Signs of climate change can be seen as dried cracked mud stands in a low water level area at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Titusville, Florida, on February 24, 2023. (PHOTO: VCG)

Climate change is a global crisis and cannot be solved by any one country alone. If the U.S., China and other industrialized countries do not come together to dramatically decrease greenhouse gas emissions, the world we leave our children and future generations will become increasingly unhealthy and uninhabitable.

Now is the time for a radical rethinking of geopolitics to reflect the reality that international cooperation is not only in the best interests of all countries, but is absolutely necessary for the survival of the planet.

Here’s the reality. The last eight years have been the eight hottest on record. This year is on track to be the hottest year in recorded history, and this past July was the hottest month on record. From Tokyo to Rome to Tunis to Tirana, cities across Asia, Europe and north Africa experienced their hottest days on record.

And it’s not just that temperatures have been soaring on land. Our oceans have never been warmer. Right now, 44 percent of the world’s oceans are experiencing a marine heatwave.

In the midst of this global crisis, there is both good news and bad news. The good news is that recent years have seen long-overdue steps to transition the global economy away from fossil fuels into more efficient and renewable energy sources. The bad news is that we are still falling well short of the kinds of investments needed to deal with this crisis. We are still not moving fast enough to save our planet.

The science is clear: if the U.S., China, and the rest of the planet do not act with greater urgency to dramatically cut carbon emissions, our planet will face enormous and irreversible damage.

If we are to save the planet, now is the time for bold action. Let’s do it.

—Bernie Sanders, The US and China must unite to fight the climate crisis, not each other, The Guardian, 21-08-2023