Climate scientist Dr. Michael Tobis returns to the Plutopia podcast with an update on the current state of the Earth’s climate. The current state, it appears, is not so good. Michael discusses the worsening state of the Earth’s climate, highlighting the missed opportunities to transition away from fossil fuels over the past 30 years. He delves into the complexities of attributing specific extreme weather events to climate change, emphasizing the importance of focusing not just on these dramatic incidents but also on the subtle, day-to-day environmental shifts that are already occurring. Despite growing awareness, Tobis expresses concern that meaningful change is still lacking, with society continuing to operate unsustainably, driven by economic and political inertia.

Michael Tobis:

If we had started going down the road of moving off of fossil fuels 30 years ago, it would not have been a major adjustment. Back then we were saying, “Okay, if we don’t behave ourselves, the world could warm as much as two degrees Celsius.” And now we’re saying, “Well, if we really step on things and really work really hard, the world could warm as little as two degrees Celsius.” So we’re already pushing, we’re hoping for what was once considered the worst