When contemplating the climate crisis, how are you feeling, and how do you respond to those feelings?

Question

This question is inspired by a previously posted question regarding global warming. I sensed feelings of being overwhelmed by the constant barrage of information the media has now chosen to pay attention to, yet sincere aspirations to address the very real threat posing life on this planet. My question really is how do we preserve our energy to face the difficulties and changes we know we need to make, without burning out, especially when our media and culture continuously promote pesimistic view points?

Answer 1

I have chosen to think for myself. I remember about 25 years ago when the same bunch was telling me we was entering a new ice age. Now global warming. I can't take them to serious, especially when it seems as cold this year as it did the last 4 years.

Answer 2

Well worded, honest, unbiased question. Thank you. Such questions are getting rarer.

I agree with you totally that there is so much conflicting information from dubious sources that it is difficult to sift the truth from the BS. I have known about green house gasses and the resultant Global Warming for over 30 years and developed an interest, knowledge and career path which reflects my interest in science and the environment. At that time the best projections were that it would not be an issue in this century, in my lifetime. Not being an immediate issue of my generation of course it was not an immediate concern. Now I realize those projections were overly conservative and I have used them as a reason to procrastinate. I have been part of the problem, not the solution.

Now I have a choice to make. I am an engineer and designer who has worked extensively in the energy industry in Environmental Protection and Nuclear Waste Management. I have the knowledge and skills to make a difference. I can choose to develop systems to help people conserve and make a positive difference to the environment or I can choose to be a witness to the end of humanity's attempt at dominion over the natural world.

I am finding this choice extremely difficult. When I experience peoples' reactions, pessimism and denial of something so important I think to myself that the hairless ape species should pass into oblivion. To mix metaphors, I'm not sure whether to take the bad with the good, or throw out the baby with the bath water.

Civilization doesn't exist, in my mind, without civility. If no one is even willing to say "Thank you for at least trying.", then there is no inducement for me to even try.

In the meantime I will continue to live a relatively pastoral lifestyle keeping my "Footprint" as small as possible until the time that I reach a conclusion regarding which choice is acceptable to me.

Answer 3

There is no shortage of fossil fuels just the hype so u will pay more for it.
Let us look at the plants work of photosynthesis ,they take in CO2 and give off O2 and keep the C. . The C in the plants leaves are recycled down the rivers to the delta where they decompose into more gas,oil,and after a long time coal. So unless we get stupid and break this cycle ,which has been doing a great job for millions of years.

Answer 4

Actions will always speak louder than words...

Walk your talk, stand in that place of your vision by practicing what you believe every day and the positive energy out there will fill you up.

I have been in this fight for our planet since the early seventies now. Much progress has been made, but much work is left to do.

There are many of us you can call upon to stand shoulder to shoulder with to create a better world.

Lead by example and the followers will close in behind you.

I walked into the lion's den in the early 1990 as an environmentalist to help change the building industry to make more energy efficient homes that use more recycled products and out gas less toxins. At first our group could not meet inside the same building of the Home Builder's Association of Metro Denver for fear of verbal and physical abuse from builders. We created Built Green, which has now become an international building standard.

It took several years of working one on one to show the way and debunk myths and lies about our intentions.

The same is true of many of our issues today. We all must hold out an olive branch and meet at least half and then build momentum.

The most frustration comes from an expectation of instant gratification. Which then makes things seem over welming...

If you were to ask an African Tribesman how to eat an elephant, he will tell you one bite at a time.

When you get tired or frustrated, just take a time out, but never give up or quit!

We must fight on, not for ourselves, but for the seventh generation beyond this horizon.

AHO

Answer 5

Crisis? Where did you get the idea that it is a crisis? What's happening with our environment is not a crisis, but what they are doing to try to prevent something that we can't stop, now that's where the crisis lies.

Because if this goes any farther it will keep governments from looking into real issues and finding ways to use this to increase taxes. Corporations (no matter what people are saying) are doing things to keep from truly polluting the environment.

The only possible good that might come from it would be that we start seriously looking for alternative fuels and renewable energy sources, since Oil and Coal isn't an infinite resource.

Answer 6

Politicians and the media have only given us a small portion of the issues regarding climate change. There is much much more to climate change than you can imagine. I suggest you educate yourself a little and see for yourself. Then you will be confindent that we are being told only what politicians and the media want us to hear.

Answer 7

I dont really know how to answer your question correctly,
however I think global warming is not caused by humans.
1. HISTORY OF OUR PLANET. there were MANY GLOBAL WARMINGS AND COOLINGS NOT CAUSED BY HUMANS (we were not around to attempt to fix them yet). Needless to say, our planet has been fine. Also, we, more than we are willing to admit, are a bunch of tiny dots on the surface of the planet. We cannot change the planet for the good or for the bad unless we use a nuclear bomb (that would be changing it for bad). We, however, are highly survivable and highly adaptable tiny dots.
2. COW FARTS. they produce a lot of carbon dioxide, more than the average car would, in a day and this is not humans' fault but cows'. Cows have been around for (hundreds of) years, many of them, and it was not shown to change the climate of the planet. (moooooo.....)

SO... THE BEST I CAN SAY IS HOLD ON TIGHT AND ENJOY WHATEVER HAPPENS THE BEST YOU CAN...
WE CANT CONTROL SOME THINGS, AND IT MAY BE FOR THE BEST... WHO KNOWS...

Answer 8

What crisis?

Remember that we are concerned about a 1 degree increase over the last 100 years.

No one can tell a difference of just 1 degree.

Answer 9

I say quit worrying about the cow farts. There were millions of bison on the plains their farts didn’t seem to do much damage.

Answer 10

take a look at my answer to the cowboy one above you