Welcome back to the Weekend Reads for 2025, which means… there goes my Saturdays – apologies to the family. Oh well, I do this because now, more than ever, information is critical and a wide array of information at that. I don’t get paid to do this, I see it as a service to humankind, so if you value what I’m doing here, I’d really appreciate you sharing it with your community.
A failure of imagination, what’s that all about? As we can all see, it’s another chaotic start to the year and it’s going to get a whole lot more intense. Brace yourselves. The fires in LA are horrific, heartbreaking and devastating. What they are NOT is shocking. I remember many years ago, talking to a pal who is also paying attention, saying that events like this are on our doorstep. Not at the end of the century, but now, and well, sometimes you don’t want to be right.
The challenge is, we continue to be incapable of really comprehending what the science and nature is showing us. We can’t conceive it, and that means we are not getting prepared to deal with disasters of this scale, which is why I said it’s a failure of imagination. It’s also a failure of preparation at the scale required. I heard one commentator say these fires are so big and so complex, all the fire fighters in the world couldn’t put them out. We are not ready.
Knowing events like this were going to happen, and soon, is not comfortable knowledge to carry within you. It’s a burden, especially when most around you don’t want to acknowledge it or even talk about it. For those of us who were waiting for this moment to happen (I obviously can’t speak for everyone), I expect we are all experiencing the horror and grief of this time along with everyone who is impacted, while also wondering where is next? And will I be in that place?
I saw this meme this week. I’ve been on that phone – floods, heat, waste – and I know it’s only a matter of time before I’ll be sharing again. We are all on the front lines of climate change now.
I’ve been glued to the story of this moment, like many others, and one of the issues that has cropped up is denial, blame and politicisation. It really is so exhausting to constantly see this, especially as this week we learned 2024 is now officially the hottest year on record, passing 2023.
Copernicus stated we are at 1.6°C warming, and Berkley Earth put it at 1.62°C above pre-industrial levels. Remember the Paris Climate Agreement of 1.5°C? Yeah, nah! But it’s not just land temperatures, it’s also oceans – the ocean is the hottest it has ever been recorded by humans, not only at the surface temperature but also for the upper 2,000 meters.
Our world is getting hotter and hotter, and in LA, after two record breaking summers, it’s a parched landscape, with humidity at around 1%, and an annual rainy season that never arrived. Add the Santa Ana Winds (an annual affair) into the mix and you have all the necessary elements for the devastation we are witnessing, and so many are personally facing. It is truly heartbreaking and horrific. I feel for everyone impacted, but mostly for the poorest, who will never be able to rebuild their lives.
But arsonists started the fire I hear you say! Arsonists often start fires, as do lightning strikes, a cigarette butt thrown out a window, BBQ cinders, sparks from power lines, etc, etc, etc. How fires start is nowhere near as important as the environment those sparks are released into. If the typical rains had come, we wouldn’t even be talking about this, because the tragedy unfolding would not be happening.
This is what happens as our climate changes. A multitude of conditions come together at the same time and lives are upended and destroyed in a moment. It is horrible and yet, it is our new normal, even if we start doing everything we need to do to change our trajectory.
We MUST realise it IS going to get worse no matter what we do. Even if we change everything, it will take decades, if not centuries, to turn this around. It’s absolutely vital we understand this and it’s important we prepare for it. It’s also time to get moving – as in, right now – even if we know the true benefits of change won’t be felt for a long time.
If we don’t do this, the escalation we’re seeing right now is just going to keep on escalating and what we’re seeing today will feel like a walk in the park by comparison. Sorry, I can’t sugarcoat this, and none of us should sugarcoat anything anymore. I understand why it happened, but softening the blow has to be put behind us now, even if everyone hates us for speaking the truth. We MUST change directions.
Two reads
- This is not a failure of the scientists; we simply do not have the technological capacity available to map all of the different variables to understand the true scale of what we face. With that said, we understand enough to know we are in trouble – Climate Models Can’t Explain What’s Happening to Earth – The Atlantic
- Listen to Rupert Read as he discusses adaptation: How pivoting to climate ‘adaptation’ can transform climate consciousness (for the better) | Rupert
Another important issue to raise is these fires didn’t get out of control because of DEI. The whole fire hydrants being empty is being misreported too. Yes, the water ran out, and that’s because LA, like every other place on earth, is not ready to deal with the level of risk it faces today, in our new climate reality. Is where you live ready?
Everyone is looking for someone to blame, but the reality is, we are all responsible for not understanding the emergency we are in AND because we didn’t take action decades ago. It is also down to the failure of global leadership (government and business), and again, our failure of imagination. These are the times we are living in. It’s time to get prepared.
A must watch
Here’s a couple of pieces on the DEI angle – seriously?
- Elon Musk Blames LA Wildfires on Black Firefighters
- Conservatives bizarrely blame DEI for Los Angeles wildfires
There is plenty in the reads on the LA fires – written and video – but I do encourage everyone to read Peter Kalmus’ article Opinion | As a Climate Scientist, I Knew It Was Time to Leave Los Angeles – The New York Times.
I strongly encourage EVERYONE to understand the risks where you live (fire, floods, sea level rise, heat, infrastructure risk, as well as financial, insurance, etc..) and remember that everything is happening decades before scientists expected it to happen. That means the climate emergency is upon us. It’s time to face it.
What else is going on?
Some other news and issues bubbling to the surface is the backlash against the billionaire class. This is definitely something to keep an eye on this year – revolution is brewing and long overdue. I recommend George Monbiot’s video below, and here are some other recent reads:
- The world’s richest have already used up their fair share of the global carbon budget for 2025, just 10 days into the year. It would take the poorest 50% of humanity three years to create the same amount of pollution World’s richest use up their fair share of 2025 carbon budget in 10 days | Greenhouse gas emissions | The Guardian
- Another piece by Peter Kalmus To resist the climate crisis, we must resist the billionaire class | Peter Kalmus | The Guardian
- Multi-Millionaire Warns “We Risk Revolution” As Americans Grow Increasingly Desperate
- FTSE 100 bosses make more money in 2025 by noon today than average worker in a year | Executive pay and bonuses | The Guardian
I recommend this article from Bill McGuire and Roger Hallam – Scientists prize neutrality – that doesn’t cut it anymore. In 2025, they must fully back the climate movement | Bill McGuire and Roger Hallam | The Guardian
And this on META – Mark Zuckerberg is playing narrow politics with Trump, especially after these two announcements…
- Meta and Amazon axe DEI programmes joining corporate rollback
- Mark Zuckerberg and Meta Abandon Fact-Checking | The New Yorker
So much arse kissing going on…
Important story to read: RFK Jr. and the End of Enlightenment Rationality – The Atlantic
This video – how the global economy starts to collapse
And Musk, where do I even start? Plenty in the link below and I’m sure he’ll be a big focus of the Weekend Reads in 2025, although I really hope the media wakes up and STOPS giving him so much space. When are they going to ignore the chaos-brewers? Or at least only focus where it really matters – on the real damage they are doing, versus covering the distractions?
Wrapping up
My focus this year is going to be on solutions to the multiple crisis we face, or the polycrisis. Many will not enjoy what I’m going to share, but we must start looking this all in the eye and work out what we’re going to do about it.
The Know Show will be back 7th February after Chinese New Year, and Climate Courage on 14th of February. We are ALWAYS looking for guests, so please do reach out if you’d like to join us on either show, or happy to do a 1-2-1 on my podcast Uncommon Courage. Happy to help anyone get the word out.
Finally, if you value what I’m doing, please support me in any way you can. This is hard HARD work, and I appreciate that many people I know can’t publicly support me because of their professional role, but there are other ways you can. Reach out if you want to do more but don’t know what to do OK? Support means everything.
Favorite visuals or memes
This seemed quite poignant, no?
And some Banksy art in Europe. I don’t think Musk is going to be able to manipulate the Brits and the Europeans as easily as he has done in the US. Very different cultures.
Dig into the news
Plenty more to read, listen to or watch, so do click through to the reads at the image below, and a reminder, this platform has articles going back weeks, so have a scan and read/watch/listen to whatever jumps out at you.
Let me know what caught your attention? Or share with me what has your attention now? There’s a lot going on, which means none of us can cover everything. Besides, it’s always great to get feedback so I know I’m delivering something of value.
Cheers
Andrea
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