"We have 12 years to limit…

"We have 12 years to limit climate change catastrophe, warns UN [IPCC]" - The Guardian Mon October 8th 2018 (link provided below).

This is the reality of our current predicament.

The above-headlined article lists a litany of disastrous consequences if we do not INCREASE the effectiveness of our efforts to mitigate climate change.

BUT, it also offers a glimmer of optimism, that the 1.5 degC target, previously thought to be impossibly challenging to achieve, may now be possible, with the combination of maximum effort and new technology.

This is absolutely not the time to be backsliding on environmental commitments. Yes, the previous climate change law had some faults, and it is essential that it be replaced with something MORE effective in reducing carbon emissions. Ultimately success or failure is not judged by political capital or by temporary competitive advantage in a race to the bottom, it WILL be judged by the RESULTS of reduced carbon emissions: an infrastructure that survives the increased stress of climate change i.e. extreme weather events, increased flooding, decreasing crop yields, etc.; how many of our elderly do not expire due to additional heat stress - "heat-related morbidity and mortality"; how many environmental refugees press at our borders and many other serious metrics.

It is very important to be clear that climate change impacts such as the partial list above do NOT result in minor inconvenience for all of us (i.e. there's a shortage of 'x' at the grocery store today, but it will be available next week; we see a few more tornadoes, but few people are really impacted; etc. etc.).

The results will be quite catastrophic in the 2030-2050 timeframe - loss of infrastructure, disruption of supply chains, widespread food shortages. To put a brief historical perspective on the situation that confronts everyone of us on behalf of our children in Ontario today: this has been called "radical material simplification" by Prof Chris Wickham ("The Inheritance of Rome", p95) [link to a very brief extract added below].

Radical Material Simplification "...meaning that the standards of living were plummeting. During this time we see a decline in population, increased violence and military activity, decline of cities and a move back to subsistence rural life..." [from link provided below]. "Decline in population" obviously implies many deaths.

It is essential that we avoid that catastrophe on behalf of our children, by enacting rapid EFFECTIVE carbon emissions-reducing legislation.