For decades, economic growth has been pursued with little regard for its environmental consequences, a strategy (0) THAT has brought the planet to the brink of ecological catastrophe. Only now are governments beginning to acknowledge the extent to 1 their policies have contributed to the crisis. Serious 2 the situation undoubtedly is, there are those who argue that it is not yet too late to reverse the damage. Had world leaders acted on the warnings issued by scientists in the 1980s, much of 3 we are now witnessing could have been avoided. Instead, short-term economic interests were prioritised, and the long-term costs were borne by 4 least able to protect themselves. It was not 5 the effects of climate change became impossible to ignore that the political will to act finally materialised. 6 having been slow to respond, many nations are now investing heavily in renewable energy — a shift that, for 7 its promise, may still prove to be too little, too late. Whether future generations will judge these efforts to have 8 sufficient is a question that weighs heavily on the minds of policymakers and citizens alike.