The economic system that prevails in the United States and globally has caused, and continues to cause, the climate crisis. That system depends on racism for its very existence. Therefore we must address racism if we want to stop climate change.
How does racism keep the current inequitable system in place?
Five ways that racism maintains the system and works against our efforts to stop climate change:
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What do we want? What should the climate movement be trying to accomplish?
How we see the current situation affects what we are trying for. It affects what we think are the most important things to do and how we go about getting them done.
We may see our current situation like this: vast use of fossil fuels has caused such high emissions of greenhouse gases that the climate is changing in ways that are disastrous for humans and other species. The best solutions are to dramatically increase the use of solar and wind power and to adopt some better practices with regard to food, farming and forests.
This description and its implied solutions are certainly accurate. All of the above is true. However, ….
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I learned this week that “eco-anxiety” is the new term for many people’s reactions to the climate crisis. Experts are saying this is not an illness or disorder, but rather a normal, healthy response to the news that we have less than 11 years to make big changes worldwide, if we are to avoid the most catastrophic effects of climate change. Healthy or not, what do we do about the “eco-anxiety” — the fear, hopelessness, dread, and despair — we feel?
There are two key constructive remedies…
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In the tale of Little Red Riding Hood, a young girl sets off to take some food to her sickly grandmother. She meets a wolf …. When Little Red Riding Hood arrives at her grandmother’s house, she thinks her “grandmother” looks strange, but the wolf lures her close with his disguise and lies, and then eats her in one gulp.
Who’s in disguise and lying now? The big oil companies have been lying to the American public for decades.
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Emotionally, I sometimes feel like a pinball being bounced around from hope to doom to rage to love for this beautiful world and its many peoples, and then to whatever comes next.
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Being in the streets of New York City with a quarter million people for the Global Climate Strike was an inspiring experience for me. Despite the seriousness of the crisis faced by humanity, there was joy in taking action together.
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If you do not already have plans to participate in the Global Climate Strike on Friday, September 20th, please read all the way to end of this post and consider changing your plans. If you think that kind of activity is for other people and not for you, please read this whole post with an open mind.
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Can we afford a full and prompt transition to a sustainable economy – including generating electricity, heating and cooling our buildings, and providing transportation without using fossil fuels? – Why I conclude “yes”. Where the money is now.
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I sometimes find myself wondering if anything I do to try to help stop climate change makes a difference. So it got my attention when the Yale Program on Climate Communications reported recently that having more frequent conversations with friends, neighbors, and relatives about climate change really does make a difference. These conversations shift people’s perceptions to greater …
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Years ago when I was teaching first and second grade, we had a charming little book in our classroom library that featured photographs of families from different cultures around the world, eating their traditional foods. I loved this book because it showed cultural differences appreciatively, while highlighting a key commonality of people around the world – we all need and eat food.
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A friend recently asked me, “How important is it that I reduce my carbon footprint? Will it really make any difference?”
This is a good question. I’ve been puzzling over this for years. My answer is…
I recently tried to start a conversation about climate change with a small group of acquaintances. I asked, “What do you think of the situation with the climate? I’m curious how each of you sees it.”
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Even though I grew up in a poor family, I started getting a very small allowance when I was about 10 years old. I think it started at 20 cents per week. It wasn’t much, but it was mine. Soon I started saving ….
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