January 7, 2015 – I want to tell you about a book I just
read, by Naomi Klein, called This Changes Everything. Klein’s book is about climate change, and how
very close we have now come to exchanging our world for a place that’s nearly
unlivable.
She begins with dogged conjecture regarding why we appear to
want to change our world in such a manner.
We don’t, of course, so we engage in various degrees of climate change
denial. I’ll interject here that looking
away and pretending everything will be just fine is essentially mandatory, at
least from time to time, if we’re to continue living in this world without
going mad. Draconian measures are
required, as all non-Republicans are now aware.
In the words of Angelica Navarro Llanos, “We need a Marshall Plan for
the Earth.” All good Republicans know
what that means: the United States will get stuck with the bill. And that terrifies them.
Except that now, China has admitted that it must do
something to greatly reduce coal-burning emissions. So have we, for that matter. What terrifies all of us is that radically
reducing fossil fuel use isn’t anywhere near enough to make things right with
the world. In the developed world, we
must change everything about the way we live.
We must revive local economies. We
must end “Citizens United” corporate-style influence buying in the United
States. We must end trade deals with
poor countries that allow them to believe they can enjoy a western-style
standard of living, if only they will pollute their way out of poverty. We must invest in mass transit.
We must take back ownership of essential services like
energy and water. We must re-invent our
agricultural model. In my opinion, we
must also stop spending obscene amounts of money on wars we consistently lose. The good news, according to the author, is
that in changing the way we live, we can change the world for the better. The much better. All manner of new jobs will be necessary, thereby
helping to close the gap between rich and poor.
As a result, power will once again be more equally dispersed to the
many, rather than consolidated in the hands of the rich few. With a rejuvenated democracy, fairer policies
can be enacted that will benefit rich and poor alike.
Where do we stand right now?
Based upon preliminary data collected during 2013, global carbon dioxide
emissions were 61 percent higher then than in 1990. How much time do we have to get CO2 emissions
under control? Estimates vary, from zero
to ten years. A full-blown transition to
renewable energy must happen right away.
The public sphere must once again belong to all of us. Taxes must be raised on the wealthy. Regulations must be re-instated across the
board. These actions, while extremely
threatening to an elite minority, must take place if we are to save
ourselves. There is no savior on the
horizon. We must help ourselves or
accept the consequences.
As Klein herself puts it, “So we are left with a stark
choice: allow climate disruption to change everything about our world, or
change pretty much everything about our economy to avoid that fate.” It’s a hell of a choice, but we’ve done this
to ourselves.
Start changing everything.
Today.
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