By Shoshana Hebshi
Following the release of a United Nations report that poses climate change will reach hazardous levels within the next 20 years, Saturday Night Live’s Michael Che commented during his Weekend Update segment that the whole episode “should be a telethon or something, but it’s not.”
“We’re all gonna lose the planet! We should be sad, right?” Che said. “I think it’s because they keep telling us we’re gonna lose everything, and nobody cares about everything, people only care about some things.”
Che went on to list examples of specific things certain demographics would lose that would make them take action, for example white women losing knitting, or black people losing Atlanta. Funny, sure, but the grim forecast is anything but a joke.
The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a group of scientists convened by the United Nations to guide world leaders, describes a world of worsening food shortages and wildfires, and a mass die-off of coral reefs as soon as 2040 — a period well within the lifetime of much of the global population.
The report’s authors stated that if the current rate of greenhouse gas emissions continue, the atmosphere will warm by as much as 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit. This shift will intensify the ongoing effects of climate change around the globe, such as stronger storms, fiercer droughts and rising sea level.
To stave off this dire projection, humans would have to reduce GHG emissions by staggering amounts—essentially going carbon neutral.
Yet the Trump administration, and the president himself, denies climate change is a threat, continues to bolster the fossil fuel industry by reversing conservation initiatives and weakening environmental regulations. Therefore, it is even more crucial individuals take drastic steps to reduce their emissions.
Redwood Chapter’s climate committee chair Randy MacDonald said there’s no time or room to despair about the outlook. It is time for action.
“Each of us can do something tangible in our own lives to make a difference,” he said. “We can’t just say, ‘be alarmed.” We need to provide ways for people to take action.”
Some of these actions, he said, include working with Sierra Club in our communities, collaborating in the political process by advocating to our elected officials, talking to schoolchildren and taking steps to reduce our individual carbon footprint.
“Unfortunately, the worst impacts of climate change are yet ahead of us and it will be particularly severe if we don’t take sustained action and focused action now,” he said.
Regionally, MacDonald said we will feel a worsening in the drought conditions, which will impact agriculture and water availability, as well as make land more susceptible to destructive wildfires. The kelp forests off the region’s coastline are suffering an ecological collapse, which is altering the entire food chain and the fishing industry that has sustained North Coast communities.
“This situation isn’t normal,” he said. “Climate change is already here and we need to take action now.”
During an Oct. 24 talk in Sebastopol, author Barbara Kingsolver was asked whether she had hope about our dire predicament. She responded by saying not taking action on climate change is “institutionalized child abuse.” The younger generations, she said, will be the ones dealing with the worst effects of climate change, and the lack of action by political leadership is akin to child abuse. There’s no other choice but to have hope, she added.
MacDonald is optimistic. He sees our region reducing its fossil fuel production and use, but also sees a potential to improve removal of carbon from the atmosphere through our forests and regenerative agriculture.
Yet, we can all do more. MacDonald suggests assessing our individual carbon footprint by looking at the products and services we consume and by making our homes more energy efficient. Solar panels and driving a used electric vehicle are worthwhile investments. Moving to a plant-based diet will also help, as will reducing vehicle trips and carpooling. We can also explore alternatives in our stock portfolios and invest in companies that promote climate friendly business models while divesting in those that support fossil fuels.
We can also take more political action, he said. While Sierra Club at the state level is making a real difference advocating for policy changes in California, the chapters and the local groups can do more with cities and counties.
“We should be reaching out to our schools, and we should be recruiting the next generation of Sierra Clubbers and promoting energy efficiency in the private sector,” he said. “We’ve got local leadership in all our groups, but we don’t have many people stepping up. All you need to do is reach out to your group and say: ‘I want to help address climate change at the local and regional level,’ and the group will plug you in.”
With more involvement at the local level, he said, we can achieve the drastic shift needed to keep our planet hospitable.
“It’s a matter of personal commitment and political will,” he said. “With Sierra Club’s proven track record over the decades, we can make change happen.”
Please get involved, and contact Randy MacDonald at randal@whatcanbedone.com to get hooked up with others in your area wanting to take action on climate change.