I was not entirely sure what to do with my increased panic level (other than let it keep me up all night, which it actually has on several occasions) and like a lot of people (but not so much like myself), I ended up posting a Facebook status (or two) about it.
One of them was this:
"There is no more pressing issue that we face as a nation, as a SPECIES, than climate change. We can no longer afford the luxury of willful ignorance and profit-driven denial. If your elected officials are not making addressing climate change a priority, elect new officials. Educate yourself and vote accordingly--for the sake of all our children and grandchildren."
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To which I would now like to add: Of course, the choices we make as individuals are very important and can make a difference in environmental issues of all kinds, but we are past the point where we can rely on the good choices of individuals to make the sort of difference that needs to be made. Things need to change--and quickly--on a national and global level. They need to change in a way that can only be made possible by legislative and regulatory measures.
Stumbling down from the soapbox now. For anyone interested in more information or links to the things I have been reading and watching, please feel free to email me at masked_mom@hotmail.com.
L is for Legislature
Contact information for your Senator can be found here, Representative here.
you are brave to cover a controversial topic like this. and you are right about politicians - they only want the glory and will do what they need to to please the majority to get it... i wish there were more good men & women willing to lead.
ReplyDeletehappy a to z-ing!
Thanks, Tara. I guess I feel like most of the controversy falls into the category of profit-driven propaganda. As far as I have been able to determine with extensive reading/viewing, there is little to no "controversy" regarding the SCIENCE, which in this case absolutely has to trump politics and finances. And I'm definitely with you on wishing there were more good men and women willing to lead.
DeleteIt is important on an individual level...but it also amazes me that so many cities don't have curbside recycling programs...I live in a county that does and, once a month, sidewalks are lined with those green cans. I think making it easy for people really does make a BIG difference.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good example of what I'm trying to say, Stephanie--recycling on an individual basis is wonderful and gives you a warm fuzzy feeling, but recycling on a mandatory, municipal-wide basis makes an exponentially greater difference to the waste stream. There is no substitute for legislative action--and it is imperative in this case because we do not have time to spare waiting for enough individuals to reach the critical mass to make a difference on their own.
DeleteThere are still people in my life, in my family, who do not believe climate change is real. It's a hoax, it's a "liberal agenda", it's totally natural. They also believe the earth is only 6,000 years old and that there were never any dinosaurs. All those fossils and bones? Placed there by God to play with us.
ReplyDeleteI wish I was exaggerating.
I wish you were exaggerating, too, but I know you're not because I have some of those people fairly close to me as well. Shoot, two-thirds of my Facebook friends list probably falls somewhere in that category. I do have a few on that list who don't believe the fossils and bones were placed by God, though--they're the ones that believe they were placed by Satan to lead us into the evil arms of knowledge. Ugh. I try to muster compassion for this sort of thing, but it is harder and harder with so much at stake.
Delete