Don't mention the poor

The rich mining magnates like the Koch Brothers in the US and our own Gina Reinhart must feel grandiosely insulated by their billions as they massively fund climate denial in order to block global warming mitigation - presumably, in order, to continue being billionaires and at the top.

They exhibit most blatantly the "It can't happen to me syndrome", for they are above the travails of the masses. They believe that they are rich enough to buy governments and the earth.

But in the final reckoning everyone loses.

So it's not just about the poor, although right now this is massively important, it's the planet stupid.

We are not ultimately safe against the impact of global warming, in our air conditioned homes with running water and stocked supermarkets. All of us can begin right now, to not sit idly by while others suffer.

The first step in any change is facing the truth, learning as much as is possible about the problem, finding the solutions and implementing the solutions. The irony is that we know what the problem is, and we also already know that there are many solutions: Our biggest stumbling block is our refusal to face the truth and therefore to act.