"Reversing the trend" is probably the wrong way to think about it. "Damage mitigation" is closer to the truth. The global climate system has a lot of momentum to it, and we have spent the last half century putting into motion changes that are going to continue to play out for decades.

That said: the mitigation effort is extremely important. If our alternatives are bad, worse, and unthinkable, then we at least need to get to it only being pretty bad.

As for what can be done? Vote for politicians that don't deny the truth. Plant a tree. Ride your bike. Speak out against those who decry scientific thinking as intellectual elitism. Eat locally. There is much to be done, by all of us.

The first place to start is always creating conversations and building consensus that this is really an issue worth addressing. This isn't a problem that is going to be solved with on wholistic approach. I see tons of opportunity for people passionate about innovation to lead here.

As someone who has lived all over the US, I am astounded at the limited level of engagement I have seen around solving this impending challenge, particularly in some of the regions feeling the greatest impact, like the southern and eastern states. If nothing else, to Paul's point, we should all be talking right now about risk mitigation - how do we limit reliance on energy-consuming processes to stay cool, to move people throughout a city, and to ensure we have enough water to drink and grow our food?

These are fantastic problems to try and solve. Would love to keep the conversation going!