The west is going through what may be one of the worst droughts in modern history, hurricanes are becoming more destructive and happening more often, and glaciers, which often feed the waters that supply farms and cities, are receding, so where’s congress, and Joe Biden in all this?
“Impacts from climate change are happening now.” — NOAA
These issues are now creating the environment (no pun intended) for right-wing extremists also to instigate new conflict. Ammon Bundy has set up in Klamath Falls, Oregon in reaction to the federal decision to restrict irrigation water in favor of native fisheries under his new People’s Rights network. Will this be compelling enough for congress to make climate action a critical priority?
If the insurrection has taught us anything, it may be that some losses don’t result in action. So let’s stop asking congress to act and instead ask how many need to die for climate action to become a priority. Let’s at least understand how many of us need to be sacrificed instead of wasting our time making demands for action that will never be met.
Even the most important supporters for a more sustainable economy can be found making some, well, interesting decisions on climate action. AOC mothered the Green New Deal, but the merchandise she sells doesn’t even make a statement on sustainability. We need more than climate rhetoric, so the saying goes, we need climate action.
People are doing what they can across the nation, but we need policy-makers to get on the team, and right now. Business will not change without them, but the climate will continue to. Best projections show that Paris Agreement targets will not keep us under a 2 degree rise, and we aren’t even hitting the targets yet. Unless we get near net carbon sequestration in only 60 years, we’ll live through a rise somewhere between 2.5 and 4.5 degrees Celsius (about 4.5 to 8 degrees Fahrenheit).