Greta Thunberg celebrated her 18th birthday on Jan. 3, and once more showed that she is not impressed with leaders of the Donald Trump sort, who have tried to hasten the demise of our planet and all the life-forms, including Homo sapiens, who live here. Thunberg will continue to agitate for reduced carbon emissions, and for a saner approach to industry.
The climate change threat is more serious than COVID-19, because there can be no survivors on a dead planet.
Those of us who survive the COVID-19 pandemic will still need a home, and planet Earth, if sensibly managed, will support us and the flora and fauna our lives depend on, for many more generations. COVID-19 has shown us what a genuine threat to the world’s population looks like. It has shown us how some humans mobilize to deal with the threat while others waste valuable time in denial and non-compliance with expert advice.
The climate change threat is more serious than COVID-19, because there can be no survivors on a dead planet. If we allow ourselves to continue destroying our atmosphere by burning fossil fuels and paying no heed to the needs of our shared planet, those who comply with expert advice will perish along with those who don’t. The science is known, but the social response is unpredictable — we don’t know how many humans will accept the responsibility of preserving our planet.
So, I would encourage Thunberg, and all the other Thunbergs around the world, to renew their efforts to educate adults about climate change and what must be done to ensure our future here on this planet. If Thunbergism could replace Trumpism, then we might replace the negligent Trumpian attitude with a Thunbergian commitment to our shared future. The only alternative is self-inflicted extinction. It’s our choice.
And before I forget, happy New Year!
Ed Healy
Marystown
