Climate change is probably one of the topics that bring the best and the worst in people, given its high degree of polarization potential. It is a topic that deals with the here and now as much as it highlights how tomorrow will be determined by our engagements today.

On one hand it starts the conversation about an apparent discomfort and brings about the perception of deprivation in the eyes of those in favor of civilization and technology perks. People with privileges and everyday comfort want to maintain them in the name of “humanity’s modernization” and would like to plead the ethical option to look away when people ask their carbon footprint of their SUV. On the other hand, climate change conversations are brave enough to find, spot, highlight and trumpet the moral imperative modernization holds within itself. If humanity ended up dominating natural environments to the extent of its supremacy as a species, it might just as well be aware of what comes with the territory of freedom. Power, supremacy, and freedom unaccompanied by a corresponding level of responsibility have only one fate: implosion.     

So, how come that modernization militants (on one end of the spectrum) and the environment’s activists (on the other) cohabit without pulling each other’s hair off? Well, they do so the same way different types of personality coexist in a team, within a family, within a community of friends.

So, which types of personality can we spot in the climate sector?

Not my problem. I just do what it’s legal and at hand, I don’t get why I must be concerned with something other than my and my family’s life. It’s frustrating to have to restrain ourselves in the name of the so-called Mother Nature. I don’t want to care about it, I have enough to care about anyway.

It’s out of my hands. There is nothing I personally can do, governments and big corporate world led us here, governments should get us out of it. What can I do? I am too small to change anything.

Frozen panic attack. It’s all bad, I don’t even know where to start, I’ll wait to see what the others are doing, and I’ll follow them. It’s so sad we’re heading in the wrong direction! All news is bad news.

Depressed. This is such a big topic to discuss and such a depressing worry worldwide! And getting worse. Nothing will ever save the environment, so why even bother? So many opinions, such a chaos and nobody does anything.

Just let it be. Indeed, climate change is a problem we need to address, but let’s not delude ourselves that governments can ever do anything for real about this. We know that nature has its way to take charge and be on top, so maybe we should just wait for it. It will tell us when we will have harmed it too much and it’s then when we must listen. Things will happen by themselves; we don’t have to do anything.

Anxiously concerned. I am worried about climate change and the more I think of it, the more impatient and overwhelmed I get. I buy from producers with low emissions, I recycle everything I can, I have renewable energy systems installed around the house. They tell us to stop flying, stop eating meat, but that doesn’t seem reasonable. It’s too much. Too many restrictions won’t even get us far, scientists need to come up with a better solution. I don’t know what else to do.

Naturalist. Species come and go, humans included. If we don’t do our part well, nature will find a way to make us extinct and become lost in oblivion. Even though we believe ourselves to be the center of the universe, nature always goes on, with or without us. We might as well be smart about this and behave. I won’t start a revolution myself, it’s pointless, but I’ll do my (limited) part. The inevitable will produce itself, anyway.

Voice of reason. Climate change is a thing, and it happens today mostly because of the level we interfered with nature. But it’s not something anew, nature went through disasters, crisis, species disappearing due to natural causes, so we need to stop over-reacting. Climate always changed and will always do. We shouldn’t read too much in every storm, every tornado, snow, or heavy rain. The press must sell papers, startups in the sustainability business need to scale, but let’s not induce fear. Let’s chill, things will get better.

Future looks good. We are the best generation to shift something. We are the ones nature has been waiting for. I am very optimistic about things working out. I’ll just keep doing my part.

Impatient and ready to act. We need to come to our senses and stop ignoring the signs. It’s past time we act significantly. Every year matters. We need to tax carbon. To recycle. To ban polluting producers of any kind. Build clean power. Use biomass more. Reduce by half fossil fuel usage. Install renewable energy solutions everywhere. Reuse water. Political people should be more assertive and take more action worldwide. We are the only ones who can make a difference. So, what are we waiting for? Let’s do something today. Now!

So, who are you? J   And what would you tell yourself if you took yourself out for a coffee and start a conversation about your responsibility as a free person acting out in the world?