We cannot stop stressing the urgency of the global climate crisis, that we all face now. Call it climate-change, climate-catastrophe, abrupt-weather cycles, global-warming or even eminent extinction, the systems are falling. The 'eco-system' and the 'human-system'. 2019, much like 2018 witnessed record high temperatures and humongous amounts of ice melt, on both the polar regions with massive fires in every continent. Still not convinced about 'global warming' ?! New studies and predicaments by leading climate scientists and United Nations under the Global Carbon Project has released an alarming report, about the impediment at hand. About the earth's eco-system, that we do not seem to hold so dear. The report in a nut-shell, concludes that if we don't reduce carbon emissions and energy consumption, we as the leading species are done with!



What the 'f' got us here?!
41 years ago, scientists from 50 nations met at the First World Climate Conference (Geneva 1979) and unanimously agreed about alarming trends leading to future climate change, urgently necessary to act upon. Since then, similar alarm bells rang through the 1992 Rio Summit, the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. Dozens of climate summits later, like the one which just concluded in Madrid, as COP#25 the alarm bells have gone into pandemonium. Did we 'act' urgently? Act we did, in great folly, in the opposite direction. CO2 levels and other greenhouse gases are at a peak high when compared to the last 800,000 years. The last 40 years carbon emissions have risen steadily, doubling, tripling, shooting up sky-high currently at 38 giga-tonnes in 2018. Every flight we take, every cab, every carbon emitting act, willy-nilly adds up to those giga-tonnes upon giga-tonnes every year. The last 40 years, mining, extraction and fracking grew 2000 times over. Last 40 years, 40% of forests and tropical terrain was wiped out, to feed the big cities, or feed the cows, chickens and pigs, or were simply cut-down to make way for massive industrial complexes. 50% of the amazon (so called 'lungs of the planet) is gone. 50% of marine life disappeared, insects species down by 60%. The last 40 years we dumped billions of tons of polymers, lead, sulphur and toxic sludge into the oceans, rivers and land. Less than 30% of all human waste is recycled. 'Business as usual' as toxicity loads up the air, water, land, even invading our food, the animals we eat or pet. We unanimously signed-up to ignore all the alarming predicaments, facts, evidence and trends. Instead we posted millions of pet pictures on Instagram, to feel good as predicated bullshit. A giant 'Ship Of Fools' ?




Now, Beginning Of Melting Point!
The last decade was the hottest in thousands of years. There's little doubt that the output of carbon and fossil-fuel, is a big contributors to the overheating of the planet. Profoundly troubling signs from human activities are now reflecting inside the eco-system's global war-path! Both human and ruminant livestock populations, per capita meat production, world gross domestic product, global tree cover loss, fossil fuel consumption, the number of air passengers carried, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, and per capita CO2 emissions since 2000 shot up. They called it 'growth', 'progress' and 'fruits of globalisation' and what-have-you (the image of a happy family put out by the local bank offering loans for the dream-home, dream-car or dream-vacation). Was civilisation eventually outdone by it's own folly or mother-nature is playing out it's reaction? Either way, the consequences are fatal, on a course to worsen in the decades ahead. Professor John Doyle discusses the prospects of a +4 degree warmer planet. Gentle reductions, electric-cars, vegan food and eco-tourism will do "nothing consequential". The Arctic is getting darker, absorbing more and more sunlight every year, releasing loads of methane gas and preposterous levels of water into the oceans. Our energy consumption has gone up thousands of times in the last 200 years, and we still show no signs of slowing down. Madness huh?



What will happen?
By 2025, we will have an ice-free Arctic. Ice-free summers. Northern and western Europe will become way hotter. The Mediterranean will dramatically rise, reclaiming ports, towns and villages on all sides, from Spain to Cyprus to Lebanon to Libya. Middle and southern Africa will practically roast, due to lack of rain and ground-water, bashed by typhoons rising from the Indian and Atlantic Ocean. The Caribbean and middle-America too will be trashed by increasing cyclones and tornados. Worldwide forest cover would fall by roughly 62%. By 2045 Miami, Mumbai, Dhaka, New Orleans, Venice, Basra, Alexandria, San Francisco, Bangkok, Hanoi and Shanghai will be submerged, partially or completely. More than 40% of Bangladesh will be invaded by the sea and flooding rivers. The melting ice from high mountain ranges and glaciers will flood millions of hectares in surrounding foot-hills and plains. South-east Asia and Central India will witness mass-exodus. All of Greenland glaciers would be 'liquidated' by 2050. More than 100 islands in the Pacific, South-Asia and Australasia region will be wiped off bit by bit. Islands like Puerto Rico, Haiti and Jamaica will be partially gulped down by the sea. Read More Here. Where will all the climate-damned people go? We cannot fathom the loss of habitat, loss of eco-systems and millions of birds, animals, insects and fish. Chances are, that paradise-beach, the one you could buy your way into, would not exist. If you live near the coast, in a big city or a pretty little village, do check this interactive-map, to see if your habitat will be submerged by the rising seas. coastal.climatecentral.org/map



If we dream or aspire for a better future, we should not depend on the decision-makers for a 'just' transition to a sustainable and equitable future.  Most of these folks are not 'just' and many of them clueless about what science has to say and show. Worse, most of them are based in positions of power dealing with money and privilege. They will often 'lie by omission'. They will blame the others. Lets look at the vital signs, the changing climate and situation, the epidemics, the new diseases, the facts, which allows us to better understand the magnitude of this crisis. To track the regress or progress, and realign priorities for many reasons. One, alleviating climate change. Two, pursuing a better life and conserving a future for the children, babies and those unborn. It would be greatest if decision-makers and all of humanity promptly respond to this warning and declaration. But we know that such hope is useless without resistance. Roll-back and think about your contribution which destroys the eco-systems and the planet. Rollback and think about what the hell you should be doing about it ?

Off The Grid?
It's difficult to find resilience and focus, even as we find growing solidarity, unrest and fear. We need to slow down, and there is no other choice left. Recently we turned to a new manifesto launched by the Underminers. The website explains in great detail, sans jargon busting, about the possibility of a different life and of a different system. Made of new values, bonds and outcomes. Undermine the idea of infinite growth, competition and speed. Dismantle the grip of the economic system upon our lives. Building blocks towards a life, 'Off The Grid'. OTG. Primitivism and Undermining as philosophy convene yet remain disparate. You can check the existing definitions, yet the premise remains the same allover the world. It certainly does not entail running away to a paradise beach (tourism) or finding the most distant cave in the mountains (isolationism). Nor do we want to rid ourselves of all possessions and undertake life like an hermit or monk or hunter-gatherer (there is much deception and desire involved in self-imposed penance) OTG is an idea, a brave response or a rebellious philosophy in the making. https://underminers.org/