The fine artist and illustrator Oliver Jeffers on climate change, A.I. and the idea that maybe everything is pretty much our fault.
This personal reflection is part of a series called Turning Points, in which writers explore what critical moments from this year might mean for the year ahead. You can read more by visiting the Turning Points series page.
The following is a close look at an emerging global trend or insight through creative narrative.
No One Is Coming
One of the biggest issues, I believe, with the current global narrative on climate change is that it’s (deliberately) abstractly big. It is, therefore, no fault of anyone in particular. By speaking of climate change in the way that we do, we give ourselves permission to ignore it, convincing ourselves it is someone else’s problem. And, if climate change is someone else’s problem, it is definitely up to someone else to fix it.
But the brutal truth is that we are the only ones here — or anywhere, for that matter. The scale of the universe is so vast that it is incomprehensible, and we have yet to find any indication of life other than on Earth. So, whether it’s our fault or not (spoiler alert: it is!), it is certainly up to us alone to do something about it. Our current attitude is the cosmic equivalent of covering our eyes because we are going downhill too fast on a bicycle.
The Weather Doesn’t Need a Passport
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Source: Elections - nytimes.com
