“There’s about as much scientific consensus about human-caused climate change as there is about gravity.”
Michael E. Mann, Geophysicist
Do you remember a time when smoking was considered safe and healthy? Maybe not, but ask a Baby Boomer and they will tell you. It seems crazy to believe humans could suck toxins into their lungs all day without consequences, but back then everyone did.
As few as 60 years ago, most people didn’t understand the dangers of smoking. Many doctors themselves smoked, often in the exam room! Tobacco companies knew long before the public, but continued to market aggressively; the industry was just too profitable for companies to walk away.
What helped turn the tide was the scientific evidence being publicized, regulations, and litigation against the tobacco industry. But by that time so much damage was already done. The human and societal cost of smoking is too vast to quantify. First and second-hand exposure still kills over 480,000 Americans every year. It also costs the US economy at least $600 billion annually.
The new smoking
After the industrial revolution, there was a long period of time when people didn’t realize CO2 and other pollutants were a problem. Sure, the smoke pumping out of factories looked bad, but it wasn’t far-retched to believe the pollution just disappeared into the limitless sky. Besides, industrialization was propelling our society forward.
Slowly, experts started figuring out that emissions weren’t disappearing into thin air. This first documentation was a surprisingly long time ago (1896). Scientists learned the gases stay up there for decades, and while there, they trap heat from the sun.
Today, 97% of scientists agree the planet is warming because of heat-trapping pollution. This is causing climate instability, with consequences like increasingly frequent and severe weather disasters. Even the oil companies themselves recognize emissions as a problem.
Commonalities between burning fossil fuel and smoking
- A previously unknown risk
- Risk becomes known, but is minimized
- A highly profitable industry with incentives to continue business as usual
- A growing toll on public health and safety, as well as the economy
So, in both cases, something poses a documented risk to humans, but a massive industry has a gigantic financial incentive to prevent people from fully understanding those risks. Sadly, the human cost of unchecked climate change will be much higher than it has been for smoking. To make matters worse, the oil industry is even more profitable than the tobacco industry was, so don’t count on them quietly folding their cards.
Building the new
I’m not here to demonize those who profit from fossil fuels. Energy from these fuels helped build modern society. That said, we need to face the fact that clean energy is just a better way forward. Today, it generates 40% of the energy in the United States. With this growth comes boundless economic opportunity.
It’s now more important than ever to talk about climate change and put solutions in motion. We can create a healthier, safe, and more prosperous life for all of us.
Let’s do something about climate change. Learn about it. Think about it. Talk about it.