I’m back from COP26. Nowadays, people tend to end every sentence with the word, “hopefully”, as if we can hope for whatever we want. Since “hopeful” is a word, the word “despairful” as its opposite must also exist. (Merriam-Webster agrees with me.) “Despairful” is the word I’d like to use to describe the atmosphere throughout the COP26.Despite the negotiated commitments, the world is not safe. In the future, we will see posters that say, “All in for 2.0°C. Are you?” “All in for 2.5°C. Are you...

I’m back from COP26. Nowadays, people tend to end every sentence with the word, “hopefully”, as if we can hope for whatever we want. Since “hopeful” is a word, the word “despairful” as its opposite must also exist. (Merriam-Webster agrees with me.) “Despairful” is the word I’d like to use to describe the atmosphere throughout the COP26.Despite the negotiated commitments, the world is not safe. In the future, we will see posters that say, “All in for 2.0°C. Are you?” “All in for 2.5°C. Are you...