A group of scientists has warned that the Earth is heading towards a “global tipping point”. They have called for urgent action to avoid “an existential threat to civilisation”.
The rhetoric could not be any stronger. They say that there is growing evidence to suggest that irreversible changes to the Earth’s environmental systems are already taking place….
…. They also caution that we are now in a “state of planetary emergency”.
A global tipping point is a threshold when the planet’s systems go beyond the point of no return. When that happens, it could lead to “hothouse conditions”.
Clearly, immediate and radical international action is needed to cut emissions to slow down the deterioration of the environment. Only a fool would challenge the assertion.
But some governments are either in denial, just plain foolish, or believe that it is someone else’s problem.
The US has, for instance, already withdrawn from the Paris Agreement on climate goals. That is denial of the highest order.
China is still part of the climate accord. But it is also the world’s biggest polluter. However, it seems that it is also unwilling to do anything more than the bare minimum. It is forecast to drive a global surge in coal-fired plants. That is just foolishness to the extreme.
Given that some government leaders are just paying lip-service, whilst others are just giving a lot of lip, it is up to us, investors, to act.
We could challenge the companies that we invest in about their strategies to be sustainable businesses. What’s the point in making stuff, if there is nobody around to buy the stuff they make?
We can make it very uncomfortable for those that profit from extinction of the world.
Warren Buffett once said that someone is sitting in the shade because someone planted a tree a long time ago. He was talking about investing in sustainable businesses for the long term….
…. but the same goes for our planet. We want to be planting our money into those companies that take care of our planet. We only have one Earth. Let’s try and look after it.
None of the information in this article can be constituted as financial, investment, or other professional advice. It is only intended to provide education. Speak with a professional before making important decisions about your money, your professional life, or even your personal life. Disclosure: David Kuo does not own shares in any companies mentioned.
