Climate change deniers are missing a key piece of the puzzle. Same with those among us who, though they acknowledge the rising tide, don’t want to change the status quo. If we do nothing, the status quo isn’t even an option.

But the changes necessary to hold onto a chance at maintaining our 21st century way of life–if that’s what we want–are not going to be easy. Or pretty.

China once again provides a glimpse of our future now. This month, state-owned Power Construction Corp of China connected it’s newest solar farm to the country’s power grid. Astoundingly, it generates 6.1 million megawatts of power a year. It also covers 200,000 acres. That’s about 150,000 football fields. If it were a square, each side would measure over 28 kilometers.

This is only the start.

Meanwhile, to feed our growing global population, and our growing appetite for any and all fruits and vegetables year round, we’re covering more of the Earth than ever with greenhouses. New analysis of satellite data shows we’ve now covered 13,000 square kilometers with them so far. To no one’s surprise, sixty percent are in China.

Put all those greenhouses together in a square and each side would be over 100 kilometers long. Most of them covered in plastic.

The skills, the vision, the prowess to make this happen, to turn greater swaths of the power grid green and feed more people–these are extraordinary feats. But how did we get here? Is this what we want? Do we know where we’re going?