We humans have had tremendous success compared to all other organisms on Earth. Our intelligence has been high enough to colonize nearly every nook and cranny of the world. Unfortunately, our wisdom has, thus far, been too low to avoid the significant negative consequences of our own success. Humanity and the planet face the greatest catastrophe in human history. The climate crisis and the nature crisis are each enormous challenges, and together, they are colossal. Moreover, with the world also grappling with a growing inequality crisis, polarization crisis, and a lack of clear leadership on a global scale, I must admit that it appears rather bleak to me.

In such a situation, it's crucial not to lose hope. However, hope alone is not enough; we must take action!

The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) report paints a picture of a moderate climate catastrophe if the world achieves so-called net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. In that case, the Earth's temperature is projected to stabilize at 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by 2070 (so far, the Earth's temperature has risen by 1.1 degrees since pre-industrial times). A temperature increase of 2 degrees will have enormous negative consequences for both humans and the planet, although possibly manageable without widespread famine, migrations, wars, and other disasters. If the temperature rise exceeds 2 degrees (current projections suggest 3-4 degrees), the consequences will be even more catastrophic.