Climate Change Is Happening to You
Recent hurricanes on the south and east coasts of the United States, large tornados in the Midwest, and tornados where they haven’t been before. Polar vortexes, extreme heat, small towns in the Southwest running out of water. All these things are due to climate change.
U.S. news sources downplay or deny the situation. They often report climate disasters as one-time events. They rarely follow up on how people’s lives have been affected. And they “color” the news, making it seem as if black and brown people are the only ones impacted. It’s true that black and brown people are currently the ones most affected by climate disasters, but the “coloring” of the news makes white USers think the disasters are happening only to “others” or are overseas. The reporting doesn’t make visible the large numbers of poor and other white farmers (who are the majority of the farmers in the United States) that are affected by climate change.
First World wealth helps keep USers in denial about the changes. Many USers have a pattern that says, “Nothing bad can happen to us,” or “We are the smartest people on earth so we’ll be able to figure this out and make it not happen.” But it is happening. Climate change is happening to you and to your people. It is happening right in your own backyard. It makes sense to notice this.
Learn what is happening in your immediate area. Set up listening projects in your neighborhood, and for the farmers. Propose and take bold actions at various governmental levels. Talk to anyone and everyone about climate change. What are the “drastic actions” you can take, and use your influence to get others to take?
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Reprinted from the RC e-mail discussion list for leaders in the care of the environment
(Present Time 198, January 2020)