There is ever more sturdy evidence that people around the globe are increasingly aware of climate change, but that they are not aware of the risks they are actually facing. In this regard, the division between the rich and poor countries is of special interest. Namely, people from poor countries are much more aware of the dangers ahead than those from rich ones. Many poor countries have already experienced the ravages of climate change, which is hardly the case with rich countries. Research shows that people from rich countries are thus aware of risks of migration, for example, but not of their underlying causes. And so on, and so forth. According to researchers in the field, the gist of the problem is that policy makers need to communicate the risks of climate change more effectively. The underlying assumption is that proper communication will make people across the world both aware of the dangers they are facing and ready to undertake the proper measures to alleviate them. Of course, this is ridiculous at best. Communication will change little, if anything. People will not understand the risks of climate change before they become palpable. It is a question of life and limb. Everything else is for the birds, as all future attempts to communicate the risks of climate change will amply demonstrate. The only question is when researchers will finally get to understand their own species.

Addendum (November 29, 2015)

In cauda venenum, as is only appropriate. Indeed, the only remaining question is when researchers will finally get to understand their own species. And the answer is essentially the same as the one regarding climate change. That is, researchers will not even start to understand their own species before it becomes a question of life and limb. For the ravages of climate change and environmental degradation will turn to war as soon as the going gets tough. Fighting will spread like wildfire. And then the human species will show its true face. Life and limb for true. Quickly enough, natural disasters will become but a minor part of the calamity at hand. By and by, the warring parties will forget what started the conflict. The overpopulation of planet earth at the bottom of it all will not even cross their minds. Humans may be the brightest among primates, but they are nothing but primates still.