A questioner, a mountaineer, observes the drastic impacts of climate change in the Himalayas, such as receding glaciers even at high altitudes and erratic weather patterns. He notes a disconnect, as these effects are not perceived in urban life, leading him to ask how to make people take the climate crisis seriously when it feels like an overwhelming problem with no clear individual solution. Acharya Prashant responds by emphasizing the extreme severity of the situation, stating that humanity is not merely facing a problem but is nearing extinction, having entered the sixth mass extinction phase. He calls it a catastrophe worse than a hypothetical Third World War, caused primarily by carbon dioxide, the same agent responsible for three of the five previous mass extinctions. He explains that the crisis is not immediately perceptible to everyone because our senses only register gross changes, likening it to a latent virus whose symptoms appear much later but are fatal. He clarifies that even a small average temperature rise of a few degrees can lead to catastrophic consequences, like the complete melting of ice sheets and the extinction of 80-90% of all life. Acharya Prashant asserts that the root of the climate crisis is a flawed philosophy of life that equates happiness with material consumption and endless growth, a mindset he terms "more is better." This philosophy underpins economic models like GDP, which promote relentless production and consumption while hiding massive inequality and the true cost to the planet. He argues that this pursuit of material prosperity has failed to deliver the peace and development it promised. The problem is compounded by denial, which he calls the most cowardly way of dealing with a disaster, as it wastes precious time. Regarding solutions, Acharya Prashant states that while individual actions like becoming vegan or using public transport are good, they are merely "feel-good measures" and insufficient on their own. The most effective change must occur at the policy level, which requires making climate change a central electoral issue. This can only be achieved by raising mass awareness and challenging the consumerist philosophy at its core. He points to the successful regulation of the powerful tobacco industry as an example of how concerted public effort can lead to policy change. He concludes that the climate crisis, veganism, and biodiversity loss are all interconnected issues stemming from a wrong way of living that must be fundamentally questioned and changed.