A stratigrapher’s reflecions on climate change and energy transition

Abstract This article consists of two well-differentiated parts. The first, based on a bibliographic analysis, tries to position this current episode of global warming within the framework of the geological history of climate change. The conclusion is clear and in line with the scientific consensus. Greenhouse gas emissions linked to human actions are the main cause of global warming. Given this situation, we can speculate about the future climate evolution of the “Anthropocene”. Unfortunately, such projections in the scientific literature paint a bleak picture. Paradoxically, future predictions take us back millions of years in geological history, placing humanity in unknown territory. Accordingly, we must ask ourselves what we can do to adjust the global thermostat. A first optimistic reflection is that the very fact that humans are the cause of the problem opens a window of hope. If global warming were due to natural causes linked to astronomical phenomena, to the internal dynamics of the planet, or to its evolution, we could do little or nothing to remedy our current climate situation. However, if we are the main cause of the crisis, we have the capacity to resolve it. This consideration, in turn, leads us to the second part of this article which comprises a series of personal reflections on the nature of the so-called energy transition and its main lines of action.