Everyone has to take personal responsibility for climate change
By Letter to the Editor on August 26, 2021.
Editor:
A short time ago, I wrote a letter to the Herald decrying the fact that some aspects of climate change are now upon us, and are likely to get worse. A few people I know said, “I read your letter,” adding nothing more. What could they say? It was a letter of despair.
Unlike some of the more modest problems of life, despair, more than hope, is where we have to begin with climate change.
But does that mean we must languish in hopelessness the rest of our days getting more and more inert and distressed as climate change proceeds? Most pundits say we must allow technological cures or big science. Perhaps this is so but big fixes are beyond personal engagement for most of us, no matter how important they may be. We can, however, do some things:
1. We can insist that parties and governments address climate change as their top priority. In that matter, we can withhold our vote, write letters, protest, etc.
2. We can do little things individually: use less fossil fuel, fly less often, embrace solar energy, etc.
3. We can make ourselves exemplars for others, and speak openly about our collective need to do the little things within our power and reach.
Most importantly, if we do not make these or similar efforts, we will find it harder and harder to act, thereby threatening our planet’s health as well as our personal mental health.
Doing something, no matter how small will help alleviate much despair, and allow us to retain some of the agency and authority that all humans need to thrive.
Finger pointing and blame will accomplish very little. We should not allow smug climate change deniers to dictate our responses and actions, however, as anti-vaxxers have been able to do to some degree in regard to COVID-19.
Just as climate change deniers should be kept from setting the agenda, those who have long protested climate change, no matter how correct they are in pointing fingers of blame, should not spend so much energy condemning us all, leaving everyone feeling assaulted.
Everyone must remind themselves that we are all to blame for climate change in one way, not just certain persons or groups.
At the same time, none of us are specifically blameable, given the slow imperceivable growth of climate change after the emergence of 19th century industrialism.
We are all blameable, to some degree, however, for being so slow after having had 35 years warning of what was to come.
But given that it is everyone who will feel the effects of climate change, we should feel personally compelled to take action in the future.
James Tagg
Lethbridge
-1
What I find interesting about all these Climate Change Letters is the thought that Canada or even Alberta can put the remotest dent into the issue? Yet if you read letters from so many its like they truly feel if we do our part, that the rest of the world would do their part?
I have unfortunate news for you. Canada contributes about 2% to GHGs of that 2% Alberta contributes about 38% of that 2% so for argument sake its .8%
Yet, we get this Climate Change panic among our PM and others as if Canada slaughters its economy and stops all 2% the planet will be saved?
I have made this statement on a regular basis and so far its been 100% true, and that is, if we stopped ALL GHGs today in Canada, then by this time next year the remaining emitters would be UP 2% from the previous year.
I am all for cutting back to try to curb climate change but when you get China at 33% India and the US occupying the largest emitters on the planet. At what point does one sit back and wonder if its already too late?
Cradle to Grave studies are mixed at this point but they are on a semi-regular basis showing us that the ALT Energy world is just as devastating to the planet as the non-alt. If you look at Baotou Mongolia, it makes Fort McMurray look like a Disney Park. What does Baotou do? Furnishes everyone with Rare Earth Minerals for all the new ALT toys.
Why isn’t Baotou Mongolia on the top of the Environmentalist Hit list with Fort Mac? Easy, its far far away and the Chinese Government has blocked all reporters and Westeners from ever visiting the place again, (2015) why?
The reason you have resistance in the Climate Change world within Alberta, anyway, is the two faced way Climate Changers Attack the problem…..Windmills/Solar come from Baotou, Small Modular Reactors? GADS CAN’T DO THAT, THATS NUCLEAR!!! Hmmm weren’t we trying to lower GHGs? Nuclear has no GHGs to speak of….but but, I am a tree hugger and I wanna save the planet…..MY WAY not the most effective way? I think you confuse some deniers with people who actually ponder effectiveness of “the present plan” and laugh at the stupidity of it all!
I occassionally get a wakeup call when a true Treehugger knocks at my door asking me to support ALT energy industries. The last one told me that Nuclear Power MUST BE SHUTDOWN because the “smoke” coming from the “furnaces” is contaminated with Uranium? I must admit, I was enlightened….I always wondered whether some of these people had a clue, that convinced me, they don’t, they picket and protest because they can, not because they understand.
I love the disdain coming from Tesla Drivers particularly. Proudly announcing they spent $x.xx to operate their Electric Car and at the same time I ponder the disdain that will be heaped upon “Big Electricity Companies as they replace BIG Oil….. so the day we are all handed a $2200 a month electrical bill we will all know “WE DID IT YOUR WAY and not the most effective way!
The Grid
No one factors in the cost of Grid Upgrades to handle all the electric cars. We suffer blackouts and brownouts regularily in Canada WITHOUT MILLIONS OF ELECTRIC CARS PLUGGED IN 24 HOURS A DAY but you will find very few of the “Treehugging deep thinkers” calculating the cost to upgrade the grid in preparation for this event, or for that matter even suggest DO IT NOW because its “MY WAY” not the effective way! So if we fail, and I have faith we will, the Treehugger non thinking Nutbars will have gotten us there.
PS Not a denier, just a thinker, in the Climate Activists Defence they have made one critical error. They are right, the climate argument is over, but they also assumed that because they were on the side of Climate first that their solutions also cannot be argued! Their solutions are crap, and will lead to more problems then they had too.
Last point on Nuclear. The Planet is in DEEP CRISIS, ask any Activist, but mention Nuclear as the solution and well….ah…er…its not in that DEEP A CRISIS. Why?
From a skeptics point of view, Treehuggers can own Solar panel and windmill companies but never heard of an individual owning a Nuclear Power plant….follow the money is appropriate when a CRISIS is not a CRISIS unless you buy their products and then, well its A FULL BLOWN CRISIS?
So its noble that you think blaming deniers is not the way to go but you never mentioned not blaming Activists that have no clue what they are doing to us and our planet. So your bias is obvious.
You be the judge https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20150402-the-worst-place-on-earth
and
https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/toxic-lake-black-sludge-result-mining-create-tech/story?id=30122911
and for your reading enjoyment https://www.educationviews.org/landfill-begins-burying-non-recyclable-wind-turbine-blades/
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2020-02-05/wind-turbine-blades-can-t-be-recycled-so-they-re-piling-up-in-landfills
https://wsimag.com/science-and-technology/63818-proposing-cradle-to-grave-evaluations-for-all-vehicles
You are 100% correct. The wrath of the enlightened, Byrne Pargeter et al will rain down on high. They won’t refute you but they certainly will crap on your intelligence and call you a bunch of names
Ever the victims. Just a few maverick ostriches who think if they ignore a crisis long enough it will go away.
Who said anything about ignoring it?
https://interestingengineering.com/gm-recalled-every-chevy-bolt-electric-vehicle?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Article&utm_campaign=organic&utm_content=Aug24
When you recklessly march into failure GHGs rise to correct your mistakes!
climate change, the mastodons didn’t stop it neither did the dinosaurs, yet man in his wisdom has determined a new taxation that will enrich the wealthy.
Alberta, as the largest polluter in Canada, is the place we can make the biggest change. This is the place to fight for change, more so than any other province in the nation. Alberta is also one of the spots with the most undeveloped renewable natural resources in Canada. If we can remove the partisan political blocks on these resources, we can build a thriving economy based on them.
What is amusing about that comment Lethson, is we shut down production today, Canada would join the USA buying Saudii Oil. Until you stop consumers, why go after the producers? Would you feel better knowing you killed an industry with higher enviro regs to then take on the Saudii Oil and Conflict oil that has very non existant enviro regulations?