Optimism is needed in the battle against climate change, says actor and UN goodwill ambassador Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
WASHINGTON DC: Climate change is a monumental issue, but if humanity wants to effectively address and combat the threats it poses, it must do so with optimism, according to Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Climate Change Program. the development.
The “Game of Thrones” star spoke Monday on the sidelines of the opening day of the 78th U.N. General Assembly in New York, which continues through Sept. 18 amid concerns about climate change, rising levels of poverty, inequality and food insecurity, war and rising inflation in many parts of the world.
He said he tries to take an optimistic view when considering the challenges of climate change, but warned that it is an issue that all nations in the world must take very seriously. However, he added, not all nations are doing everything they could or should do to help reduce the effects on the planet.
According to UN officials, only about 15 percent of the goals set as part of global efforts to reduce the effects of climate change are on track to be met.
An upcoming documentary series for Bloomberg Originals titled “An Optimistic Guide to the Planet,” premiering next year, will see Coster-Waldau traveling the world to learn more about a number of potential solutions to environmental problems.
Explaining the idea behind the series, he said that he wanted to do something that focused on the topic of climate challenges and came up with the idea of a show that would highlight new ideas from people around the world to address the problems associated with the climate change, to “inspire hope and optimism.”
He said that during his travels he learned about several possible solutions to the environmental problems that nations face as a result of the effects of climate change.
In Africa, for example, he said he has met members of the Maasai tribes who live in harmony with nature and animals. She also visited the Japanese city of Fukushima, which in 2011 was the scene of a serious accident at a nuclear power plant that had serious repercussions for the environment in Japan and elsewhere.
Coster-Waldau said she understands the arguments on both sides of the climate change debate and believes it is a mistake to simply instill fear and a sense of doom about the issue, because that is counterproductive. There is often a tendency, among people on both sides of the argument, to ignore what science says about their positions if it doesn’t fit their respective narratives, she added.
“The sad thing is that both sides are right and wrong at the same time,” he said. “We have a long road ahead. We know that the challenges are immense and even monumental.
“There is a danger if we constantly talk about fear and doom, or that there is no turning back.”
People must be prepared to consider and accept new ideas and solutions, and they must be prepared to “transition and take action and accelerate it.”
Coster-Waldau said research for her television documentary found that only about 8 percent of people believe climate change is a hoax. Humans are responsible for the effects of climate change on all plant life, she added, and are themselves “part of the Earth’s ecosystem…an integral part of it.”
He added: “This made me think: we are not aliens on this planet, we are just another species on this planet and that is a lot of responsibility.”