We Need To Fight Climate Change Instead Of Working On Leaving Earth, Says Nobel Physics Winner
At a time where everyone from Elon Musk to NASA, Jeff Bezos to ISRO is trying to send more humans into space and colonize other planets in our solar system, there's a word of caution from a prominent physicist. Didier Queloz, this year¡¯s Nobel Physics prize winner doesn¡¯t feel humans are going anywhere away from the Earth in future, and should focus efforts to fight climate change.
Since the very first man entering space, humans have constantly looked at other planets either in search for extraterrestrial life or finding another planet that humans can call home, in case our planet turns inhabitable, due to the natural catastrophe it is currently going through.
At a time where everyone from Elon Musk to NASA, Jeff Bezos to ISRO is trying to send more humans into space and colonize other planets in our solar system, there's a word of caution from a prominent physicist. Didier Queloz, this year¡¯s Nobel Physics prize winner doesn¡¯t feel humans are going anywhere away from the Earth in future, and should focus efforts to fight climate change.
Moreover, he also strongly feels that we must put more focus on finding ways to cure climate change and our Earth¡¯s sad state instead of cowardly finding a way out, only to destroy another planet.
He was one of the several Nobel laureates at a news conference in Stockholm discussing climate change where he stated, "I think this is just irresponsible because the stars are so far away I think we should not have any serious hope to escape the Earth.¡±
He further added, "Also keep in mind that we are a species that has evolved and developed for this planet. We're not built to survive on any other planet than this one," he said. "We'd better spend our time and energy trying to fix it."
This statement was supported by other Nobel laureates on the panel. This happened at the same time as the two-week global summit on climate change was taking place in Madrid. They also urged the people of the planet to take climate change seriously.
Esther Duflo, Nobel Economics laureate, has stated that ¡°people will need to change their behaviour, especially in rich countries.¡± who are known to consume goods and resources heavily.
Many of these consume energy thinking that it is generated using renewable energy. To this Duflo stated, "It would be great if that were the case but I don't think we can count on it necessarily."
