O Clima mudou, e agora? | Julia Caon Froeder | TEDxErechim

Growing up in the 2000s, the speaker imagined welcoming aliens due to Y2K fears and films like Armageddon. Now, in 2024, witnessing the Porto Alegre flood, the speaker expresses anger that scientific warnings about climate change, specifically excessive water in southern Brazil, were ignored. Humans, just one of three million species, have changed the climate. Inspired by Cristiana Figueires, the speaker advocates becoming "hopeful visionaries" – ordinary people dreaming of a better planet and resolving the climate crisis. This involves three timeframes: short-term adaptation and resilience, medium-term elimination of greenhouse gases, and long-term system regeneration. For the short term (by 2027), hopeful visionaries envision a world prepared for future floods, protecting lives, belongings, and memories. Infrastructure like bridges and roads will be sturdy, and cities will maintain essential services like electricity and water. Civil Defense alerts will guide people to safe places. During heat waves, climate refuges—air-conditioned spaces or treed areas—will ensure a good quality of life, eliminating fear of rain. Climate science indicates 1.5 degrees Celsius is the safe limit for human life. The Paris Agreement, signed in 2005, outlines a plan: 194 countries, including Brazil, committed to nearly halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and achieving net-zero emissions within 24 years. This crisis, therefore, can be resolved within our lifetime, not just for future generations. The speaker believes people in their 40s and 50s are crucial, as they often hold positions of power in companies and governments. These individuals, working in sectors like fossil fuels, deforestation, and food production, need to be engaged. Citizens also have the power to influence these decision-makers. For the medium term (by 2050), hopeful visionaries foresee a fair energy transition. Cities will have high-quality electrified public transportation, and many will cycle or walk under tree-lined sidewalks. Abundant renewable energy from sun and wind will eliminate the need for fossil fuels. Deforestation will cease, and new forests will regenerate soil and biodiversity. Food production will be sustainable, feeding 10 billion people without new land. Food waste will be minimized, and protein choices will respect the climate, reducing methane emissions from sources like beef. The long-term vision involves rethinking our 250-year-old economic system, which has proven unsustainable. Human existence, viewed on a 4.6-billion-year timeline, has seen half the planet's forests decimated and one-third of species at risk of extinction in the last "minute." Hopeful visionaries aim to create a system that respects planetary boundaries, reduces inequalities, and incorporates diverse wisdom from indigenous communities and new economic models like "doughnut economics." By 2050, the speaker dreams of welcoming aliens, sharing a new speech about humanity's ability to change habits and make choices, inspired by societal-level transformation. This positive future, where everyone enjoys a good quality of life, will be the legacy of thousands of hopeful visionaries.