By working together we can make the necessary changes

By Letter to the Editor on November 13, 2019.

The recent climate strikes by students in Medicine Hat, and indeed around the world, have served to nudge us out of our lull. Climate conversations are happening in homes, classrooms, staff rooms, and cafes. Severe weather events, disappearing ice, rising sea water, species extinctionsâ€¦ the trend is increasingly obvious, even to former deniers.

There is considerable angst and feeling that somebody needs to do something! Hence the climate strikes and Extinction Rebellion.

Many individuals in my circles are doing their best in their personal lives. They are driving smaller cars or hybrid cars, or not driving at all. They are bicycling, walking, and choosing activities and holidays closer to home.They compost kitchen and yard waste, they grow some of their own food, and carry their own bags for shopping. Their lunches are in containers that they take home, wash and use again. They hang their clothes to dry, turn the lights off in unoccupied rooms, refuse single-use plastics and fill tea kettles only half full if they plan to use only that much boiling water. They repair and re-purpose things. The list goes on and on of how many individuals reduce their waste and carbon footprint in everyday living.

However, while individual actions by millions of people can make a significant difference, it is not sufficient to balance the vast emissions of other individuals who are focused on short-term gain in an industrialized and monetized society. Return to balance will happen only when the entire community of government, business, industry, households, hospitals, entertainment and sport includes a focus on rapid reduction of both carbon emissions and waste.

What would it look like if we were as persistent in attending to our personal and planetary health, as we are to our finances and GDP?

Yes, our extravagant use of fossil fuels, coupled with excessive waste, is influencing climate and health in bewildering and destructive ways. But whose responsibility is it to engage in the needed changes? Unfortunately, it seems we are stuck in a mud of blame, deny and delay.

The blame game doesn’t and won’t work. Working together now, we can make the changes that are so obviously needed. But will we?

Hopefully the climate strikes and Extinction Rebellion will mobilize an energetic will.