Too Little, Too Slow, Too Late Is Not an Option
Newsweek|May 21 - 28, 2021 (Double Issue)
On climate change, it is a lot later than a lot of us want to admit
By Marianne Williamson
Too Little, Too Slow, Too Late Is Not an Option

On April 22, we celebrated Earth Day. Once more we honored the Earth, talked about our environmental challenges, felt good for having done so, felt depressed about climate change and moved ahead to another year of doing...well, we’re not quite sure yet.

But we better do something, and we better do it fast.

According to climate scientists (although they vary in their appraisal of how long this could take), there’s no doubt that the trajectory we’re on could lead to social upheaval the likes of which we’ve never seen in the modern era. Entire swaths of nations, even continents, could become uninhabitable due to heat. Such a predicament would create massive food shortages and the implosion of entire economic systems. That in turn would create hundreds of millions of climate refugees, a number vastly beyond anything our systems would be able to absorb.

Imagine the equivalent of today’s southern border crisis happening pretty much all over the developed world at once, at the same time as once-in-a-century storms occurring throughout the world, at the same time as a global collapse of our food supply, at the same time as all the humanitarian crises that would result from any one of those, and you begin to grasp the enormity of the threat that stands before us should we not act boldly, and act now.

This story is from the May 21 - 28, 2021 (Double Issue) edition of Newsweek.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the May 21 - 28, 2021 (Double Issue) edition of Newsweek.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM NEWSWEEKView All
Ramy Youssef
Newsweek US

Ramy Youssef

DESCRIBING RAMY YOUSSEF'S WORK ISN'T EASY, BECAUSE HE REFUSES TO settle on just one thing. \"I feel really inspired to connect in the way that it makes sense.\"

time-read
2 mins  |
March 29 - April 05, 2024 (Double Issue)
Tobias Menzies
Newsweek US

Tobias Menzies

HOW MUCH DO WE REALLY KNOW ABOUT THE assassination of President Abraham Lincoln? That's a question Tobias Menzies hopes to answer in Apple TV+'s Manhunt (March 15).

time-read
1 min  |
March 29 - April 05, 2024 (Double Issue)
The Fall and Rise of Katt Williams
Newsweek US

The Fall and Rise of Katt Williams

He's had a string of run-ins with the law, yet the comedian's popularity continues to grow-with a recent podcast appearance blowing up the internet

time-read
6 mins  |
March 29 - April 05, 2024 (Double Issue)
AMERICA'S Greatest Workplaces for JOB STARTERS 2024
Newsweek US

AMERICA'S Greatest Workplaces for JOB STARTERS 2024

Getting a career started is never easy. First-day stumbling blocks can give way to larger questions about choosing the right career path. Imposter syndrome, information overload, the challenge of new colleagues: it's almost enough to make you miss the routine of sending out endless résumés to online job descriptions.

time-read
3 mins  |
March 29 - April 05, 2024 (Double Issue)
THE INCONCEIVABLE SEARCH FOR SPERM
Newsweek US

THE INCONCEIVABLE SEARCH FOR SPERM

Making MOTHERHOOD a reality in the face of virtually every cultural taboo

time-read
10+ mins  |
March 29 - April 05, 2024 (Double Issue)
I'm Suing Harvard Over Rife Antisemitism
Newsweek US

I'm Suing Harvard Over Rife Antisemitism

I applied to the university's Divinity School to be an ambassador for Orthodox Jews and build bridges with other cultures; instead I'm battling discrimination

time-read
4 mins  |
March 29 - April 05, 2024 (Double Issue)
Gen Z's Pockets Full of Cash
Newsweek US

Gen Z's Pockets Full of Cash

Digital wallets and bank cards might appear to be the modern way to pay, but physical money is making a comeback among young adults

time-read
4 mins  |
March 29 - April 05, 2024 (Double Issue)
Biden's Age Problem Tears Democrats Apart
Newsweek US

Biden's Age Problem Tears Democrats Apart

After being depicted as an 'elderly man with a poor memory,' questions surrounding the president's advanced years are dividing his party

time-read
6 mins  |
March 29 - April 05, 2024 (Double Issue)
Country Has Won Our Achy Breaky Hearts
Newsweek US

Country Has Won Our Achy Breaky Hearts

The genre has never been so popular-and with the likes of Beyoncé reminding fans of its roots, its mainstream appeal looks set to grow and grow

time-read
6 mins  |
March 22, 2024
'Deadly Risk' of Fat-Loss Drugs
Newsweek US

'Deadly Risk' of Fat-Loss Drugs

Diabetes treatment Ozempic has become popular among dieters due to its weightloss side effect, but a study warns of a link between the drug and suicidal thoughts

time-read
5 mins  |
March 22, 2024