Of all the issues that require our attention, climate warming, in my view, is the most alarming.  The book, “The Limits of Growth” published in 1972 predicted civilizational collapse occurring within the next 100 years due to climate change.  At the time of publication half-a-trillion tons of human produced carbon dioxide had already been released into the environment.  Since then the amount has tripled!  We are at the beginning of mass extinction, since  global warming is projected to continue increasing.

Yet, few in the affluent world would swear off all future growth for the sake of the climate.  A rising GDP is seen as good and essential by most politicians.  But, doesn’t that imply that more economic activity will also bring higher temperatures?  Perhaps not.

Growth and carbon emissions are not necessarily linked.  In fact, U.S. carbon emissions have dropped 17% since the 6 billion tons emitted in 2017.  The Inflation Reduction Act will spend billions over the next decade on green-energy subsidies which will double the reduction of carbon emissions.  Europe and China are also taking meaningful measures to reduce emissions. 

As the world understands the necessity of decarbonization, we can hopefully shape the kind of growth to greener, more equally distributed, and more people-benefitting outcomes. Our GDP may still grow but in a direction benefitting the people and the planet.  Great-power competition, both military and economic, can be reduced by focusing on survival and cooling a hot world.  Humanity can seize the opportunity to work together, to care for each other, to stop senseless spending on weapons, and to restore the health of our planet and its inhabitants. 

Bill Swift