Thursday, October 11, 2018

Climate shift

Did you read the UN's Climate report? I did. And I had to sit down after reading it because it felt like a punch to the gut.
After reading the report, my husband and I said, what steps can we take now, right this minute, to reduce our carbon footprint? And I'm urging you and your families to do the same. Our sacrifice is urgent and necessary. We are facing a global threat, not unlike a world war. If this were a world war, what sacrifices would we be asked to make? I'm willing to ration my use of gasoline and travel and meat to keep our planet habitable. Think about what small sacrifices and then larger ones you are willing to make and then make them. 

Start here.

Although my husband and I are continually working to reduce our carbon footprint, the more pointed measures we will begin to take, like cutting our plane and car travel, will be difficult adjustments. And no matter what steps we do take in our home -- reducing meat consumption, growing our own food, buying food that is grown locally and organically, drying laundry on a clothes-line, taking 3 minute showers -- our carbon footprint will not shrink much, even when cutting travel, if the US does not take responsibility as a nation for its carbon emissions. Our civilization has become  dependent upon burning fossil fuels for energy. We must stop burning fossil fuels if we hope to preserve that civilization.  

We want to leave a world for generations of humans to grapple with for thousands of years to come. Please tell your congressional representative that this is a priority for all of us, for our survival.