BUT WE ARE ALL MEMBERS OF HER TEAM
(This essay appeared first on my new Substack page, The Optimistic Eye, where every Friday I’ll be highlighting individuals or nonprofits working to protect & advance truth, justice & the planet over the coming years. Some that aren’t too political will be copied here. Or, you’re invited to follow – &/or circulate to anyone you think might be interested – The Optimistic Eye. )
Sunrise over San Francisco Bay (Author photo)
Palm trees and alligators in the Arctic Circle? It could happen (again.)
Planet Earth has made its way through periods of melting glaciers and tropical forests throughout its history, which is generally thought to be about 4.5 billion years – give or take some 50 million. Our human descendants aren’t likely to be around to enjoy this much-revised scenery.
Today’s question is about what scenery our great-great-grandchildren might enjoy.
Preparing to leave office, President Biden recently announced new climate goals; he may have had an eye on what his own great-great-grandchildren will inherit. Those goals are aimed at limiting greenhouse gases and in other ways slowing our journey toward arctic palm trees. They are encapsulated in the Paris Agreement that went into effect in November, 2016, signed by 194 countries and the European Union.
President Trump immediately pulled the U.S. out of this legally binding agreement as soon as he took office – but it took him most of his first term to unravel everything, and President Biden then reinstated it.
The bad news is that Mr. Trump will quickly pull us out again – “drill, baby, drill” – but the good news is that it will take a while for the pro-arctic-palm-trees business to get underway.
There’s plenty of other good news. Individuals and organizations are at work on ways to protect Planet Earth – and stave off its warming trend – through trees and rainforests, kelp and other nature-based ways of carbon capture; through new technologies for carbon removal.
Mono Lake, an ancient and changing piece of Planet Earth (Author photo)
The warming trend and changing climate aren’t only carbon-related, but founder and co-host Greg Dalton of San Francisco-based Climate One points out that “the last time the atmospheric CO₂ amounts were as high as they are today was more than 3 million years ago.”
“It’s obvious,” Dalton says, “we need to stop emitting greenhouse gasses, but that won’t be enough to prevent adverse effects of climate disruption.” Thus the continuing work in other nature-based or technological directions.
Want to know more? Climate One podcasts, videos and programs are on the website, covering a wide variety of topics. And if you want to pitch in or learn more, the Climate Action Guide is a great way to start.
(The author exploring the Arctic Circle and its melting glaciers in 2019)
Six years ago I was lucky enough to join Dalton and other Climate One leaders for a trip to the Arctic Circle, an up close and personal look at melting glaciers and disappearing wildlife habitat. It was an eye-opening and not altogether encouraging look at what’s happening to our warming planet.
In the last six weeks Northern California has had tornado and tsunami warnings, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake and a winter storm that caused the collapse of a section of the historic Santa Cruz wharf.
However the political winds blow, there’s work underway to slow climate change and protect Mother Nature’s interests. Any of the nonprofits cited above are open to support.
On behalf of Planet Earth, I’m just saying . . .
Thank you Frannie. I always learn from you.
As soon as family visitors go home or on to other horizons I’ll contact you. Xo j
It’s a deal!