wartime-scale response to the climate crisis.
Klein emphasizes the need for a more fundamental truth: until we mobilize to dramatically expedite the transition off fossil fuels, we will never get ahead of the curve. He argues that no amount of fire preparation and planning will save us from an escalation in the horrors we are now experiencing. The author suggests that if the crisis is indeed akin to a war, we must adopt a wartime-scale approach, a new mindset to mobilize all of society, galvanize our politics, fundamentally remake our economy, and end our dependence on fossil fuels.
The author also draws on the experience of the Second World War, noting that it can be embraced as an instructive story and a hopeful reminder that we have done this before. Klein argues that governments in genuine emergency mode have distinct markers, including telling the truth about the severity of the crisis, spending what it takes to win, creating new economic institutions, shifting from voluntary to mandatory measures, and committing to leave no one behind. He concludes by stating that all emergencies start with a period of denial or a phoney war phase, but then some sort of alchemy occurs, and a combination of events and leadership shifts the zeitgeist into genuine emergency mode. Klein emphasizes the need for a wartime mindset and political and policy agenda to tackle the climate emergency.
