Dr. James Hansen is back in the news this week. It’s been twenty years since his famous 1988 testimony before Congress on the “greenhouse effect.” His message today could not be more clear:
We’re toast if we don’t get on a very different path. This is the last chance. We see a tipping point occurring right before our eyes. The Arctic is the first tipping point and it’s occurring exactly the way we said it would.
I have to admit, when I first heard of the 350 Project to mobilize action around 350 ppm CO2 as the “start line for a global movement”, I was skeptical. Nine years of spreading the gospel of taking action on climate change has taught me that scaring people with doomsday scenarios and striking numbers is a dangerous road to travel down. But I’m learning..
Maybe it’s less about what story we tell, but how we tell it. I love the doctor analogy that the 350 folks use:
If we’re already past 350, are we all doomed?
No. We’re like the patient that goes to the doctor and learns he’s overweight, or his cholesterol is too high. He doesn’t die immediately—but until he changes his lifestyle and gets back down to the safe zone, he’s at more risk for heart attack or stroke. The planet is in its danger zone because we’ve poured too much carbon into the atmosphere, and we’re starting to see signs of real trouble: melting ice caps, rapidly spreading drought. We need to scramble back as quickly as we can to safety.
In a crisis, you’ve got to re-think conventional wisdom. Maybe if we can break down a few of our stereotypes, look out for the long run, and not be afraid of speaking truth to power and the people, we’ll stand a chance at real revolutionary change.
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If our species chooses not to act on drastically reducing carbon emissions in the next few years, then we have decided it’s OK to murder our grandchildren.
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eok
Had you listened 20 years ago to scientists; and not scoffed at
Hansen we’d all not have such a dismal future ahead.
Millions of people will die like dogs if you do not stop burning coal; shouldn’t this be
enough. The science is there. Where is your concern?
To call Dr. Hansen a “prophet” is an insult. We are talking about a scientist
who tried to warn the world; and wasn’t listened to.
We will be losing coastal cities in the United States; and elsewhere. I see
no one is listening!
I too see that the typical Joe is not concerned. He/she just thinks it’s for someone else to take care of and hey isn’t that what we have those big people in high places for?
The problem is, those big people in high places have been leading us wrong for decades. I remember in the 60’s people were concerned about the environment. It made sense to me then that we couldn’t treat the earth as a dumpster. I didn’t even need to see signs of global warming in my back yard. Now I see it. It here for us all to see. People are blind. They ignore any problem no matter how big or small if they have to give up one ounce of creature comfort. I’m with the guy who posted earlier. Better get use to liking your toast burnt. And creature comforts? That’s the real laugh. Those comforts are going to end up going out the door and then some.
P.S. Oh yeah, and the same people who are ignoring the global warming issue are even having babies. No thought there for the child who will face the fullest impact either I guess.