It is clear to anyone on this planet that global warming is real, and we as a society have to address it head on. Wildfires are ripping across the west, devastating wildlife and threatening some of the largest trees in the world in Redwood National Park. Hurricanes, like Ida, loom over our coasts flooding our streets and leveling neighborhoods. If we fail to act, we could risk global devastation.

The time to take action was yesterday, and it shows. Global temperatures are rising, and they will likely continue to do so. Our addiction to fossil fuels has left our world dying. Now is the time to hold the assailant accountable. 

Only 100 companies account for over 70% of greenhouse gas emissions today. One-hundred. The problem? Those 100 companies have created a pay-off system by donating money to friendly politicians so that they do not have to suffer the consequences.

It cannot go without mention that most of the burden of climate change falls onto black, indigenous, Latino, people of color and the poor. For example, some neighborhoods in the Bronx have asthma rates as high as 20% among children. The pollution that our society tolerates is beginning to make us sick, or worse, kill us.

There is legislation out there seeking to correct these injustices and right the ship. The Green New Deal, for example, is a bold set of goals that would curb the emissions of the United States, create jobs, increase quality of life, and improve our infrastructure all at the same time. It is a set of ideas, not one big law, designed to get us thinking about how to prevent climate catastrophe. It is purposefully vague to allow adjustments as time goes on and as our needs as a nation change. Some politicians say that this plan is too bold and too expensive. What they fail to realize is that climate change is far more expensive. What costs us several trillion dollars to address now could cost us tens or hundreds of trillions dollars if we kick the can down the road.

This past week was Climate Week, when we were supposed to reflect about our own personal impact on climate change, educate ourselves on what can be done to improve the state of our climate and take action to pressure our leaders to pass laws that will protect us all. Climate change is an existential threat, it can not be fixed overnight or by just one person. We need each and every voice to be heard in this fight. Write your congressperson, email your legislators, call the governor. Do what you have to do in order to remind our leaders that they work for us, not the companies that pollute our lakes and streams and melt our ice caps. It is not a fight that can be won easily but it can be won. So, grab a shovel and let’s get to work!

Image from Flickr