The Key to Caring About Climate? A Calendar

We all know climate change is happening, but for many of us, it feels like a distant problem. It's not affecting us personally right now, so we put this concern in the top shelf of the hall closet and don’t give it much if any thought. However, there is something most of us do care deeply about: the future welfare of our children, grandchildren, and generations to come.

​We feel responsible for leaving them a world that isn't depleted of resources or polluted to a degree that will cause them harm. The challenge is that our brains aren't great at properly valuing events likely to happen decades into the future. So, let's try a simple exercise to put things into perspective. Try out this activity using the ages of your children or grandchildren (if you don’t have children, use another child’s age whom you care a lot about).
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The Calendar of Caring
 
Currently, the average life expectancy in the United States is about 79 years for men and 84 years for women. Let's consider a child born this year, 2024:

• A girl born in 2024 would likely live until 2108
• A boy born in 2024 would likely live until 2103

 
Now use these figures to determine until what year your children of concern are likely to live. To do this, subtract their current age from the 2108 for a girl and 2103 for a boy:
 
       Girl: 2108 - <current age> = _______       Boy: 2103 - <current age> = _______
 
When you have these years calculated, ask yourself: What condition is the Earth's environment likely to be in by those years if we continue with our current lifestyles?
Science can help us with that question. Let's look at some projections:

• CO2 Levels: Currently, the atmosphere is about 420 parts per million (ppm) CO2. By 2100, if we continue on our current path, we could reach 900 ppm.
• Temperature: The global average temperature could rise by 3-4°C (5.4-7.2°F) by 2100 compared to pre-industrial levels.

 
These changes would lead to more frequent and severe heatwaves, droughts, storms, and rising sea levels. Agriculture would be less reliable and water supplies will be stressed in many parts of the world. It is very likely that the lives of your current children of concern (and their children as well) will be significantly impacted and more difficult. Anyone who cares about the current wellbeing of their children can care equally about their future wellbeing too.
 
The condition of the planet for current children and those yet to be born is highly dependent on how we choose to live our lives now. Every action we take today - from reducing our carbon footprint to supporting sustainable practices - shapes the world they will inherit.
 
By using this simple calendar of caring, we can better connect our present actions to their future consequences. It's not just about abstract numbers or distant projections; it's about the real lives of the people we love most.
 
So, the next time you make a decision that impacts the environment, consider this: You're not just choosing for yourself, but for all the birthdays on your family's future calendar. Let's make choices that will give them reasons to celebrate.

Author

Rick Martin, Ph.D.
​Professor of Life Sciences, UMGC Asia