I’ve heard it said that ours is the first generation to feel the effects of climate change, and the last generation to have any power to correct it. Based upon the “leadership” in place in many states, especially in Florida, our climate will not survive and neither will millions of people and other species worldwide. So desperately sad and completely avoidable.
This is why these climate change deniers need to be soundly routed at the ballot box. Put a magnifying glass in the hands of a vicious child, and they're more likely to use the tool to burn and kill than learn and grow.
The climate will survive, Renee, as will the Earth. Unfortunately even Homo sapiens will survive. What will be lost will be millions of other species, some not even known to us. "There are always going to be violent bigots. Just as there are always going to be hurricanes. And just as there will probably always be guns. The question before us is, do we allow those with a public megaphone to exacerbate these threats?" With these words, Dan and Elliot lay out for us is how to mitigate the conclusions of these threats. Even 'us' can speak out against climate denial and bigotry, misogyny, racism and HATE in all its may forms.
Not so sure about the survival of homo sapiens, Fay. At least, ultimately not in significant numbers. And that die-off would be the best thing that could happen to all the other species.
Don't agree on the die-off being good. We could certainly do without mosquitoes and houseflies. But I would hate to lose beautiful butterflies, birds or even chipmunks. Of course I will be dead before the catastrophe hits, so it's easy to lament.
The pathos in your column today is palpable. I love how your daily comments so often articulate my own thoughts and concerns, it is very validating. One minor quibble which is not central to your thesis but I feel compelled to point out. When you list communities so often targeted: Especially those who are Black or brown, Native, and of Asian heritage; you leave out the Jews and the horrible specter of violent antisemitism rising in this country. Please consider including us in your perspective.
People have buried their heads in the sand for so long that they’ve become numb & immune to other’s suffering. (Or they are too selfish to care.) These trends must end before we run out of time and the world truly runs amok.
Thanks again Dan and Elliott for a thought-provoking column.
As a Floridian your words hit home. Fortunately, we are far from this week's terrifying storm. But when a once in a lifetime event such as Idelia hits us, we cannot help but be concerned. Where will the next Cat 4 or 5 hurricane hit? Will there be another Hurricane Andrew? These questions are on the minds of all Floridians.
Looking back now on the career of our governor, one can see that he is following a strategy concocted long ago. He thinks of himself as the next "Trump" and has been taking steps, one by one, to raise his public profile and appeal to the far right. It has been going on since he first took office as Governor.
He fired a State Health official for putting out the truth about Covid in Florida. He pushed the legislature far to the right on social issues such as abortion, prisons, and "woke" schools. He attacked one of in not the largest employer in Florida to make a political point and enhance his appeal to the MAGA crowd.
Now that he is under the microscope that comes with a campaign for President he is being shown to be cold and calculating. From wearing "lifts" to enhance his height, to attacking the democratic party and followers, his rhetoric sounds phony. Ron DeSantis is an educated man with degrees from institutions that are considered part of the Liberal world. He is denying his past in order to gain personal advantage.
We Floridians don't really know who Ron DeSantis is. Everyday, however, he reveals a new tidbit that shows how unfit he is for the highest office in the country. Having served in the Military does not qualify someone to be in charge of our Foreign Policy. Having been a congressman does not qualify someone to set the national agenda.
All anyone needs to know to understand that Ron DeSantis is only out for his own interests, is to know he forced the state legislature to pass a bill that eliminated the provision in the State that anyone seeking higher office needs to first resign their position. We need full time officials in Florida, not a national candidate who is neglecting the problems we face here.
I vote in every election 🗳️ in Texas but to no avail. Sadly Abbott and our state legislature are determined to ruin our state. The teachers here are underpaid & under appreciated & our students are constantly in danger because of the gun crazy idiots that run this state.
I agree....maybe this one hurricane in this one spot will be once in a lifetime, but it sure seems to me that more and more FEMA money has to go to Florida for stronger and stronger hurricanes....maybe not all in exactly the same spot which is a blessing for those involved.
This was the first Hurricane to hit the "Big Bend" in almost 120 years, and that is why I called it "once in a lifetime." There will certainly be more storms this year and in the future.
I agree there will be more storms of various strengths from here on out. I just hope they go to different places so one place can get a break, maybe for 120 years! I cannot imagine how scary it must have been for everyone living in the area since such a bad storm has never happened in their lifetime, and now what do they do? I fear many did not have insurance, not because they "don't believe in it" but because they simply can't afford it. And again, to have elected officials that tell you change isn't an issue and then have your home wiped out probably because of climate change and the warming ocean has to be hard and confusing. I imagine it won't change anyone's thoughts about the reality of climate change though.
I would be remiss if I didn't urge everyone who enjoys Dan and Elliott's posts to become a paid subscriber. For just $5 a month you will be promotion the free expression of ideas and democratic ideals. I did it after readying my first Steady article, and you can too. Also, please follow me.
Slam, dunk! This succinct summary: "politics built on delusion, division, and destruction is a big part of the story, and the problem." So, friends, let's change the story and correct the problem. You know what to do. "Just do it," as Phil Knight says.
As you sow, so shall you reap. Mother Nature was stern enough before we overlaid global warming on the mix. We deserve what we get. Scientists warned us but were brushed aside by industry whose only concern was profit. Soon they'll have to spend all that profit just to try to keep the planet livable.
Don't depend upon the capitalist corporate America for correction. They prefer to spend their profits on their CEOs and stockholders, and will continue to do so until a reformed tax structure forces otherwise. In our current political atmosphere, this is unlikely. We need to collectively change our way of thinking and voting to get a visionary government. This will take education and action, and we need to do it soon.
On the mark! As an example, consider the tax credit incentives fot carbon capture and storage provided in the "Inflation "Reduction Act": It incentivizes continued use of fossil fuels, in effect increasing existing subsidies. What should have been done is to impose a meaningful (i.e, at least $500/ton) tax on carbon dioxide emissions, with the revenue earmarked for solar, wind, and green hydrogen. That would rapidly achieve the transition, because coal-, oil-, and gas-fired power plants would become economically unviable without CCS, and disadvantaged even with it. And yes, in the short term, electricity prices would increase. No pain, no gain.
To the last sentence: Well said. We will either pay now or a considerable amount more later. A long-range view and understanding of the problem and solution is needed here.
I have lost many close relationships by speaking out about what I see happening around me. Your opinions help to validate my own. Those lost relationships are not nearly as important to me as my integrity. I refuse to pretend there is no problem when that problem is destroying us.
Helen, the one thing I learned from it was that those people were not who I thought they were. It put a huge question mark on my judgement of character.
You said "When politicians rail against a “climate hoax,” they make future flooding more likely. When they avoid teaching unpleasant chapters of history in schools, they perpetuate a culture in which some Americans’ stories — and consequently, their worth — are deemed more important than others. This dynamic also makes people who are minorities in the country less safe. Especially those who are Black or brown, Native, and of Asian heritage. When people in political power — whether Republican, Democrat, or otherwise — refuse to pass popular commonsense gun laws, they make the use of a firearm in a deadly attack more likely. "
^^^ THIS is the message that needs to be shared on every social media site and every newsletter and blog. Put it on billboards. Make it a f***ing hashtag. #BadPolicyDestroys
And soil . About a year ago I wrote a short dystopian fictional story on Medium called "The Sear" where I envisioned the end of the world caused by a coronal mass ejection from the sun. Water and air are obviously pivotal, but also, once the earth gets scorched, all the nutrients will disappear and no food will grow.
In the 1970s I was in school writing papers and speeches about loss of the ozone layer at the poles. I was an environmentalist to the core as a kid. Now as a senior citizen, I see the results from decades of climate change denial. I ran my mouth about it at every opportunity when I was growing up, and I felt as if no one was listening to the scientists -- or me.
Today I see half our country's population in vicious, furious determination to deny the science. Some days I stare into space with no expression because I feel utterly powerless about climate change and about the social climate that now exists and is so different from the one I imagined would be my world. I pray the pendulum swings back to a better place for all of us.
To many people, the word “pray” is just an expression, a way of saying “I wish” or “I hope.” But suppose for a moment that prayer actually goes somewhere, to someone who could choose to respond. Suppose that we are not an accidental product of mindless evolution, that do have a designer with a purpose. Not that dreamy philosophy of “each one of us is born with a purpose,” but a purpose for mankind’s existence in general. What would this One do about the abyss we are approaching?
I don’t find a satisfying answer in any of the popular philosophies or religions, but an unbiased study of what the Bible *actually* says (Not what you’ll hear in most churches) does answer the question above. In fact, it’s the very purpose of the book’s existence.
I address this subject in a web-book I wrote a few years ago. Give it a look: lifespurpose.net.
I'm with you, Lee Ann. Same life trajectory. Sometimes, it's very difficult to have hope. But I think, eventually, things will come right. It's just that it will probably get a lot worse before it gets better.
"If we don’t deal with the truth, we will make ourselves only more vulnerable in the future. "
Thank you Dan and Elliot. This one statement applies to so many conditions in our culture, from how history is interpreted, banning books, ignoring climate change, continued use of fossil fuels, racism, the rise of fascism, poverty, the deterioration of our education and political systems, income inequality -- the list goes on. We ignore any and all at our peril of becoming a society much poorer in quality, and as stated, more vulnerable in the future.
WOW! Once again, thank you for putting it so succinctly! Our world, our species are in dire peril. If we don't find a way forward, we are doomed to climb the long ladder of civilization again. I, for one, don't want that for any of us. Let us hope we won't have to. Let us hope we will find a positive way forward for all our sakes.
Thank you for the courage and integrity to point out the truth, Dan and Elliott.
I’ve heard it said that ours is the first generation to feel the effects of climate change, and the last generation to have any power to correct it. Based upon the “leadership” in place in many states, especially in Florida, our climate will not survive and neither will millions of people and other species worldwide. So desperately sad and completely avoidable.
This is why these climate change deniers need to be soundly routed at the ballot box. Put a magnifying glass in the hands of a vicious child, and they're more likely to use the tool to burn and kill than learn and grow.
Short and to the point, Sir!
A reason why we must ALL vote.
The climate will survive, Renee, as will the Earth. Unfortunately even Homo sapiens will survive. What will be lost will be millions of other species, some not even known to us. "There are always going to be violent bigots. Just as there are always going to be hurricanes. And just as there will probably always be guns. The question before us is, do we allow those with a public megaphone to exacerbate these threats?" With these words, Dan and Elliot lay out for us is how to mitigate the conclusions of these threats. Even 'us' can speak out against climate denial and bigotry, misogyny, racism and HATE in all its may forms.
Not so sure about the survival of homo sapiens, Fay. At least, ultimately not in significant numbers. And that die-off would be the best thing that could happen to all the other species.
Don't agree on the die-off being good. We could certainly do without mosquitoes and houseflies. But I would hate to lose beautiful butterflies, birds or even chipmunks. Of course I will be dead before the catastrophe hits, so it's easy to lament.
I meant the large-scale die-off of homo sapiens. On the contrary, I mourn the loss of any non-human species.
Thank you, I agree with your correction
The pathos in your column today is palpable. I love how your daily comments so often articulate my own thoughts and concerns, it is very validating. One minor quibble which is not central to your thesis but I feel compelled to point out. When you list communities so often targeted: Especially those who are Black or brown, Native, and of Asian heritage; you leave out the Jews and the horrible specter of violent antisemitism rising in this country. Please consider including us in your perspective.
Also the disabled are often left out of discourse in general.
Quite often it is the disabled and seniors who die in these extreme events because many of them/us are unable to get out of the way.
Definitely, we all need to broaden our perspective on these topics
. . . including the Indigenous people . . .
People have buried their heads in the sand for so long that they’ve become numb & immune to other’s suffering. (Or they are too selfish to care.) These trends must end before we run out of time and the world truly runs amok.
Great piece, as usual, Gentlemen.
Anne in MD
🌻🙏🏻🌻
Enough Wherewithal
by Larry LaVerdure
A veil of the familiar trivializes our lives
Making us small and ordinary
There’s safety in that for some
But not for the extraordinary.
We fear that we may be born to greatness
or that great service may be thrust upon us.
But then there’s that vague veil mess
of averting our eyes, failing to trust
the urgings of our own beating hearts.
The veil of the ordinary hides our purpose
like fog that hides a distant, deadly shore.
Though we feel ordinary, there’s so much more
than our petty quips and rancid wanderlust.
We have hero's work to do,
we who hear the cracking whip and
feel the wrenching thumbscrew of history.
There is vindication on our lips
and our purpose is born of misery.
We who have felt the blame heaped on the bereft,
who know the mean streets of violence
the abuse of the racial, overwrought arrest
and felt the shame of hapless witness in silence.
We have seen those who would welcome
the luxury to turn away to a day of privilege
to a sense of safety even if t ’were
a day of errands, a grocery shopping dredge
with enough wherewithal
to pay for it all.
We who drown in inaction.
We who escape to fantasy,
Fill our ears with non-notions.
We tied to the mast of aversions
Unlike Odysseus long ago on a
Wine dark sea bound to adventure
Seeking a way back home,
A way back to community.
Thank you so much, Larry. This really brings everything home.
Thank you. On point.
With all due respect Mr. LaVerdure —
Look for a publisher… your work is good. In the meantime, you may want to submit your comments on your own (instead of as a reply…)
Thanks Anne. It was your post that clicked for me. I had written the poem during the pandemic and read it locally. It seemed to meld with your post.
Thanks again Dan and Elliott for a thought-provoking column.
As a Floridian your words hit home. Fortunately, we are far from this week's terrifying storm. But when a once in a lifetime event such as Idelia hits us, we cannot help but be concerned. Where will the next Cat 4 or 5 hurricane hit? Will there be another Hurricane Andrew? These questions are on the minds of all Floridians.
Looking back now on the career of our governor, one can see that he is following a strategy concocted long ago. He thinks of himself as the next "Trump" and has been taking steps, one by one, to raise his public profile and appeal to the far right. It has been going on since he first took office as Governor.
He fired a State Health official for putting out the truth about Covid in Florida. He pushed the legislature far to the right on social issues such as abortion, prisons, and "woke" schools. He attacked one of in not the largest employer in Florida to make a political point and enhance his appeal to the MAGA crowd.
Now that he is under the microscope that comes with a campaign for President he is being shown to be cold and calculating. From wearing "lifts" to enhance his height, to attacking the democratic party and followers, his rhetoric sounds phony. Ron DeSantis is an educated man with degrees from institutions that are considered part of the Liberal world. He is denying his past in order to gain personal advantage.
We Floridians don't really know who Ron DeSantis is. Everyday, however, he reveals a new tidbit that shows how unfit he is for the highest office in the country. Having served in the Military does not qualify someone to be in charge of our Foreign Policy. Having been a congressman does not qualify someone to set the national agenda.
All anyone needs to know to understand that Ron DeSantis is only out for his own interests, is to know he forced the state legislature to pass a bill that eliminated the provision in the State that anyone seeking higher office needs to first resign their position. We need full time officials in Florida, not a national candidate who is neglecting the problems we face here.
A great description of who Ron DeSantis really is (a right wing narcissist) and who he isn’t (someone capable of running our country).
I hope your message of “who is our governor” reaches Floridians that show up to vote. I can’t imagine living in Florida or Texas with those governors.
I vote in every election 🗳️ in Texas but to no avail. Sadly Abbott and our state legislature are determined to ruin our state. The teachers here are underpaid & under appreciated & our students are constantly in danger because of the gun crazy idiots that run this state.
I know the feeling! We did get a win as Governor which we’ll try to hang onto. The legislature and other state offices are another matter.
So much will depend on the future of DJT. Rumors are that DeSantis will drop out and then run against Rick Scott in Fl Primary for Senate.
Once in a lifetime?
Hope so
I agree....maybe this one hurricane in this one spot will be once in a lifetime, but it sure seems to me that more and more FEMA money has to go to Florida for stronger and stronger hurricanes....maybe not all in exactly the same spot which is a blessing for those involved.
This was the first Hurricane to hit the "Big Bend" in almost 120 years, and that is why I called it "once in a lifetime." There will certainly be more storms this year and in the future.
I agree there will be more storms of various strengths from here on out. I just hope they go to different places so one place can get a break, maybe for 120 years! I cannot imagine how scary it must have been for everyone living in the area since such a bad storm has never happened in their lifetime, and now what do they do? I fear many did not have insurance, not because they "don't believe in it" but because they simply can't afford it. And again, to have elected officials that tell you change isn't an issue and then have your home wiped out probably because of climate change and the warming ocean has to be hard and confusing. I imagine it won't change anyone's thoughts about the reality of climate change though.
I would be remiss if I didn't urge everyone who enjoys Dan and Elliott's posts to become a paid subscriber. For just $5 a month you will be promotion the free expression of ideas and democratic ideals. I did it after readying my first Steady article, and you can too. Also, please follow me.
Slam, dunk! This succinct summary: "politics built on delusion, division, and destruction is a big part of the story, and the problem." So, friends, let's change the story and correct the problem. You know what to do. "Just do it," as Phil Knight says.
As you sow, so shall you reap. Mother Nature was stern enough before we overlaid global warming on the mix. We deserve what we get. Scientists warned us but were brushed aside by industry whose only concern was profit. Soon they'll have to spend all that profit just to try to keep the planet livable.
Don't depend upon the capitalist corporate America for correction. They prefer to spend their profits on their CEOs and stockholders, and will continue to do so until a reformed tax structure forces otherwise. In our current political atmosphere, this is unlikely. We need to collectively change our way of thinking and voting to get a visionary government. This will take education and action, and we need to do it soon.
On the mark! As an example, consider the tax credit incentives fot carbon capture and storage provided in the "Inflation "Reduction Act": It incentivizes continued use of fossil fuels, in effect increasing existing subsidies. What should have been done is to impose a meaningful (i.e, at least $500/ton) tax on carbon dioxide emissions, with the revenue earmarked for solar, wind, and green hydrogen. That would rapidly achieve the transition, because coal-, oil-, and gas-fired power plants would become economically unviable without CCS, and disadvantaged even with it. And yes, in the short term, electricity prices would increase. No pain, no gain.
To the last sentence: Well said. We will either pay now or a considerable amount more later. A long-range view and understanding of the problem and solution is needed here.
Steve 218, I agree with you100%
Thank you!
It isn't already for some
I have lost many close relationships by speaking out about what I see happening around me. Your opinions help to validate my own. Those lost relationships are not nearly as important to me as my integrity. I refuse to pretend there is no problem when that problem is destroying us.
MamaWolf, I have lost lifetime friends and family since MAGA, and even before with their hatred of Obama.
Helen, the one thing I learned from it was that those people were not who I thought they were. It put a huge question mark on my judgement of character.
Same here.
You said "When politicians rail against a “climate hoax,” they make future flooding more likely. When they avoid teaching unpleasant chapters of history in schools, they perpetuate a culture in which some Americans’ stories — and consequently, their worth — are deemed more important than others. This dynamic also makes people who are minorities in the country less safe. Especially those who are Black or brown, Native, and of Asian heritage. When people in political power — whether Republican, Democrat, or otherwise — refuse to pass popular commonsense gun laws, they make the use of a firearm in a deadly attack more likely. "
^^^ THIS is the message that needs to be shared on every social media site and every newsletter and blog. Put it on billboards. Make it a f***ing hashtag. #BadPolicyDestroys
People and ALL Earth's remaining species depending on sustainable water&air
And soil . About a year ago I wrote a short dystopian fictional story on Medium called "The Sear" where I envisioned the end of the world caused by a coronal mass ejection from the sun. Water and air are obviously pivotal, but also, once the earth gets scorched, all the nutrients will disappear and no food will grow.
This link gets past the paywall, if you're interested in that perspective: https://kevin-king.medium.com/the-sear-e3130919dab8?sk=206caf918b3bd06eef65b5478a4a011f
In the 1970s I was in school writing papers and speeches about loss of the ozone layer at the poles. I was an environmentalist to the core as a kid. Now as a senior citizen, I see the results from decades of climate change denial. I ran my mouth about it at every opportunity when I was growing up, and I felt as if no one was listening to the scientists -- or me.
Today I see half our country's population in vicious, furious determination to deny the science. Some days I stare into space with no expression because I feel utterly powerless about climate change and about the social climate that now exists and is so different from the one I imagined would be my world. I pray the pendulum swings back to a better place for all of us.
To many people, the word “pray” is just an expression, a way of saying “I wish” or “I hope.” But suppose for a moment that prayer actually goes somewhere, to someone who could choose to respond. Suppose that we are not an accidental product of mindless evolution, that do have a designer with a purpose. Not that dreamy philosophy of “each one of us is born with a purpose,” but a purpose for mankind’s existence in general. What would this One do about the abyss we are approaching?
I don’t find a satisfying answer in any of the popular philosophies or religions, but an unbiased study of what the Bible *actually* says (Not what you’ll hear in most churches) does answer the question above. In fact, it’s the very purpose of the book’s existence.
I address this subject in a web-book I wrote a few years ago. Give it a look: lifespurpose.net.
I'm with you, Lee Ann. Same life trajectory. Sometimes, it's very difficult to have hope. But I think, eventually, things will come right. It's just that it will probably get a lot worse before it gets better.
"If we don’t deal with the truth, we will make ourselves only more vulnerable in the future. "
Thank you Dan and Elliot. This one statement applies to so many conditions in our culture, from how history is interpreted, banning books, ignoring climate change, continued use of fossil fuels, racism, the rise of fascism, poverty, the deterioration of our education and political systems, income inequality -- the list goes on. We ignore any and all at our peril of becoming a society much poorer in quality, and as stated, more vulnerable in the future.
Spot on Dan. Thank you for saying it so clearly.
WOW! Once again, thank you for putting it so succinctly! Our world, our species are in dire peril. If we don't find a way forward, we are doomed to climb the long ladder of civilization again. I, for one, don't want that for any of us. Let us hope we won't have to. Let us hope we will find a positive way forward for all our sakes.
Always writing the truth. Thank you Dan and Elliot.
This is an especially important newsletter today. Thank you for clearly defining what is so.
Excellent article and so true. This country has to wake up to these truths.