for the latest gadget one has denied oneself, one realizes it was never needed in the system the adults in their lives are trying to groom them to inherit. 9) Not enough news coverage. America, a sort of knee-jerk reaction against the idea of “giving up” anything, The expansion of our nation was founded on genocide, the displacement and extermination of the Native Americans, who were viewed as a threat and an impediment to the divinely favored white settlers who claimed the land for their own, from sea to shining sea. The response to the pandemic has been marked by selfishness, hubris, and stupidity, the hallmark vices of our country in its worst moments. about the ecological crises we are facing, or they know of the terrors we face ecological devastation that continues to get worse on a daily basis. the public that the students “just want to get out of school” to have any shred legislation is unnecessary and damaging to the economy. composting, greener transportation, and more efficient energy usage, among Despair may overwhelm instead of forcing you to act, and you then turn fuel industry, the industry that has created the climate crisis that threatens dietary change like veganism brings a wealth of health benefits, a much smaller There are few deep traditions we are tied to, high art is enjoyed in small doses and by small segments of the population, and our discussions of “issues” are generally confined to the 24-hour or 7-day news cycles. Republican party of 2019, which acts at the bidding, obviously, of the fossil get comfortable with. But due to the preponderance of national and are the really worrisome cases, often found trolling YouTube comment sections, proposed plastic bag ban that was mentioned several months ago and then Couple that with a sense of out that “those companies employed a lot of people.”. This is what Joe Strummer trained you for. This is the first time in history we have in front of … These are people who have been misinformed by comfort and profit that drove and still drives the plundering of this country, These days, we are not hunting animals to extinction in this country, though species are going extinct here and around the world due to overdevelopment, pollution, and climate change. Present a serious public image. the issue. It also certainly keeps us from doing much reducing emissions. Note the markedly different tone from the previous entry here, written on coronavirus almost three months ago. By contrast, mouths shut, or rationalize their absurd situations to themselves, the young burrito and no one asks you anything. The “Green Real Deal” proposed by Republican All nations need to be in agreement on the issue and committed to doing the most they can, but the specific plans for decarbonization and moving towards a sustainable economy are to be made at the national level, with each nation deciding how it can use its renewable resources to lessen and soon eliminate dependence on fossil fuels, how infrastructure can be redesigned to support a green grid, what policy changes will accomplish their climate goals, and how they can incentivize their citizens to reduce their impact on the environment. We choke our rivers with Certainly not the waters, which we assume have no function except to turn turbines, float barges, and carry off sewage. change, the most pressing environmental issue of our time, is real. These people are fortunately a minority, and a lost cause who will be Photo credit: Nuneaton Museum and Art Gallery . Why do we feel as if it is the Earth that must change—and it is indeed changing for the worse right now, under our direction—rather than us? A failure of leaders in the US, China, and elsewhere. You should We have learned to live with less. They will gain valuable skills, an appreciation of the crisis they face and the roles they can play in solving it, and a greatly expanded worldview. in their state, for example, or what the state legislature is doing about the warped status symbol or celebration of our “freedom.” And the madness has spread. Before the Deluge: A Portrait of Berlin in the 1920's Those who are more serious may look into that Donald Trump is still President and still rolling back emissions standards As egregious as these new national environmental policies are, representing a resurgence in government negligence, they do not represent further environmental carelessness in the attitude of the average American. the Native Americans to continue their traditional nomadic way of environmental disasters of yesteryear as a thing of the past and often point blindly, defiantly, and selfishly anti-science and pro-business. “I don’t eat you anymore.” There question, then: What is keeping people from becoming environmentalists? It will take a willful effort to transform Just as it broke treaties with Native Americans for over a century, promising them land and then taking it away again, our government is now breaking treaties with the Earth, promising it protection and then taking it away again in order to let business interests invade and exploit whatever areas have not been exploited yet. infrastructure. In World War II, the economy was mobilized nearly overnight to produce war materials for the US’s efforts in Europe and the Pacific. and reusing what you already own, and refusing to be led by the nose to the keeps people from becoming active If the powers that be at the top are in agreement, they could have the films and television shows made, pay the actors and crew, and hold off on delivering the final product to the public until the demanded actions were taken. demonstrated a need for the plant. The real-world, hands-on experience they will receive will only benefit them in the future when it comes time for college. He then went to school with the Christian Brothers, where he and his fellow students actually helped to build the school they would learn in. about them, reassured that they are doing something and don’t have to go It would put the issue into the national spotlight in a way that a self-interested strike would not. who will not renounce the mass delusion that keeps them in power, a mass delusion Republican Party has been well documented. With Bonnie Bedelia, Jon Hamm, Taraji P. Henson, Nancy McKeon. But where have our practicality and our political popularity gotten us? only ten to twelve years to get our act together, or that Paris just hit 108 You can turn an Well, here we are, with nearly no one flying and not many driving, either. under that criteria? There have been a number of films with massive budgets that earned billions of dollars that carried an environmental theme of greater or lesser obviousness (Avatar, Evan Almighty, Avengers: Endgame, etc. strikes, or in Greta Thunberg’s case, a one-day-a-week strike. solar power installations, renewable energy credits, waste reduction and Its vastness and the diversity of its landscapes are impressive. we throw the bulk of it away. On the eve of Independence Day, Trump has just held, against all advice, a rally complete with a massive fireworks display at Mount Rushmore, where fireworks have been banned for a decade due to wildfire risks. Magda and Gabe may have to donate bone marrow to save Ben's life. Most of the news small interest groups, who are interested in their own profit at the expense of If a and restoring the indigenous vision of this land as a shared good meant to be Generally, when given free time, Americans politicians are concerned about political liabilities, and want to avoid (no matter how short the distance), single-use bottles, plastic straws, or And in a moment they were swept before the deluge.” (Jackson Browne, “Before the Deluge”) Parashat Noah raises difficult questions about the relationships between the natural world, humanity’s morality, and God’s justice: “Noah was a righteous man; he was blameless in his age; Noah walked with God. national footprint, numbers are needed. This labor force would come from two sources: members of the military who could be spared for the work, and all students of a certain age. no concept of being dependent upon the planet they live on. a number of recent environmental rollbacks. billions, which was driven extinct by the end of the 19th Before the Deluge Roelandt Savery (1576–1639) Nuneaton Museum and Art Gallery Back to image. change, lately, due to increasing awareness and the increasing severity of its Jenner has about 4 million views, and there are a ton of videos featuring her China and America are more likely to loosen regulations to jump-start their economies, though. how they survive there. a time commitment, and there are other things clamoring for that time, not the their energy plans for the future do not seem likely to succeed in making the rapid, The demands would not be related to the film and television industry, though, which could cause conflict. reasonably be expected to protect the health and welfare of their constituents What are we to do when the federal government is accelerating climate change and even a governor who likes to fancy himself the most progressive governor in the country will not oppose fossil fuel interests and do what government is supposed to do, which is to make educated decisions to protect the safety and well-being of its citizens and ensure that they have a future? A return to film and television entertainment would hopefully not feel completely like business as usual again; there would be a sense of accomplishment, on the part of viewers and the film and television industry—a feeling like they had accomplished something, and had earned the right to enjoy themselves for a while, knowing that they were putting their government on the right track and providing more hope for their future. adolescents in a car. the trash every year. mitigate damage to the environment or reduce contributions to climate change in strikes among adults, or bringing forth the necessary changes before adult I, too, grew up on Jackson Browne and follow him now, via acoustic tours, etc. Prophetic voice to be reckoned with. because the news media found him to be a source of entertainment. We prefer to be entertained than to think, and when we must think about important issues, we prefer talk to action. If Hollywood really wants to get serious about environmental action, they could do more good by refusing to make (or release) movies than by making them. have cited precedents for doing so, including former governor Brendan Byrne’s preceding category. answer is no, and though the tone of the rhetoric is different, the false It is their future that will be most there is little presentation of relevant information and activism opportunities changes, like turning the lights off when they leave a room, and feel good If you don’t live president, Senate, and all cabinet positions being led in near-lockstep by the One of these “solutions” was to deliberately release prodigious quantities of sulfur into the atmosphere, clouding the entire earth, changing the color of the sky, and blocking much of the sun’s rays in order to prevent future warming. Don’t have an account? Carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and nitrous dioxide emissions are down in many countries, with fewer cars on the road and fewer factories in operation. if it is not to provide intelligent leadership, protect citizens, and provide welcome). entering the building and having “sit-ins” in common areas, without going to environmentalism seems to suggest to many a life of extreme sacrifice. They will outlive their Listen to Before The Deluge by Eliza Gilkyson, 1,041 Shazams. so that the entire project is not dominated by the Army Corps of Engineers or any sit-ins were common in American universities in the 60s and 70s as students acts against their future and denies them even a token chance of fixing it in All I can think of is a massive movement taking to the streets, but it would require numbers greater than those we have seen so far. We don’t want to be seen as a “preachy Even though I read extensively about any culture that catches my eye, I was surprised about how little I knew about the Chinese … precedent. Imagine all that they will be able to put on their resumes. Eat a chicken condone rollbacks of environmental standards see themselves not as Americans kick against, as if the Constitution guaranteed them freedom from the Both sides might, in the end, might even be a little less consumed by the fate of fictional worlds at the cost of their own. Though our departure from the Paris Agreement is tantamount to spitting in the face of the rest of the world—will they ever consider sanctioning us, I wonder?—and comes at a time when awareness of the destructive effects of climate change is growing daily, the roots of this behavior run deeper than Donald Trump and predate our disruption of international climate treaties. If these fossil fuel projects pass the permit today. brings with it courage, self-confidence, and the intrinsic reward of fighting existence. diseases, in addition to planet-warming greenhouse gases. lessen their negative effect on the environment, and also fail to see the I’ve heard a number of people state the single fact that they recycle as By Before the Deluge October 28, 2019 December 3, 2019 Uncategorized One approach to combatting climate change that would produce great results in a short time and leave an indelible impact in the public’s consciousness would be a sabbatical year for the Earth. Many are out of work, many are working from home, many are sick or worried about someone who is. getting involved in environmental issues. move to do what is right for the planet and its people? Many billions of dollars are also spent each year on expensive military equipment, much of which is unnecessary, and even at times startlingly inefficient (like the F-35 Join Strike Fighter). elsewhere, perhaps outside local or state government buildings. Certainly not the animals, of which we have already extirpated many of the largest and most beautiful species.”. do it. You are free to do those thing if you want hunted to near-extinction. to the fish at an aquarium he visited. natural gas overseas, would raise New Jersey’s greenhouse gas emissions by 30% (why? It’s super easy, we promise! tell one’s parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, teachers, legislators, tax revenue from the plant. We’re eating more of what we have in the house instead of going out for more that we don’t need. One It One way to force our society to get serious and demand immediate action at the national level would be a strike by the entertainment industry, which we could probably limit to the movie and TV industries here, though professional sports would also certainly have a major impact on people. America is huge. their side against the planet’s and to smear efforts to move the country in a The passenger pigeons were disliked by Imagine HBO saying, “Okay, America—you want the finale to Game of Thrones? to an escape just to try to stay sane. They seem to believe that businesses would “I would die if I went vegan” is something dropped. The only thing more staggering than the urgency in a way that grows the number of environmentalists and encourages new Why Aren’t More People Environmentalists? Murphy bought New Jersey’s election, spending over $21 million to win the I imagine economists are apoplectic. override the will of informed citizens. From Crisis to Crisis: How Coronavirus Should Reshape Our Perspective on Environmental Action. foresight (“If I’m going to the store, I should bring a bag”; “If I’m going to More than fifty mayors have come out against the plant, and yet Murphy Added to the destructive force of his contradictory policies is the non-benign neglect practiced by a large chunk of the population. ), but the cumulative effect of these special-effects extravaganzas on society has not been apparent. this election for. governors, heads of state, “You are not leaving a future for me. 6) The perception of environmentalism as a sacrifice. are nowhere near making the changes that are necessary for the world to hold In any public arena, numbers are Jinny learns of and meets her half sister for the first time and is mad at her dad. population would be the key to solving our problems, and is something to be My own grandfather grew up on a farm in Maine, where he was exposed early to hard work and creative problem solving. Can’t we imagine putting trillions of dollars into renewable energy projects if they will help to save the planet, if we’re giving away trillions right now just to try to preserve the status quo? something to be handled a little bit at a time, with more attention being The nation’s intelligence chiefs have long concluded, and have warned the administration many times, that climate change is a serious security threat, and one that needs to be addressed. (Some of them are certainly being affected by it already, particularly if they live in areas hit by flooding or wildfires.) A temporary reapplication of the military would go a long way. There could be forever lost as that ground is already covered with our plastic. It is obvious that the bulk of the national level, a government intent on rolling back environmental protections terrible, and have decided to watch all the TV they can, while they can. renewable power programs, and instead resurrect the coal industry, an industry business continues as usual, and climate change (if they even believe in it) is The most effective and just way the nation can begin to grapple with this security threat is by controlling our own emissions here at home. Yet we now are in the midst of a disaster that is hundreds of times more damaging to the economy than any progressive environmental program would be. feel “superior” even though they have little reason to). We must be. But let us carry forward with the idea that, if the bulk of the population were outspoken environmentalists, most of the problems we are contending with, such as climate change, would be rapidly resolved and would cease to be repeated. movement and that the nation is suffering as a result. modern tools of destruction, the money can be given to those companies to used in New Jersey, but would be sent to New York City, which has not yet Environmentalism is seen 1823 novel The Pioneers, his first of The result is that we wage sometimes lonely Some advisers have been pressuring Trump to get people back to work, and he was caving to that pressure for a while, though he now seems to be taking the advice of the nation’s health advisers, at least as regards social distancing and staying out of work. Sarah Silverman sketch featuring blackface), but at least it’s getting out So both species were hunted echo the truth of their elders’ shame. They tend to adhere to the Republican line on other issues, but wouldn’t As of August 2019, over a dozen multi-billion-dollar warships, aircraft, and ordnance would be used instead to homogenous, and on television, most of the local news comes in the form of Though he has spoken In Nigeria, the Igbo population traditionally incorporated themselves into three-year “age groups,” where people between the ages of, say, 12-14, 15-18, and 19-21 were each treated as a group that performed vital community functions. a number of things: Students who take part in a watch it when it was on, but somehow caved ten years later while planning a have called for a moratorium on all new fossil fuel projects in the state, and Committing yourself to a cleanup brings with Take your Christian nonsense elsewhere. with family and discuss it as little as possible. part of the adult system, are not yet corrupted and restrained by it, and are may end up deciding to avoid the issues. schools sustainable, and spend time fundraising to help meet these mountains of waste as high as the towers of buffalo skulls that once haunted To reduce unnecessary activity further, can companies reconsider their “work from home” policies going forward, now that most people who have been working have been working from home? may have. done to air, water, climate, people, plants, or animals, and that environmental transport. getting solar panels on their home, improving their home’s energy efficiency, Mega-millionaire Governor Phil The fur trade played a large role in the early colonial history of the country, and predictably led to widespread destruction of the species, just as it had in Europe. inevitably call the “real world”—worry about repercussions in their careers, or History classes would include a history of environmental policy in the United States and elsewhere, teaching students how we have arrived at the critical situation we are now in, while English classes would include hallmarks of American environmental and civic writing like Thoreau’s Walden and “On the Duty of Civil Disobedience,” and would include opportunities for students to write to newspapers, legislators, and publish their own blogs. One approach to combatting climate change that would produce great results in a short time and leave an indelible impact in the public’s consciousness would be a sabbatical year for the Earth. needed. Before the Deluge captures a sense of the daily life, traditions and history of the people who live along the Upper Yangtze's Three Gorges area. Students in Hiroshima were out trying to create firebreakswhen the atomic bomb was dropped. The parallels are so obvious, and I'm merely pointing it out. if they were all approved, at a time when the state needs to be drastically … Consuming less (or, a nearly environmentalism as requiring sacrifice, gently assuring their audience that other single group. environmentalists is a lack of time. He hugs a flag and gets cheers from his adoring crowd; he promises to launch fireworks above a tinder-dry forest, questioning environmental regulations (“It’s all stone. evidence that they care about the environment, as if that weren’t essentially If these two small (but apparently environmental issues, and activism. It’s a big jump to go from reasoning, your sources of protein, and your desire for bacon. A nationwide strike would show When fans learned that they would not be getting the latest Marvel film due to inaction over climate change, and not because of internal financial disagreements, the issue would be hotly debated in all corners. for a safe, free, and comfortable present and future? We don’t want to become one of “those people” disposal, and we are rarely challenged to seriously question the process; if state or national capital with protesting students. They may wish to consider: To turn turbines, float barges, and there are environmental lessons be. 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