Climate change can sometimes seem hopeless. It occasionally appears as though the world is almost about to end, as though we’re about to sink into a hole filled with our nightmares and our horrible dreams. However, a report released by The New York Times this year shows that global warming might not be as tragic as we thought it would be.

For years now, many climate change activists have been showing us numbers that indicate a world of apocalyptic futures. They have shown us frigid temperatures that will reach well below zero degrees, among other terrifying statements. While these statements are made to get our attention and grab the headlines, climate change is still a major issue. People need to pay attention to global warming. It is, after all, a serious threat to our world, and to the people that reside in it. 

However, there have been many technological improvements over the years discovered by massive corporations, such as Vestas Wind Systems, and First Solar, Inc. that have used these developments to benefit the world or themselves. The end result is that global warming looks a lot closer than it once did, but it also doesn’t look so apocalyptic in terms of temperature increase. According to the New York Times, temperatures are likely to increase by 1.5% to 3% rather than the previously projected 7%. Well, how did we get here?

The answer to that question is that society has continued to make improvements, like it always does. Renewable energy has become extremely affordable over these last couple years, to a miraculous extent. Companies are desperately attempting to seize a new market that will  open up great economic opportunities for them and allow them to make more money. The other thing that has caused a decrease in temperature predictions is a less apocalyptic outcry.

For years now, many researchers have been attempting to gain the attention of the public, desperately attempting to get people to listen to the idea that there might be a future in which humans die out. Now, people are listening. People are looking up from their seats and seeing the effects of global warming around them. Scientists and climate activists are currently less focused on getting the attention of the public, and are now releasing reports that are more accurate to the legitimate ways that global warming will affect planet Earth. Our future is not bright, but it is not dark with the death of billions of people. It will be laden with our responsibilities, as we continue to struggle against global warming and attempt to clean up the mess we’ve made.