Instead of cursing the darkness, light a candle.
commonly thought to be from Benjamin Franklin
While the 5th National Climate Assessment of the nation’s climate conditions gives much to be concerned about, there is also a clear path and examples where various states or communities are making strides toward sustaining practices, saving their communities money and spurring new business growth.
Why should Americans read the report? This is about the quality of your life and the future of your children. Nothing less.
The report illuminates job security and maybe new job opportunities; food production and food security (think prices and availability; recall the pandemic’s impact on availability of food and other necessities). See how other regions in the U.S might impact your area. Example: If ports on the East Coast are damaged by sea level rise or storms, how will it affect your company’s ability to export goods to the world? How will it affect food that is imported? Think coffee my friends. Gulp.
POST UPDATE 11/17/23: Good summary of the report on Vox.
IN THE REPORT …
1. Go to your region and read how climate will impact you. Scroll down the page to learn about temperature, rain, drought and other climate conditions and what may happen or is already happening as a result. How will this affect you and yours? Pay attention to health concerns. Do you have family members who suffer from asthma? Work outside to earn a living? Have heart conditions? All these will be made worse by heat and increased moisture in the air.
2. Make plans with your family, with your neighbors and your city to do what you can to prevent climate impacts and also to bring new opportunities to you and yours. How will climate affect your health? Do you work outside? What kind of transportation do you use to get to work or school?
3. ***Any local, state, or federal representatives for your location who is a climate change denier must be challenged. There is no time to argue. Move on to the reps who are working positively to protect and empower your location and community to both prepare and also to seize the economic opportunities available. Is your governor reaping federal grants and investments to bring new businesses to your state, your area? If not, find out why. Many states are reaping millions of dollars of business investment that bring new employment opportunities to your state.
4. What can your city do? What ARE they doing? This is the right time to contact your city council member who represents you and ask them what they are doing about climate change. No time to do it? Ask your employer then or your school principal. Wherever your life takes you, ask what is being done to prepare for and mitigate climate change and how can you help them?
5. Go here to learn about all the savings you can get for your home and your transportation when you go greener. Rewiring America. Depending on your income, you can get great discounts at the time of purchase of say, for example, an induction stove or clothes dryer; a heat pump air conditioner/heater. Also, if you want to purchase an all electric car or truck, there are great discounts plus great savings from no gas purchases! Download a booklet of how to achieve your goals, targeted to your budget and circumstances.
For all of us folks for whom a lot of these vehicle or home purchases to reduce fossil fuel burning are too expensive, fear not. The prices will come down precipitously over the next few years. Meantime, work with your housing association or apartment complex, or city transportation office to get the people who CAN afford it off their …. and into action!
Susan Feathers 