The Tipping Point

In this section, Squarzoni discusses the importance of time. Even if we get started on the reduction of greenhouse gases and fossil fuel usage today, it will take hundreds of years before the atmosphere is stabilized once more. This shows the urgency of the situation. Engineers are needed to build new efficient, eco-friendly generators. But not everyone is convinced yet.

I like how Squarzoni compares the tipping point to a plate on the table. When I explained this to my mom, she easily understood it. I can imagine the panels like a movie. When he talks about closed eyes, he makes the panels completely dark. It is a frightening mood, because it makes me feel lost and in danger. It reminds me of the TItanic, because it was headed in a direction that was clearly hazardous, but they didn’t know exactly how bad it was until they hit the iceberg. The dark panels felt like the part when the ship was sinking. It made me feel like I was dying.

In a way, the planet is dying. The animals and plants are already dying. But we don’t notice it until many people are dying. We don’t notice it until we hit the iceberg.

I haven’t thought about permafrost until this part. I know it as a permanent structure. It is sad that climate change can change the definition of natural structures by killing them. It is changing the definition of “permanent”. What’s sadder is that something can be done. There are always ideas waiting to happen. It only takes people to have initiative. If people work towards a common goal, they can make it happen and reverse our path to destruction.