This year has been the hottest year on record and this has been a trend for the past 3 consecutive years. Fire season has moved from summer to February in many wildfire hotspot locations. For 3 days last week, I was trained by Al Gore on the current state of the climate and how to become a leader in the topic – a Climate Reality Leader. 972 people being in Denver, CO wanting to learn, network, connect, motivate and take action had me certain that the most successful people would see the possibility of tackling this pertinent issue head on.
With 97% of scientists aware that the climate is changing due to human causes, climate change is no longer a liberal or conservative issue. Al Gore calls it the Sustainability Revolution. Like the Industrial Revolution and the Digital Revolution, sustainability is finding its way into every industry and its making business more efficient and cost-effective, and with it comes a better quality of life. Yet deniers still wave their hands in protest.
Climate denial comes in various forms:
- Climate change is not happening
- All is due to natural causes
- Sure it’s happening, but we’re going to love it. (more beach days)
- We can’t afford to do anything
Perhaps the facts are too big to take on – they are relentlessly suggesting urgency in climate action. Global warming is a global issue with planet-wide variables and consequences, so an individual can get lost in the crowd and wonder why they must be the one to change and ask why today, rather than next year?
If we stopped emitting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere tomorrow, 50 percent would fall out of the atmosphere within one generation. That would make a world of difference for our environmental hazards like flash floods, droughts, wildfires and ocean acidification that now affect every population, not just the residents in coastal Florida or the divers in Australia. We have a renewable market that is currently competitive and is already replacing coal and natural gas. Does this mean you have to install solar panels today? There are a world of possibilities from changing your light bulbs to turning off power strips when you leave the house to installing a Nest thermometer. Whether you make these small changes or can afford larger ones like an electric car, everyone has a place in transitioning.
And if you think its up to liberals and people of the green mentality, the red state of Texas is today’s leader in renewable energy. Why? Because renewables are a growing industry with pay off, both financially and for the health of the planet. With financial payoff, even if you’re a climate skeptic, there’s a monetary reason to reverse our impacts and plan for our future.
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