We do NOT need to “save the climate”!

As I see thousands of people take to the streets today to lend their support to the climate movement, something important strikes me.

“Save the climate” is the chant being shouted by children and parents alike.

Who or what is this “climate” we are talking to, and how do I relate to it? I can think of few things less tangible than the climate, or things that humans have a harder time to relate to in their everyday live. It requires a conscious effort and a lot of thought to really relate to the climate and how it affects your everyday life, and exponentially more so to see how it relates to your life decades from now.

I have helped won political elections, built brands, and marketed products and services all over the world for nearly 20 years now — and if there is one thing I have learnt it is that people need to be able to relate to a message. They need to be able to put themselves into the context of the message; How does this affect me, what does this do for me.

Unfortunately it’s in our human nature to struggle with the concept of trading something we have today for more benefits in the future. That’s why it’s so appealing to skip going to the gym, even though we know it will benefit us in the long run. Or skip a shopping spree and save for the future.

Support our troops

One of the most brilliant marketing campaigns ever in my opinion, was the support our troops campaign. The yellow ribbon that Americans put on their cars to show support the troops overseas. The geniality of the campaign was that it was nearly impossible to be against the message. No matter if you were for or against the US war effort abroad, you did support the women and men who served. It was something that everyone could relate to and stand behind. Its packaging forced you to rally behind the message. It would never have worked if the message had been “support the war”

The anti climate offering simply has more appeal

Like it or not, there are a lot of people around the world who are sceptical to the increasing movement to take drastic movement to reduce our impact on the environment. There are also capital behind NOT doing anything.

Currently the two camps offer the following

01/ The message of the save the climate camp

“We must save the climate. The world will be destroyed. We need to stop consuming, traveling and emitting. Now. “

02/ The message of the climate sceptic camp

“Various arguments that muddles the climate argument. But most importantly, if you join our camp, you get to keep your good life as it is today. If you join them, your life will be worse. Today.”

As an individual citizen in the developed world the save the climate option offers nothing positive today, and a promise of a future in the future. It is however unclear what that future means. In short, this option offers cutting down on most of the things that represent our “western way of life”, but offers no upside for you, today.

If you live in a developing country, the save the climate messaging is even harder to relate to, because more often than not, you do not have the luxury to think or plan decades ahead, or even years. You want food on your table, send your children to school, have a better life.

The importance of context and relatability

The reality is that humans ARE causing a rise in temperature on this planet. The current CO2 PPM is 409,95.

Simple logic tells us that more heat is absorbed by the atmosphere, as well as increased wind and extreme weather. If logic is not enough, the vast majority of science supports this. This leads to rising temperatures. Which has serious consequences. We’ve long been informed that this results in melting ice and polar caps, rising seas and extreme weather. But even before that, it will affect the food supply for the human race. The current prediction in temperature increase will cause the yields of our three staple crops wheat, rice and maize, to to drop by 20–50%. Globally. In our lifetime. These three staple crops make up 60% of our food.

A global shortage of food will lead to starvation, mass migration, negative economic impact and potentially wars. It will lead to a future inhabitable for our children and grand children.

The narrative needs to change

The planet will be perfectly fine without humans.

The climate will still be around once humanity is gone. It doesn’t need saving. The planet will be perfectly fine without humans. Evolution states that the fittest will survive, and currently we are disrupting the eco system so it may no longer sustain our own race.

Stop chanting or posting messages proclaiming that we need to “save the climate”. Instead, address what we really are talking about.

Make sure our children can eat. That they do not have to live through wars. Ensure that they can live out their dreams, make ground breaking research, innovate and focus on their passion. Give them a future to look forward to. Like previous generations.

Save our children. Preserve the human race.