#395 – CLIMATE CHANGE OR GLOBAL EXTINCTION? – GREG HUTCHINS

Is climate change humanity’s greatest ever risk management failure?
The Guardian newspaper

Climate change. Global warming. These are the ‘new normal’ or the ultimate ‘Horsemen of the Apocalypse’. U.S. intelligence report said:

“Global environmental and ecological degradation, as well as climate change, are likely to fuel competition for resources, economic distress, and social discontent through 2019 and beyond. Climate hazards such as extreme weather, higher temperatures, droughts, floods, wildfires, storms, sea level rise, soil degradation, and acidifying oceans are intensifying, threatening infrastructure, health, and water and food security.”

Risk likelihoods as well as direct risk consequences are increasing. Extreme heat is impacting global food supply chains, housing near the ocean, increases in cancer, and other factors.

Are you a denier? According to a recent report, there’s a 95% likelihood that VUCANs are the drivers of climate change through carbon dioxide emission.

OK, is human extinction too strong of a prediction? The New York Times said:

“Humans are transforming Earth’s natural landscapes so dramatically that as many as one million plant and animal species are now at risk of extinction, posing a dire threat to ecosystems that people all over the world depend on for their survival .”

Story: You may be a green believer or even an evangelist. Or, you may be a denier. It really doesn’t matter.

We’re in a global heating environment and changing political environment. So, pay attention to sustainability. I was a green skeptic until I saw first-hand major environmental changes occurring over a few years. I catch & release salmon on the Columbia River in Oregon, USA., which is a beautiful and pristine environment. The problem is over the last 30 years, salmon fishing changed. Fewer fish. Smaller fish. Shorter fishing season. Not good. As an engineer, I thought maybe we were going through a macro weather cycle from cold to warm.

Work Lesson Earned: Climate is now directly tied to work and salaries. More people see climate change impacting job retention, promotional opportunities, and recruitment. A recent survey concluded 74% of executives say climate change poses risks to their job security.  How does climate change impact or may impact your work? Are there any opportunities for you? As traditional industries adapt to the changing environment, have you considered working in a green business? You’re saving humankind. You’re having fun. You’re doing good. You’re saving the planet.

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