What has to happen regarding climate change so that governments will accept drastic measures?

This is already upon all governments. As they scramble to handle the impossibility of creating growth by adopting the same economic and business paradigms, it is slowly becoming clearer that change is upon us. Not only does elite cornering of wealth make an economy unsustainable, it also leads to skewing of debates on public policy. When governments realise that they cannot continue in the same vein, they will realise that the new paradigm involves as much clean energy as it does clean governance.

Without the lobbying pressures of the fossil-fuel lobby, it would have been the easiest policy to adopt in trying and influencing cost-effective renewables technologies. But, now that there seems to be a focus on fosil fuels as the only way to keep people employed, those governments which want to take the easy way out will be left with no argument when their 19th century labour and industry models are not able to sustain growth. The booming stock market is what camouflages the shaky foundation of crony capitalism at present. When this camouflage is pulled off, there will be nothing but wasted years and wasted potential.