Among the many competing concerns of life, I would submit that there is one that will affect us — that is already affecting us — even more than this horrific pandemic. It is a threat coming towards us with unbearable speed and devastating consequences, worse and faster than I think many people feared: climate change.
For decades, we’ve heard the desperate calls from scientists and environmental activists on the need to act. We’ve seen headline after headline, from the arctic to the Great Barrier Reef. Many of us have now weathered extreme events made worse by the climate crisis: droughts, wildfires, heat, hurricanes.
So the topic of discussion today is to get out the the theoretical and let’s talk real. How is this “code red for humanity” affecting your life?
Is the climate crisis something you think about often? Do you talk about it with your friends, neighbors? Do they share your sentiments, be it fear, anxiety, uncertainty? For those of you with children or grandchildren, what are you hearing from the younger generation? How central is this to their concerns? How much is it part of their consciousness?
The truth is, we all have our part to play in preserving Earth — our one and only home. I was reminded of this by Dianne, who shared some thought-provoking reflections on a previous Steady post.
Dianne Davis:
Dan, so many thoughts were competing with each other as I read your Steady today. The most outstanding thought was that it’s great for scientists and governments to work to control climate change, but until everyone on earth accepts the responsibility to reduce power consumption, we will all lose.
Like you, I grew up in the 40’s, after WW 2. We had only one TV, less rooms in our house, my mother made our toddler clothes. Now I see houses in my neighborhood being torn down and replaced with mega mansions - for 4 people. Great expense for maintaining their lawns with gas-guzzling mowers, potent chemicals to control weeds and insects, etc. It is going to be the responsibility of EVERYONE to reduce their consumption..
We need personal and collective action and there are some hopeful signs. There is great progress being made in alternative energy. There is passion and activism among a growing number of people around the globe. We have a government now in the United States that is taking this seriously.
So let’s talk today in the comments section about what YOU are thinking. Let’s hear from each other and respond, in civil discourse, with our Steady community about our thoughts, experiences, and perspectives on climate change.
How often do you think about climate change?
What thoughts does it bring forth?
Has it affected your life? The lives of your family or community?
Have you made any changes in your daily routine because of the climate crisis?
Any tips or favorite strategies to limit consumption?
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Finally got solar panels this spring. Smaller footprint and negligible electric bill. We always ♻️ and go for minimum packaging. Pick up trash in neighborhood. It takes a minute but has impact. There's no where else to go 🤨
Eighteen years ago I took my children to Taboga island off the coast of Panama City, Panama, an island I used to visit as a child. I was horrified to see how much plastic and garbage washed ashore with high tide. My children helped me gather the garbage and we marched it to the office of the island's mayor and left it there. Almost two years ago we returned. With goggles on I saw plastic filaments permeating the ocean.
A reporter asked me, “What was the crime of the Century? “around the year 2000. Michael Faye of Centerville, flogged in Singapore, I responded. It’s people and their cars. Somehow I’m sure there’s nothing I need to do about it, It’s so obvious. If you were a child on a bicycle and made it up to the local gas station you would know instantly that the smell of gas was bad, meaning you couldn’t eat it.Smarties Milk Duds whatever you had your allowance burning a hole in your pocket for was the respite and you’d get back to pedaling home thinking you’d accomplished something sorting out your standards.
No one should drive cars that don’t also run on electromagnetic rails with computer programmed destination codes. Clearly there are people working on this. I bought a house over looking the highway with an outdoor upstairs porch so I can watch. It’ll happen.
My youngest was born in 2000. About 2 summers ago she told me she would not likely have kids. When i asked her to explain she mater of factly pointed out that with the inactivity on climate change, she wasn’t sure there would be a world in 2050 for her kids to live in let alone enjoy living well so it seemed to her unwise to bring a new life into this world. She went on to say she didnt think she would live as long as her parents or grandparents due to environmental degradation. Her pessimistic stance shocked me to my core. Its heartbreaking how many young people see their future as bleak. Every developed nation needs to take action on Climate change beginning with reducing subsidies to fossil fuel exploration and production
Such great questions … I have done small things which I hope add up: discontinued using laundry detergent that comes in those big little plastic containers , lessened use of paper towels by investing in wonderful kitchen towels and those reusable clothe like paper towel squares - i found a wonderful company Kei and Molly that produces these beautiful designs and has a community minded business - drive less in our hybrid car - mindful of. electrical usage ..and planted bird and butterfly friendly plants in my gardens - no pesticides ..
This past year I have read a lot of articles about Climate Change . I think I started too late - paying attention ! In my life of full time teaching and raising two kids and caring for an elderly parent - my mind was full . Now I am retired and the pandemic slowed everything down … I look around each day and think how can I help ? how can I lessen my carbon footprint ?
If you have more suggestions please let me know ! I appreciate it and now find myself
looking at the choices others make to help our earth .
I’ve debated whether to join this conversation because I cannot be cheerful or hopeful. So, fair warning has been given.
I think humankind is fucked. If the pandemic doesn’t wipe us out through multiplying ever stronger variants then climate change likely will and we brought both on ourselves in a variety of ways.
Mostly through apathy, greed and arrogance. Thinking we humans were lords over it all and could take and destroy as we please or as certain religions like to brag “God gave us dominion over it all”. (As the religious cult I was raised in said all the time.)
Greed, arrogance, proud ignorance and power always wins out over community, common sense and caring for the environment and the planet we all - all living things - share. There are those who try to create change for the better but it’s never been enough and it never will be.
No one in power has the backbone to take on what really needs to happen now to at least stop the damage from continuing, to put a halt to all our destructive ways to let nature heal. They’re too worried about ‘bad optics’ or pleasing their corrupt, corporate minders. Or their heads are in the sand. Or they just don’t care.
I will continue to do what I can in my life, for my way of living and for the birds, bees & other creatures in my small yard. In the face of such overwhelming governmental and corporate apathy and greed my actions won’t matter at all but it’s what I can do and so I shall.
My apologies to the Steady Team if this post wasn’t what you were looking for. It’s how I feel though and it’s based on lived experiences, studying political history and observing human behavior.
I think about climate change every single day. It impacts my son and his family living in Mesa, AZ. It is said that in 10 years, Phoenix as we know it today, will cease to exist because of water problems. My kids have been working for years to be able to return to the Northwest where they were raised, and now what? Wild fires and triple digit heat waves. They keep hoping that it's just a short cycle, a "one-off" so to speak, but they know it's not, and they are broken hearted. The last time my sister flew out of Phoenix back to her home in Wisconsin she said how aghast she was to see all the expansive green lawns and backyard swimming pools in the desert. And yet the powers that be question drought conditions and water shortages. I live in SE Arizona, in Cochise County. Here we contend with big agricultural concerns. My son and his wife and I had been talking about the water crisis and big ag over the 4th of July weekend. On my trip home, I was detoured just 7 miles from my house. The reason? Earth fissures and major subsidence happening. The County denies it, but geologists and engineers have looked at the situation, and say that it is due to drought and the over pumping of ground water by big ag. We live in the Sonoran desert, yet we are surrounded by cotton fields, cornfields, huge pecan orchards, wineries, as well as a mega dairy which pumps hundreds of thousands of gallons of water a day for their cattle. Have we made any changes in our daily routine because of it? Yes. Now we have to filter our water twice because the quality is getting worse while the price goes up. So we're going north, selling our home here and heading for Michigan to spend our golden days walking the shores of Lake Huron. It's at least a temporary reprieve. How do we make changes? I've held out hope for more than fifty years. My partner and I were born in the 50s, raised in the 60s, and embarked on adult life in the 70's. There was such a sense of hope back then that mankind could and would evolve, work out its problems and save itself. But today? If you can't even get someone to believe that Covid is not a hoax as they draw their dying breath, how are you going to convince someone that we all need to act to save ourselves from what they deem the "climate hoax"? I don't know, Dan. COVID should have been a clarion call, but to quote an old saw, "There are none so blind as those who will not see." As for us, we can only change ourselves. We will leave behind our too-large-for-two territorial house, pack our bags, and move into a modest home where we will continue the practices of reducing our footprint. We'll walk and ride bikes rather than drive, grow a nice vegetable garden (without the aid of chemicals), reduce our reliance on too much packaging, move more and more toward the Mediterranean lifestyle of eating mostly fish and vegetables. We'll continue to recycle everything we can. I can't change anyone's mind, so I'll mind my own business and do what I can to not be part of the problem.
Daily. Sometimes hourly. It's just always there. As much as I appreciate all the necessary reporting on, say, the ongoing sexual harassment that women suffer in the workplace and the fact that finally, some are now being held accountable, simultaneously I want to take the media by their collective lapels and scream: "Great! You did your job! Now, CLIMATE CHANGE!"
**What thoughts does it bring forth?**
Incredible, indescribable sorrow so deep that it's in my bones, my marrow, my every cell. Also fear, more for others than for myself. Also, "I'm glad I don't have children, or grandchildren." But I do have great nieces.
**Has it affected your life? The life of your community?**
Not personally in any significant way other than health, including mental health, so far. I am extremely privileged in this regard. I live in New England. Tick-bourne & other diseases, and more heat & humidity, have affected me but I'm hardly a climate refugee. And I'm retired. My community is suffering from an epidemic of Lyme, et al, we have old hardwood trees dying from insect infestations that weren't an issue when we had colder, longer winters and less humid hot summers, and who knows what will happen to the maple syrup and other climate-dependent industries, like skiing.
**Have you made any changes in your daily routine because of the climate crisis?**
I will have to think about this. I never drove much anyway, having worked from home or close to work. We did have to get AC in a couple of rooms in our house finally. Less daily and more general.
**Any tips or favorite strategies to limit consumption?**
Like a lot of your readers, I grew up with less consumption. It was an early habit that stuck. Both my husband and myself have always tended to purchase used when possible (and with ebay & thrift stores, you can get most things 'pre-loved' these days.) We are retired & live in a small town in VT, so we don't drive much anyway. And, biggest thing, we did not have children in the age of technology. Having said that, I am aware that I live in the US and consume far, far, far more than most people in other countries, even when I try hard not to. We try not to eat very much meat, and only that which is local, pastured, etc. And we have a big garden. But I still buy stuff all the time! The packaging for which is plastic & mostly not recyclable. I just try to purchase durable, reusable, long-lasting and used if possible.
Honestly, though, I have to agree with Pres. Obama. Climate change isn't going to be solved, or even affected much now, because we change the f****ing light bulbs in our houses. It's got to be a worldwide, collective choice to dethrone fossil fuels & topple that empire, and so far, we aren't doing that.
**Any sources of inspiration?**
Honestly? Nope. I find what a few young people are doing incredibly beautiful, and support it. But I don't have a lot of hope. That doesn't keep me from trying my best to do the next, best, right thing, but that's ethics, not inspiration.
**How do we make a change?**
I'm not sure it's possible without massive global human death. That sounds so dystopian, and I don't mean it to. But I thought climate change really would be the THING that got us to unite globally. (Also the pandemic.) Clearly that did not happen, and is not happening. We are still concerned with clannish tribal warfare. If the collective dominanting Western ego & its avatar, the global corporate, arms & fossil fuel empires haven't been inclined to bow in humility yet, I'm not sure it ever will.
About our thoughts, experiences, and perspectives on climate change.
• How often do you think about climate change?
Every day. I worry about climate change for our kids, our grand kids, their lives, their futures. The changes we need to make individually, as a society, as organizations, country and the world. Much needs to change, Much needs to happen. Life will be different, hopefully better in many ways. Definitely not the same.
• What thoughts does it bring forth?
Despair. Our society has damaged our environment, damaged nature, polluted, squandered precious resources and much for naught. Everyone deserves clean air, pure water, a safe environment free of shortages, floods and life changing storms. There are better ways of doing things, if we have the will to change.
• Has it affected your life? The lives of your family or community?
We are in our 70’s, we have changed. We are trying to adapt. Our grands have lived since 9/11. They have know our country of 20 years of war, pandemic, online learning, shut downs, masks and yet they have adapted well.
• Have you made any changes in your daily routine because of the climate crisis?
We try to have as small of a carbon footprint as possible. We drive less, fly less, eat out less, eat less meat, eat more vegetarian, try to recycle, re-purpose and reuse when ever we can. We pay bills online to reduce paper use. We try to buy local to reduce transport expense. We have solar panels, all LED bulbs, use rechargeable batteries, buy high efficiency appliances. We bought a used EV with 80 miles of range for 95% of our driving. No oil changes, no oil filters, no motor air filters, no emissions testing, no visits to the shop in 2 years and our electric bill never really went up. First time in my life we went 13 months without buying gasoline for our other car due to the pandemic.
• Any tips or favorite strategies to limit consumption?
We buy less. Fewer shopping trips and use Amazon efficiently. With meat dishes we reduce the amount of meat used, a half pound of ground beef instead of a pound. You never miss it. A savings and less meat consumed over time. We add more fresh vegetables and fruit to recipes. We are trying to eat more local items and less processed foods.
• Any sources of inspiration?
We read books, articles & documentaries on climate change.
• Bill Gates book on climate change: How to Avoid a Climate Disaster The book:
• Michael Bloomberg and Carl Pope of the Sierra Clubs Book: A Climate of Hope The empowering messages of things done, being done and that can be done to hep prevent a climate disaster. https://www.climateofhope.com/ Bloomberg has also put out climate change info videos. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eb-np75kDkI
Like the many 12 step programs, it’s one day at a time. We need to do less of what is causing the problems and more of what the solutions are to the problems. Your asking these questions of your audiences is a step in the right direction. Thank you Dan Rather. You’re part of the solution to our problems and facing them with action and optimism.
I am 75 and my 45 year old disabled son is allergic to heat, humidity and all weather changes, among other problems. We now live in an apartment with central air conditioning because it's medically necessary. The medical equipment includes a hospital ventilator . He is homebound except for doctor visits and family.
I have recycled all my life, and my children also recycle, even my son. To make ends meet, I even do our laundry in the kitchen without electricity.
Why do people think the climate is not changing when I can see every day that it is definitely doing so? Between seeing the effects on my son and and people with respiratory problems of a different nature it becomes so obvious. Thank you for being so very honest. Help us to help ourselves.
Has it affected your life? The lives of your family or community?
Every Spring is spent clearing winter growth and making the property as fire safe and defensible as possible.
We don't go on extended or distant vacations during fire season.
My community is forever scarred from a 2017 fire that burned over 1,000 homes in one night. More than a few have moved elsewhere to feel "safer" - which seems futile since climate change is everywhere.
Have you made any changes in your daily routine because of the climate crisis?
We pay a great deal more attention to weather forecasts. We have "Go Kits" staged in the garage in case of evacuation warnings.
Any tips or favorite strategies to limit consumption?
In 2020 we reduced our overall electricity consumption by 16% even though we were stuck at home more. This year - to date - we're down another 3% by having more open windows at night, and using less AC during the day and tolerating/adapting to a slightly warmer house.
More eBooks and eZines. All of our green waste goes to compost.
On an individual level, that's all well and good, but not enough. We need to campaign for and elect representatives who know climate change is real and walk the walk, not just talk.
Summer's have become consistently hotter to the point that there are weeks where you don't even want to go outside. It's becoming a season to be endured, not enjoyed. Plants are blooming earlier, I even notice this when I'm traveling in Europe, gardens that were once gloriously in bloom in late May/early June are now looking tired by then. The relentless forest fires out west and the hurricanes and tropical storms in the east. Yes, we've always had forest fires and hurricanes, but not as many and not for so long. I haven't used my heavy winter coat much if at all over the past decade. The weather is clearly becoming more extreme, not only around virtually all of the U.S., but also in western Europe. Plus, the melting ice in the polar region and the rising sea level. When I was a child I thought it would be wonderful to have beach front property, now I wouldn't dream of it because it could be gone in a year or two.
I teach introductory geology and earth science courses at a community college. My students are very aware of the effects of climate change as it’s the cause of most mass extinctions in Earth’s history. They are also aware that our climate today is changing at a rapid pace. I’m impressed that many students (all ages) are already implementing changes that many in this community are doing. They care about their future. I also strongly encourage them to vote for policy makers who can tackle the big carbon-producers.
I assign episodes from “How 2 Save a Planet” podcast. Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson is a marine biologist & climate policy advocate. The show’s episodes with co-host Alex Bloomberg are informative, fun, and best of all, provide actions we can take NOW. I highly recommend listening. It’s available on Spotify.
I recommend The Uninhabitable Earth to anyone who will listen. It’s a difficult portrayal of what’s to come. The degree to which the fossil fuel industry is embedded in our global lives makes it hard to see how this can change to the extent and in the timeframe needed. It will take policy level action on a unified global scale, which seems impossible. But it will always be true that our planet’s future, although bad by historical standards, can be even worse, but perhaps better, depending on what we do.
I've been consumed with grief for quite a while - it's one thing to kill ourselves but destroying all the beautiful creatures on this amazing planet is such a sin. I have an electric vehicle, solar panels on the roof, and am gardening, buying local, and trying not to buy anything with a long supply line.
I think about climate change everyday. I live in a house from the Victorian era that still has lead pipes as does the water system in my town. This is a place proud of deregulation and so called “freedom”. Potential oil train bombs sit unattended near hospitals as do large plastic vats of fracking waste now used to deice roads. Oil trains travel over outdated bridges.
My town is ill equipped to handle the fallout literal and metaphoric arising from potential mishaps and climate incidents in Ohio, tornado country in the Northeast.
Lake Erie is contaminated with blue green algae that is choking sea life and the killing the water itself. I am saddened by the long lived ignorance that is a historic and deeply dysfunctional and is a rooted systemic problem here as folks stubbornly refuse to open their eyes to see that waste is not a commodity to be sold. Solutions to toxic energy are not on the horizon here even though world class medical and agricultural colleges, research facilities tout great advances in science and tech.
I am bewildered that what was once a liberal Dem center of the world has become a right wing safe haven of fossil fools and frackers.
The thing that causes my heart to tear is the loss of so many species distinct from our own. I know it's considered eccentric to love other species right up there with our own, but I do consider them to be a huge or maybe the greatest part of what makes this world such a delight - and not one of those other species has caused this crisis. We, the sapient species, have done this to them as well as ourselves. Yes, I am an animal lover and a bleeding heart, and yes when I think about how much carbon and toxin the fires now burning pour into the air it gives me chills of dread, but when I see a burned bear or a turtle lying cooked on the ground after a fire, a polar bear swimming trustingly off into an ocean that no longer has ice for her to climb up on to rest, marine animals awash in the waves after heat they have no a.c. to escape, or starving to death from loss of native foods, "threatening" human dwellings in search of food or homes so that they are deemed a risk to our all important species and "must" be shot, it sickens me to the core because I can imagine the individual pain and terror. I mourn the loss of so many individuals that many species are being thinned to transparency and toward eventual disappearance. I mourn for our guilt and hubris as the wisest, most capable, most self absorbed species on this planet. I wish for a species vault (akin to the seed vault - which is in danger of thawing!) of tissue, DNA, or something we may someday be able to use to at least attempt to right the wrongs we are currently visiting upon our planetary neighbors while we lament our inconveniences and our fears for our species' future. I wish for something to at least leave a small opening for the possibility that if we ever figure out how to live on this planet without poisoning it for ourselves and others, our children will be able to watch a butterfly or squeal over a skink or stand in a forest and watch a mother opossum carry her young in the impossibly goofy, long suffering and maternal way that they do. I don't want our children to just barely manage to scratch out an unhealthy existence alone on a planet encrusted with only our kind. I want future human generations to understand that a variety of life forms and human kinds all have valuable feelings and legitimate needs, to learn to be kind and respectful, and to extend that approach to our treatment of the spaces we all utterly rely on for survival. Yes; I think about it every day.
Climate Change is always on our mind. This is what we did starting in 2009.
We purchased our first EV (a 2008 Tesla Roadster) in May 2009. We then bought a second EV(a Tesla Model S) in August 2012. After losing it in an accident, we replaced the S with another EV (a Tesla Model Y) this June.
So we’ve been driving only EVs since 2012 and will continue as long as live. No other vehicle interests us.
Right after we purchased the Roadster, we installed our first roof solar panels. We then moved from Silicon Valley to SoCal and we purchased our second solar installation. We now produce more electric than our house and cars use.
I just wish we could purchase a Tesla Powerwall. But Tesla can’t produce them quickly enough. And they require installing their solar panels to order a Powerwall. We already have all the solar panels we want. We just want the Powerwall attached to our panels.
What else can we do to help reduce Climate Change?
Looking over previous comments made here, there doesn’t seem to be anything to debate. Everyone here appears to take the climate crisis seriously. I’m feeling pretty hopeless myself. If the country can’t come together over the pandemic how can we possibly be effective against climate change? It’s going to take China to get on board too. I’m glad I’m not a young person but it makes me very depressed to think about their future. I have zero faith in humanity at this point.
I live in a rural area that is also a high tourist industry. Beautiful area to get out and be with nature. What I also see, is many escaping to this area to be away from heat and natural disasters such as hurricanes etc. I do not begrudge them being here. They are why we have a fairly strong economy in this area which is primarily service oriented. I am a housekeeper for quite a few houses in a gated community. I really do like all of my owners very much. Many are very down to earth and super nice people. All have money and these are their second homes. I feel like many of them are way too big for what is necessary and more for show. That's just not a reasonable idea for me. If you want a second home to escape to, please make it smaller and more environmentally acceptable. I'm not from here originally, but I have lived here for 40+ years and I have watched the climate change tremendously. I remember summers that were dry (no humidity) and cooler (70F for highs), plenty of rain without floods and everything was so green and lush. Winters had a lot of snow. Now we get 85+ and droughts and when it rains it seems it floods way more often than it should. 100 yr floods is not even a description anymore because they happen way too often. Winters are milder and snow pack is less. We use to have 4 seasons. Winter, with snow and cold, into Spring which was a mix of snow, rain and cool temps, into Summer which use to never get above 75F or rarely, and Fall which was always beautiful with all the colors and glory. Now we seem to go straight into Summer after winter and rarely do we have the longer and more beautiful fall time we did before. We are at 3700 ft above sea level and it really shouldn't be this way. Just devastates me and I know it's because of the imprint of houses that have been built yr after yr for 2 to 4 people that could accommodate 10. Does our county think about that? No! Too damn worried about tax income and keeping tourism big. Yet one day it will not be that way. It has been a huge changed in the last 20 yrs, let alone the last 10 have been unbelievable. WE must do everything we can to change this. Gardens that use to grow so well, suffer from drought and heat that we never had before. It's just upsetting.
As a native Oregonian, aside from 30 years spent in various parts of California, the past year or so has been like a hammer to the side of the head about the effects of climate change. Last summer we had 1.2 million acres burned, over 4000 homes destroyed, and horrible air quality in the Willamette Valley for over 2 weeks in September. This year we shattered the previous all time high temp record, hitting 116 degrees at the end of June. Now we are experiencing another bout of 100 degree plus weather. The Bootleg fire in southern Oregon burned over 400,000 acres this year. We have not had significant rain since the middle of June.
I moved back to Oregon from California in 2005, partly because I missed the pleasant, cool summers and green everywhere (at least in the western third of the state). Now I have persistent anxiety that all of our future summers are going to be hotter and drier than the current one, and fearing the next mega-fire that further destroys homes, depletes our forests and dirties our air. I read about places in California in which I have lived and or have visited, and become even more distressed. Places throughout the western U.S. that will never look the same again in my lifetime or perhaps the lifetimes of my children. That makes me profoundly sad.
Thankfully, Donald Trump was not re-elected last November. Joe Biden has made addressing climate change a priority in his administration. More so than any prior administration. But reading the latest summary report from the the IPCC, with the increasing urgency of their message, it is an open question to me if we humans and our governments will act quickly enough to avoid a climate catastrophe. Some days I feel like a time traveler visiting Pompeii a short time before Mt. Vesuvius blew up -- everyone following their daily routines, blissfully unaware of the disaster about to happen.
I have been teaching environmental and geographical science since the 1970s, and this issues has been more than in the forefront of my mind. I've grown weary of feeling like I'm teaching/preaching to an empty audience, whose apparent needs and vision seem to go not much further than next month, or maybe next year. Like you and many, many others, I've seen politicians and CEO talk about the issues (if even that), but do so very little to make real change. I'm frustrated, often scared, tired and sometimes even feel like taking myself off the planet to maybe do my little part to consume less.
I think about climate change all of the time. I have a science degree, so I understand completely what is causing it and contributing to it. I live in western Nevada and currently, we are experiencing a lot of smoke in the air from wildfires in California. The fires are getting worse because of drought. The West is a tinder box. It's hard to escape the effects when you can look outside and see the smoke. As for any changes, we don't drive our cars as much, but that has been due to the pandemic. We try to consume less than we used to. In fact, I drink soda so I have a Soda Stream and make my own, so I'm not buying as many plastic bottles. It's a small contribution, but if everyone did that, there would be a reduction in air pollution because there would be fewer plastic bottles manufactured. I get a little frustrated with people who don't believe that climate change is human-caused. My response to them is that with 7+ billion people on the planet, I have no doubt that climate change is human-caused and getting worse.
Those of you over 50 might remember the Time Life science series of large hardcover books that covered earth’s biospheres with titles like The Oceans, The Seas, Tropical Forests, The Plains, The Solar System, The Continents, The Mountains, etc. I devoured books like these as a kid. When I first found out that the sun was a ball of gas that would eventually burn itself out it upset me greatly. I was 9. I went crying to my dad, who was coincidentally reading the now defunct Omni magazine at the time, to ask when it would happen. That was my first memory of caring about the earth, its inhabitants and animals, how littering would affect seas, etc.
I still think about all those things and the dire consequences of our actions today. How does it affect my daily life? I know I can’t save the world but I try to do things on a personal level that I know will help. We started using stainless steel straws and reusable grocery bags years ago. We stopped buying plastic water bottles. Four years ago my husband and I had a huge 50th birthday party and many of my guests were asking about were the water bottles were located. I had a huge a refillable water jug. I cut any large plastics into smaller pieces so sea creatures don’t get tangled. We use a sea friendly lotion type sunscreens at the beach. The last two years we started using old face cloths to wipe down counters and surfaces to cut down on paper use. We recently moved and downsized our home. I put so much of our no longer needed items on a neighborhood website advertising them for free or for sale. I did not want to contribute to landfills. We brought our outdated electronics to stores advertising proper disposal. In general we try to consume less so we throw away less. Our new home has low maintenance grass and plantings to reduce water usage.
On a larger scale, we were planning a vacation to Northwest this September (though the Delta variant might pause it). We had to factor in the wildfire months. When we kayak and paddle board, I always think about the manatees, dolphins, and all the sea creatures that are affected by algae blooms, oil spills, and fertilizer dumps in our Florida waterways. It may sound alarmist but we don’t want to stay in Florida for our retirement years. At some point the Florida peninsula may be underwater. On a very personal level, our married, grown daughter is much like us. She has already informed us that she and our son-in-law aren’t fully decided on children. At times she doesn’t want to bring a child into this chaos and we fully understand this.
It makes me sad to think we humans are our greatest enemies. It makes me upset that climate change has become politicized. Talk to any insurance company specializing in natural disasters. They will tell you it costs us more to keep rebuilding than it will cost us to start making changes now. Data doesn’t care about politics.
But do I hold out hope that the younger generation realizes the dire consequences of ignoring climate change.
I think about climate change constantly. I can't watch my toddler laugh without feeling a heavy sadness knowing that he has no idea what is in store for him. Knowing that as he slowly gains awareness of the world around him, the weight of it may crush him.
But for now, I laugh with him. I teach him about the moon. We splash in the rivers. And at night, I think strategically about how we can possibly adapt so that we may have a livable future. (It's not about having a desirable future is about having a livable future. Those very different goals represent a massive mindshift for me.)
I think we should all.do what we can to lessen our impact and prepare to adapt so we are not rushing to the store emptying the shelves of toilet paper. However, as long as consumers have a choice to use gas, plastic, etc etc etc--individual efforts will never be enough.
We need financial incentives to do the right thing. Businesses need to treat the planet as their largest shareholder. Policies need to outlaw harmful products, processes, and people.
Until our governments hold industry accountable for the pollution/CO2 their activities create, we will not get any meaningful movement on this. Steel, aluminum, fertilizer, plastics - these are just a few of the world's dirtiest products. While I think it is good for individual citizens to limit their use of plastics and other fossil fuel consuming products and activities, until we get industry under control we will not make a big enough impact to slow the warming of our planet.
Unfortunately, in this country, between media companies requiring their hard news orgs to create profit and corporate $ being equal to political speech, it is unclear to me how we can educate the public and demand action from our elected officials on the impact of industry on our climate. Yes, people can stop buying certain products and if you get enough of them to do it to have the company stop making the product in your country, that is a win. However, the economy is global and most companies will simply shift manufacturing and distribution to somewhere else.
The carbon taxes that the EU is trying to get the rest of the world to employ may help in the short term but truthfully, we need to force industries to reinvent the way they make and distribute their products. We need some innovation in materials for construction and fabrication. Unless the governments around the world start to legislate these changes, for profit companies are not going to change their ways.
I think about climate change and the environment every day, and I have to say I few words about this. Every morning I have coffee at home, and I drink my coffee with cream. Can someone explain why cream, milk (dairy or non-dairy), etc. that come in a carton have that ridiculous plastic top and plastic pull-tab that opens the container? Are we really so lazy that we can't open milk cartons like we used to? I think about this every morning. This of course is only one of the many, too many, plastic items all of us deal with every day. Food even taste different in plastic. Plastic, plastic plastic -- ugh!
Plastic aside, I don't understand how we let the environment get to this point other than by corporate greed. I am a child of the 60's & 70's and this is not how I thought things would be at this point in my life. I thought solar power would be in wide use, that people would no longer, or barely, be killing endangered species, and that we would be using hemp as a source for so many things (fuel, clothes, paper, biodegradable plastics, etc.). While I don't have children, I do have young nieces, nephews & cousins, and I fear for them that we are beyond the turning point. I don't understand how anyone with children are not worried, and dare I say scared s---less for what life will be like for their children.
I do whatever I can to help the environment but I am not perfect and I also am only one person. Sometimes I feel so frustrated that I say to myself, 'why bother, I don't have children,' but of course I could never do this.
I have no idea what the answer is. I only know that corporate greed has harmed society in more ways than this & really wish something would be done about it in my lifetime.
In our community, here in the Sacramento Valley of California, water is in short supply. Every day when I water my vegetable garden, that I have grown for almost 50 years, I wonder about climate change. Now in the middle of a drought that almost seems endless as it has become more and more frequent from year to year. At first I thought the ever increasing population was the cause, which I am sure is part of the problem however the dry years are becoming more and more frequent. It is not looking good for the upcoming generations. Even though we conserve, it is not enough!
I've been thinking about climate change for the past twenty years. I live in Washington state which has become drier and hotter incrementally over time. I've had to breathe air polluted by wildfire smoke and this year I've seen shellfish beds literally cooked to death by heatwaves. I read about salmon in the rivers getting lesions because the water is too warm and what this will mean for this years spawn I'm afraid to think. I want to tell our elected representatives (all of them) that this is real, this is serious and please do your jobs by addressing both the cause and the solutions. I want to tell them that their constituents are afraid and want this to be a first priority. And I personally am very, very afraid that it will be business as usual until it's too late.
Which is what the oil and gas companies seem to want.
There is no other planet that supports the same diversity of life as this one. We need to stop killing it. And unpleasant as this may seem, the only way to accomplish this would be to stop overpopulating this planet.
Climate change is a large-scale complex problem in an era of simplistic sound byte solutions. While I have been lowering my carbon footprint through limited consumption, reuse, recycling, and a hybrid vehicle, my brain is too overwhelmed by the pandemic and the latest variant to have any reaction other than total horror. I wish I could do better.
I think about climate change constantly. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and we are in the middle of a historic drought. Fires surround California. It’s drier and hotter than it ever was before. I joke with my adult sons that they will be inheriting bay front property— we’re now over a mile from the shore.
I believe we need to mobilize collective action from our various governmental entities. It’s all well and good to disdain plastic clamshells for strawberries, but that does zip in the face of our government continuing to encourage fossil fuel exploration and consumption.
How often do you think about climate change? Every day! Sometimes all day. (I work in the field of Regenerative Agriculture, one of the many solutions that could collectively make the difference between surviving or not.)
What thoughts does it bring forth? Swinging between fear or concern and feeling like sometimes things HAVE to get bad enough for people to do the hard things (and easy things) that need to be done. We've done important things because of public outcry before and we can do it again.
Has it affected your life? The lives of your family or community? I live in the California city where people fled during the Camp Fire a few years ago and where they are fleeing again this year. There is no housing left here. People are living in tents. The air is full of smoke, some days too hazardous to go outside. And every year we live in terror that the next fire will come down the mountain and get to us next.
Any tips or favorite strategies to limit consumption? Well, it's not JUST about consumption! But probably the biggest thing people could do is really push for making remote work the norm (not just in the pandemic) so we can cut gas emissions from driving our cars. Consider adding vegetarian alternatives to your diet and shift to 100% grass-fed and grass-finished meat if you can. Support your local farmers who switch to forms of farming (conservation, regenerative, climate-beneficial) that put less GHG emissions into the atmosphere both through their choice of farming and ranching methods and because they don't need to ship their food so far away. Enjoy the fact that you don't HAVE to buy so much if you are able to work at home. Derive satisfaction from things you love to do and people you love to hang out with instead of spending your time shopping and buying things.
Those are just the first I thought of . . . seek and you will find!
How do we make a change? We need all hands on deck! Find out the present day benefits of the changes we need to make—there are SO many! More trees in our cities and fewer cars and air pollution, less commuting (and not needing to live in expensive cities to make a living) could bring a renaissance of well-being to our impoverished rural areas. Focus more on the REAL positive things we have to gain for our lives today. Read: Katherine Wilkinson's book "All We Can Save" https://www.kkwilkinson.com/
I am a 73 year older grandmother 2 years into retirement from working 38 years in education. Not as a teacher but as educational support and administration. I am grateful because having raised 3 children and experiencing 7 grandchildren ages 19-6, I see the efforts educators and parents are making to insure that young and future generations are aware of climate change and global warming. The day does not go by that a grandchild doesn’t remind me to turn off a light or water if not needed. They are aware and very concerned about the wildfires and drought here in California as well as the dramatic climate events happening with increasing frequency across our country and our world. Children and young adults get it. Maybe more so than the older generations. I totally support the above article stating that climate change and global warming are issues every human must acknowledge and participate in controlling and making every effort possible to reverse our ways if we want our Earth to survive. Governments worldwide are aware and concerned. I remember as a young adult hearing such terms as global warming and climate change. I remember when recycling first became proper and now is the extremely necessary thing to do I had a grandfather who was diligent about reminding everyone to turn off lights but it was more about the cost rather than the conservation at that time. I remember dark smoke billowing from smoke stacks in industrial areas of Chicago. I believe that what was once a way of living and believing our planet would always improve and prosper just because has to change and all of us must become active participants in doing what we can to stop and improve much of the neglect that has gotten us into critical situations that are literally harming our planet. World governments have to address this issue and I am pleased to see this happening in the current administration. There are things that all of us can do to help and we have to make every effort to support changes that must take place for the good of our planet and humanity. Now is the time.
Everyone needs to make changes. When we built our home 6 years ago, we used geothermal for heating and cooling, added solar panels to offset electric usage and built a smaller home than most. Now discussing adding more solar panels to power an electric car.
I rarely think about it, and I spend less time worrying about it. (It's useless to worry about things you can't control/. Even if the U.S went to zero CO2 emissions, it wouldn't matter because China, India, Africa and others would continue or increase their current levels.)
What we shouldn't do is destroy the economy, and people's lives and livelihoods, in a futile attempt to stop it by forcing us all back to the bronze age.
In my professional life (architect) I think about it daily. In my personal life it comes up often as my friends and I are closer to retirement than not. We are thinking about where we want to live (currently Los Angeles metro area). The affects of climate change weigh heavily on that conversation as we discuss things like staying away from the coasts as they will be lost to sea rise, moving places where it is not unbearably hot more often than not, avoiding fire country (which is almost everywhere out West), and availability of water. We talk about growing our own food (which some of us already do) eating less meat, and other ways to reduce our footprint on Mother Earth.
A pair of family photos tells the story... in the first my friend is 5 years old (1971). It is summer and he is with his mother and sister in front of a glacier in Alaska. He has a picture of himself in the same spot at the same time of year in 2012. NO glacier.
As a single person, climate change is on my mind quite often. I check the temperature daily in the evenings for South Florida is 80's. For every two degrees warmer in the evening with the humidity, this place becomes uncomfortable. Like people 65+ I have my routines the difference being ready for the increasing heat during the day. I am limited to the exertion of things I use to do, spending hours at the beach, playing sports all day long, inspired by Gatorade and Suntan lotion. The challenge is for me now is that of Hurricanes season and Summer heat. I feel sad for the others, the drought and wildfire are that covers the western states. I look up to a government that is fully aware of climate change and the possibility of natural disasters in addition to the destruction. The people around me stay indoors with the AC and do things in the yard after sunset and nobody complains about it getting hotter. I think my friends are discouraged by the news of more disasters contributing to climate change. People are just quite putting up with it.
That's why we live in South Florida, to begin with!
I think about climate change every day. It's also something that keeps me up at night. I am starting to believe that my planet and I may end at the same time. That is, the planet will no longer sustain life before I would otherwise die. I'm 59 and I have longevity on both sides of my family, but even if I could live 30 more years, it seems like we are at the point where we can't fix what we broke and the planet might not have another 30 years itself.
I think about climate change quite a bit. I have (too slowly) over the years identified places in my life that could be adjusted or curtailed i.e. combing trips to town, driving a fuel efficient vehicle, replacing bulbs with LED's. I am trying to identify more ways to get better. It's tough, but I'm trying to brace myself to quit using plastic bags altogether. I reuse them right now for kitty litter and don't have a better solution right now, so I keep getting the plastic. Sadly, they won't be around for too many more years, so the impact will be high when I don't have cats anymore. I also contribute to a "round up" program that my power company sponsors to develop alternative power. We have thought about and discussed the possibility of using some of that type of power ourselves in our own home. I believe that everything we can do, be it big or small, will help to save us. I also believe that we need to think more globally than we are used to doing. We are not in this alone, and we have a tendency to be egocentric.
I think one of the most important things we can do is vote with our wallets. I started to take this very seriously about 5 years ago.
I've not purchased a drink in a plastic bottle or a plastic cup in over 5 years.
I carry food and water with me in reusable containers.
Generally speaking if it's in plastic I simply do not buy it. Joining a local produce co-op makes this very easy, I stop by once a week with my reusable bags and I collect my share. I'm glad I can do this because it's a sustainable certified organic farm but I realize this may not be accessible to everyone.
Meat, fish I buy the local butcher and it's wrapped in butcher wrap instead of plastic or styrofoam.
I reduced my consumption of all meats by about 70%. I guess I have meter fish twice a week now on the average.
I use bar soaps and bar shampoo and bar conditioner.
I try to use the air conditioner as little as possible I have installed ceiling fans and an efficient HVAC system. Wearing office weight silk underwear in the winter allows me to keep the house temperature three to four degrees cooler. With these changes my electric and gas usage dropped by about 70%.
I think it's obvious now however that the most significant to global warming changes are going to come from corporations. This has been in the news quite a lot lately.
Here in Maryland the last five Winters have been very odd with almost no snow or ice. I really missed it.
For years people made fun of my tornado phobia but now Maryland has multiple tornadoes every year some of them severe, lives have been lost.
I'm currently scheming on what to do with my back lawn. My property's been organic for 35 years but lawn is lawn and contributes nothing to birds bees or the environment.
One of the biggest blessings about retiring is no more nasty commutes.... Probably the most contaminating thing that I did.
My family dry land farmed long before I was born. 1950 to 1973 I was the chief hired hand since I was the youngest and my older siblings had left farm life for better opportunities. Wheat was $2.89 a bushel and milo not much better. We raised some cattle on 80 acres of native pasture grass.
Due to the increased cost of electronic taking over the equipment and the need for irrigation because rainfall was decreasing . My siblings and I sold our 100 year oldfamily farm for $219.00 an acre. Chump change today! Our father died in 1983. When the land was sold all of our old neighbors had irrigation and their wells had to be drilled deeper to tap into the Oglala aquifer. Air conditioned cabs were essential. I worked the fields with no cab. Just wide brimmed hat. Humidity was none existent but since we sold humidity was terrible when combined with temperature. Neighbors told us they now work as early in the day or late afternoon because heat became threatening.
Containers that held oil, grease, or groceries were made out of metal or glass. Milk products were delivered and most in glass containers. Now Plastic Rules.
Today the Oglala will slowly be gone due to irrigation. Freak storms come up. We lost our metal covering on our patio due to straight line wind. Twisted metal but weather people said no tornado
We recycle plastic but still offered at stores.
I cover up from head to toe due to skin cancer. All those years of wide brimmed hats didn’t work so well.
We loved the land. The smell of the rich black soil in my hand filled me with peace and hope for a good day ahead. Today, the land is dying.😢
Global climate crisis is real and its evidence is getting hard to ignore but many steps to assist in execution of logical measures to help can often be costly. We’d love to buy an electric or hybrid car but can’t afford it. Even working hard to eliminate water usage leaves us with expensive water bills nonetheless. It would be helpful for someone or some organization could help figure out financially helpful solutions.
Hello Dan, I don’t have a lot to add. But, yes, I see changes here in Ontario since I was a child in the 50’s and 60’s. For one thing, I never experienced or heard of tornadoes in Ontario until 1985. Now, they are a yearly occurrence. Yearly temperatures are no longer fairly consistent with the seasons. Temperature changes are a roller coaster and seasons are changing. Summers are a lot hotter and more humid. What do I do? I try to conserve water consumption. I live in the country. I recycle. I find new homes for “old” things instead of throwing them out, mostly through charities. These are little things but our environment would be better off if we all did little things,
I think about climate change frequently. We live in the country and are close to nature most of the time. In our area the change is more subtle than some; no severe drought, wildfires, hurricanes. Nevertheless, change is apparent and detrimental. We no longer have the seasonal weather patterns that the flora here have adapted to. In the past we had 4 distinct seasons (cold winters, hot summers, moderate autumn and spring). They have become quite mixed-up. Winter snow occurs infrequently now and instead we get temperatures in the 70s and thunderstorms in January. The land needs the snow which soaks gently into the ground and not the downpours that run off and take soil along, as there is no plant material growing in January to alleviate the run-off. When we do get cold snaps in the winter they usually come with heavy ice coating, rather than snow. We also see many more autumn and spring hard freezes. The late freezes are very hard on the flowering plants. We have had no fruit on the trees recently because of this pattern.
Although many plants and especially trees are stressed and declining, and no doubt the animals that rely on them, the changes have been beneficial for some. The mosquitos and ticks are doing very well.
We try to always be conscious of how each step we take will be helpful or harmful for our planet. We are far from perfect, but our needs are simple and we do not need alot of stuff. The home we are building is bermed to provide insulation. We do not use AC but will have passive solar energy to provide a thermal chimney. This, along with a masonry heater, should require little to no electricity for temperature moderation.
Every choice we make, every step we take, has an impact. I wish our government would operate this way. Although they may appear to take this crisis seriously, the choices and steps I am seeing do not support this. The choice to increase the budget for the military-industrial complex, the choices to subsidize the fossil fuel industry, the beef industry, etc. are not helpful steps for Life on Earth.
We’ve made strides in reducing our water consumption to save water and reduce subsidence. By use of xeriscaping we can usually go a whole Texas summer with no watering.
I’ve dabbled in carbon offset donations, but I do still have a long commute with only myself in the car. Houston isn’t where it should be with mass transit.
We have fallen behind for some time now in so many areas...so much ignored and neglected...Now, we are hit up the side of the head on it all at once and yes, it feels overwhelming, numbing, sad and frightening ... Great effort in awareness, cooperation and compassion is needed...Will we find the resilience, courage, togetherness and commitment to solutions to do the clean-up and sustain a better way...????
The Light Held Under
by Carol Ann Provence (12/18/2008)
Are you a light in the world, set on a hill high, or valley low?
How do you measure your gifts and fruit?
Perhaps you’ve been hiding your unique light under the proverbial bushel!
Well,
come out, come out wherever you are!
This house of scars and woe, has need of you now
Time has passed for staying mute
it’s time for voices joined to swell!
Plainly spoken do tell,
come out, come out wherever you are!
Whether a blazing star or mere candle in darkness low
Yes, you should give a hoot
that we, once and for “all”, mend that crack in our Liberty bell!
Just declare,
come out, come out wherever you are!
No longer locked toe to toe, blow for blow, but divinely metered we must grow
Timely suited saying No to the looting and shameful polluting,
repute the selling of timeless values
Shouting out a powerful nay at seeing the tower of hope that fell!
Only compelling,
come out, come out wherever you are!
Not only one; not even minute, striving higher stay in the now and in the know
Adjusting influence near or far, arise from fearful under hiding,
with a clap of thunder or musical mode of guitars or fluting,
such noise with purpose sounds tales worth telling!
Joyously,
come out, come out wherever you are!
Exquisitely emerge with grace and tender heart
Come out, come out wherever you are!
Anything lesser; concealing disguises and masks, simply will not do
Mr. Rather, thank you for covering a topic that I too, believe to be more devastating for every single one of us than Covid. As the destructive and annihilating effects of climate change continue to attack and assault each of us, we continue to endure a war that has opened fire on us and pretend to be unaware of the devastation and Mother Earth going away.
As human beings, we have created much of the problem. That means there is good news: As human beings, we can do something about the problem! It will take each of us taking personal responsibility for our beautiful, bountiful Mother Earth. I believe we have to get excited about being responsible citizens for reversing what we have been a part of creating. None of us sat out to destroy our climate, we just lived life unaware of the impacts our intents would have on our climate. Personal responsibility means gaining knowledge that empowers us to make a difference, taking action, and, changing. Just like the seemingly small things we have been doing all along got us here, there are seemingly small things that have the power to lead us out of here. Things like:
Consider making donations to organizations that are conducting research on climate change
Change all of your light bulbs to LED bulbs
Turn off the water when you are brushing your teeth instead of letting it run the entire time - water is our most precious resource, take it from a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer who, for 4 months lived without water in the pipe, carried a bucket from the river, boiled it, added bleach, and that was the only water for the day. Do not waste water!
Recycle everything that is recyclable, create less trash
Walk or bike to places instead of always using a vehicle
These are six(6) simple things, wouldn't it be easy for each of us to make these changes, or at least some of these changes in our life? Our nation is at war and the battleground is right underneath us. By changing our mindset on climate change, by taking responsibility for making changes, we force our enemy to battle on our terms. The War on Climate Change will take many lives if we do not change the direction if we do not mitigate by changing our lifestyles. It's no longer coming in our direction, we are living on the battleground and with the fall-out of Climate Change.
Let's all do our part and make positive changes toward reversing the direction, or at least slowing down Climate Change, in our lifestyle.
I'm VERY concerned because I'm old enough to remember how things used to be. And my wife and I have already adapted our lives to some extent. We sold our city house and moved into a semi-rural area and renovated an adobe house. We've added enough solar panels to compensate for our electricity consumption. We're busy demolishing the pool because it's wasteful. (I did suggest we used it for tilapia but the wife turned that down.)
Over the past couple years. climate change has powerfully shifted from conceptual to real for many of us. I was always aware and always a, "believer." But the immediacy of the threat has been driven home and is now permanent. We see it in the photos and video from impacted areas. We see it in daily temperatures and weather. We see it around the globe. I read the other day that warm-weather outside work will become unsafe within the next several years in many parts of our country. Think about the impact of this on everything from agriculture to infrastructure. And to make it very personal and real - my wife and I are beginning to think about retirement and climate change is a real topic for us and our friends of the same age as we consider locations. And so, yes. It is now an everyday topic.
While my wife and I have made several adjustments in our use of energy, the real change required is major governmental action in the US and other major industrialized countries to dramatically reduce the burning of fossil fuels, especially coal. To do this will require a massive shift to renewable energy (solar and wind) as well as major investments in energy efficiency.
Finally got solar panels this spring. Smaller footprint and negligible electric bill. We always ♻️ and go for minimum packaging. Pick up trash in neighborhood. It takes a minute but has impact. There's no where else to go 🤨
Eighteen years ago I took my children to Taboga island off the coast of Panama City, Panama, an island I used to visit as a child. I was horrified to see how much plastic and garbage washed ashore with high tide. My children helped me gather the garbage and we marched it to the office of the island's mayor and left it there. Almost two years ago we returned. With goggles on I saw plastic filaments permeating the ocean.
A reporter asked me, “What was the crime of the Century? “around the year 2000. Michael Faye of Centerville, flogged in Singapore, I responded. It’s people and their cars. Somehow I’m sure there’s nothing I need to do about it, It’s so obvious. If you were a child on a bicycle and made it up to the local gas station you would know instantly that the smell of gas was bad, meaning you couldn’t eat it.Smarties Milk Duds whatever you had your allowance burning a hole in your pocket for was the respite and you’d get back to pedaling home thinking you’d accomplished something sorting out your standards.
No one should drive cars that don’t also run on electromagnetic rails with computer programmed destination codes. Clearly there are people working on this. I bought a house over looking the highway with an outdoor upstairs porch so I can watch. It’ll happen.
My youngest was born in 2000. About 2 summers ago she told me she would not likely have kids. When i asked her to explain she mater of factly pointed out that with the inactivity on climate change, she wasn’t sure there would be a world in 2050 for her kids to live in let alone enjoy living well so it seemed to her unwise to bring a new life into this world. She went on to say she didnt think she would live as long as her parents or grandparents due to environmental degradation. Her pessimistic stance shocked me to my core. Its heartbreaking how many young people see their future as bleak. Every developed nation needs to take action on Climate change beginning with reducing subsidies to fossil fuel exploration and production
Such great questions … I have done small things which I hope add up: discontinued using laundry detergent that comes in those big little plastic containers , lessened use of paper towels by investing in wonderful kitchen towels and those reusable clothe like paper towel squares - i found a wonderful company Kei and Molly that produces these beautiful designs and has a community minded business - drive less in our hybrid car - mindful of. electrical usage ..and planted bird and butterfly friendly plants in my gardens - no pesticides ..
This past year I have read a lot of articles about Climate Change . I think I started too late - paying attention ! In my life of full time teaching and raising two kids and caring for an elderly parent - my mind was full . Now I am retired and the pandemic slowed everything down … I look around each day and think how can I help ? how can I lessen my carbon footprint ?
If you have more suggestions please let me know ! I appreciate it and now find myself
looking at the choices others make to help our earth .
I’ve debated whether to join this conversation because I cannot be cheerful or hopeful. So, fair warning has been given.
I think humankind is fucked. If the pandemic doesn’t wipe us out through multiplying ever stronger variants then climate change likely will and we brought both on ourselves in a variety of ways.
Mostly through apathy, greed and arrogance. Thinking we humans were lords over it all and could take and destroy as we please or as certain religions like to brag “God gave us dominion over it all”. (As the religious cult I was raised in said all the time.)
Greed, arrogance, proud ignorance and power always wins out over community, common sense and caring for the environment and the planet we all - all living things - share. There are those who try to create change for the better but it’s never been enough and it never will be.
No one in power has the backbone to take on what really needs to happen now to at least stop the damage from continuing, to put a halt to all our destructive ways to let nature heal. They’re too worried about ‘bad optics’ or pleasing their corrupt, corporate minders. Or their heads are in the sand. Or they just don’t care.
I will continue to do what I can in my life, for my way of living and for the birds, bees & other creatures in my small yard. In the face of such overwhelming governmental and corporate apathy and greed my actions won’t matter at all but it’s what I can do and so I shall.
My apologies to the Steady Team if this post wasn’t what you were looking for. It’s how I feel though and it’s based on lived experiences, studying political history and observing human behavior.
I think about climate change every single day. It impacts my son and his family living in Mesa, AZ. It is said that in 10 years, Phoenix as we know it today, will cease to exist because of water problems. My kids have been working for years to be able to return to the Northwest where they were raised, and now what? Wild fires and triple digit heat waves. They keep hoping that it's just a short cycle, a "one-off" so to speak, but they know it's not, and they are broken hearted. The last time my sister flew out of Phoenix back to her home in Wisconsin she said how aghast she was to see all the expansive green lawns and backyard swimming pools in the desert. And yet the powers that be question drought conditions and water shortages. I live in SE Arizona, in Cochise County. Here we contend with big agricultural concerns. My son and his wife and I had been talking about the water crisis and big ag over the 4th of July weekend. On my trip home, I was detoured just 7 miles from my house. The reason? Earth fissures and major subsidence happening. The County denies it, but geologists and engineers have looked at the situation, and say that it is due to drought and the over pumping of ground water by big ag. We live in the Sonoran desert, yet we are surrounded by cotton fields, cornfields, huge pecan orchards, wineries, as well as a mega dairy which pumps hundreds of thousands of gallons of water a day for their cattle. Have we made any changes in our daily routine because of it? Yes. Now we have to filter our water twice because the quality is getting worse while the price goes up. So we're going north, selling our home here and heading for Michigan to spend our golden days walking the shores of Lake Huron. It's at least a temporary reprieve. How do we make changes? I've held out hope for more than fifty years. My partner and I were born in the 50s, raised in the 60s, and embarked on adult life in the 70's. There was such a sense of hope back then that mankind could and would evolve, work out its problems and save itself. But today? If you can't even get someone to believe that Covid is not a hoax as they draw their dying breath, how are you going to convince someone that we all need to act to save ourselves from what they deem the "climate hoax"? I don't know, Dan. COVID should have been a clarion call, but to quote an old saw, "There are none so blind as those who will not see." As for us, we can only change ourselves. We will leave behind our too-large-for-two territorial house, pack our bags, and move into a modest home where we will continue the practices of reducing our footprint. We'll walk and ride bikes rather than drive, grow a nice vegetable garden (without the aid of chemicals), reduce our reliance on too much packaging, move more and more toward the Mediterranean lifestyle of eating mostly fish and vegetables. We'll continue to recycle everything we can. I can't change anyone's mind, so I'll mind my own business and do what I can to not be part of the problem.
**How often do I think about climate change?**
Daily. Sometimes hourly. It's just always there. As much as I appreciate all the necessary reporting on, say, the ongoing sexual harassment that women suffer in the workplace and the fact that finally, some are now being held accountable, simultaneously I want to take the media by their collective lapels and scream: "Great! You did your job! Now, CLIMATE CHANGE!"
**What thoughts does it bring forth?**
Incredible, indescribable sorrow so deep that it's in my bones, my marrow, my every cell. Also fear, more for others than for myself. Also, "I'm glad I don't have children, or grandchildren." But I do have great nieces.
**Has it affected your life? The life of your community?**
Not personally in any significant way other than health, including mental health, so far. I am extremely privileged in this regard. I live in New England. Tick-bourne & other diseases, and more heat & humidity, have affected me but I'm hardly a climate refugee. And I'm retired. My community is suffering from an epidemic of Lyme, et al, we have old hardwood trees dying from insect infestations that weren't an issue when we had colder, longer winters and less humid hot summers, and who knows what will happen to the maple syrup and other climate-dependent industries, like skiing.
**Have you made any changes in your daily routine because of the climate crisis?**
I will have to think about this. I never drove much anyway, having worked from home or close to work. We did have to get AC in a couple of rooms in our house finally. Less daily and more general.
**Any tips or favorite strategies to limit consumption?**
Like a lot of your readers, I grew up with less consumption. It was an early habit that stuck. Both my husband and myself have always tended to purchase used when possible (and with ebay & thrift stores, you can get most things 'pre-loved' these days.) We are retired & live in a small town in VT, so we don't drive much anyway. And, biggest thing, we did not have children in the age of technology. Having said that, I am aware that I live in the US and consume far, far, far more than most people in other countries, even when I try hard not to. We try not to eat very much meat, and only that which is local, pastured, etc. And we have a big garden. But I still buy stuff all the time! The packaging for which is plastic & mostly not recyclable. I just try to purchase durable, reusable, long-lasting and used if possible.
Honestly, though, I have to agree with Pres. Obama. Climate change isn't going to be solved, or even affected much now, because we change the f****ing light bulbs in our houses. It's got to be a worldwide, collective choice to dethrone fossil fuels & topple that empire, and so far, we aren't doing that.
**Any sources of inspiration?**
Honestly? Nope. I find what a few young people are doing incredibly beautiful, and support it. But I don't have a lot of hope. That doesn't keep me from trying my best to do the next, best, right thing, but that's ethics, not inspiration.
**How do we make a change?**
I'm not sure it's possible without massive global human death. That sounds so dystopian, and I don't mean it to. But I thought climate change really would be the THING that got us to unite globally. (Also the pandemic.) Clearly that did not happen, and is not happening. We are still concerned with clannish tribal warfare. If the collective dominanting Western ego & its avatar, the global corporate, arms & fossil fuel empires haven't been inclined to bow in humility yet, I'm not sure it ever will.
About our thoughts, experiences, and perspectives on climate change.
• How often do you think about climate change?
Every day. I worry about climate change for our kids, our grand kids, their lives, their futures. The changes we need to make individually, as a society, as organizations, country and the world. Much needs to change, Much needs to happen. Life will be different, hopefully better in many ways. Definitely not the same.
• What thoughts does it bring forth?
Despair. Our society has damaged our environment, damaged nature, polluted, squandered precious resources and much for naught. Everyone deserves clean air, pure water, a safe environment free of shortages, floods and life changing storms. There are better ways of doing things, if we have the will to change.
• Has it affected your life? The lives of your family or community?
We are in our 70’s, we have changed. We are trying to adapt. Our grands have lived since 9/11. They have know our country of 20 years of war, pandemic, online learning, shut downs, masks and yet they have adapted well.
• Have you made any changes in your daily routine because of the climate crisis?
We try to have as small of a carbon footprint as possible. We drive less, fly less, eat out less, eat less meat, eat more vegetarian, try to recycle, re-purpose and reuse when ever we can. We pay bills online to reduce paper use. We try to buy local to reduce transport expense. We have solar panels, all LED bulbs, use rechargeable batteries, buy high efficiency appliances. We bought a used EV with 80 miles of range for 95% of our driving. No oil changes, no oil filters, no motor air filters, no emissions testing, no visits to the shop in 2 years and our electric bill never really went up. First time in my life we went 13 months without buying gasoline for our other car due to the pandemic.
• Any tips or favorite strategies to limit consumption?
We buy less. Fewer shopping trips and use Amazon efficiently. With meat dishes we reduce the amount of meat used, a half pound of ground beef instead of a pound. You never miss it. A savings and less meat consumed over time. We add more fresh vegetables and fruit to recipes. We are trying to eat more local items and less processed foods.
• Any sources of inspiration?
We read books, articles & documentaries on climate change.
• Bill Gates book on climate change: How to Avoid a Climate Disaster The book:
• Under the Sky We Make is compelling, informative and empowering book.. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/665274/under-the-sky-we-make-by-kimberly-nicholas-phd/
• Also the Dali Lama’s book about climate change which includes multiple tributes to Gretta Thunburg. Our Only Home: A Climate Appeal to the World - https://www.ecowatch.com/dalai-lama-climate-change-book-2648871359.html
• Michael Bloomberg and Carl Pope of the Sierra Clubs Book: A Climate of Hope The empowering messages of things done, being done and that can be done to hep prevent a climate disaster. https://www.climateofhope.com/ Bloomberg has also put out climate change info videos. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eb-np75kDkI
• Documentary videos about regenerative farming & climate change. http://www.biggestlittlefarmmovie.com/ and many others.
• How do we make a change?
Like the many 12 step programs, it’s one day at a time. We need to do less of what is causing the problems and more of what the solutions are to the problems. Your asking these questions of your audiences is a step in the right direction. Thank you Dan Rather. You’re part of the solution to our problems and facing them with action and optimism.
John & Pat Pierce
Anthem, AZ
Vet, Parents, Grandparents, Environmentalists, Conservationists
I am 75 and my 45 year old disabled son is allergic to heat, humidity and all weather changes, among other problems. We now live in an apartment with central air conditioning because it's medically necessary. The medical equipment includes a hospital ventilator . He is homebound except for doctor visits and family.
I have recycled all my life, and my children also recycle, even my son. To make ends meet, I even do our laundry in the kitchen without electricity.
Why do people think the climate is not changing when I can see every day that it is definitely doing so? Between seeing the effects on my son and and people with respiratory problems of a different nature it becomes so obvious. Thank you for being so very honest. Help us to help ourselves.
How often do you think about climate change?
Almost daily during fire season.
Has it affected your life? The lives of your family or community?
Every Spring is spent clearing winter growth and making the property as fire safe and defensible as possible.
We don't go on extended or distant vacations during fire season.
My community is forever scarred from a 2017 fire that burned over 1,000 homes in one night. More than a few have moved elsewhere to feel "safer" - which seems futile since climate change is everywhere.
Have you made any changes in your daily routine because of the climate crisis?
We pay a great deal more attention to weather forecasts. We have "Go Kits" staged in the garage in case of evacuation warnings.
Any tips or favorite strategies to limit consumption?
In 2020 we reduced our overall electricity consumption by 16% even though we were stuck at home more. This year - to date - we're down another 3% by having more open windows at night, and using less AC during the day and tolerating/adapting to a slightly warmer house.
More eBooks and eZines. All of our green waste goes to compost.
On an individual level, that's all well and good, but not enough. We need to campaign for and elect representatives who know climate change is real and walk the walk, not just talk.
Summer's have become consistently hotter to the point that there are weeks where you don't even want to go outside. It's becoming a season to be endured, not enjoyed. Plants are blooming earlier, I even notice this when I'm traveling in Europe, gardens that were once gloriously in bloom in late May/early June are now looking tired by then. The relentless forest fires out west and the hurricanes and tropical storms in the east. Yes, we've always had forest fires and hurricanes, but not as many and not for so long. I haven't used my heavy winter coat much if at all over the past decade. The weather is clearly becoming more extreme, not only around virtually all of the U.S., but also in western Europe. Plus, the melting ice in the polar region and the rising sea level. When I was a child I thought it would be wonderful to have beach front property, now I wouldn't dream of it because it could be gone in a year or two.
I teach introductory geology and earth science courses at a community college. My students are very aware of the effects of climate change as it’s the cause of most mass extinctions in Earth’s history. They are also aware that our climate today is changing at a rapid pace. I’m impressed that many students (all ages) are already implementing changes that many in this community are doing. They care about their future. I also strongly encourage them to vote for policy makers who can tackle the big carbon-producers.
I assign episodes from “How 2 Save a Planet” podcast. Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson is a marine biologist & climate policy advocate. The show’s episodes with co-host Alex Bloomberg are informative, fun, and best of all, provide actions we can take NOW. I highly recommend listening. It’s available on Spotify.
I recommend The Uninhabitable Earth to anyone who will listen. It’s a difficult portrayal of what’s to come. The degree to which the fossil fuel industry is embedded in our global lives makes it hard to see how this can change to the extent and in the timeframe needed. It will take policy level action on a unified global scale, which seems impossible. But it will always be true that our planet’s future, although bad by historical standards, can be even worse, but perhaps better, depending on what we do.
I've been consumed with grief for quite a while - it's one thing to kill ourselves but destroying all the beautiful creatures on this amazing planet is such a sin. I have an electric vehicle, solar panels on the roof, and am gardening, buying local, and trying not to buy anything with a long supply line.
I think about climate change everyday. I live in a house from the Victorian era that still has lead pipes as does the water system in my town. This is a place proud of deregulation and so called “freedom”. Potential oil train bombs sit unattended near hospitals as do large plastic vats of fracking waste now used to deice roads. Oil trains travel over outdated bridges.
My town is ill equipped to handle the fallout literal and metaphoric arising from potential mishaps and climate incidents in Ohio, tornado country in the Northeast.
Lake Erie is contaminated with blue green algae that is choking sea life and the killing the water itself. I am saddened by the long lived ignorance that is a historic and deeply dysfunctional and is a rooted systemic problem here as folks stubbornly refuse to open their eyes to see that waste is not a commodity to be sold. Solutions to toxic energy are not on the horizon here even though world class medical and agricultural colleges, research facilities tout great advances in science and tech.
I am bewildered that what was once a liberal Dem center of the world has become a right wing safe haven of fossil fools and frackers.
The thing that causes my heart to tear is the loss of so many species distinct from our own. I know it's considered eccentric to love other species right up there with our own, but I do consider them to be a huge or maybe the greatest part of what makes this world such a delight - and not one of those other species has caused this crisis. We, the sapient species, have done this to them as well as ourselves. Yes, I am an animal lover and a bleeding heart, and yes when I think about how much carbon and toxin the fires now burning pour into the air it gives me chills of dread, but when I see a burned bear or a turtle lying cooked on the ground after a fire, a polar bear swimming trustingly off into an ocean that no longer has ice for her to climb up on to rest, marine animals awash in the waves after heat they have no a.c. to escape, or starving to death from loss of native foods, "threatening" human dwellings in search of food or homes so that they are deemed a risk to our all important species and "must" be shot, it sickens me to the core because I can imagine the individual pain and terror. I mourn the loss of so many individuals that many species are being thinned to transparency and toward eventual disappearance. I mourn for our guilt and hubris as the wisest, most capable, most self absorbed species on this planet. I wish for a species vault (akin to the seed vault - which is in danger of thawing!) of tissue, DNA, or something we may someday be able to use to at least attempt to right the wrongs we are currently visiting upon our planetary neighbors while we lament our inconveniences and our fears for our species' future. I wish for something to at least leave a small opening for the possibility that if we ever figure out how to live on this planet without poisoning it for ourselves and others, our children will be able to watch a butterfly or squeal over a skink or stand in a forest and watch a mother opossum carry her young in the impossibly goofy, long suffering and maternal way that they do. I don't want our children to just barely manage to scratch out an unhealthy existence alone on a planet encrusted with only our kind. I want future human generations to understand that a variety of life forms and human kinds all have valuable feelings and legitimate needs, to learn to be kind and respectful, and to extend that approach to our treatment of the spaces we all utterly rely on for survival. Yes; I think about it every day.
Climate Change is always on our mind. This is what we did starting in 2009.
We purchased our first EV (a 2008 Tesla Roadster) in May 2009. We then bought a second EV(a Tesla Model S) in August 2012. After losing it in an accident, we replaced the S with another EV (a Tesla Model Y) this June.
So we’ve been driving only EVs since 2012 and will continue as long as live. No other vehicle interests us.
Right after we purchased the Roadster, we installed our first roof solar panels. We then moved from Silicon Valley to SoCal and we purchased our second solar installation. We now produce more electric than our house and cars use.
I just wish we could purchase a Tesla Powerwall. But Tesla can’t produce them quickly enough. And they require installing their solar panels to order a Powerwall. We already have all the solar panels we want. We just want the Powerwall attached to our panels.
What else can we do to help reduce Climate Change?
Looking over previous comments made here, there doesn’t seem to be anything to debate. Everyone here appears to take the climate crisis seriously. I’m feeling pretty hopeless myself. If the country can’t come together over the pandemic how can we possibly be effective against climate change? It’s going to take China to get on board too. I’m glad I’m not a young person but it makes me very depressed to think about their future. I have zero faith in humanity at this point.
I live in a rural area that is also a high tourist industry. Beautiful area to get out and be with nature. What I also see, is many escaping to this area to be away from heat and natural disasters such as hurricanes etc. I do not begrudge them being here. They are why we have a fairly strong economy in this area which is primarily service oriented. I am a housekeeper for quite a few houses in a gated community. I really do like all of my owners very much. Many are very down to earth and super nice people. All have money and these are their second homes. I feel like many of them are way too big for what is necessary and more for show. That's just not a reasonable idea for me. If you want a second home to escape to, please make it smaller and more environmentally acceptable. I'm not from here originally, but I have lived here for 40+ years and I have watched the climate change tremendously. I remember summers that were dry (no humidity) and cooler (70F for highs), plenty of rain without floods and everything was so green and lush. Winters had a lot of snow. Now we get 85+ and droughts and when it rains it seems it floods way more often than it should. 100 yr floods is not even a description anymore because they happen way too often. Winters are milder and snow pack is less. We use to have 4 seasons. Winter, with snow and cold, into Spring which was a mix of snow, rain and cool temps, into Summer which use to never get above 75F or rarely, and Fall which was always beautiful with all the colors and glory. Now we seem to go straight into Summer after winter and rarely do we have the longer and more beautiful fall time we did before. We are at 3700 ft above sea level and it really shouldn't be this way. Just devastates me and I know it's because of the imprint of houses that have been built yr after yr for 2 to 4 people that could accommodate 10. Does our county think about that? No! Too damn worried about tax income and keeping tourism big. Yet one day it will not be that way. It has been a huge changed in the last 20 yrs, let alone the last 10 have been unbelievable. WE must do everything we can to change this. Gardens that use to grow so well, suffer from drought and heat that we never had before. It's just upsetting.
As a native Oregonian, aside from 30 years spent in various parts of California, the past year or so has been like a hammer to the side of the head about the effects of climate change. Last summer we had 1.2 million acres burned, over 4000 homes destroyed, and horrible air quality in the Willamette Valley for over 2 weeks in September. This year we shattered the previous all time high temp record, hitting 116 degrees at the end of June. Now we are experiencing another bout of 100 degree plus weather. The Bootleg fire in southern Oregon burned over 400,000 acres this year. We have not had significant rain since the middle of June.
I moved back to Oregon from California in 2005, partly because I missed the pleasant, cool summers and green everywhere (at least in the western third of the state). Now I have persistent anxiety that all of our future summers are going to be hotter and drier than the current one, and fearing the next mega-fire that further destroys homes, depletes our forests and dirties our air. I read about places in California in which I have lived and or have visited, and become even more distressed. Places throughout the western U.S. that will never look the same again in my lifetime or perhaps the lifetimes of my children. That makes me profoundly sad.
Thankfully, Donald Trump was not re-elected last November. Joe Biden has made addressing climate change a priority in his administration. More so than any prior administration. But reading the latest summary report from the the IPCC, with the increasing urgency of their message, it is an open question to me if we humans and our governments will act quickly enough to avoid a climate catastrophe. Some days I feel like a time traveler visiting Pompeii a short time before Mt. Vesuvius blew up -- everyone following their daily routines, blissfully unaware of the disaster about to happen.
I have been teaching environmental and geographical science since the 1970s, and this issues has been more than in the forefront of my mind. I've grown weary of feeling like I'm teaching/preaching to an empty audience, whose apparent needs and vision seem to go not much further than next month, or maybe next year. Like you and many, many others, I've seen politicians and CEO talk about the issues (if even that), but do so very little to make real change. I'm frustrated, often scared, tired and sometimes even feel like taking myself off the planet to maybe do my little part to consume less.
I think about climate change all of the time. I have a science degree, so I understand completely what is causing it and contributing to it. I live in western Nevada and currently, we are experiencing a lot of smoke in the air from wildfires in California. The fires are getting worse because of drought. The West is a tinder box. It's hard to escape the effects when you can look outside and see the smoke. As for any changes, we don't drive our cars as much, but that has been due to the pandemic. We try to consume less than we used to. In fact, I drink soda so I have a Soda Stream and make my own, so I'm not buying as many plastic bottles. It's a small contribution, but if everyone did that, there would be a reduction in air pollution because there would be fewer plastic bottles manufactured. I get a little frustrated with people who don't believe that climate change is human-caused. My response to them is that with 7+ billion people on the planet, I have no doubt that climate change is human-caused and getting worse.
Those of you over 50 might remember the Time Life science series of large hardcover books that covered earth’s biospheres with titles like The Oceans, The Seas, Tropical Forests, The Plains, The Solar System, The Continents, The Mountains, etc. I devoured books like these as a kid. When I first found out that the sun was a ball of gas that would eventually burn itself out it upset me greatly. I was 9. I went crying to my dad, who was coincidentally reading the now defunct Omni magazine at the time, to ask when it would happen. That was my first memory of caring about the earth, its inhabitants and animals, how littering would affect seas, etc.
I still think about all those things and the dire consequences of our actions today. How does it affect my daily life? I know I can’t save the world but I try to do things on a personal level that I know will help. We started using stainless steel straws and reusable grocery bags years ago. We stopped buying plastic water bottles. Four years ago my husband and I had a huge 50th birthday party and many of my guests were asking about were the water bottles were located. I had a huge a refillable water jug. I cut any large plastics into smaller pieces so sea creatures don’t get tangled. We use a sea friendly lotion type sunscreens at the beach. The last two years we started using old face cloths to wipe down counters and surfaces to cut down on paper use. We recently moved and downsized our home. I put so much of our no longer needed items on a neighborhood website advertising them for free or for sale. I did not want to contribute to landfills. We brought our outdated electronics to stores advertising proper disposal. In general we try to consume less so we throw away less. Our new home has low maintenance grass and plantings to reduce water usage.
On a larger scale, we were planning a vacation to Northwest this September (though the Delta variant might pause it). We had to factor in the wildfire months. When we kayak and paddle board, I always think about the manatees, dolphins, and all the sea creatures that are affected by algae blooms, oil spills, and fertilizer dumps in our Florida waterways. It may sound alarmist but we don’t want to stay in Florida for our retirement years. At some point the Florida peninsula may be underwater. On a very personal level, our married, grown daughter is much like us. She has already informed us that she and our son-in-law aren’t fully decided on children. At times she doesn’t want to bring a child into this chaos and we fully understand this.
It makes me sad to think we humans are our greatest enemies. It makes me upset that climate change has become politicized. Talk to any insurance company specializing in natural disasters. They will tell you it costs us more to keep rebuilding than it will cost us to start making changes now. Data doesn’t care about politics.
But do I hold out hope that the younger generation realizes the dire consequences of ignoring climate change.
I think about climate change constantly. I can't watch my toddler laugh without feeling a heavy sadness knowing that he has no idea what is in store for him. Knowing that as he slowly gains awareness of the world around him, the weight of it may crush him.
But for now, I laugh with him. I teach him about the moon. We splash in the rivers. And at night, I think strategically about how we can possibly adapt so that we may have a livable future. (It's not about having a desirable future is about having a livable future. Those very different goals represent a massive mindshift for me.)
I think we should all.do what we can to lessen our impact and prepare to adapt so we are not rushing to the store emptying the shelves of toilet paper. However, as long as consumers have a choice to use gas, plastic, etc etc etc--individual efforts will never be enough.
We need financial incentives to do the right thing. Businesses need to treat the planet as their largest shareholder. Policies need to outlaw harmful products, processes, and people.
Until our governments hold industry accountable for the pollution/CO2 their activities create, we will not get any meaningful movement on this. Steel, aluminum, fertilizer, plastics - these are just a few of the world's dirtiest products. While I think it is good for individual citizens to limit their use of plastics and other fossil fuel consuming products and activities, until we get industry under control we will not make a big enough impact to slow the warming of our planet.
Unfortunately, in this country, between media companies requiring their hard news orgs to create profit and corporate $ being equal to political speech, it is unclear to me how we can educate the public and demand action from our elected officials on the impact of industry on our climate. Yes, people can stop buying certain products and if you get enough of them to do it to have the company stop making the product in your country, that is a win. However, the economy is global and most companies will simply shift manufacturing and distribution to somewhere else.
The carbon taxes that the EU is trying to get the rest of the world to employ may help in the short term but truthfully, we need to force industries to reinvent the way they make and distribute their products. We need some innovation in materials for construction and fabrication. Unless the governments around the world start to legislate these changes, for profit companies are not going to change their ways.
I think about climate change and the environment every day, and I have to say I few words about this. Every morning I have coffee at home, and I drink my coffee with cream. Can someone explain why cream, milk (dairy or non-dairy), etc. that come in a carton have that ridiculous plastic top and plastic pull-tab that opens the container? Are we really so lazy that we can't open milk cartons like we used to? I think about this every morning. This of course is only one of the many, too many, plastic items all of us deal with every day. Food even taste different in plastic. Plastic, plastic plastic -- ugh!
Plastic aside, I don't understand how we let the environment get to this point other than by corporate greed. I am a child of the 60's & 70's and this is not how I thought things would be at this point in my life. I thought solar power would be in wide use, that people would no longer, or barely, be killing endangered species, and that we would be using hemp as a source for so many things (fuel, clothes, paper, biodegradable plastics, etc.). While I don't have children, I do have young nieces, nephews & cousins, and I fear for them that we are beyond the turning point. I don't understand how anyone with children are not worried, and dare I say scared s---less for what life will be like for their children.
I do whatever I can to help the environment but I am not perfect and I also am only one person. Sometimes I feel so frustrated that I say to myself, 'why bother, I don't have children,' but of course I could never do this.
I have no idea what the answer is. I only know that corporate greed has harmed society in more ways than this & really wish something would be done about it in my lifetime.
Trying not to throw my hands up in the air.
In our community, here in the Sacramento Valley of California, water is in short supply. Every day when I water my vegetable garden, that I have grown for almost 50 years, I wonder about climate change. Now in the middle of a drought that almost seems endless as it has become more and more frequent from year to year. At first I thought the ever increasing population was the cause, which I am sure is part of the problem however the dry years are becoming more and more frequent. It is not looking good for the upcoming generations. Even though we conserve, it is not enough!
I've been thinking about climate change for the past twenty years. I live in Washington state which has become drier and hotter incrementally over time. I've had to breathe air polluted by wildfire smoke and this year I've seen shellfish beds literally cooked to death by heatwaves. I read about salmon in the rivers getting lesions because the water is too warm and what this will mean for this years spawn I'm afraid to think. I want to tell our elected representatives (all of them) that this is real, this is serious and please do your jobs by addressing both the cause and the solutions. I want to tell them that their constituents are afraid and want this to be a first priority. And I personally am very, very afraid that it will be business as usual until it's too late.
Which is what the oil and gas companies seem to want.
There is no other planet that supports the same diversity of life as this one. We need to stop killing it. And unpleasant as this may seem, the only way to accomplish this would be to stop overpopulating this planet.
Climate change is a large-scale complex problem in an era of simplistic sound byte solutions. While I have been lowering my carbon footprint through limited consumption, reuse, recycling, and a hybrid vehicle, my brain is too overwhelmed by the pandemic and the latest variant to have any reaction other than total horror. I wish I could do better.
I think about climate change constantly. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and we are in the middle of a historic drought. Fires surround California. It’s drier and hotter than it ever was before. I joke with my adult sons that they will be inheriting bay front property— we’re now over a mile from the shore.
I believe we need to mobilize collective action from our various governmental entities. It’s all well and good to disdain plastic clamshells for strawberries, but that does zip in the face of our government continuing to encourage fossil fuel exploration and consumption.
How often do you think about climate change? Every day! Sometimes all day. (I work in the field of Regenerative Agriculture, one of the many solutions that could collectively make the difference between surviving or not.)
What thoughts does it bring forth? Swinging between fear or concern and feeling like sometimes things HAVE to get bad enough for people to do the hard things (and easy things) that need to be done. We've done important things because of public outcry before and we can do it again.
Has it affected your life? The lives of your family or community? I live in the California city where people fled during the Camp Fire a few years ago and where they are fleeing again this year. There is no housing left here. People are living in tents. The air is full of smoke, some days too hazardous to go outside. And every year we live in terror that the next fire will come down the mountain and get to us next.
Any tips or favorite strategies to limit consumption? Well, it's not JUST about consumption! But probably the biggest thing people could do is really push for making remote work the norm (not just in the pandemic) so we can cut gas emissions from driving our cars. Consider adding vegetarian alternatives to your diet and shift to 100% grass-fed and grass-finished meat if you can. Support your local farmers who switch to forms of farming (conservation, regenerative, climate-beneficial) that put less GHG emissions into the atmosphere both through their choice of farming and ranching methods and because they don't need to ship their food so far away. Enjoy the fact that you don't HAVE to buy so much if you are able to work at home. Derive satisfaction from things you love to do and people you love to hang out with instead of spending your time shopping and buying things.
Any sources of inspiration? Many! https://www.csuchico.edu/regenerativeagriculture/ , https://drawdown.org/ , https://thecarbonunderground.org/
Those are just the first I thought of . . . seek and you will find!
How do we make a change? We need all hands on deck! Find out the present day benefits of the changes we need to make—there are SO many! More trees in our cities and fewer cars and air pollution, less commuting (and not needing to live in expensive cities to make a living) could bring a renaissance of well-being to our impoverished rural areas. Focus more on the REAL positive things we have to gain for our lives today. Read: Katherine Wilkinson's book "All We Can Save" https://www.kkwilkinson.com/
I am a 73 year older grandmother 2 years into retirement from working 38 years in education. Not as a teacher but as educational support and administration. I am grateful because having raised 3 children and experiencing 7 grandchildren ages 19-6, I see the efforts educators and parents are making to insure that young and future generations are aware of climate change and global warming. The day does not go by that a grandchild doesn’t remind me to turn off a light or water if not needed. They are aware and very concerned about the wildfires and drought here in California as well as the dramatic climate events happening with increasing frequency across our country and our world. Children and young adults get it. Maybe more so than the older generations. I totally support the above article stating that climate change and global warming are issues every human must acknowledge and participate in controlling and making every effort possible to reverse our ways if we want our Earth to survive. Governments worldwide are aware and concerned. I remember as a young adult hearing such terms as global warming and climate change. I remember when recycling first became proper and now is the extremely necessary thing to do I had a grandfather who was diligent about reminding everyone to turn off lights but it was more about the cost rather than the conservation at that time. I remember dark smoke billowing from smoke stacks in industrial areas of Chicago. I believe that what was once a way of living and believing our planet would always improve and prosper just because has to change and all of us must become active participants in doing what we can to stop and improve much of the neglect that has gotten us into critical situations that are literally harming our planet. World governments have to address this issue and I am pleased to see this happening in the current administration. There are things that all of us can do to help and we have to make every effort to support changes that must take place for the good of our planet and humanity. Now is the time.
Everyone needs to make changes. When we built our home 6 years ago, we used geothermal for heating and cooling, added solar panels to offset electric usage and built a smaller home than most. Now discussing adding more solar panels to power an electric car.
I rarely think about it, and I spend less time worrying about it. (It's useless to worry about things you can't control/. Even if the U.S went to zero CO2 emissions, it wouldn't matter because China, India, Africa and others would continue or increase their current levels.)
What we shouldn't do is destroy the economy, and people's lives and livelihoods, in a futile attempt to stop it by forcing us all back to the bronze age.
In my professional life (architect) I think about it daily. In my personal life it comes up often as my friends and I are closer to retirement than not. We are thinking about where we want to live (currently Los Angeles metro area). The affects of climate change weigh heavily on that conversation as we discuss things like staying away from the coasts as they will be lost to sea rise, moving places where it is not unbearably hot more often than not, avoiding fire country (which is almost everywhere out West), and availability of water. We talk about growing our own food (which some of us already do) eating less meat, and other ways to reduce our footprint on Mother Earth.
A pair of family photos tells the story... in the first my friend is 5 years old (1971). It is summer and he is with his mother and sister in front of a glacier in Alaska. He has a picture of himself in the same spot at the same time of year in 2012. NO glacier.
As a single person, climate change is on my mind quite often. I check the temperature daily in the evenings for South Florida is 80's. For every two degrees warmer in the evening with the humidity, this place becomes uncomfortable. Like people 65+ I have my routines the difference being ready for the increasing heat during the day. I am limited to the exertion of things I use to do, spending hours at the beach, playing sports all day long, inspired by Gatorade and Suntan lotion. The challenge is for me now is that of Hurricanes season and Summer heat. I feel sad for the others, the drought and wildfire are that covers the western states. I look up to a government that is fully aware of climate change and the possibility of natural disasters in addition to the destruction. The people around me stay indoors with the AC and do things in the yard after sunset and nobody complains about it getting hotter. I think my friends are discouraged by the news of more disasters contributing to climate change. People are just quite putting up with it.
That's why we live in South Florida, to begin with!
I think about climate change every day. It's also something that keeps me up at night. I am starting to believe that my planet and I may end at the same time. That is, the planet will no longer sustain life before I would otherwise die. I'm 59 and I have longevity on both sides of my family, but even if I could live 30 more years, it seems like we are at the point where we can't fix what we broke and the planet might not have another 30 years itself.
I think about climate change quite a bit. I have (too slowly) over the years identified places in my life that could be adjusted or curtailed i.e. combing trips to town, driving a fuel efficient vehicle, replacing bulbs with LED's. I am trying to identify more ways to get better. It's tough, but I'm trying to brace myself to quit using plastic bags altogether. I reuse them right now for kitty litter and don't have a better solution right now, so I keep getting the plastic. Sadly, they won't be around for too many more years, so the impact will be high when I don't have cats anymore. I also contribute to a "round up" program that my power company sponsors to develop alternative power. We have thought about and discussed the possibility of using some of that type of power ourselves in our own home. I believe that everything we can do, be it big or small, will help to save us. I also believe that we need to think more globally than we are used to doing. We are not in this alone, and we have a tendency to be egocentric.
I think one of the most important things we can do is vote with our wallets. I started to take this very seriously about 5 years ago.
I've not purchased a drink in a plastic bottle or a plastic cup in over 5 years.
I carry food and water with me in reusable containers.
Generally speaking if it's in plastic I simply do not buy it. Joining a local produce co-op makes this very easy, I stop by once a week with my reusable bags and I collect my share. I'm glad I can do this because it's a sustainable certified organic farm but I realize this may not be accessible to everyone.
Meat, fish I buy the local butcher and it's wrapped in butcher wrap instead of plastic or styrofoam.
I reduced my consumption of all meats by about 70%. I guess I have meter fish twice a week now on the average.
I use bar soaps and bar shampoo and bar conditioner.
I try to use the air conditioner as little as possible I have installed ceiling fans and an efficient HVAC system. Wearing office weight silk underwear in the winter allows me to keep the house temperature three to four degrees cooler. With these changes my electric and gas usage dropped by about 70%.
I think it's obvious now however that the most significant to global warming changes are going to come from corporations. This has been in the news quite a lot lately.
Here in Maryland the last five Winters have been very odd with almost no snow or ice. I really missed it.
For years people made fun of my tornado phobia but now Maryland has multiple tornadoes every year some of them severe, lives have been lost.
I'm currently scheming on what to do with my back lawn. My property's been organic for 35 years but lawn is lawn and contributes nothing to birds bees or the environment.
One of the biggest blessings about retiring is no more nasty commutes.... Probably the most contaminating thing that I did.
My family dry land farmed long before I was born. 1950 to 1973 I was the chief hired hand since I was the youngest and my older siblings had left farm life for better opportunities. Wheat was $2.89 a bushel and milo not much better. We raised some cattle on 80 acres of native pasture grass.
Due to the increased cost of electronic taking over the equipment and the need for irrigation because rainfall was decreasing . My siblings and I sold our 100 year oldfamily farm for $219.00 an acre. Chump change today! Our father died in 1983. When the land was sold all of our old neighbors had irrigation and their wells had to be drilled deeper to tap into the Oglala aquifer. Air conditioned cabs were essential. I worked the fields with no cab. Just wide brimmed hat. Humidity was none existent but since we sold humidity was terrible when combined with temperature. Neighbors told us they now work as early in the day or late afternoon because heat became threatening.
Containers that held oil, grease, or groceries were made out of metal or glass. Milk products were delivered and most in glass containers. Now Plastic Rules.
Today the Oglala will slowly be gone due to irrigation. Freak storms come up. We lost our metal covering on our patio due to straight line wind. Twisted metal but weather people said no tornado
We recycle plastic but still offered at stores.
I cover up from head to toe due to skin cancer. All those years of wide brimmed hats didn’t work so well.
We loved the land. The smell of the rich black soil in my hand filled me with peace and hope for a good day ahead. Today, the land is dying.😢
Global climate crisis is real and its evidence is getting hard to ignore but many steps to assist in execution of logical measures to help can often be costly. We’d love to buy an electric or hybrid car but can’t afford it. Even working hard to eliminate water usage leaves us with expensive water bills nonetheless. It would be helpful for someone or some organization could help figure out financially helpful solutions.
Hello Dan, I don’t have a lot to add. But, yes, I see changes here in Ontario since I was a child in the 50’s and 60’s. For one thing, I never experienced or heard of tornadoes in Ontario until 1985. Now, they are a yearly occurrence. Yearly temperatures are no longer fairly consistent with the seasons. Temperature changes are a roller coaster and seasons are changing. Summers are a lot hotter and more humid. What do I do? I try to conserve water consumption. I live in the country. I recycle. I find new homes for “old” things instead of throwing them out, mostly through charities. These are little things but our environment would be better off if we all did little things,
I think about climate change frequently. We live in the country and are close to nature most of the time. In our area the change is more subtle than some; no severe drought, wildfires, hurricanes. Nevertheless, change is apparent and detrimental. We no longer have the seasonal weather patterns that the flora here have adapted to. In the past we had 4 distinct seasons (cold winters, hot summers, moderate autumn and spring). They have become quite mixed-up. Winter snow occurs infrequently now and instead we get temperatures in the 70s and thunderstorms in January. The land needs the snow which soaks gently into the ground and not the downpours that run off and take soil along, as there is no plant material growing in January to alleviate the run-off. When we do get cold snaps in the winter they usually come with heavy ice coating, rather than snow. We also see many more autumn and spring hard freezes. The late freezes are very hard on the flowering plants. We have had no fruit on the trees recently because of this pattern.
Although many plants and especially trees are stressed and declining, and no doubt the animals that rely on them, the changes have been beneficial for some. The mosquitos and ticks are doing very well.
We try to always be conscious of how each step we take will be helpful or harmful for our planet. We are far from perfect, but our needs are simple and we do not need alot of stuff. The home we are building is bermed to provide insulation. We do not use AC but will have passive solar energy to provide a thermal chimney. This, along with a masonry heater, should require little to no electricity for temperature moderation.
Every choice we make, every step we take, has an impact. I wish our government would operate this way. Although they may appear to take this crisis seriously, the choices and steps I am seeing do not support this. The choice to increase the budget for the military-industrial complex, the choices to subsidize the fossil fuel industry, the beef industry, etc. are not helpful steps for Life on Earth.
We’ve made strides in reducing our water consumption to save water and reduce subsidence. By use of xeriscaping we can usually go a whole Texas summer with no watering.
I’ve dabbled in carbon offset donations, but I do still have a long commute with only myself in the car. Houston isn’t where it should be with mass transit.
We have fallen behind for some time now in so many areas...so much ignored and neglected...Now, we are hit up the side of the head on it all at once and yes, it feels overwhelming, numbing, sad and frightening ... Great effort in awareness, cooperation and compassion is needed...Will we find the resilience, courage, togetherness and commitment to solutions to do the clean-up and sustain a better way...????
The Light Held Under
by Carol Ann Provence (12/18/2008)
Are you a light in the world, set on a hill high, or valley low?
How do you measure your gifts and fruit?
Perhaps you’ve been hiding your unique light under the proverbial bushel!
Well,
come out, come out wherever you are!
This house of scars and woe, has need of you now
Time has passed for staying mute
it’s time for voices joined to swell!
Plainly spoken do tell,
come out, come out wherever you are!
Whether a blazing star or mere candle in darkness low
Yes, you should give a hoot
that we, once and for “all”, mend that crack in our Liberty bell!
Just declare,
come out, come out wherever you are!
No longer locked toe to toe, blow for blow, but divinely metered we must grow
Timely suited saying No to the looting and shameful polluting,
repute the selling of timeless values
Shouting out a powerful nay at seeing the tower of hope that fell!
Only compelling,
come out, come out wherever you are!
Not only one; not even minute, striving higher stay in the now and in the know
Adjusting influence near or far, arise from fearful under hiding,
with a clap of thunder or musical mode of guitars or fluting,
such noise with purpose sounds tales worth telling!
Joyously,
come out, come out wherever you are!
Exquisitely emerge with grace and tender heart
Come out, come out wherever you are!
Anything lesser; concealing disguises and masks, simply will not do
Come out, come out wherever you are!
Authentic being merged with radiance compelling
Mr. Rather, thank you for covering a topic that I too, believe to be more devastating for every single one of us than Covid. As the destructive and annihilating effects of climate change continue to attack and assault each of us, we continue to endure a war that has opened fire on us and pretend to be unaware of the devastation and Mother Earth going away.
As human beings, we have created much of the problem. That means there is good news: As human beings, we can do something about the problem! It will take each of us taking personal responsibility for our beautiful, bountiful Mother Earth. I believe we have to get excited about being responsible citizens for reversing what we have been a part of creating. None of us sat out to destroy our climate, we just lived life unaware of the impacts our intents would have on our climate. Personal responsibility means gaining knowledge that empowers us to make a difference, taking action, and, changing. Just like the seemingly small things we have been doing all along got us here, there are seemingly small things that have the power to lead us out of here. Things like:
Consider making donations to organizations that are conducting research on climate change
Change all of your light bulbs to LED bulbs
Turn off the water when you are brushing your teeth instead of letting it run the entire time - water is our most precious resource, take it from a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer who, for 4 months lived without water in the pipe, carried a bucket from the river, boiled it, added bleach, and that was the only water for the day. Do not waste water!
Recycle everything that is recyclable, create less trash
Walk or bike to places instead of always using a vehicle
These are six(6) simple things, wouldn't it be easy for each of us to make these changes, or at least some of these changes in our life? Our nation is at war and the battleground is right underneath us. By changing our mindset on climate change, by taking responsibility for making changes, we force our enemy to battle on our terms. The War on Climate Change will take many lives if we do not change the direction if we do not mitigate by changing our lifestyles. It's no longer coming in our direction, we are living on the battleground and with the fall-out of Climate Change.
Let's all do our part and make positive changes toward reversing the direction, or at least slowing down Climate Change, in our lifestyle.
I'm VERY concerned because I'm old enough to remember how things used to be. And my wife and I have already adapted our lives to some extent. We sold our city house and moved into a semi-rural area and renovated an adobe house. We've added enough solar panels to compensate for our electricity consumption. We're busy demolishing the pool because it's wasteful. (I did suggest we used it for tilapia but the wife turned that down.)
Over the past couple years. climate change has powerfully shifted from conceptual to real for many of us. I was always aware and always a, "believer." But the immediacy of the threat has been driven home and is now permanent. We see it in the photos and video from impacted areas. We see it in daily temperatures and weather. We see it around the globe. I read the other day that warm-weather outside work will become unsafe within the next several years in many parts of our country. Think about the impact of this on everything from agriculture to infrastructure. And to make it very personal and real - my wife and I are beginning to think about retirement and climate change is a real topic for us and our friends of the same age as we consider locations. And so, yes. It is now an everyday topic.
While my wife and I have made several adjustments in our use of energy, the real change required is major governmental action in the US and other major industrialized countries to dramatically reduce the burning of fossil fuels, especially coal. To do this will require a massive shift to renewable energy (solar and wind) as well as major investments in energy efficiency.