What People Get Wrong About Climate Change

One of the common mistakes people make about climate change is saying that it’s about “saving the planet.” But that’s not really the right way to think about it. Earth has gone through immense climate changes many times before, in some cases leading to mass species extinction. Now, we’re living through the onset of human-caused climate change, and slowing it down isn’t about saving the Earth. It’s about saving ourselves.  Humans have been around for just .004% of Earth’s history. And in all of human history – the 200,000 years since our species began – we’ve had agriculture for just 5% of that time and  electricity for .07% of that time. The simple truth about climate change is that it isn’t new to the planet, but civilization is. And with climate change we’re inviting a level of climate disruption that human civilization has simply never seen before.

Source: Vox
Length: 2:52
Country: United States
Language: English
Date: 12.12.2015