There are many very heavy topics that people around the world should be aware of and discussing sensibly today. Easily the most urgent is the health of our life-sustaining planet.
As inhabitants of Earth, restoring this planet to its full health should be seen as our infinite privilege. After all, folks, we have nowhere else to go but, at the very least, past privilege, it is the responsibility of all world citizens and leadership.
Remaining informed and being knowledgeable about what’s happening with the climate, how much of it is man-made or exacerbated by mankind isn’t a matter of opinion – it’s a matter of facts, whether we like them or not.
We can certainly agree that some damage is collateral and some negligible, but so much of the damage we do can also be instantly eliminated. It’s a direct result of habits and unnecessary indulgences we’ve developed. The smallest things we’re doing in our lives are creating irreconcilable damage. The smallest changes we make in our lives will create immeasurable improvement. Most changes would be barely noticed by the average person.
Corporations making billions killing the planet will have to join modernized nations around the globe. They must change from antiquated fossil fuels to practical, proven profitable, renewable energy sources. Plastics must be quickly returned to – or replaced with – viable, environmentally positive, still profitable, alternatives.
If we don’t get a handle on these problems fast, we’re not going to have any problems to solve – the fight will be lost. The planet will respond in its only natural way. Eventually, but not slowly enough to be painless, we will be lost. These are facts. The evidence surpasses Hugo, Sandy, Katrina and Ida.
When I was a kid I can remember asking my parents about tornadoes. Their answer gave me complete comfort. I lived in New York City; we didn’t get tornadoes in New York City. As recent activity is proving, we no longer have that guarantee. These aren’t normal weather patterns or natural, gradual changes. These, as well as the locations, frequency, duration and strength of wildfires and drought, are new phenomena caused by neglect, lack of discipline and greed. The situation is growing deadlier. No amount of wealth will insulate anyone, nor will any display of denial.
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