Recent events–namely hurricane Sandy and the prolonged drought in our country–have finally brought the issue of climate change out in the open, where it has belonged for several decades. The New York Times posted several recent articles and the National Climate Assessment and Development Advisory Committee (NCADAC) just released a report. NPR is talking about it. Even CBS is mentioning it.
In his article, Why Climate Change Doesn’t Spark Moral Outrage, and How It Could, David Roberts makes a compelling observation:
Climate change, which threatens to render all human projects irrelevant; which presents us with detailed evidence of our lack of understanding of the world we inhabit while, at the same time, demonstrating that we are still entirely reliant upon it. Climate change, which highlights in painful color the head-on crash between civilization and ‘nature’; which makes plain, more effectively than any carefully constructed argument or optimistically defiant protest, how the machine’s need for permanent growth will require us to destroy ourselves in its name. Climate change, which brings home at last our ultimate powerlessness.
Can anyone actually process that statement and not feel compelled to take action?
David sees climate change as not just the economic and ecological crisis of our time, but also a moral crisis. He goes on to discuss six reasons why “unlike financial fraud or terrorist attacks, climate change does not register emotionally as a wrong that demands to be righted.” I hope you will take the time to read this important article.
The climate conversation needs to begin for all of us in a big way. It’s not something we can continue to ignore. Climate disruption is not going away. We all need to wake up and start making significant lifestyle changes to mitigate the effects of climate change–not just for ourselves, our children, our grandchildren–but for everyone who lives on our beautiful planet.
The hardest step is the first one. Take it now. Time is of the essence. There is much to do and we have been long delayed.
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