Losing the Earth
Have you read the NYTimes Sunday magazine, “Losing Earth” by Nathaniel Rich, Sunday, August 1?
It is very long but worth reading. It begins, “Thirty years ago, we had a chance to save the planet.” But, he says,to save life on this earth now will take a revolution, “But in order to become a revolutionary, you need first to suffer.”
The glaciers, he says, are gone. “We are now looking at the tipping of the first domino piece — glaciers — in a complex system of domino pieces, natural systems on earth. And we are losing options for action. It is too late to save the glaciers.”
Rich’s criticism of us, all of us, is distressing. He says, “We know that if we don’t act to reduce emissions, we risk the collapse of civilization. We also know that, without a gargantuan intervention, whatever happens will be worse for our children, worse yet for their children and even worse still for their children’s children, whose lives, our actions have demonstrated, mean nothing to us. Could it have been any other way?”
That’s harsh, and distressing, but what can we say in the face of the evidence.
A harsh indictment of us, and we as a species will be found guilty.
Perhaps there would still be time if nations stopped carbon emissions, stopped cutting forests, required canopy trees in all large parking lots, required green roofs on new construction, banned factory farming of cows, chickens, and hogs, and banned single-use plastics, but they won’t, and there’s not much of that that we as individuals can control. Not much, but some.
Some of these things we can do without our indifferent government leaders. We can encourage our local councils to support
green roofs and to require trees in parking lots, and to provide city property for community gardens. We can stop eating
factory farmed animals and fish and stop using single-use plastic bags and drinking straws. Take your one carry-out containers
to restaurants for bringing leftovers home.
Friends, this is important. Turning out your lights and taking shorter showers is not going to do it.
Helen of Marlowe's Blog 
I’m wondering what this says about our human nature. A few of us have been sounding the alarm bells for decades but have been met with disinterest, denial, and attacks upon our character. Even today, now that the realities of climate change are generally accepted, most people continue going about their usual lifestyles while averting their eyes to the impending catastrophe. When scientists and activists complain that the news media is not adequately covering the story, media executives counter that climate change is a ratings killer. Profits, after all, must trump all other concerns; and, blissful unawareness is more comforting than painful realizations.
Seriously, what does this say about us? Is it really better to blindly drive off a cliff with a smile on our face?