Post-Election Blues: It was the Best of Times, it was the Worst of Times
Post Election Blues:
It was the Best of Times, it was the Worst of Times
It was the best of times, it was the worst of
times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the
epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light,
it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of
despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all
going direct to Heaven, we were all going to hell– in short, the period was
just like today. – Charles Dickens, 1859
These famous words written during the height of the horror of
the British Industrial revolution were meant to describe the state of affairs
during French revolution but clearly applied equally to Dickens own time just
as it applies to ours. Being a history nut has taught me one thing: misery is
the norm and almost all of it is self-induced.
Today, nearing the end of the federal election as a Green party
candidate, the emotions expressed above capture my mood completely: there was a
golden moment where maybe, just maybe, there was a chance to make the climate crisis
THE issue in the election; however, except for those who already ‘get it’, such
as the million youth who walked on the climate marches, most voters are still
not making this their top issue. As of today it looks like we are going to be
stuck in “business as usual” - which simply means that more pain and suffering
– mostly unnecessary – is heading our way in the near future.
However, in spite of this reality – the cup is ½ full – if
you choose to see it that way! Why? Because when people have no choice but to
act together, they can perform what seem like a miracle. The question is thus
not whether or not we will act, only how much of a nudge is required before we
wake up out of our present unconscious state and finally do something. Now, by
doing something, I do not just mean “our government” or “the Chinese & Americans”
– I also mean YOU! Of course, our individual impact means statistically nothing
– and yet Martin Luther King Jr and Mahatma Ghandi both changed the world. Our
example is the virus that spreads to infect others with the disease of hope and
action.
Today I would just like to list headlines with links of the
various bits of “bad” news [the worst of times] that are the kick in the pants
to get us moving and then the “good” news [the best of times] that those people
who have decided to actually do something instead of wringing their hands and
making pathetic excuses like: “well, anything I do won’t make enough of a
difference to matter” – all I can say, in polite company, is fiddlesticks.
We are
dependent on the natural world for every breath of air we take and every
mouthful of food we eat. But it's even more than that: we are also dependent on
it for our sanity and sense of proportion.
Sir David Attenborough
The Worst of Times
One survey in the U.K. showed
that half of children between the ages of seven and 11 worry
about climate change. Other reports
suggest kids are more worried about climate change than their own homework. https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/hopeless-or-hopeful-how-eco-anxiety-affects-kids-and-youth-1.4608324?cache=yesclipId104062%3FclipId%3D89563%3FautoPlay%3Dtrue
Cleaning up more than
300,000 oil and gas wells in Alberta could total up to $70 billion. https://edmontonjournal.com/news/politics/cost-estimates-to-clean-up-oil-and-gas-wells-lack-transparency-says-advocacy-group
Is
Canada Broken? The country seems more polarized than ever. https://thewalrus.ca/democracy-is-canada-broken/
In the past 40 years the Earth has
lost a third of its arable land to erosion and degradation.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2017/04/china-great-green-wall-gobi-tengger-desertification/
We are unable to see that the climate
conditions that allowed civilizations to flourish during the last 10,000 years
will soon be replaced by a savage struggle to survive. https://www.truthdig.com/articles/the-last-act-of-the-human-comedy/
Cognitive biases that ensured our initial
survival now make it difficult to address long-term challenges that threaten
our existence, like climate change. http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20190304-human-evolution-means-we-can-tackle-climate-change
Read
this to have a deeper understanding the psychological challenge we face: Can eco
leadership save the planet?
Beyond the
roots of human inaction: Fostering collective effort toward ecosystem
conservation https://www.scienceintheclassroom.org/research-papers/can-eco-leadership-save-planet
The Best of Times
It will be less expensive to operate new solar and clean
energy portfolios than 90% of the proposed combined-cycle natural gas power
capacity slated to come online by 2035—some 68 gigawatts’. https://solarmagazine.com/natural-gas-power-stranded-asset-risk-reaches-a-tipping-point/
Argentina May Be the Hottest Renewable Energy
Market
Power
shift Renewable energy is cheaper than ever and investors are taking notice
Scotland’s
emissions have almost halved since 1990 and recent commitments mean Scotland
will achieve a 90 per cent net reduction of all greenhouse gases, regarded as
carbon neutrality, by 2050. https://www.scotsman.com/news/opinion/how-scotland-is-leading-the-world-in-fight-against-climate-change-roseanna-cunnginham-1-4899616
Yes, climate change
can be beaten by 2050. Here’s how. https://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/yes-climate-change-can-be-beaten-by-2050-heres-how/
So, read more good news than bad news. Do something -
anything! Most importantly demonstrate to your kids and grandchildren that this
challenge is not hopeless and when you talk with them focus on the good news,
while admitting that the bad too exists. Personally I choose to act. I choose
to help heal those already damaged by despair. I hope you do too.
posted by Gordon @ 03:32
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