A month ago, I published an article following up on the excellent Cambridge University paper, highlighting the 12 excuses for climate inaction. The numerous feedbacks not only helped to improve the answers to the excuses, but also inspired some readers! Thus, Fabrice Tedaldi has put his talents as a graphic designer to work by imaging each of the excuses. I love the result!
As soon as you hear an apology, you will be able to send the corresponding image to your interlocutor (in addition to answering the person with your arguments). Again, I challenge you to talk about climate change with your colleagues, friends or family and not hear any of the excuses come out 😉
Below you will find each of the apologies, along with the corresponding image. If you want to know how to answer it, click on the link that will take you back to the original article.
THE 12 DISCOURSES FOR CLIMATE INACTION IN PICTURES
1. Doomism
It’s too late, it will never be enough. We should adapt’.
If you want to know how to respond to this excuse, click here !
2. Change is impossible
Any measure taken to reduce the CO2 impact would be unnatural, people will never want to change’. In a democracy, it will never pass’.
If you want to know how to respond to this excuse, click here !
3. Individualism
The responsibility lies with someone else’. Change will only come from individuals.
If you want to know how to answer this excuse, click here!
Whataboutism
Yeah, but France is only 1% of the emissions, while the Chinese, eh! Maybe they should start, then we’ll see’.
If you want to know how to answer this excuse, click here!
5. The Free-Rider
If we lower our emissions first, other countries will take advantage of us. Donald Trump, on the Paris Agreement
Si vous voulez savoir comment répondre à cette excuse, cliquez ici!
6. Technological optimism
Technology will save us! The zero-carbon plane will be here in 2035! Fusion is coming soon!
If you want to know how to respond to this excuse, click here !
7. Words, very little action
“We are brave and have announced a historic plan, France will be a leader in the fight against climate change!” Heard from the mouth of Laurent Fabius, on the verge of tears at the end of COP21.
If you want to know how to answer this excuse, click here!
8. Energy efficiency
You see that cars consume less and less oil, soon it will consume nothing at all!
Si vous voulez savoir comment répondre à cette excuse, cliquez ici!
9. Rely on volunteerism, do not restrict/prohibit
Taxing or forbidding citizens to do x or y would be counterproductive, they will change through common sense, on a voluntary basis
If you want to know how to respond to this excuse, click here !
10. Regulatory perfectionism
It’s not worth it’. If we ask to pass this measure now, there will be strikes that will paralyze the country
Si vous voulez savoir comment répondre à cette excuse, cliquez ici!
11. Abandoning fossil fuels means abandoning the poor
Oh yes, and without oil, it’s back to the stone age! And the low income countires, you give up on them ?
If you want to know how to respond to this excuse, click here !
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12. The cost of climate action will reduce social justice
Restrictive measures will first affect the most precarious and this is unfair’.
If you want to know how to respond to this excuse, click here !
The last word
Thanks again to all of you for your contributions. These climate inaction discourses are far too present (and dangerous) for us to allow. Every month counts, every ton of CO2eq emitted less counts. Some excuses are of course harder to refute than others. Some of them will be the subject of a separate article (like the Free Rider or doomism), in order to address a more argued answer.
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