On
Sunday, Sept. 21, beginning at 11:30, people from all across the
country will gather at Columbus Circle in New York for what's being
billed as "the largest climate march in history." I've never taken part
in a march, but I'll go to this one, and I encourage everyone else to
head to the Dinky that morning with plenty of time to spare.
The
most troubling thing about climate destabilization is that so little is
being done to slow it down. The worst sorts of problems, whether at the
level of the individual or global, are those that languish and deepen
for lack of action. Once a problem is acknowledged and the first few
significant steps are taken to solve it, there is an immediate sense of
relief.
For
instance, there was no lack of scary pronouncements on the world’s
prospects at a meeting of Princeton's chapter of the Citizens' Climate
Lobby this past weekend. Yet, there's comfort in participating in a
national organization working patiently for positive, bipartisan action.
At
this month’s meeting, we gathered in a Princeton living room to hear
via speaker phone from retired Rear Admiral Len Hering. It felt
reminiscent of President Roosevelt's fireside chats during WWII. During
his career in the Navy, Hering led a successful effort to reduce the
Navy's energy consumption by 40%. I felt some kinship, having reduced
our home energy consumption by a similar amount without sacrificing
comfort.
Hering
sees a clear and present risk to the world his three grandchildren will
inherit, and says "we're not having the adult conversation needed." He
described how a 12 year drought in Syria and the resulting social and
political instability had opened the door for radical elements like
ISIS. Dramatic sea level rise this century, combined with storm surges,
will create millions of refugees, further destabilizing governments
around the world.
These
grim prognoses will be far less depressing the moment we take action
and shift course. Staying with the status quo may feel safe, yet it is
creating huge risks. Climate destabilization, collectively created, is a
shared enemy. Action to slow it will be a unifying force, and that
action must come at all levels, from the global down to the individual.
The march is timed to precede the U.N. Climate Summit later in the month. Details on how to participate in the march (e.g. no wooden sticks for banners!) can be found at PeoplesClimate.org.
Note: Below are a book and links recommended by Rear Admiral Len Hering.
Book:
A Peace to End All Peace by David Fromkin
Other reports mentioned:
Climate Change, Migration, and Conflict
Center for Naval Analysis
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