There is now a war on climate, nature and biodiversity. Nothing less. It is a war on information, disinformation, and misinformation.
To combat this requires a new level of collaboration to fight the war. Even bloody mindedness.
That is my conclusion from New York Climate Week.
President Trump’s claim to the UN that climate change is “the greatest con job ever” continues to attract new and powerful recruits worldwide.
The influential forces who echo his view are building the cash, clout, and determination to challenge every aspect of the science.
As confirmed by the Planetary Health Check published by Professor Johan Rockström and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, seven of the nine planetary boundaries have now been breached. The latest is ocean acidification. This represents a profound shift. Humanity is moving out of the safe operating space that sustains life as we know it.
The risks of climate tipping points, from Amazon rainforest dieback to Atlantic current collapse, continue to rise rapidly with no hint of reversal.
Professor Rockström stressed, this is not just about the planet. Human health itself is under threat because of the impact on our bodies due to temperature rise and unravelling ecosystems.
To counter the big corporate, Trump-inspired forces requires far greater collaboration. Right now, the huge number of science organisations and climate campaigners are relatively unconnected, like lily pads scattered in a lake. These forces now need to come together and collaborate with far braver and greater momentum. They must counter the strategic power and resources of climate denial and delay.
My conclusion from this week is clear. The war on information, disinformation, and misinformation is intensifying. If the planet is to be saved, collaboration must rapidly become much more organised and united.
I leave New York encouraged by the determination I’ve witnessed. The response must now be swift, positive, more coordinated and even more determined. The war must be fought with a guile and cunning that matches the Trumpian adversaries.
