As a child of second generation immigrants, I recall the struggles for acceptance, like folks in town driving a half block to church instead of walking, or, parents admonishing, “What will the neighbors think?” And when asking why we didn’t have something, or couldn’t buy something, routinely hearing, “Because we can’t afford it.”
Is that why conformity and images of success are so important to us, and why “because we can,” seems to be the unspoken rationale for extravagant lifestyles. And, though, it may be true we are influenced by advertising, competition, or simply the pace of change, what we individually choose to do, or not, likely reflects other deeply held experiences and emotions.
What about being taught to hide under the school desk in the event of a nuclear attack, and, as a Boy Scout, passing out information on fallout shelters and radiation sickness? Understanding the inability to prevent or avoid the aftermath of a nuclear war has, no doubt, left its mark; perhaps, a sense of fatalism and loss of empowerment, leading to escapism and self-obsession, “There’s nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, and nothing we can do about it, so, take care of your own and live for the moment.”
We would be wise to think about our underpinning and the example we are setting. As the world struggles for the wealth and diversity of life we have received, it’s quite clear there’s not enough bigger, newer, and more to go around. Within the extremes of poverty and injustice now shared daily on the internet, lie the source of growing resentment and conflict. With hundreds of millions seeing and wanting, wouldn’t we living more simply and in closer harmony with nature send a better message?
Of no less concern is our pollution and waste, degrading the air, water, and soil, now duplicated again and again in developing nations. Burning fossil fuel is changing the climate, causing weather extremes, droughts, fires and floods, destroying lives and destabilizing economies. It seems a great mystery that despite having avoided nuclear war, we are nonetheless destroying life on earth as we know it.
Where do we begin? To talk about global warming, we must talk about burning fossil fuel. When we talk about fossil fuel, however, it’s often not helpful to focus on lifestyles, for there lies identity, accomplishment, self-worth, acceptance and status, emotions and entitlements we are quick to defend; doing so will often bring denial and division, not unlike the political rhetoric we are witnessing.
People do need to feel free to come to their own conclusion in their own time, and, yet, something has to be done now. Education and incentives for change are a must, and, though each of us can begin to live more simply, working for meaningful political and economic change must be a priority. One way to begin is by learning about the Citizens Climate Lobby, their solutions and messages of hope.
The Citizens Climate Lobby seeks to encourage conservation and the shift to clean sources of energy by demonstrating support for the Carbon Fee and Dividend. Briefly stated, Congress would implement a gradual escalating fee on the carbon dioxide equivalents at the point of origin – the well, the mine, and the port of entry. All fees would be returned to households on an equitable basis, thus, enabling our individual choice and the free market to implement change. To learn the details of this proposal and its bipartisan support among economists, please do your part and check citizensclimatelobby.org.
Unlike the children of the Cold War, we are now empowered to make a difference, with our time, age and experience. We can no longer defer responsibility for the threat of nuclear war or global warming to others, and once again ask children to pay the price with fatalism and escapism. With resolve, we can each do our part to provide the vision and hope for a more peaceful and nurturing world.
Harris Mills
Grand Marais
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