Opinion: Is there a fun side of climate change? – By Len Port

Former Portugal prime minister, now United Nations Secretary-Common António Guterres, got here out with one other of his extraordinary dire statements final week.

Referring to the struggle in Ukraine and Western tensions with China, Korea and Iran, he mentioned that humanity was “only one misunderstanding, one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation.”

Listed here are a few of his different most notable remarks this 12 months.

“The one certainty is extra uncertainty.”

“Distrust amongst world powers is reaching fever pitch.”

“The data superhighway is clogged with hatred and lies, giving oxygen to the worst impulses of humanity.”

“From world well being to digital know-how are outdated and not match for function.”

“Except governments in every single place reassess their power insurance policies the world will likely be uninhabitable.”

Guterres clearly doesn’t mince his phrases, however the response from many individuals is merely a weary shrug of the shoulders. Others take such grim warnings so severely that it causes psychological well being issues.

Through the Covid-19 pandemic and the social isolation than got here with it, an amazing Enhance within the variety of people in Portugal and elsewhere have been experiencing emotions of loneliness, stress, anxiousness and melancholy. A number of psychological research concluded that this led to a profound short-term and likewise long-term injury to societies. 

A survey carried out by the Ricardo Jorge Nationwide Basis confirmed that in each ten Portuguese residents quarantined in the course of the pandemic, seven have been revealed to have psychological misery. The bulk have been younger adults or girls. They confirmed signs of reasonable to extreme melancholy.

Issues concerning the current and future penalties of world warming have been foremost among the many younger earlier than the worst of the pandemic. They nonetheless are in 2022, which has been designated by the EU because the ‘European Yr of Youth.’   

The younger and loads of oldies too, discover the goings on on the planet at the moment merely preposterous. For instance, United States senior politician Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, apparently unaware it might instantly infuriate the mainland Chinese language, who promptly launched a large navy train involving cruise missiles over Taiwan, that heightened the probabilities of one other struggle between nuclear superpowers.

Solely after months of childish bickering has the export of fifty million tons of cereals been allowed to proceed to impoverished components of Africa the place daily so many individuals are dying of hunger. 

“The peak of irresponsibility” was one well mannered approach of describing Russia’s launching of missiles from round a captured Ukrainian nuclear plant.

Within the phrases of a Bloomberg report, “burning fossil fuels can energy the world 24 hours a day, sending electrical energy virtually wherever close to instantaneously. Sadly, this very efficient supply of energy is pushing ecosystems, animal species and human civilisation nearer to disaster.” 

It’s critical stuff, however on the pretext that we don’t chortle sufficient, a lot of persons are mentioned to be asking why the tip of humanity ought to be so miserable when there’s at all times a humorous aspect to life?

Can we chortle about one thing as dire as local weather change? Sure, in case you agree that humor is a solution to attain individuals who haven’t thought a lot about local weather change. Analysis exhibits that comedy is an effective way to interrupt down defences; an effective way to have folks take heed to truths that they could in any other case have missed. Comedy is alleged to be good on your thoughts.

There are already fairly various foolish jokes on-line, however now a gaggle of 9 comedians from round the US are studying from local weather consultants and collaborating to pitch jokes for future performances and movies beginning in October. They hope audiences will likely be studying, laughing and leaving feeling impressed.

   We’ll most likely all have the ability to watch on YouTube. Whether or not António Guterres finds it amusing stays one in every of life’s much less critical uncertainties.

 
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Len Port is a journalist and writer. Born in Eire, his first written items have been printed whereas he was working within the Pure Historical past Museum, London. Since then he has labored as a information reporter, primarily in Hong Kong, Northern Eire, South Africa and Portugal.

Along with reporting arduous information for among the world’s main information organizations, he has produced numerous function articles on all types of topics for a spread of publications. Now dwelling in southern Portugal, his books embrace journey guides and kids’s tales. His ebooks – Folks in a Place Aside and The Fátima Phenomenon – Divine Grace, Delusion or Pious Fraud? can be found from Amazon.com and amazon.co.uk. His weblog posts could be seen at algarvenewswatch.blogspot.com