Governments cannot enforce what people do not inwardly accept. The same person who demands climate action as a citizen demands consumption as a buyer. The voter and the consumer are the same person, unwilling to live with less. No political system survives long by asking its people to sacrifice comfort. So governments sign accords, issue statements, and return home to protect normalcy.
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Originally published in The Pioneer on 15 nov '25.
The 30th UN Climate Conference has opened this week in Belem, deep within the Amazon. The setting itself speaks louder than the speeches: humanity gathers in a burning forest to discuss how to stop the fire. Attendance is thin, finance remains uncertain, and the absence of the United States, the world's second-largest emitter, has been called "less disruptive than expected." Over a hundred American governors and mayors have arrived independently, declaring that "America is still in." But the Earth does not hear declarations; it registers emissions.
The Thresholds We Have Crossed
We are beyond the stage of uncertainty. The world has already crossed the 1.5 °C limit above pre-industrial levels. The last eleven years are the hottest ever recorded, and the pace of warming continues to accelerate. The climate's fever reflects the human one: restless, rising, and unwilling to stop.
