Extract
The overwhelming consequence of populism, a phenomenon that now dominates our political lives, is that it distracts us from the real and urgent issues that confront us. I will tell you this for free: the world is going to hell in a handbasket. And the politicians who dominate our lives today are not helping us avert the disaster we face.
How many readers of this column, or members of the general populace, know that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued a report in September written by 90 scientists from 40 countries saying that if humans don’t take immediate, collective action to limit global warming by 2040 then hurricanes, extreme droughts, floods, wildfires, hurricanes and famine will spike, swiftly becoming a regular part of our lives. The report says we need to reduce global carbon emissions by as much as 40% by 2030.