This is a very important case. There was an enormous investment in fixing Y2K, starting long before the day in question (e.g. financial instruments with expiration dates after Y2K had to be fixed before they became due), so on the day there was only a smattering of minor residual bugs.
There were a few jokes about it in the newspapers but by and large the public just ignored it.
I work on climate and hope / hoped that the same would happen, but it's looking like it will soon get everybody's attention regardless.
Y2K would negatively impact companies' bottom lines if not dealt with, directly, in a short and known timeline, in predictable ways.
Climate change will impact companies in different ways at different times. Oil companies, for instance, are incentivized to ramp up production as much as possible while also diversifying.
The way to get all companies to take appropriate actions is to not allow them to externalize costs. That means a significant carbon tax.
I'm sure I'm not the only one that can't wait for the 2038 problem to get closer. bank accounts gonna be jumping like a 3-peat Micheal Jordan when those consultation fee checks start rolling in.. provided the Boston Dynamics dogs haven't taken over yet
Since you "work on climate" I am sure it got your attention that there is a massive effort happening all across the board. R&D has made tremendous advances, whole industries are investing to get away from fossil fuels, and governments have ongoing programs to accelerate and support lange hydro, solar, and wind projects.
Some countries have not heard the call yet it seems (ones that like their role as perpetual victims and blame everyone else but themselves), but even just five years down the road, the world will already look very different for all the effort that's being made.
There were a few jokes about it in the newspapers but by and large the public just ignored it.
I work on climate and hope / hoped that the same would happen, but it's looking like it will soon get everybody's attention regardless.