The Collapse of Western Civilization

In the “Interview with the Authors,” Naomi Oreskes asserts that climate change is undeniable and visible—“We are sure that climate change is happening—we already see damage—and we know beyond a reasonable doubt that business as usual will lead to more damage, possibly devastating damage” (75). The damage referred to is explored through The Potential Consequences of Unchecked Climate Change. When considering the potential consequences of climate change, many people look to the accompanying weather and environmental events; while Erik M. Conway and Oreskes touch on these potential events, they focus their thematic discussion on the social and indirect consequences of climate change.

That climate change has already started is represented through the real-world weather events that occurred in 2012—Russia experienced intense wildfires, Australia experienced flooding, and the United States had an unusually mild winter. While the devastation in Russia and Australia portrays the typically ominous consequences of climate change, the mild winter weather in the United States demonstrates that, in some areas, particularly in the Global North—which holds many of the world’s wealthy, industrial nations—climate change may have positive impacts. This may result in further climate change denial in the highest-emitting countries, illustrating the inequality in both climate change causes and effects.