Recently, my grandson was playing a video game about the future of the planet’s environment. The objective is to save the Earth after the apocalypse.
Of course, there’s an element of overcoming the bad guy, but, supposedly, we’re saving what’s left of the planet. Let’s hope the fantasy doesn’t reflect impending reality. Still, most people have, at least, wondered, how – or if – the degradation will actually occur. We wonder who’ll be left, who’ll be in charge, and what the planet will be, after what Earth has long been, is gone.
On Sept. 9, 2021, we talked about the science of keeping our living planet breathing to support life, fixing the damage we’ve done to that process, and why time is of the essence. We’ve also talked, on numerous occasions, about why there are people who literally will not alter their lifestyle or personal goals to get Earth back on kilter. We discussed the short-sightedness and ignorant belief that achieving wealth and power will protect them and/or their descendants from the fallout.
The world’s legislators are in charge of the regulations being sought to maintain Earth’s health, which supports all life on this planet, including human life. Unfortunately, many don’t, or don’t wish to, understand the urgency of halting and reversing this damage. Without legislative change we can’t accomplish environmental change. These changes we have made necessary, and failure to alter current effects will result in our planet’s inability to continue to support life as we know it.
Yet, supposedly brilliant people, many who have the power of, or influence over, legislation and control, deny the evidence of this truth for personal wealth and power in “the now.” Some may just want to enjoy, believing they’ll just be gone before the mess hits the fan, with no regard for even their own future generations. Others just deny all the scientific evidence.
The truth is, this rock will survive. Barring a major asteroid collision, planet Earth will always be here. It will die, choking and coated in plastic dust, but it will continue to spin within the confinement of what we leave behind. At least, that is the hope. As for the flora and fauna – including us humans – it’s an unknown. There is assumption and hope, but there’s no certainty about what types of life will survive, or how; that’s including any percentage of altered humanity. We only know that this rock will be here in some form ... maybe just another barren boulder afloat in the universe, but here. That’s our only near definitive.
Why anyone would advocate surrendering all the tomorrows of this world for temporary glory today is not something most of us understand. Those who choose power and wealth, even to the risk of our planet’s demise, will perish in time anyway. With or without wealth and power, everyone dies.
What any of us has, owns, controls or is in life is made irrelevant by death. All we leave are those footprints we talked about a few weeks ago, and the slow, continually fading history of what we did for others: good, bad or ugly.
Despite what those who have skin in the game reiterate, sure that we’re all gullible enough to believe their rhetoric, the bottom line remains the same and singularly paramount: we are suffocating our own and only home planet.
We have long been pumping too much into the mechanics of our planet’s chemical exchange, hobbling its only system of “taking out the trash.” The best time to begin to loosen the choke collar on Earth has not only come, it has passed. The opportunity of just implementing timely preventative measures is lost, and we must actively work to undo the damage we’ve already done whilst also halting the processes that will do more.
As with all good things, even if many remain in denial, our use and love of convenient but dirty energy has to end. Status quo would certainly have been preferable, but that’s no longer possible. It isn’t the news anyone wanted to hear because change is always an effort, but we are lucky to have options. They’re already in use around the world, but must be made global.
Yes, it will be difficult and profiteers won’t be happy, but they’re learning already how to profit from clean energy. This is an obvious no-brainer. Those who honestly doubt, keep an open eye. If we fail, we’ve got front row seats.
Join our readers whose generous donations are making it possible for you to read our news coverage. Help keep local journalism alive and our community strong. Donate today.
