On February 22 at the city council meeting in Grand Marais seven young women came forward to petition our city government. They call themselves the Nordic Nature Group. They had prepared, they were informed, advised, serious, and well studied, so it would have been fun enough to see them go to work even if they had only been appealing to, let’s say, their school board for redress of some minor grievances, or funding for an extra curricular activity, but instead of that the Nordic Nature Group had set their sights on a much more formidable target: climate change.
If you who read this and doubt man’s effect on climate change you have a solid right to do so. We all have not just the right, but also a responsibility to assess the real world around us and attempt to form coherent conclusions. Just don’t doubt that a massive body of evidence on this subject is now available to you. You can learn from multiple sources, the facts are easy to find, the experts have developed sophisticated models to show us where we may be headed.
Yes, someone on the Internet will try to sell you a bag of poo. Relax; don’t just listen to people who tell you what you want to hear. Just like with your doctor, seek out a second opinion. Talk with our local foresters, naturalists, botanists, etc. We have some great ones right here in our county.
As for the rest of us who have already been persuaded of the threat of climate change we now know that action must be taken quickly. We are confronted with the prospect of leaving children and grandchildren to a diminished world, we face imperative national security issues, we have an associated mass extinction to confront, all this and more.
These seven very young people have volunteered and come forward to help clean up a mess that we made. It’s important that they are not discouraged, rebuffed, or condescended to by the elders whom they have challenged. There is a way forward, a mechanism for change, and a way to make things work, and we are fortunate enough to have a group of far-sighted people to help us out who are generous enough to work and sacrifice their own time to change things for the better.
The city council and mayor must continue to make a serious and conscientious effort to support and engage these people, and we in Grand Marais need to actively encourage and support our elected officials as they honor this good effort. Everyone can help, and everyone should.
Gregory Gailen
Grand Marais
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