The article of Jeff Goodell, The Prophet of Climate Change: James Lovelock, which was published in The Rolling Stone, is basically about James Lovelock, who is one of the renowned scientist in the world today, and his supposed prediction that the Earth is doomed to fall due to adverse effects of global warming.
In the article, Lovelock said that he doesn’t believe in the current proposed solutions to global warming such as trapping of carbon dioxide and burying it underground, use of renewable energy such as geothermal energy and solar energy, and the use of biofuels, among others. Basically, Lovelock believes that instead of devising measures to prevent global warming, which for him is inevitable, people should instead prepare for it if and when it happens by migrating and relocating to more favorable places.
Personally, I admire Lovelock and his theories and insights on certain environmental problems. I believe that he has solid evidence and well-researched information to prove his claims, considering his impressive resume and ability to see the things that people don’t normally see.
However, while his “doomsday prophecy” is highly credible and his warnings should be taken seriously, I believe that his prediction says that he has lost faith in mankind. Although I agree that it is mankind’s fault that the Earth’s environmental problems are worsening every years, I still think that there is still hope to somehow reverse the effects of global warming as long as men are alive and well.
There is no doubt that Lovelock’s “prophecy” should be a wake-up call for all of us. However, what it should do is to inspire us and motivate us to work together to somehow disprove his predictions. After all, nobody wants his predictions to come true.
