Either we unite to force policy change at the highest levels or we keep lying to our children

Brad

It’s not easy to lie to your kids. What am I supposed to say when my son comes home from school and tells me with great excitement that he’s learning about recycling and how it can save the earth. I smile and agree with him but I know that I just lied to my son. It leaves me with a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.
Left to their own instincts, politicians are failing us.
Climate induced inflation is causing widespread suffering as average people struggle to make ends meet. Crop failures and rising food prices seem to be a new structural reality of our broken system. People are rightfully angry as financial pain descends upon them and politicians seem unwilling to use the tools at their disposal to ease their hardship. The media glosses over the role that climate change plays in this tragic story and instead, parades an endless stream of out-of-touch billionaires across our screens with their deluded words of wisdom.
Democracy is floundering. Society has become increasingly divided and demagogues are racing in to fill the void. We must come to terms with the source of our climate and social crisis — a predatory and exploitative <a href="https://medium.com/sustainability-x/sucking-up-to-business-is-a-certain-path-to-ecological-collapse-40defe1bac29?sk=264faa6e6448cfa3ae66665460b868cc">economic system that incentivises environmental and social harm</a>. A system that works for the few at the expense of the many. Only when we accept the problem will we be able to find a solution.
<h1>Like It Or Not — We Need Government Leadership</h1>
We tried to let the private sector lead us and it turned into a greenwashing extravaganza that Kermit the Frog would be proud to lead. The time has come to accept that a stable climate will require a rapid reduction in environmental destruction and the only way to achieve this, despite how distasteful it might sound to some, is with government leadership, regulations and laws. Are there risks involved in giving the government so much power? Absolutely! This decision should never be taken lightly, but at this point no matter how much we want to bow down to the almighty dollar to save us, if we don’t do something meaningful, very soon, <a href="https://medium.com/sustainability-x/sucking-up-to-business-is-a-certain-path-to-ecological-collapse-40defe1bac29?sk=264faa6e6448cfa3ae66665460b868cc">(don’t confuse positive with meaningful)</a> things are going to get very painful for all of us.
<h1>We’re Lying to Our Children</h1>
People are scared and they don’t know what to do. We’re told that we can be part of the solution. We’re told to recycle, walk to work or carry a reusable mug. We’re told that we can buy our way to a stable climate with “green growth” ideas like electric cars, solar panels and slightly less harmful “green products” but these actions are having no measurable impact on our environmental emergency…and we know it. But it’s not easy to live with the fear of a collapsing climate, so we pretend that everything is OK. But the fantasy is beginning to break down as we can no longer suspend our powers of observation and ignore what’s happening around us. We can no longer ignore that our summers are brutally hot, our winters are erratic, rivers are drying up, crops are failing and we’re being hit with punishing inflation. At some point we have to accept the truth about our toxic system and demand better of our politicians, if not for us, then for our children.
<h1>Connecting the Dots Reveals the Truth</h1>
For decades we’ve only been told pieces of the story. The magic of renewables and electric vehicles. How recycling can reduce environmental impacts. How public transit will dramatically reduce carbon pollution. The mainstream media and our politicians have become experts at zooming into one issue at a time without talking about the big picture and how it all fits together.
Think about extreme weather. We’re given almost daily snippets about the impacts of climate change and the spectacle of nature’s wrath but we’re never told about the predatory system that’s at the root of the problem. The conversation is never allowed to develop. We never zoom out to look at the big picture…but that ends now.
<blockquote>No choice consumption leads directly to climate change which leads to personal pain.</blockquote>
When the dots are connected we can clearly see how a broken system which gives us little if any choice to do less harm leads directly to environmental chaos, and from there it’s only a short step to our own personal pain. It’s really just that simple. No choice consumption leads directly to climate change which leads to personal pain. And as the structural failures of the system build upon themselves — the cycle speeds up. Our pain doesn’t level off, but rather, it builds every year as things get worse and worse. But this doesn’t have to be our future. We the people have the power to push for a better world.
<img src="https://illuminem.b-cdn.net/articlebody/17c297ba7b353989081c8f1a73b87474d29059ed.webp" alt="Image Credit: Brad Zarnett and Ian Kaplan">
<h1>Geographically-Targeted Political Movement</h1>
Climate Change is a global challenge that won’t be solved with individual action or waiting for miracle technologies. These are distractions. We need a massive shift in policy at a global scale. Human-made borders mean nothing to the planet’s failing ecosystems. Politicians that fail to deliver meaningful policies are impacting us all and they will soon learn that their countries’ elections are now OUR elections.
We will align people and show the world the power behind our united voice. We will be clear and forceful. We will lead a geographically-targeted (roving) political movement that will descend upon every government in the global north that is up for re-election. We won’t ask, but rather, we will push, indeed demand, that politicians take aggressive steps to achieve meaningful and timely climate action — regardless of political affiliation.
Politicians who don’t comply will find themselves looking for other work. Those that do will have a mandate for meaningful policy that will finally drive the necessary change. There is no time for political manipulations, cover-ups, delaying, and other tactics that are leading us down a dark path.
The climate is a global issue. Regardless of where we live, we must unite and push every politician to take meaningful action.
Now is the time to stop lying to the children.
This article is also published on the <a href="https://medium.com/climate-conscious/how-to-stop-lying-to-our-kids-about-climate-change-2bae58a10d23">author&#x27;s blog</a>. illuminem Voices is a democratic space presenting the thoughts and opinions of leading Sustainability &amp; Energy writers, their opinions do not necessarily represent those of illuminem.
<h6>Cover image: <a href="https://i.huffpost.com/gen/2264624/thumbs/o-PARENTS-TALKING-TO-CHILD-facebook.jpg">creative commons</a>​ </h6>

How To Stop Lying To Our Kids About Climate Change

These days there are many articles that are designed to make you feel less terrified about how we can make a difference when it comes to climate change. But don’t let your guard down. Here are some tips to ensure that you don’t fall for the mainstream propaganda.

Somehow they always neglect to share the Big Picture
These days there are many articles that are designed to make you feel less terrified about how we can make a difference when it comes to climate change. But don’t let your guard down. Here are some tips to ensure that you don’t fall for the <a href="https://medium.com/climate-conscious/where-will-mainstream-climate-propaganda-take-us-6cea1caef5a4?sk=875dfac76adb9a1d19727f271247ac34">mainstream propaganda</a>.
1) First, the article will try to gain credibility by referencing expert “mainstream sources”. But it’s important to keep in mind that the word “mainstream”, isn’t necessarily what you think it is. As I wrote in a <a href="https://medium.com/climate-conscious/why-is-mainstream-thinking-at-the-epicentre-of-our-climate-emergency-49d0c995fb99?sk=e200148e2e810ec201e8db83c43c5dbd">previous article</a>:
<blockquote>“Everyday the term “mainstream thinking” is used to describe vague ideas of what most people want. It’s a relatively innocuous term and we don’t give it much thought. We tend to accept this loose definition because it carries a veneer of rationality, as if the ideas have been thoroughly vetted, but that’s simply not the case. [Link to the full article, <a href="https://medium.com/climate-conscious/why-is-mainstream-thinking-at-the-epicentre-of-our-climate-emergency-49d0c995fb99?sk=e200148e2e810ec201e8db83c43c5dbd">Why is Mainstream Thinking at the Epicentre of Our Climate Crisis</a>.] Like a fish that doesn’t see the water in which it swims, we are equally oblivious to the sea of capitalism that surrounds us. And after years of brainwashing and being manipulated to think that despite a few flaws, capitalism is the greatest wealth creation and problem solving machine that the world has ever known…we’ve come to accept the <a href="https://medium.com/climate-conscious/why-is-mainstream-thinking-at-the-epicentre-of-our-climate-emergency-49d0c995fb99?sk=e200148e2e810ec201e8db83c43c5dbd">big lie</a>.”</blockquote>
Don’t be fooled. Those who are “certifying” the article’s ideas have been thoroughly corrupted by corporate interests…which is the foundation of our <a href="https://medium.com/climate-conscious/the-climate-change-narrative-is-the-most-dangerous-piece-of-fiction-ever-created-78993dd4e609?sk=201cdc6d50da7c08f9a45f7577717315">failed approach to addressing climate change.</a> Not one major government has put forth a detailed plan on how to scale back the oil and gas industry or reduce our level of consumption within a time frame that’s consistent with the alarming climate science. Not even the IPCC has stated this in clear and concise language. (If you’re not familiar with <a href="https://illuminem.com/energyvoices/8e67630c-d99e-4885-beab-35c13140926f">degrowth</a> then now might be the time to take a look. Thanks to Erin Remblance for explaining <a href="https://illuminem.com/energyvoices/8e67630c-d99e-4885-beab-35c13140926f">what it is, and what it isn’t.</a> (Pssst…it’s not a recession, nor is it austerity)
2) Pay attention to the publication’s ownership. This tells you everything you need to know about where its interests lie. Is it owned by a giant corporation? By a publishing billionaire? Or both? Where does its revenue come from? Who advertises with them and/or sponsors their events. This is your second clue that you might be getting a skewed opinion.
3) The solutions they put forth are often about individual actions like eating less meat or planting trees. There’s almost no mention of stopping the source of the harm.
4) When looking at the big picture they will often reference technologies that don’t yet exist (at scale), like carbon capture and storage OR technologies that celebrate capitalism, like electric vehicles, which aside from being expensive toys for the 1%, are at best, long term solutions to an immediate crisis. The quote below is from a <a href="https://medium.com/climate-conscious/why-cop26-will-fail-to-protect-our-climate-61be3078cd3e?sk=347b5f231a4b53581ccb4e8c907c3690">previous article</a>:
<blockquote>“Capitalists love the EV storyline. It’s the one initiative that plays into their ideological fantasy that all problems can be solved in the marketplace. Have you ever noticed how defensive they are of Elon Musk? They put him on a pedestal because they know that their entire worldview is invalidated if you can’t find a profitable way to protect the climate. But truth be told, electric vehicles (EV’s) are given far more credit than they deserve. Yes, it’s a positive initiative and EV’s have a role to play but it’s also incremental and doesn’t really deal with the urgent problem that we face today. <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/05/electric-vehicle-sales-sustainability-iea/">Electric vehicles are a tiny slice of the global car market</a>. There are approximately 1.3 billion cars on the planet of which 11 million are electric — that’s 1%. Next year it’s expected that there will be sales of 3 million electric vehicles out of 70 million — that’s 4%. But politicians are a lazy bunch who crave attention so it’s an easy win to capture a headline by “out targeting” another politicians’ vague commitment about <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/canada-electric-cars-2035-1.6085540">phasing out fossil fuel-powered cars and trucks by a certain date</a>.”</blockquote>
5) They will often make positive comments about the completely inadequate work that our governments and corporations are doing. I call the plan that is on the lips of every politician and corporate CEO — 2050 net zero — nothing more than, <a href="https://medium.com/sustainability-x/climate-policy-without-science-is-like-ernie-without-bert-41a8216bbfd?sk=6bc687263c232a8cd9af41972c513a35">“immunity via collective failure.”</a>​ 
What’s missing from all of this noise is how to address a system that is fundamentally at odds with life on this planet. How do we gain control over the levers of regulatory policy? That’s where we need to make the meaningful changes AND nowhere in any corporate media will you find those answers. In fact, they’re not even asking the right question:
They want to know how we can “sustain” our industrial economy with its growing population and ever growing need for energy, while keeping our way of life intact AND…protecting the planet in the process. Of course this is impossible. The correct question to be asking, is what can we do to help the Earth repair the damage caused by this culture?
Below is the article to which I’m referring. I just noticed that it was written in 2019 but I don’t think that the message has changed. <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2019/08/02/20-ways-to-make-your-summer-more-environmentally-friendly/39866829/">20 ways you can save the planet this summer.</a>​ 
This article is also published on the <a href="https://bradzarnett.substack.com/p/how-to-spot-mainstream-climate-propaganda">author&#x27;s blog</a>. Illuminem Voices is a democratic space presenting the thoughts and opinions of leading Energy &amp; Sustainability writers, their opinions do not necessarily represent those of illuminem.

How To Spot “Mainstream” Climate Propaganda

The vast majority of “reality-based people”, those who haven’t fallen down the rabbit hole of conspiracy theories, still seem relatively comfortable with our imaginary capitalism-protecting pathway to climate stability.

I’m seeing the tone change around climate change, and that’s a good thing! And yet, collectively, we keep ignoring the sign post that says “danger ahead”. Our foot is still on the gas, and in most respects, we’re speeding up. Millions of people are rightfully scared and I often get thanked by my readers for putting their feelings into words. And while I try my best to change how people see the problem, sadly, my views are still firmly in the minority. The vast majority of “reality-based people”, those who haven’t fallen down the rabbit hole of conspiracy theories, still seem relatively comfortable with our imaginary <a href="https://medium.com/climate-conscious/the-climate-change-narrative-is-the-most-dangerous-piece-of-fiction-ever-created-78993dd4e609?sk=201cdc6d50da7c08f9a45f7577717315">capitalism-protecting pathway</a> to climate stability.
I wish I could pinpoint why we’re not getting it. Apathy. Fear. Indifference. Maybe it’s capitalism inspired selfishness? Who knows? I’ll leave that to the psychology experts to sort out. But I do know that the extent of inaction with regard to our climate emergency is alarming. If we didn’t have extensive science to rely on then maybe we could plead ignorance, but the science is exhaustive and beyond reproach. We know exactly what’s needed to protect our climate — immediately scaling back the fossil fuel industry and forcing corporations to pay for the harm that they cause. But it’s not happening, instead, our leaders are putting on a grand performance and <a href="https://medium.com/climate-conscious/the-climate-change-narrative-is-the-most-dangerous-piece-of-fiction-ever-created-78993dd4e609?sk=201cdc6d50da7c08f9a45f7577717315">pretending</a> to do the heavy lifting, and for the most part, we’re going along with it. We’re giving life to this illusion by pretending that everything will be OK if we just take the “prescribed” medicine that’s being peddled to us by our corporate controlled leaders. For now things may be relatively stable but we must never forget that no matter how much <a href="https://medium.com/climate-conscious/where-will-mainstream-climate-propaganda-take-us-6cea1caef5a4?sk=875dfac76adb9a1d19727f271247ac34">green capitalism</a> Kool-Aid we drink, nature is keeping score.
<h1>Stop Pretending!</h1>
It’s time to draw a line in the sand and say — enough! The fantasy ends now. No more inane conversations about new business strategies or reporting standards that can protect our climate in ways that won’t “offend” corporations and billionaires. The truth is that soulless corporations are going to be plenty offended because there’s a simple equation that we can’t escape. When corporations are forced to pay for the social and environmental harm that they inflict on society, it’s going to cost them BIG. Maybe they’ll be able to pass those costs along and maybe they won’t, but either way, it’s going to hit corporate earnings and shareholder value, and it will fundamentally impact the stock market. Let’s face it, it’s going to affect all of us but there’s no other option. We tried to believe the <a href="https://medium.com/climate-conscious/where-will-mainstream-climate-propaganda-take-us-6cea1caef5a4?sk=875dfac76adb9a1d19727f271247ac34">green capitalism myth</a> but, big shocker, it didn’t work. And meanwhile, all this wasted time looking for magical ways to protect corporate earnings with green solutions has only taken us closer to a <a href="https://www.climatecodered.org/2022/05/15-degrees-paris-climate-target-not.html">looming climate and ecological nightmare</a>.
<h1>No More Half Measures</h1>
It’s time for hard truths and harsh medicine. There’s no more time for half measures. The prescription that the elites have <a href="https://medium.com/climate-conscious/the-climate-change-narrative-is-the-most-dangerous-piece-of-fiction-ever-created-78993dd4e609?sk=201cdc6d50da7c08f9a45f7577717315">peddled</a> to address climate change while protecting corporate earnings has been a bust. Ideas that claim to be looking out for all of us by protecting Wall Street, Oil Companies and corporate profits are a ruse. Those ideas are influenced and funded by those who have no interest in, or no concept of, how to protect our climate. It doesn’t matter who the messenger is or how sincere they sound, the ideas are toxic to life on this planet and when we hear them we need to call them out. We need to label these ideas for what they are — a distraction that’s been carefully inserted into the discourse by those who stand to lose the most wealth and power from immediate and decisive climate action. At this late date in the climate fight, <a href="https://medium.com/climate-conscious/the-climate-change-narrative-is-the-most-dangerous-piece-of-fiction-ever-created-78993dd4e609?sk=201cdc6d50da7c08f9a45f7577717315">half measures dressed up to look meaningful with skillful propaganda offer us only one thing — certain pain and suffering.</a> It’s time to go all-in. We’ve got the fight of a lifetime on our hands. As Yoda would say, “Do or do not. There is no try”. 
<h1>Corporate Sector</h1>
We’ve been trying to work with the corporate sector for decades and we have precious little to show for it. In a <a href="https://medium.com/climate-conscious/why-is-mainstream-thinking-at-the-epicentre-of-our-climate-emergency-49d0c995fb99?sk=e200148e2e810ec201e8db83c43c5dbd">recent article</a>, I wrote about how we never really understood who was sitting across from us at the climate negotiating table.
<blockquote>“We assumed that we were debating with the prevailing thinking of the day but that was just an illusion…we never had an honest negotiating partner…”</blockquote>
And unfortunately even today I still don’t think we realize just how futile our climate negotiations are.
<blockquote>“…we’re not even negotiating with a human….We’re negotiating with an ideology (Capitalism) that feels no remorse about destroying the planet to achieve goals that are completely at odds with the continuation of our species.”</blockquote>
And this is where we needed to excuse ourselves from the table and begin to find other ways to protect our planet.
<blockquote>“…we were essentially negotiating with ourselves because capitalism doesn’t negotiate — so we just ended up accepting less and less. We took small meaningless wins and celebrated them but we weren’t making any meaningful progress…and that miscalculation has led us to where we are today.”</blockquote>
<h1>Enemy Combatants</h1>
We need to break free from the delusional fantasy that we’re being offered anything that resembles a pathway to climate safety! We need to take the gloves off. Our corporate controlled negotiating partners, which includes politicians and even ENGO’s who receive corporate funding, are not our allies and they’re not our friends. We need to think of them as enemy combatants. What else would you call an entity that’s negotiating for the increase in their own wealth and power at the expense of the planet?
The mainstream ideas that are being fed to us all lead to dead ends because they all presume that our way of life is the best way to live and that it’s untouchable. But that can’t be true because our way of life is destroying the planet. So we’re at a crossroads.
<h1>We Must Reject Failure</h1>
We need to reject the propaganda that promises, magically, that capitalism will usher in a new green era of wealth and prosperity. We need to reject the idea that we can maintain the same wasteful and destructive system as long as we power it with renewables. We need to reject the feel good capitalist stories that distract us from the heavy lifting. Stories like how electric vehicles, being sold to a tiny fraction of the 1%, sold into a vast sea of CO2 spewing vehicles, will somehow meaningfully improve our planet’s ecosystems. This is little more than capitalism celebrating itself.
It’s time to reject the mainstream channels that have failed us, and really commit to change. It’s time to step it up or to suffer the consequences, and try living on a planet with rapidly failing ecosystems.
<h1>Global Earth Rebellion</h1>
We need to establish a Global Earth Rebellion like the one that NASA Climate Scientist Peter Kalmus <a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateHuman">@climatehuman</a> described in his <a href="https://www.treehugger.com/peter-kalmus-global-earth-rebellion-5271734">recent interview</a> with Treehugger, which I strongly recommend. Here’s a short excerpt:
<blockquote>“If the White House wanted to, they could subsidize gas for working-class people, but they’re not doing that. They could seize the assets of fossil fuel corporations and collectivize the industry and ensure that the ultra-rich don’t make windfall profits off of the energy crisis, but they’re not doing any of that because there’s not a willingness by the rich to redistribute wealth to the poor. To me, there’s no way out of this without a redistribution of wealth and that’s why I believe we need a Global Earth Rebellion. I don’t see another path.”</blockquote>
There’s no more time for half measures! We need to mobilize people. We need them to realize that this is our last stand and that if we don’t give it everything we have, we’re going to be suffering in oppressive heat with terrible hunger pains, wondering what was so important that we didn’t try harder when we had the chance.
This article is also published on the author&#x27;s <a href="https://medium.com/climate-conscious/the-climate-will-be-lost-without-a-total-commitment-14d6a9116e48">blog.</a> Energy Voices is a democratic space presenting the thoughts and opinions of leading Energy &amp; Sustainability writers, their opinions do not necessarily represent those of illuminem.

The Climate Will Be Lost Without A Total Commitment

We squandered the greatest sweetheart deal imaginable. Nature was happy to selflessly provide us with everything we could possibly want but instead of nurturing it, we went in another direction. We bought into the lie of endless growth on a finite planet. We chose to ignore science in exchange for shiny stuff that we mostly don’t need. We chose to serve a ravenous predatory master that incentivized greed as opposed to wellbeing, and in the process, we not only crippled the source of our success, we turned it against us. 

We squandered the greatest sweetheart deal imaginable. Nature was happy to selflessly provide us with everything we could possibly want but instead of nurturing it, we went in another direction. We bought into the lie of endless growth on a finite planet. We chose to ignore science in exchange for shiny stuff that we mostly don&rsquo;t need. We chose to serve a ravenous predatory master that incentivized greed as opposed to wellbeing, and in the process, we not only crippled the source of our success, we turned it against us.
However, there is still hope in a &ldquo;mathematical sense&rdquo; but we need to move quickly and get very serious about the next steps that we take&hellip;and it boils down to two choices.
We either take drastic and unprecedented action to reduce fossil fuel use, or, we allow corporations, billionaires, and politicians to continue to blow smoke up our backside by peddling the idea that small and relatively insignificant changes from within the broken system will lead to a magical solution. Then&hellip;we wait. We sit back and watch the consequences of our choices, and either our climate begins to stabilize or we watch helplessly as our interconnected ecosystems unravel before our eyes. It seems like a no-brainer, but considering that our economic and cultural <a href="https://medium.com/climate-conscious/the-climate-change-narrative-is-the-most-dangerous-piece-of-fiction-ever-created-78993dd4e609?sk=201cdc6d50da7c08f9a45f7577717315">messaging</a> remains largely a servant to predatory capitalism, the right choice, as obvious as it may seem, appears to be beyond our reach.
<h2>Blind spots</h2>
Before we move forward we need to better understand how we got to where we are and why it&rsquo;s so difficult to get off of the capitalism merry-go-round. I mean REALLY understand what&rsquo;s holding back meaningful change. Without that as our starting point, I fear that we&rsquo;ll just continue hitting the same <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sisyphus">sisyphean</a>&nbsp;blind spots that have led us to the brink of ecosystem destruction. (In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was punished by being forced to roll an immense boulder up a hill only for it to roll down every time it neared the top, repeating this action for eternity.)
<h2>Manufactured reality</h2>
First, let&rsquo;s be clear &mdash; propaganda works and reality can be constructed. Humans can be made to believe just about anything &mdash; even if it works against their best interests. It&rsquo;s a slow process but when those with the means to control mainstream messaging decide to shape how we see the world &mdash; it&rsquo;s only a matter of time. The recipe is always the same. Gain control of the messaging outlets. Delegitimize, ridicule, and even threaten (either physically or financially) any remaining voices that are hanging onto the old societal narrative. Create a new story. Sympathize with the plight of the common people. Tell them who&rsquo;s to blame for their hardship and lost opportunities. Make lots of promises. Tell them that they deserve a glorious future and how it was stolen from them. Tell them who to fear. Tell them who to hate.
In short order, thinking that was once unacceptable can quickly shift towards the mainstream as a new societal norm emerges. While your views may not have changed, the opinions of those around you most certainly will. Conversations with friends, family, and neighbours can suddenly feel tense. You may find yourself being pushed from the relative safety of the &ldquo;in&rdquo; group to a much more uncomfortable existence where your &ldquo;out&rdquo; group views make you an enemy of the mainstream. Speaking your mind can make you the target of ridicule, alienation, bullying, or worse and this is often the reason why moderate people will side with the new &ldquo;in&rdquo; group or simply remain silent.
Once a society is in this state and the opposition voices are silenced, people become malleable and it&rsquo;s only a short step to encourage irrational and even barbaric behaviour. We&rsquo;ve seen this many times in history; two horrifying examples are the Rwandan massacre of 1994 and the Holocaust of WWII. Another current example which is less bloody, for now, is our religious-like adherence to predatory capitalism&hellip;a reckless system that sanitizes its barbarism while paving the way to <a href="https://phys-org.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/phys.org/news/2021-12-unprecedented-die-offs-ice-climate-wreaking.amp">ecological suicide.</a> In many circles speaking out against the so-called &ldquo;in&rdquo; group of those who glorify capitalism can be very uncomfortable, and for many, it&rsquo;s just easier to say nothing.
<h2>Along for the ride</h2>
Another point to make perfectly clear is that it&rsquo;s not you and I who are responsible for our planet&rsquo;s failed climate policies. That psychopathic effort is being driven by corporations, billionaires, lobbyists, and their puppet politicians who are fighting to keep their green capitalist fantasy alive. This is a group who are so caught up in their culture of wealth, entitlement, and power that they&rsquo;ve &ldquo;willingly&rdquo; lost the ability to acknowledge the devastation being caused by predatory capitalism. I say willingly because it&rsquo;s not that they don&rsquo;t get it. They read the reports! They can feel the heat and see the forest fires. They can see the ocean encroaching on their waterfront vacation homes &mdash; but they choose to engage with the facts in a way that comforts rather than challenges their worldview. They engage in a way that keeps them at the top of the pyramid. In their warped view of the world, they see their wealth as a way to insulate themselves from what&rsquo;s to come, but it won&rsquo;t last for long. The earth itself is a closed ecosystem and their <a href="https://onezero.medium.com/the-privileged-have-entered-their-escape-pods-4706b4893af7">escape hatch</a> will soon close too.
The battle lines are drawn. We need to free the capitalism-soaked minds of the masses. We need to help them realize that we&rsquo;re being fed nothing but lies. We need to help them envision a future focused on societal well-being and not &ldquo;predatory&rdquo; capital accumulation. Our path to a good life is being torn apart&hellip;while we&rsquo;re being fed a regular diet of fantasies.
<h2>3 common messaging fantasies</h2>
<h3>You&rsquo;re good</h3>
Most people want to feel like they&rsquo;re generally a good person. This is the bread and butter of marketers and propagandists. They tell us that we can have whatever we want and that our consumption is an important part of the economic ecosystem. It&rsquo;s an easy lie to believe. By becoming a &ldquo;champion consumer&rdquo;, we can get cool stuff while simultaneously providing opportunities for others, so the story goes, while making the world a better place. A beautiful win-win. So hold your head high as you drive your Chevy Suburban to your newly built 6,000 square foot retirement summer home. Your plan to fly guests in for weekend visits to play on your new pair of jet skis, while you watch your sustainable (ESG) stock portfolio rise, is the culmination of a life of hard work. You&rsquo;re a hero of global prosperity!
<h3>Markets will deliver green prosperity</h3>
We can solve climate change by letting capitalism use the power of markets to usher in a new era of &ldquo;green prosperity&rdquo;. There&rsquo;s no need to fundamentally change how we live our lives &mdash; we just need to bring more renewables online, eat more manufactured meat, drive electric vehicles, and aggressively expand the use of experimental carbon capture and storage&hellip;all of which are wins for both the economy and the environment. This is a big stinking pile of excrement. A dangerous fantasy. A well-advertised <a href="https://illuminem.com/energyvoices/629f17ee-21a2-4e98-90e7-0272cb7eb966">illusion</a> fed to us by the so-called &ldquo;mainstream&rdquo;. Or, perhaps, it&rsquo;s best described as theatre, orchestrated by those who have benefited the most and who wish to maintain our wealth-concentrating system.
<h3>The path to a good life</h3>
Perhaps the most insidious lie is the one that shapes how we structure our lives. The <a href="https://medium.com/climate-conscious/why-is-mainstream-thinking-at-the-epicentre-of-our-climate-emergency-49d0c995fb99?sk=e200148e2e810ec201e8db83c43c5dbd">&ldquo;mainstream&rdquo;</a> assures us that future success will follow a similar path to what worked for past generations. A solid education. A good degree. Start a business or find a well-paying job. Work hard. Buy a home. Invest in the stock market. And then enjoy a comfortable retirement as you watch your grandchildren take on the world. But that pathway no longer exists. How could it? It&rsquo;s based on a healthy natural world that provides us with invaluable and seemingly endless life-sustaining <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecosystem_service">&ldquo;ecosystem services&rsquo;</a>&rsquo;, and in our greed and hubris we&rsquo;re in the process of torching it.
<h2>Blocked path</h2>
The lies of the elites are robbing us of the opportunity to prepare for what&rsquo;s coming and that&rsquo;s the most cruel lie of all. Most people are working under the illusion that a particular type of education, capital accumulation, and sound investments are the safest path to a better future, but with climate change and ecological collapse a near mathematical certainty, that pathway is no longer the safe bet that it once was. Food shortages and surging inflation will start the ball rolling but massive forest fires, freakish flooding, and oppressive month-long heatwaves won&rsquo;t be far behind. Supply chains for nearly every product will break down and social unrest will erupt. Hundreds of millions of people will learn the hard way that their plan for a bright future was built on a bed of lies. At least if they were told the truth and not some fantasy, they could have better prepared for the future that the &ldquo;out&rdquo; group tried to warn us about.
<h2>So where does that leave us?</h2>
From the early days of humans sitting around the campfire &mdash; we are natural-born storytellers. It&rsquo;s how we make sense of the world. Stories tell us about who we are, where we belong, and where we&rsquo;re going, but one has to wonder if the lie of capitalism will be the last story that we tell ourselves. Will we double down on our collective delusion and focus on the glory of our progress and celebrate how everything that we could ever want is now just a click away? Or will we break free of the illusion and pull back the curtain to acknowledge the environmental harm that our economic system has caused &mdash; biodiversity loss, ocean acidification, arctic melting, Amazon deforestation, and climate change to name a few.
Ignoring the truth can&rsquo;t be our best strategy. We need to wake up and deal with the lies. The truth is that we can&rsquo;t completely stop climate change but we can minimize it and we can prepare for it. But as it stands now, if we don&rsquo;t confront and dismantle the propaganda-infused reality, orchestrated by the elite and their pathological need to remain at the top of the money and power pyramid, our future will be bleak. Whether we&rsquo;re prepared to admit it or not, we&rsquo;re heading directly to a fascist and fiery end where people are left standing in a barren wasteland fixated on the last remnant of the system that destroyed them &mdash; a livestream of the latest stock prices.
For future generations &mdash; we must do better.
This article is also published on the <a href="https://medium.com/climate-conscious/where-will-mainstream-climate-propaganda-take-us-6cea1caef5a4">author's blog</a>. Energy Voices is a democratic space presenting the thoughts and opinions of leading Energy &amp; Sustainability writers, their opinions do not necessarily represent those of illuminem.

Where will mainstream climate propaganda take us?

It’s scary to think that a tiny group of ideologically driven lunatics are unravelling our planet’s ecosystems to add to their already obscene wealth. But as difficult as it may be to comprehend, we must face this reality head-on, because quite simply, there’s no upside to avoiding the truth. We need to know exactly what we’re dealing with if we hope to pool humanity’s collective ingenuity and prevent an ecological disaster. There’s still time!

It’s scary to think that a tiny group of ideologically driven lunatics are unravelling our planet’s ecosystems to add to their already obscene wealth. But as difficult as it may be to comprehend, we must face this reality head-on, because quite simply, there’s no upside to avoiding the truth. We need to know exactly what we’re dealing with if we hope to pool humanity’s collective ingenuity and prevent an ecological disaster. There’s still time!
<h1>The Mainstream (Ruling Elite) Narrative</h1>
Climate change is a serious problem. The burning of fossil fuels has caused an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide and the planet is warming. We can already see widespread impacts in the form of bigger storms, raging forest fires, worsening droughts, intense flooding, and warmer summers. We’ve also seen some strange winter weather with something called the <a href="https://www.accuweather.com/en/winter-weather/how-does-the-polar-vortex-lead-to-arctic-outbreaks/867293">polar vortex</a> where deep freezes reach as far south as Texas, but thankfully most of these problems are short-lived.
Humans are natural-born problem solvers and while we’ve made some mistakes, we’re making progress and 2050 net-zero is still very much attainable. The electric car market is booming along with solar and wind power. We can all be part of the solution by recycling, taking public transit, eating less meat, and letting the marketplace do what it does best — solve problems. Together we can defeat climate change!
Some might call this the most dangerous work of fiction ever created.
<h1>What They’re Really Saying</h1>
Capitalism is the system that has enriched us and turned us into de facto kings. We will defend it using all the tools at our disposal — trillions of dollars, our corporate media, and our puppet politicians.
We are the .0001% so we know what’s best because hoarding wealth makes you an expert in everything — at least that’s what society tells us — so listen closely. The best way to solve climate change is for government to get out of the way and to let the private sector find solutions. In fact, if you’re trying to convince us that there’s a solution that takes our power away and hands it to a wasteful and inefficient government — we will reject it on principle.
At this point, there really shouldn’t be much confusion as to what we want. We’ve done everything but write you a memo but then again we have hired the best marketers and spin doctors to create an impressive narrative so maybe our propaganda is just that good.
Let’s be perfectly clear; the game plan has largely been written and we’re going with deregulated capitalism and so-called “free” markets all the way. And for those who really believe that they’re working with our mainstream puppets to find solutions, it always gets a good laugh at our $5000/plate political fundraisers, especially that new one about ESG.
<h1>Reclaim the Truth</h1>
We need to stop deluding ourselves. Our planet is under attack by a destructive system that is devouring our resources and has us teetering on the edge of widespread ecosystem failure. Some might find this language to be unnecessarily alarmist while others might be feeling a sense of relief that maybe we’re finally ready to pull back the cloak of deception and talk honestly about the state of our planet.
Both emotions are valid but there’s only one truth. Only one scientific reality. And if we’re going to build a strategy that has any chance of protecting our ecosystems from unravelling I’d just as soon rely on the truth as the foundation that shapes our response. Only when that happens will we be able to truly harness the collective ingenuity of our species and find solutions. The clock is ticking…for the sake of future generations, let’s leave fiction to the movies.
<h1>Flawed Assumptions</h1>
The appeal in believing the truth is that you don’t fall victim to flawed assumptions that can turn your hopeful solutions into catastrophic failures. How can we possibly muster the necessary response to a complex challenge like climate change with a flawed understanding of the extent of the challenge, the urgency, the timeline, the risks, and most importantly, what’s causing the problem in the first place?
We need to know the unfiltered truth no matter how scary or inconvenient it might be. Like an addict that can’t get healthy until they admit to their illness, we can’t hope to solve this problem until we accept the extreme urgency of our situation. If we build our climate strategy on flawed assumptions it will be like bringing a knife to a gunfight — we won’t stand a chance.
<h1>Change Will Be Orderly</h1>
According to the latest <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/2021/08/09/ar6-wg1-20210809-pr/">IPCC report</a>, our ecosystems are under tremendous stress and it’s only a matter of time before we have a major collapse. It might sound ominous but the indicators are there and instead of heeding this warning, we’ve chosen to ignore it — to look in another direction where optimism reigns supreme and anything is possible. But our optimism is based mostly on hope and it’s led us to a reckless assumption — change will occur in an orderly fashion. BUT unfortunately, nature doesn’t care about our optimistic spirit and she’ll only move “slow and steady” for so long. My fear is that sooner than we think we’re going to learn exactly why it’s called a tipping point. And then we’re going to learn our second painful lesson — all of earth’s ecosystems are interconnected and when one fails, they will all come tumbling down.
<h1>Ecosystem Collapse</h1>
The mainstream narrative on climate change has held us back from taking decisive action. Now instead of having time to act methodically with a measured response, we’re forced into a corner where our options are limited and success is more uncertain.
We can no longer ignore what we see and feel. The signs are everywhere; unusual weather patterns, extended heat alerts, and natural disasters are all occurring with greater intensity and frequency. And while even our best scientists can’t pinpoint the timing, these warning signs strongly suggest that our ecosystems are nearing a collapse. Consider what’s been happening in the arctic.
1. The rate of <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/polar-ice-sheets-melting-faster-than-ever/a-16432199">arctic melting</a> is occurring faster than at any time in the last 10,000 years. This is concerning because as the reflective ice melts and reveals the dark ocean, it absorbs additional heat which causes additional melting — this is called a <a href="https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/how-feedback-loops-are-making-climate-crisis-worse">positive feedback loop</a>. But perhaps what’s most alarming is the new downstream changes that are having a multiplier effect on this already dangerous warming cycle.
- The arctic is now experiencing heatwaves and <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02568-y">rampant wildfires</a> where none used to exist — this releases more CO2
- The permafrost is warming and releasing <a href="https://polarjournal.ch/en/2021/03/24/lack-of-ice-in-the-arctic-causes-methane-to-escape/">huge amounts of methane</a> — a greenhouse gas 20–30 times more potent than CO2
- For the first time it rained on the summit of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/20/rain-falls-peak-greenland-ice-cap-first-time-on-record-climate-crisis">Greenland’s ice cap</a> — this adds to the already rapid pace of melting and is potentially destabilizing the entire Greenland ice sheet.
This video, <a href="https://youtu.be/qo3cznpfIpA">Blue Ocean Event: Game Over?</a> provides a great summary of arctic warming.
Yes…Even the IPCC
It might seem like a bold statement but it sure seems like every mainstream institution on this planet has been corrupted by the wishes of the capitalism-protecting elite. If you find that difficult to believe then just think about it for a minute. They’ve infiltrated the IPCC!! The one scientific body that is supposed to communicate the unfiltered scientific truth about climate change. Perhaps this is why:
<blockquote>Once the scientific data has been submitted, the work of the scientists is largely done. Now it’s up to representatives from 195 countries to agree on the language used to communicate the findings. Each line of the distilled <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_WGI_SPM_final.pdf">Summary for Policy Makers</a> is written and rewritten until a consensus is found. And as you may know, the biggest carbon emitters like the US, Russia, China and Saudi Arabia are all very much part of this process. As big oil infects the political process in Washington, it is equally involved with how the findings of the IPCC are shared with the world.</blockquote>
<h1>It’s Everywhere</h1>
It doesn’t matter where you look — the tentacles of the elite are always there to convince you that the system that is destroying our planet is good and that it just needs a tweak or two. This idea is injected into every aspect of our lives; our education system, our corporate media, our consumer lifestyle, and even in the way that our corrupt politicians speak to us. The way they position capitalism <a href="https://medium.com/climate-conscious/nature-is-bringing-the-heat-and-were-acting-like-a-deer-in-the-headlights-8b6fc858d451?sk=11159ea5afa4e2990bcc3f7afa54fc97">as the only way to solve our climate challenge</a>. The way the media parades psychopathic billionaires in front of us to promote their self-serving ideas of how deregulated capitalism can find win-win solutions to even the most challenging environmental and social problems. Of course, we’re still waiting on those promises but it must be the best way forward, after all, to believe anything else is communism.
<h1>Please Don’t Discuss</h1>
Without science, truth, and planetary wellbeing as our guide there are different ways to frame the climate story. Unfortunately what we’re getting is a self-serving storyline created by a class of people whose unquenchable thirst for wealth and power has left them blind to the dangers of a rapidly warming planet. But from their delusional perspective, there’s no alternative.
They have to keep their foot on the gas and continue to sell their reckless narrative because once they succumb to the overwhelming scientific truth and admit that we’re in deep trouble and that drastic changes are necessary — the entire approach to climate change would need to be altered. A new level of planetary consciousness would be awakened. Instead of zooming into the effects of climate change and talking about floods, droughts, forest fires, sea level rise, heatwaves, etc, we would start to have truly meaningful conversations about what’s at the core of our environmental and social challenges.
First, it would be questions about our current failed strategies and what needs to be done to protect the planet. And then it would lead to questions about the system itself that has led to the planetary plundering that has caused so much harm. And then finally, what the elites were hoping to avoid from the beginning — capitalism would be put under the microscope and we would have an honest debate about a system that rewards the destruction of ecosystems so that a tiny slice of the planet can become obscenely wealthy.
<h1>Only We Can Change the Narrative</h1>
Humans make sense of the world through stories. Stories tell us about who we are, where we belong, and what’s important. They can bring us together to do incredible things or sometimes it can turn us into monsters to do the unthinkable. There is tremendous power in a story.
Right now we’re being told a fictitious story about climate change and the stakes are literally everything. If we don’t get control of the truth quickly, we’re going to be watching helplessly as our life-supporting ecosystems unravel before our eyes. Climate change isn’t about new technology or a new business case. It’s not about stakeholder capitalism, ESG, or new reporting frameworks. It’s about replacing a false narrative that inspires division and complacency, with one that inspires urgency and a chance for us to come together and do something incredible.
There’s no solution to climate change without the truth. And with that truth comes the obvious solution — the fossil fuel industry needs to be dismantled immediately. What will be the repercussions? How will it affect the economy? Both are good questions but a better question is — what will be the repercussions if we don’t?
Energy Voices is a democratic space presenting the thoughts and opinions of leading Energy &amp; Sustainability writers, their opinions do not necessarily represent those of illuminem.

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Brad Zarnett

Brad Zarnett

How To Stop Lying To Our Kids About Climate Change

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