A Catalyst for Action

In 2002, I had the honor of attending the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg, South Africa.  This UN Conference brought the world together 10 years later to follow up on the historic 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.  Without getting into too many details here, many considered the WSSD a disappointment--a missed opportunity to make meaningful progress on a host of important environmental issues.  The global community kicked the can down the road.

Twelve years later, the world has gathered again--this time in New York City. Yes, there are still some people making excuses, claiming that Climate Change is not real, that humans cannot possibly be responsible for changing the temperature, weather, climate of the entire planet.  These Climate Deniers are a small but very vocal group that still have tremendous political influence in the United States.  Fortunately, the rest of the world is not listening.  Countries from Germany to China have realized: 1) the science speaks for itself, 2) this is happening now, and 3) we've already missed the chance to mitigate some harm.  We'd better act NOW or else the harm will be a whole lot worse.  Some clever people have also realized there's money to be made in new technology, and this doesn't need to be a "jobs vs. the environment" debate.  

So, what are some news organizations most worried about?  Whether or not a football player committed a crime (pick one), whether President Obama was disrespectful with his latte-salute, or whether one of the Kardashians or Jenners or whomever they are did X (pick anything).

Dear readers, this is all just one big distraction from things that really matter.  We are facing real problems, and we're (humans) the cause of these problems.  Today in Oklahoma, some guy cut off a woman's head apparently due to misguided religious beliefs.  Wildfires burning near Lake Tahoe were started by an arsonist.  ISIS and the Taliban are committing genocide and creating havoc in the Middle East while Putin is still making a mess in Ukraine.  Perhaps most alarming is that ebola could actually turn into a global pandemic--in large part due to misinformation, lack of education, superstitions...and the fact that the global community is pretty much failing to fund any sort of meaningful response.  

Really?  Really?!?  I look at my little boy sleeping peacefully as I write this.  I wonder what world we're going to leave him?  I am afraid it won't be nearly as nice as the world I was born into, and I hate that we as a country, as a species, can't figure out that we're wasting precious time on nonsense.

So, if you've taken the time to read this far, I ask you please--do this one thing.  Make the world slightly better with your time here.  I don't care what it is.  Add beauty through art or music.  Waste less.  Be kinder.  Invent something that makes things better.  Learn something new, and share it.  Help underprivileged kids.  Just. Do. Something. Good.

And me?  I'm about to start really educating myself much more thoroughly on Green House Gas emissions, renewable energy, and some related topics so I can take a more active role in this area.  I will also be sharing these new insights in my blog.  (Of course, if I happen to get involved in a dog-bite case, I may still talk about that too...)  Twelve years ago I flew all the way to South Africa to try and make things a little bit better.  I think now it is time to finally make good on that promise.  

Changing Public Perceptions of Climate Change

A new study from the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication and George Mason University was just released last week. It appears that "a large and growing number of Americans" believe that global warming is affecting weather in the United States. This number is up 5% since March of 2012--from 69% to 74%.

Further, Americans were more likely to connect global warming to record high temperatures this summer, Americans said that climate change had made events such as the severe drought that struck the Midwest this summer worse, and Americans increasingly say that weather in the U.S. has been getting worse over the past several years.

I believe that too often laws and regulations are the result of politics, not sound science. Nevertheless, the public's willingness to accept or reject new environmental controls and standards strongly affects what laws/regulations may ultimately come to pass. Traditionally the American public has trailed other developed countries in accepting climate change as a real phenomenon. If public perception is indeed changing, we may be on the cusp of policy changes as well.

The report itself is far too long for this little blog. However, if you are interested in reading more:Click Here