EACH ONE OF US MATTERS
This last summer saw record breaking temperatures in many parts of the world including Europe. Deaths from heatstroke, drowning from people trying to avoid the heat, starvation from droughts causing crop failures, sudden floods from torrential downpours, all consequences of a warming world due primarily to our human use of fossil fuels over this last several hundred years.
For over 50 years, I have followed the science of the greenhouse effects from increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from our fossil fuel use. I had thought as a society we would be much further along in solving this problem. I had not imagined that such a disinformation program by the fossil fuel industry would occur, or that we would have a president that denied the existence of the problem and promoted the use of fossil fuels. In my opinion, both are crimes against humanity.
Individually, I have contributed to organizations promoting solutions to this problem, I have tried to continue to reduce my personal use of fossil fuels, I have tried to encourage others to be aware of this issue. I had hoped we would not pass the point of no return. Unfortunately, I think that we have. The world cannot go back to where it was- we have gone too far. But I do believe that we can still reduce the severity of our damage to this planet upon which all of us depend for our lives. I have three children and six grandchildren. I hope for all the children and grandchildren of the world that we somehow find a way to make the world have a chance of being livable for them.
First, we need leaders who will acknowledge truth and science. As I have expressed before, I do believe in God and am a Christian. I also believe that God expects us to use the brains that we have been given to act for the good of ourselves and others. I believe that God expects us to learn to be loving and caretakers of this earth we have been given. Even if you do not believe in God, I hope that one can understand it is only for self-preservation that we must take care of this world. Otherwise, we will die as a society.
Second, we need all of us in this endeavor. Each day we must continue to learn what we can do. Each day we must act. Each day we must encourage our leaders and all that we know to learn and act.
Third, we must ramp up the use of the technology that we have right now. We must invest in research to improve and extend clean energy technology including battery storage of that energy. We must allow all people of the world to have access to contraception- but never force the use of that. We must encourage a healthy view for every individual on our planet now and in the future. Each one of us needs to care for ourselves and for the rest of humanity. When an individual gains power in a given country and uses that power to kill others in another country or their own country, we must have effective means to counter that. Otherwise, we will all succumb to the collapse of civilization and anarchy.
Fourth, we must have faith that somehow this can occur. Right now, I have difficulty seeing how this will happen. I hope that the elections in our United States this fall will result in us having more leaders who believe in truth and the reality of science. That does not conflict with those who believe in God as I said earlier. I hope and pray that this writing will encourage others to take another step to help. I thank each one of you who does this. All the children of the world will thank you as well.
Each one of us matters. Indeed, the more that participate, the better the chance that our world survives. Take care.
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