Why rich countries can’t fight climate change

Most of us live in relative comfort, get used to it and don’t want to change this. For those of us that are older, like me, we were admonished all forms of “delayed gratification”, with advice like “sacrifice now for later, etc.” 

This guidance has fell into derision as we have become addicted to instant gratification instead. We can’t wait anymore and, most importantly, don’t want to slide back into harder conditions. This is precisely what saving our planet is asking from us.

We’re also all for it, but we don’t want to do anything that might cost us. Things like living in smaller and more expensive housing (because it’s also more sustainable), driving an electric vehicle with less convenient recharging, flying less often or not at all, using more public transportation, not overusing heat or air conditioning, eating less meat and much more.

The idea is that if we don’t start giving up a few things, our world will get much worse. It’s only when it’s too late, when problems turn into catastrophe and our lives are on the line, that we finally accept to be forced into taking action, like during the pandemic. 

As we always say but still fail to follow: “No pain, no gain.”