 The aftermath of Hurricane Helene has been described several times in the media as “Biblical”. This is of course true in the superficial sense that it was a big flood and there's one of those in the Bible. But the real story for the ages here that resonates across time and should be passed on as legend deep into the future (if we make it that far) are the lies and the disbelief even in the midst of the undeniable—the brutal and increasingly tragic self-deception still held by so many, including perhaps a majority of the residents in Western North Carolina most affected by this disaster. Their hearts are hardened. The world groans in pain. These lies of course have an ultimate source: the fossil fuel companies and their political representatives who continue to deceive. The deceivers. They knew, they lied, they lie, and many believe. Tragedy of tragedies. Tragedy well beyond anything Shakespeare, the ancient Greeks or Hebrews could have conjured. Luckily, we are not fated, and there is still a tremendous amount we can do. And we have and are doing so, if not fast enough. I choose to believe the truth will prevail and the deceivers will be routed out and brought to justice.
Meanwhile, the rest of the world suffers under this same weight--the concurrent flooding in Nepal just to name one example.
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Americans, the reelection of Joe Biden is absolutely vital. Climate change is a leading reason why. Even if you disagree with some of his actions and policies, e.g., Gaza or COVID response, or are concerned about his age, please don't sit this one out or throw your vote away on a third party (effectively giving a vote to Trump). Not now. Biden has done perhaps more than any other single person in combating climate change through the passing of the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Act. But there is still a lot more that needs to be done--urgently. If you think the southern border is a mess or you are appalled by gruesome wars, what we are seeing now is nothing compared to what climate change will continue to bring. November is still a long way off, but please keep this in mind. Or better yet, start working now to keep him in office. (Congress matters too).  Fossil fuel companies (and their corrupt government operatives) aren't going to stop themselves - we have to force them. Here's an outlet to begin this world-historically important work: a Global Climate Strike is planned by Fridays for Future on September 15, and a March to End Fossil Fuels will be held in New York and around the world on September 17 (LINK HERE). “Anything else you’re interested in is not going to happen if you can’t breathe the air and drink the water. Don’t sit this one out. Do something. You are by accident of fate alive at an absolutely critical moment in the history of the planet.” --Carl Sagan  Is this finally the climate change equivalent of the dust bowl? Our "Black Sunday"? In 1935, after denial and inaction by D.C. legislators, a plume of dust from Oklahoma darkened the skies--landing directly on D.C.--finally making the issue inescapable. I have a glimmer of hope, but also realize that a significant portion of our political landscape is hopelessly out of touch with reality (I'm talking to you, [most] Republicans and Joe Manchin) to the point of not only denying ample scientific evidence, but even their own senses. "[fire historian Stephen] Pyne sees a small glimmer of hope: Just like the day in 2020 when San Francisco turned orange, this dramatic smoke event might help show the urgency of fighting climate change. “These large smoke palls may have the same motivating effect as the Dust Bowl squalls in the '30s,” says Pyne. “That was a remote environmental issue in the middle of the country where hardly anybody lived. And now it's at the steps of the Capitol.”" (from here)  A dust storm from the Midwest blew into Washington in 1935, darkening the skies over the Lincoln Memorial. (Source: USDA website) Like the author of this blog entry, I attended atmospheric scientist Katherine Hayhoe's excellent talk last night on the challenges of communicating climate science in a politically polarized environment. As the author did such an excellent job recapping, I won't repeat the effort here. Here is her book, which reaches out to an Evangelican Christian audience. It is currently out of print, but used copies are available online. I spoke with her afterwards and she said a second addition is coming out soon. She also produces Global Weirding--a series of short clips that tackle common climate misconceptions. I agree with her that we need a variety of approaches to communicate the ongoing truth of a changing climate driven primarily by human influences. Her approach is not exactly my own as I don't share in her faith, but I appreciate her excellent scientific work, well-developed presentation, and approachable personality. I also appreciated her openness about what drew her to climate communication, including marrying a climate change denier. I asked a follow-up question about convincing skeptical family members and she affirmed that this is the hardest. This reflects my own experience. All you can do is point people to the right resources regardless of outcome, so I've done my part. One thing in the presentation that stood out to me was just how polarized our country really has become. Probably we have not been so divided since just before the Civil War. Here is an article that makes just such a comparison and may explain why, though it obviously has it's own political bent.  |
Chris Dunn, PhD
Researcher, writer, explorer*, photographer, thinker. Wrestling with nature, culture, technology. Archives
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*When I use the term "exploration", I mean it in a personal sense (discovery for myself, or at a unique moment in time [everywhere after all--even crowded cities--endlessly await rediscovery--by new eyes and in new moments]), not in an absolute sense. With few exceptions (notably Antarctica), almost everywhere on earth has had other people around for a long time (though to varying degrees - high mountain tops or places like the interior of the Greenland Ice Sheet for instance were far less visited and populated, and undoubtedly at least some pockets of the earth were never visited or populated). It is an enlightening experience though when on an isolated ridge in what feels like the middle of nowhere to wonder if anyone has set foot there but never knowing for sure. What is significant is that the landscape itself is left in such a condition that it isn't evident. Some places ought to be kept that way.
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