The elephant in the room

We take note of
We read in the newspaper
We watch documentaries
We listen to podcasts
We watch the films of David Attenborough
We see the elephant in the room in razor-sharp focus

We don’t listen to science when it doesn’t suit us
We haven’t listened to science for more than 30 years
We’re baffled by severe storms and wildfires
We’re angry about losing our ski resorts
We cry for the polar bear stranded on the ice floe, yet
We keep things pleasant—us and the elephant

We don’t want to know
We embrace the counterarguments
We gladly lend an ear to the fossil-fuel lobby
We sift through fake news in search of an escape
We do nothing as long as the government takes no action
We feed the elephant in the room so it stays calm

We want more sustainable energy, we protest against wind turbines
We feel flight shame, we take a weekend trip to Barcelona
We start eating plant-based, once a week
We want to drive less, but well, the train is far too expensive
We oppose energy-guzzling data centers, we’re happy to use AI
We’re, without realizing it, quite occupied with that elephant

We no longer know what to do
We lie awake at night
We brood over the world we’ll leave our children
We hope the government has a plan
We end up doing nothing
We’re the deer caught in the headlights

We are the elephant in the room

Read all 140 contributions on Beste-ID. Photo | Bart van Overbeeke

This article was translated using AI-assisted tools and reviewed by an editor.