Barbara Debuschier is a journalist.
As Antwerp politician Els Van Doesburg (N-VA) recently wrote in this newspaper, we live in a “spectacular society in which there is nothing but shouting ‘super! and “Epic! Attention-grabbing,” and “superinflation” is rampant, leaving us deaf.
Today, hundreds of scientists have come up with a paper that completely contradicts this, but continues to garner a great deal of attention: the latest “Synthesis Report” from the United Nations Climate Panel (IPCC). Since 1990, this panel has been reviewing the state of the climate every few years. And of course they always do it in a very unemotional, objective, detached and precise way which is essential in science. For example, statements such as “the choices and measures made in this decade have an effect for thousands of years” indicate how confident the authors are. In this case, they are very sure.
But because global warming is accelerating faster than climate scientists previously predicted, these technical reports are now grabbing their throats. For example, with sentences like: ‘The chance of ensuring a livable future for all is now rapidly shrinking. (Very sure)’. Or with graphs showing how vulnerable you will be to deadly weather at age 70 and how much will apply to your children.
And this is not because scientists allowed themselves to be superinflated all the way – they dare not use an exclamation mark – but because reality is catching up with us. You don’t have to be a linguist to deduce from the development of those thick reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that these hundreds of top researchers are in fact screaming, screaming, and cheering. They’ve often been decried as alarmists, now that their earlier predictions have been shown to be far too conservative. We still have eight years to cut emissions in half if we want to prevent global warming from derailing. Meanwhile, emissions continue to rise.
In fact, this latest Synthesis Report also states: `Today, prepare a global, unprecedented, gigantic, massive Marshall Plan, with the power of ten people to make all our systems, sectors, consumption, cities, and nations very green and to implement in phases. fossil fuels immediately. Or we will collectively crash into a wall that humanity has never encountered before and we will crush it!!!!! ‘. In fact, the steam is coming from the ears of these researchers.
But all it says – translated into today’s turbo language – is:Yes we can!!!!!!! Tirelessly, the IPCC reaffirms that we have everything in our hands to do what is necessary to prevent as much suffering and destruction as possible. And that we live in a unique period. In this decade, humanity determines whether the future will be livable. The recipes are known, the resources are in our hands, moreover, they are cheaper than ever. “This is also actually a very touching but positive message that should rally all of humanity,” says an insider. “How wouldn’t it be if we let this go?” Who is listening?
