“Mass Extinctions”
Wallace-Wells reports, “The earth has experienced five mass extinctions before the one we are living through now, each so complete a wiping of the fossil record that it functioned as an evolutionary reset…In fact, all but the one that killed the dinosaurs involved climate change produced by greenhouse gas.”
Wallace-Wells alludes to historical extinctions to underscore the reality of climate change that is the prime cause of the extinctions that have negatively impacted the earth. The extinction of dinosaurs confirms the seriousness and potential damage of climate change. Greenhouse emissions are detrimental to various species' endurance because they make the climate detrimental to their survival.
“Industrial Revolution”
Wallace-Wells elucidates, “Many perceive global warming as a sort of moral and economic debt, accumulated since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution and now come due after several centuries." Industries contribute to global warming by emitting carbon that arises from the fossil fuels used to power operations in the industries. The emissions destroy the earth by making it unclean. Industries are considered the epitomes of civilization and advancement, yet they harm the environment and add to global warming.
“Climate Refugees”
Wallace-Wells writes, “The U.N projections are bleaker: 200 million climate refugees by 2050." The U.N's forecasts regarding the refugee crisis arising from climate change confirm that adverse climate changes are likely to trigger chaos whereby vulnerable communities are compelled to move from their countries in search for localities where they can find a climate favorable to their survival. Communities will be utterly devastated and destabilized as a result of the climate crisis. Climate change is occurring globally; accordingly, finding favorable environments would not guarantee the refugees fleeing from climate change.
“Hyperobject”
Wallace-Wells affirms, “This is part of what makes climate change what the theorist Timothy Morton calls a "hyperobject"-a conceptual fact so large and complex that, like the internet, it can never be properly comprehended." Climate change has a broad scope that complicates the process of breaking it down. Accordingly, comprehending it entirely is not stress-free for the current generations. As a result of the complexity of climate change some individuals would not be convinced by its reality; hence, would not be motivated to join courses intended to mitigate climate change.
Hurricanes
Wallace-Wells recounts, "In the late summer of 2017, three major hurricanes arose in the Atlantic at once, proceeding at first along the same route as though they were battalions of an army on the march." The hurricanes are disasters that verify the reality of global warming. Comparing the hurricanes to an army underscores their brutality which imperils the survival of humanity. Storms arising from the hurricanes endanger the lives of communities, especially those residing near the Atlantic.
