Can Humanity Beat Climate Change?

Humanity is facing a climate emergency. Our planet is under massive strains, primarily caused by humans. Our era is the era of the Anthropocene: human influence is the dominating force shaping our planet and climate. This means that our current way of life and economic system need serious rethinking.

On the one hand we have the science, which tells us major changes are required to keep our planet habitable. On the other hand we have politicians and fossil fuels companies who downplay this scenario, whilst reaping huge profits off their destructive practices. CoVid19 has demonstrated that humanity's impact on the environment can very quickly disrupt the lives we live. It has also shown us that we can adapt and perhaps rebuild more sustainable societies which can  survive the future.

The Paris Climate Accords give some direction, although not every country in the world has committed itself to this agreement. Under Biden, the United States has rejoined the global fight to reverse climate change damage. Will China and the US join hands? Can our global community come together to address this collective challenge? Can we fix the damage we have done (mitigation) or do we simply have to learn to deal with the consequences? (adaptation)

Can we change course dramatically? And if we can, what are some of the routes we can take?