Our planet is in peril. Short-sighted planning and selfish greed are having their way with the innocent world, and things are at risk of getting a whole lot worse.
I, for one, have been well-intentioned but nearly silent on this matter. Now that there is such a tangible threat to what small progress has been made, I no longer have that luxury.
The air, water, and soil of the only known livable planet are in jeopardy, and it won't just be the world's poor having their livelihoods ruined by the effects of the fossil fuel abuse and externalization of costs by the wealthiest few.
Not so long ago, we were content to think we could just buy new light bulbs, a hybrid vehicle, a low-flow shower head, and do a few meatless Mondays and turn this ship right around. While it's a nice thought, it pales in comparison to the careless and consumptive destruction of the world's few remaining forests, the relentless exhaustion of underground "natural resources" at rates 1000s of times greater than they are being replenished (and the matter of damage inflicted to obtain them), and the ability of massive private corporate interests to force the hand of our government at seemingly every level.
It's bad. It's probably worse than we even know. There's a whole lot of easy money to be made by weak hearts throwing the rest of the world and its future under the bus. There's a whole lot of easy days to be had by those who choose to ignore the science. There's a whole lot of work to be done by those who choose to unite and overcome this manipulation and slothful complacency.
Maybe you don't feel like you're part of the problem. But maybe it is not enough to “not do evil”. It's a strong and frightening statement, but consider the possibility that it might also be wrong to “not do good when given the chance”. Suddenly you have a lot more on your plate. On your deathbed, it will be a lot easier to consider the things you tried and failed at than the things you never did. Michael Jordan and missing all the shots you don’t take, ya know.
So don’t give up the ship. Don’t cower in fear of what might happen. Fight back, in whatever ways you believe you can be effective. We must be our own guardian angels—a Dumbledore's Army, so to speak, united in our defense against these dark arts. Politicians are (at best) a reflection of the public, and the public must present a united front.
I’m giving money to the Sierra Club because their staff, interns, and volunteers work in a professional manner to take part in and raise issues with a variety of matters, from public comment on specific agenda items of an Air Quality Management District Supervisors meeting to organizing major protests. They operate on the front lines, appealing to humanity, science, and reason in opposition to selfishness and corrupt policies.
Check out sierraclub.org if you have any questions. Join or donate directly to a different local chapter if you would please (this page is for the San Francisco Bay chapter).
Earnestly,
Alex Applegate