Entropy- Planning and Adapting for Chaos

I recently had a conversation with Steve Wolf of Team Wildfire about climate and insurance when the topic of microplastics came up. I voiced my irritation with the recent surge in tourism to Antarctica and specifically highlighted a recent event where a well-known DJ organized an exclusive cruise and subsequent event on a glacier. Antarctica, with its unique geographical and environmental conditions, has long been considered relatively unspoiled by human pollution. Until now.

As I voiced my frustration about the likely cross contamination resulting from the excursion, Steve interjected with a word that resonated deeply with me: Entropy. It had been years since I had engaged in a conversation about entropy, so I shut up and listened. Defined as "the degree of disorder or uncertainty in a system" by Merriam Webster, entropy is the march towards disorder and chaos. During our discussion, Steve brought me back to center. He reminded me that control is an illusion, and we need to prepare, plan, and adapt to the inevitable chaos that will happen in our lifetime. This is directly related to how we address climate and resilience.

What Constitutes the Chaos?

Let's focus on just one aspect: the excessive carbon in our atmosphere. I've discussed this extensively, but in essence, it comes down to this: we've combusted an excessive amount of fossil fuels, saturating the atmosphere with carbon emissions, resulting in elevated levels of particulate matter and pollution, ultimately leading to increased global surface temperature, destabilized jet streams, and other detrimental effects. The scientific community has been writing papers about this since the early 1800’s, so this is not new information, we just choose to ignore it.

What’s the Plan?

The strategy moving forward requires a multifaceted approach, with the crucial component being reducing our reliance on petroleum as an energy source, which has resulted in this surplus of carbon pollution. One proposed solution is Carbon Capture. Whether embraced or criticized, we need to extract carbon from our atmosphere. In a recent interview with Richard G Kidd IV , we discussed decarbonization as an essential aspect of combatting climate change and fostering resilience. Unfortunately, the title of our discussion, "Decarbonizing the Planet and Building Climate Resilience," sparked controversy, with some misinterpreting it as advocating for the complete elimination of carbon from all aspects of life. Viewing the interview in its entirety would have clarified that our conversation centered on the removal of excess carbon from the environment, not negating the fundamental role of carbon in the biological processes.

How Do We Adapt?

We are still thinking in a world of binaries and rigid dichotomies - Black and white, yes and no, up and down – yet in reality, we live with a spectrum of nuances that demand navigation. We cannot stop entropy, but we can adapt to its effects. One approach is to consume less, be it water, food, clothing, or energy. Before making a purchase, it is crucial to ask yourself, "Do we truly need it?', "Is it essential?", "Can we source it locally or opt for seasonal and native options?." Consider the lifecycle of a product, did it travel through several countries before reaching your neighborhood? Change can be daunting, and expecting overnight transformations is unrealistic, but if you find your center, navigate the entropy, and embrace resilience and preparedness we can reduce our footprint and contribute to a more viable future.