We then, members of humanity, are told we might have to face the prospect of the imminent death of civilisation as we know it, together with the destruction of innumerable species of living beings that have taken millions of years to evolve. Faced with such a prospect it behooves us to examine the facts, and in particular, our own mental states, with a thoroughness and honesty concerning what we discover that goes considerably further than most people seem willing to go. We should not allow ourselves to be passive consumers of alarmist-porn, nor on the other hand should we think that the matter is too complex for human understanding and is not therefore worth investigating in depth.
There are a number of questions that arise immediately. (1) what are the facts? (2) supposing the worst prognostications are true, is there anything effective that can be done? (3) supposing that something effective can be done, by whom should it be enacted? (4) supposing armageddon is likely whatever is done, how do we prepare ourselves individually for this catastrophic eventuality and for our relations with others who seek refuge from the prospect of destruction, individual and collective?
Possible answers to all these questions and perhaps others I will be suggesting and exploring in the days to come.