Two of the biggest threats to the sustainability of our blue planet today are pollution and climate change. Pollution that clogs our waterways and spews an unimaginable amount of plastics into the ocean. Climate change is causing sea levels to rise, ocean acidification, and temperatures to reach unprecedented levels killing off many species. Is there hope?
This week a new book by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson will be released. The title is – What If We Get It Right – Visions of Climate Future. Last week I listened to an interview on NPR with Ayana where she discussed this new book that includes interviews with 20 experts across various disciplines to provide their perspective. Her position is that we don’t get to give up.
As I look forward to reading her book about getting it right, I began thinking about how policy is made and implemented across the globe. My question is not what if we get it right, but can we get it right. The position taken by Dr. Johnson in the interview is that our issue is implementation because we already have the solutions to combating climate change. Implementation will require leadership to bring policy makers, industry, environmental advocates and all stakeholders together to change the narrative. Is that too much to ask for? Is that a bridge too far? It would seem so in today’s supercharge hyper polarized world.
I dread seeing the check engine light come on in my car. Sometimes I hope that maybe the next time I start up the car the light will go off. That is not usually the case. Something is wrong and it needs attention. Ignoring the warning will only result in bigger issues down the road. The earth’s check engine light is on as we continue to see record high temperatures and incredible weather extremes. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that July 2024 set a new temperature record. The light is flashing brighter.
I agree with Dr. Johnson that we don’t get to give up. The old story that it is too hard can no longer resonate. In 1962, John F. Kennedy told us “We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things not because they are easy, but because they are hard.” In 2024, will leadership say that we choose to combat climate change and it will be hard. It’s not what if we get it right regarding climate change, it’s we need to get it right. The question we now face is can we get it right.