The Straits Times says

Climate change divisions not helpful

New: Gift this subscriber-only story to your friends and family

The differences over decisive action on climate change, evident at the recent meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos in Switzerland, are troubling because the meeting brought together political, economic and thought leaders from around the world. This was no ordinary gathering but one where only the best arguments were expected. In the event, unfortunately, the divide on climate change, perhaps the most pressing existential issue of these troubled times, reveals the deep disconnect between the sunny optimism of those who believe that the world can continue to behave as usual, and the pessimistic anxiety of those who think it is doomed if it fails to act immediately.

The divide was dramatised by the argumentative distance lying between United States President Donald Trump and Swedish activist Greta Thunberg. Mr Trump dismissed prophets of doom who sought to control how people lived and worked. He argued that technology not invented yet would provide solutions to the challenge. After all, the world has survived the predictions of those who warned of overpopulation in the 1960s and 1970s, and those who later predicted an energy crisis when the world would run out of oil in the 1990s. However, population and energy both worked within predictable ecological parameters, which are precisely what climate change is threatening to undo irretrievably today.

Already a subscriber? 

Read the full story and more at $9.90/month

Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month

Unlock these benefits

  • All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com

  • Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device

  • E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on February 03, 2020, with the headline Climate change divisions not helpful. Subscribe