Climate Change and The Titanic Analogy - In my opinion this is a good analogy, comparing the current course of our civilization with regards to climate change.
Climate change is represented by the Iceberg. We have strong scientific evidence that our temperatures on our planet are increasing, and that the causes are anthropogenic and explained through the growing emission of greenhouse gases. We know that the Iceberg is there, but we can’t see it.
Titanic luxury liner, supposedly unsinkable, together with its passengers and crew represents our civilization.
Rather than bringing the passengers save to the other side of the Atlantic, the ships’ captain wanted to cross the Ocean in a new record time. Again, the analogy to our production and consumption frenzy matches well. To achieve this record the Titanic crew takes the highest risks, running the ship at maximum possible speed, opting for a route further North into risky waters with very high probability of iceberg presence.
But no passenger is informed or eventually aware of what is actually happening, of the risky endeavor they have engaged on their journey. They rely on their Titanic crew, they feel trusted and embedded in full confidence, enjoying leisure and luxury. Looking back we know that this confidence has been fatal. No one was challenging the captain, its crew and their plan of a risky route to break a new record. They where blinded by the Titanic’s mightiness, beauty and luxury on its maiden voyage. At no instant any passenger could think that human failure could cause the largest ship at that time to sink.
Some people reading these line might say, it is just destiny, many of them died in glory and with style. But when you have seen the Titanic movie, you remember the horrifying scenes and desperation of the over 1,400 people, dying and drowning in the ice-cold water. At that moment, they were all the same independent of the social status, age or gender, human beings, babies, children, teenagers, adults and elderly people.
And it is not glorious at all, to bring our entire civilization into such a dangerous and devastating situation, which can be caused be climate change.
With regards to climate change, we know that the “iceberg” is there. It is huge, it is global, it is everywhere. Similar to The Titanic, moments before hitting the iceberg, the night and the fog prevent us from seeing it. Today and in analogy to the Titanic catastrophe, we take the very highest risk and keep our Titanic full speed heading towards that iceberg, although we are all aware, that the iceberg is in front of us.
So where is the main difference in the analogy? Right, in the Titanic case, the crew saw the iceberg, when it was too late, to steer the Titanic around in time to prevent it from hitting the iceberg. And what about climate change? Although we can’t see it, we know it is there. We have scientific evidence and our latest temperature records confirm this evidence. We still have the time to turn the ship and our civilization around, to prevent the fatal collision.
We do not have much time left, so we should find and implement solutions to keep our planet from further warming. But why should we do this effort? Our journey has been so pleasant so far, with all the luxury. And the passengers in the 3rd class did not bother us at all. Right, we are all in this, whether rich or poor, children or adults, men and women.
With regards to gender we could ask ourselves, if the Titanic captain would have been a women, would this accident never had happen? Some argue that today women leadership is needed to bring us out of the global climate crisis. One sound argument is that those industries which are most contributing to climate change, like the fossil fuel businesses, are controlled in majority by men. Even if such a hypotheses is difficult to prove today, since women at leadership position have been rare in the past, they might might hold true. And we must try every solution, especially of low entropy, since we have little resource, energy, money and time available to act. The destiny of our civilization will depend on whether we can steer the Titanic around in time that is now.
And you remember what happened to the 3rd class passengers when the ship was filling with water and started to sink. The captain gave the order to lock all the doors. When resistance grew, people got shot by the officers. Those passengers in the 1st class, rich and powerful, wanted to make sure to get into the rescue boats first. We know that The Titanic did not have rescue boats for the people in the 3rd class.
Here we can enter into a discussion whether the lives of the rich and powerful must be higher valuated than the life of the 99% or the base of the pyramid. The debate could be expanded onto the intra-generational and intergenerational justice in the case of climate change, and what the responsibility of the rich nations towards the poor nations in the Southern hemisphere is.
To return to the Titanic, those in the 3rd class had to run for their lives. This is why they succeeded, despite the initial attempt of the officers to hold them back, to break up the doors and get outside. And it was with the help of a woman (in the role of Kate Winslet), that this was possible. The movie also shows that love is one of the strongest elements, being above class discrimination and class warfare.
In the world today and in the climate change context, we are not talking about a few thousand people. Billions of people will be affected if climate change worsens. They will be forced to migrate and this situation can turn into chaos and out of control. It is in the interest of all leading and powerful people and corporations, to take climate change very seriously, to look after and implement peaceful solutions as fast as possible. It would be irresponsible and unjust, to let our planet and civilization deteriorate and abuse of coercive power and military weapons, to wipe out entire populations and large numbers of people to assure stability through repression.
The Titanic analogy to climate change is a disaster scenario which is very realistic and highly probable, if we do not change the course of our actions and businesses. It is high time to accept this reality and to accept and to be open to communication and discussions to find common solutions for all stakeholders, governments, corporate and business leaders, philanthropists, institutions such as the WEF, NGOs and all the people who hold the necessary means and skills to support and come up with possible solutions. No, it is not only about money, short-term benefit and shareholder value. The future of our civilization is at stake. We have to act fast, find and implement solutions as fast as possible to prevent climate change from further deteriorating the vital foundation of our existence.
If you are shocked and confused in reading these lines, I want to let you know, that the situation in which we are living today is not ok, it is very alarming. If I would keep silent and passively look how the situation deteriorates globally with natural disasters, famine, ethnic wars, and competition over vital resources, this would mean that I am not taking seriously my responsibilities for all the affected people and generations to come. We are all in this, we have to take it very seriously, we have to act now. Each and everyone has to get engaged in stopping further CO2 emissions and global warming, to take a role and act. Also and especially those who are well off materially, should engage and act to help the most needy and vulnerable.
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