Why we won’t avoid a climate catastrophe

By not doing enough to fight global warming, we’re trashing the planet. Innovation may save us, but it will not be pretty.

Bigger Blazes

Men dodge embers as they try to save a house in Ventura, California, during the 2017 Thomas fire. Burning a thousand structures and 280,000 acres, the fire was the state’s largest—but only briefly. In California and beyond, a warmer, drier climate is fueling ever bigger fires.

Photograph by MARCUS YAM, LOS ANGELES TIMES

Published March 25, 2020

15 min read

This story is part of the pessimistic argument for the future of the planet in our special issue on Earth Day. Read the optimistic argument and the rest of our stories here.

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