What If the Sky IsFalling Down
Nobody likes Chicken Little. Nobody likes a prophet of doom. I doubt that even the doom-sayer enjoys his gloomy message. So here’s my dilemma: What if I believe the sky is falling down and what if I believe that we can do something to slow it down? Should I just shut up about it?
I’ve decided to walk the tightrope between annoying people to death with doomsday talk and shutting up entirely. Here’s the deal. Bill McKibben in his book Eaarth—as I have noted before in this blog—gives ample scientifically documented evidence of the fact that our old earth has been so compromised by the glut of Co2 emissions spewed out by our post Industrial Revolution lifestyle that it is no longer the same planet it was 40 years ago. But he also suggests ways that the inhabitants of the high polluten’ countries could live to slow down their consumption of fossil fuels and thereby slow down the warming.
But it will require a dramatically different way of living for all of us.
Do I want to change? Do I want to live a far simpler, much more restricted life? Little travel, small home, very little stuff? I have a son and daughter-in-law in California whom I want to visit at least once a year. I want to drive up to Sioux Falls at least once a month to see my kids and grandkids. I want to visit Greece and The Holy Land. . . . You get the picture.
So if I just said I didn’t believe McKibben and the scientists, who would know? Who would care? And anyway, will my personal consumption-frugality make a difference? Won’t it take massive change at the national and international levels for any real change to occur?
Still, not to change when I know that the continuing in the same old destructive lifestyle will mean tragically diminished lives for my grandchildren and their children would be monstrous, wouldn’t it?
So get ready! I’m already letting my hair grow long. I am combing the yard sales in search of sackcloth. But I will only wear it a couple of times a year.
I’ve decided to walk the tightrope between annoying people to death with doomsday talk and shutting up entirely. Here’s the deal. Bill McKibben in his book Eaarth—as I have noted before in this blog—gives ample scientifically documented evidence of the fact that our old earth has been so compromised by the glut of Co2 emissions spewed out by our post Industrial Revolution lifestyle that it is no longer the same planet it was 40 years ago. But he also suggests ways that the inhabitants of the high polluten’ countries could live to slow down their consumption of fossil fuels and thereby slow down the warming.
But it will require a dramatically different way of living for all of us.
Do I want to change? Do I want to live a far simpler, much more restricted life? Little travel, small home, very little stuff? I have a son and daughter-in-law in California whom I want to visit at least once a year. I want to drive up to Sioux Falls at least once a month to see my kids and grandkids. I want to visit Greece and The Holy Land. . . . You get the picture.
So if I just said I didn’t believe McKibben and the scientists, who would know? Who would care? And anyway, will my personal consumption-frugality make a difference? Won’t it take massive change at the national and international levels for any real change to occur?
Still, not to change when I know that the continuing in the same old destructive lifestyle will mean tragically diminished lives for my grandchildren and their children would be monstrous, wouldn’t it?
So get ready! I’m already letting my hair grow long. I am combing the yard sales in search of sackcloth. But I will only wear it a couple of times a year.
Well said, but this won't stop me from driving all the way to Sioux County to visit you. But I will buy some carbon offsets to cover my tracks.
ReplyDelete