Re: “Report warns of catastrophic global warming,” Oct. 9.
We are living in a pivotal time. An international panel has just told us that unless we start immediately to deal with climate change, within our lifetime, the flooding, wildfires, melting permafrost, catastrophic winter storms and resulting loss of life, homes and money will reach unimaginable levels of chaos.
Yet business as usual seems to go on. Most of us would prefer to keep pretending it is not happening. A few voices are urging us to take action.
Federal Green Party Leader Elizabeth May reminds us that the IPCC report is actually a message of hope. The good news is that we can turn things around. If we start now, it is within our capability to hold global warming to an increase of 1.5 C, which is what the panel says is necessary.
It will take all of us, however, stepping outside our comfort zone to let our politicians know that we need them to begin to shift our economy from dependence on fossil fuels to support of alternate energy.
We also need to step outside our comfort zone in our own lives. We have to talk to each other about what creative steps we can take to protect our children from this real climate crisis. We have to admit that we are scared, and begin to share our fears and our hopes, to talk to each other about what our community can do together.
Working together for the sake of our children, we can make this happen.
Judith Rees-Thomas
Saturna Island
