Maybe we are not doomed

And, maybe we should stop worrying about it and act.

The other day I ran across a column in the Daily Globe by the reputable syndicated columnist Gene Lyons.  The title was, “Maybe we are Doomed” * I read it. Gene describes the state of the world’s health as analyzed by the UN extinction report.  

Lucky for us in the U.P., when we walk outdoors, we are greeted by a thriving natural world. The job of the UN scientists is to analyze the various regions and species of the earth to get an overall health report. The scientists are thorough. I guess I would compare it to a Mayo Clinic routine physical which takes a minimum of three days.

Have you ever gone to visit someone, and they look so bad you knew they needed medical help right now, so you made an appointment with a doctor? I have. The gentleman I made the appointment for and offered to give a ride refused to go for help. He died a couple weeks later.  

Because we live in such a pristine oasis of the world, it is hard for us to imagine how precarious mother earth’s life is. We only see her smile and the flowers in her hair. When examined, thoroughly world-wide, scientists tell us her heart shows signs of impending cardiac arrest.

Psychologists tell us our own death is too frightening for most Americans to wrestle with. When confronted, most of us will mentally shut down. Climate activists, on this advice, usually do not play the death card. It is taboo.

Mr. Lyons either did not read that tip or he paid it no heed. His column tossed the death cat out of the bag. So, how do we deal with the reality? Can we cope?

Lots of people have dangerous jobs. Mine was risky. What I learned was worrying would not lengthen my life a second. It was just a miserable waste of time. The cure for worry is action. Well thought out action reduces risk. It reduces mission risk and reduces stress.

Regarding the climate threat, it is why I joined Citizens Climate Lobby. Additionally, I eat less beef, get my electricity from Arcadia, ride a bike, use mulch instead of fertilizer, and take trains and busses instead of airplanes. All of these little actions help mother earth just a wee bit, but collectively, they make a difference and psychologically, they are all stress relievers. 

Can I do better? Oh yeah.  One little step at a time, please, then another. I take satisfaction in my small actions.

Maybe we are not doomed. Car manufactures have new electric vehicles coming out left and right. Cities world-wide are pledging to go to net zero emissions. Wind and solar energy systems are being installed at a record pace. Nuclear power is reemerging in a safer form. Businesses are making plans to be sustainable and implementing their plans. What are these businesses and cities discovering? They are saving money and bragging about it. 

Politically more citizens and businesses are petitioning their legislators to vote for HR763, the bipartisan energy innovation and carbon dividend act to incentivize us to move a little faster.

Act, and do not worry. I listened to a 47-year-old mother on public radio describe a conversation she had with her 9-year-old son a few years ago. Their beloved grandmother was sick, and her doctors told mom she had only a few months to live.

Her son immediately took mom aside. He said, in so many words, “Mom, do not worry until you have to. That is the worst thing, worrying before you have to worry.” She stopped worrying and started doing.  Granda-ma lived quite a few more years and mom learned about the futility of worrying.

We can worry ourselves into inaction and into ill-health. We have twelve years to reduce our emissions by 50%. This is achievable. We must “do”, and not worry. Will it mean some sacrifice? I hope so. If we sacrifice some convenience to make a difference, there lies the satisfaction.

Here is a quote by Gaylord Nelson I have had on my refrigerator for years:

“The ultimate test of a man’s conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard.”

*https://www.uexpress.com/gene-lyons/archives

**https://energyinnovationact.org/

Or, “Rest not from Duty, but find rest in it.” A note kept in my wallet courtesy of a Golden Dragon Chinese Restaurant fortune cookie.

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