How the World Really Works

Climate change is a hot topic, and so many gurus start writing about it regardless of expertise.

By making extreme claims, backed by selectively-quoted evidence, they can attract attention. The prevailing narrative is that decarbonisation would be easy if we just stop focusing on profits. Smil, an environmental scientist, points out that it’s not that simple. Steel, ammonia, cement, and plastics are “the four material pillars of modern civilisation” and they are inevitably carbon intensive.

We face a difficult trade-off between stunting the economic growth of developing countries, potentially permanently, and allowing the planet to warm, likely irreversibly.