Addressing the Evidence of Climate Change

--- Piney Woods Journal Submission 2016

I'm sure that almost all of us have heard or read about the issue of climate change and its projected impact on humans and the natural environment. Most earth scientists warn of drastic measures that appear necessary to prevent suffering and great harm from occurring in the not-too-distant future. The question seems whether we as have the moral, political, and economic courage to confront these huge environmental concerns and actually agree on paths to take. Our overall approach and success in this regard so far can certainly be questioned.

So many of us are busy with many day-to-day life challenges that only direct examples of environmental damage catch our attention. Even then, we as citizens often feel powerless to make any real difference in the debate and inertia about what to do. We know that traditional "factory" models of industrial production have given our country both great wealth and deadly serious environmental concerns. Many corporate business cultures provide a "mixed" bag of positive and negative environmental outcomes. In our country and many others there doesn't yet seem the political consensus to agree on practical changes to begin to cope with the evidence of harmful climate change.

Still the migration of those adversely affectedI'm sure that almost all of us have heard or read about the issue of climate change and its projected impact on humans and the natural environment. Most earth scientists warn of drastic measures that appear necessary to prevent suffering and great harm from occurring in the not-too-distant future. The question seems whether we as have the moral, political, and economic courage to confront these huge environmental concerns and actually agree on paths to take. Our overall approach and success in this regard so far can certainly be questioned.

So many of us are busy with many day-to-day life challenges that only direct examples of environmental damage catch our attention. Even then, we as citizens often feel powerless to make any real difference in the debate and inertia about what to do. We know that traditional "factory" models of industrial production have given our country both great wealth and deadly serious environmental concerns. Many corporate business cultures provide a "mixed" bag of positive and negative environmental outcomes. In our country and many others there doesn't yet seem the political consensus to agree on practical changes to begin to cope with the evidence of harmful climate change.

Still the migration of those adversely affectedI'm sure that almost all of us have heard or read about the issue of climate change and its projected impact on humans and the natural environment. Most earth scientists warn of drastic measures that appear necessary to prevent suffering and great harm from occurring in the not-too-distant future. The question seems whether we as have the moral, political, and economic courage to confront these huge environmental concerns and actually agree on paths to take. Our overall approach and success in this regard so far can certainly be questioned.

So many of us are busy with many day-to-day life challenges that only direct examples of environmental damage catch our attention. Even then, we as citizens often feel powerless to make any real difference in the debate and inertia about what to do. We know that traditional "factory" models of industrial production have given our country both great wealth and deadly serious environmental concerns. Many corporate business cultures provide a "mixed" bag of positive and negative environmental outcomes. In our country and many others there doesn't yet seem the political consensus to agree on practical changes to begin to cope with the evidence of harmful climate change.

Still the migration of those adversely affectedI'm sure that almost all of us have heard or read about the issue of climate change and its projected impact on humans and the natural environment. Most earth scientists warn of drastic measures that appear necessary to prevent suffering and great harm from occurring in the not-too-distant future. The question seems whether we as have the moral, political, and economic courage to confront these huge environmental concerns and actually agree on paths to take. Our overall approach and success in this regard so far can certainly be questioned.

So many of us are busy with many day-to-day life challenges that only direct examples of environmental damage catch our attention. Even then, we as citizens often feel powerless to make any real difference in the debate and inertia about what to do. We know that traditional "factory" models of industrial production have given our country both great wealth and deadly serious environmental concerns. Many corporate business cultures provide a "mixed" bag of positive and negative environmental outcomes. In our country and many others there doesn't yet seem the political consensus to agree on practical changes to begin to cope with the evidence of harmful climate change.

Still the migration of those adversely affectedI'm sure that almost all of us have heard or read about the issue of climate change and its projected impact on humans and the natural environment. Most earth scientists warn of drastic measures that appear necessary to prevent suffering and great harm from occurring in the not-too-distant future. The question seems whether we as have the moral, political, and economic courage to confront these huge environmental concerns and actually agree on paths to take. Our overall approach and success in this regard so far can certainly be questioned.

So many of us are busy with many day-to-day life challenges that only direct examples of environmental damage catch our attention. Even then, we as citizens often feel powerless to make any real difference in the debate and inertia about what to do. We know that traditional "factory" models of industrial production have given our country both great wealth and deadly serious environmental concerns. Many corporate business cultures provide a "mixed" bag of positive and negative environmental outcomes. In our country and many others there doesn't yet seem the political consensus to agree on practical changes to begin to cope with the evidence of harmful climate change.

Still the migration of those adversely affectedI'm sure that almost all of us have heard or read about the issue of climate change and its projected impact on humans and the natural environment. Most earth scientists warn of drastic measures that appear necessary to prevent suffering and great harm from occurring in the not-too-distant future. The question seems whether we as have the moral, political, and economic courage to confront these huge environmental concerns and actually agree on paths to take. Our overall approach and success in this regard so far can certainly be questioned.

So many of us are busy with many day-to-day life challenges that only direct examples of environmental damage catch our attention. Even then, we as citizens often feel powerless to make any real difference in the debate and inertia about what to do. We know that traditional "factory" models of industrial production have given our country both great wealth and deadly serious environmental concerns. Many corporate business cultures provide a "mixed" bag of positive and negative environmental outcomes. In our country and many others there doesn't yet seem the political consensus to agree on practical changes to begin to cope with the evidence of harmful climate change.

Still the migration of those adversely affectedI'm sure that almost all of us have heard or read about the issue of climate change and its projected impact on humans and the natural environment. Most earth scientists warn of drastic measures that appear necessary to prevent suffering and great harm from occurring in the not-too-distant future. The question seems whether we as have the moral, political, and economic courage to confront these huge environmental concerns and actually agree on paths to take. Our overall approach and success in this regard so far can certainly be questioned.

So many of us are busy with many day-to-day life challenges that only direct examples of environmental damage catch our attention. Even then, we as citizens often feel powerless to make any real difference in the debate and inertia about what to do. We know that traditional "factory" models of industrial production have given our country both great wealth and deadly serious environmental concerns. Many corporate business cultures provide a "mixed" bag of positive and negative environmental outcomes. In our country and many others there doesn't yet seem the political consensus to agree on practical changes to begin to cope with the evidence of harmful climate change.

Still the migration of those adversely affectedAlmost everyone has now heard or read about the issue of climate change and its projected impacts on humans and the natural environment.   Most earth scientists warn of drastic measures that appear necessary to prevent great suffering and harm in the not-too-distant future.  Still there are those who deny this threat, or at least question the severity of it.

Without the many vital resources from our global natural environment, we know that we cannot long survive.  So preserving and protecting our natural environment should be a primary and critical concern for all.  The question seems to be if or when we will have the insight to act upon evidence of large-scale environmental harm due to climate change and take appropriate steps. 

We as individuals are often so busy with many day-to-day life challenges that only dire or personal examples of serious environmental damage catch our attention.  Even then, we often feel powerless to make any real difference in the debate and inertia about what to do.   We are cynical of privileged and powerful interests who advocate a particular and favored agenda.  In our country and many others there doesn't yet seem a political consensus to agree on necessary changes to cope with the evidence of harmful climate change.   

Solving this dilemma will obviously not be simple or easy.   We might well agree, though, on certain values and needs:

1) recognition of at least some valid reasons for public alarm or concern;

2) need for some degree of actual responsiveness to threats, rather than a fearful paralysis and inaction;

3) need for dialogues in which key stakeholders impacted by evidence of climate change really listen to and learn from one another, without domination by the more privileged and powerful voices;

4) use of the moral imagination of scientists and other stakeholders in these dialogues in suggesting creative change potentials; and

5) assistance of fair-minded facilitators for these environmental dialogues, for subsequent decision making, and for administration of agreed-upon initiatives.    

Education is at the heart of any process to confront and cope with evidence of climate change.  Little will be accomplished until a “critical mass” of people become educated enough to perceive the life-or-death implications of climate change and until some “tipping point” of active public concern occurs.  Delay in our reaching this critical mass and tipping point means increasingly harmful environmental impacts as well as more difficulties and costs in preserving what remains of our life-sustaining natural environment.  Yes, we can do better, and do more. It’s a question of time, and our increasing knowledge and determination to act.