Two weeks of the destruction, death, and desperation brought forth by Mother Nature has left me heartbroken–and I cannot begin to imagine how the victims of these tragedies must feel. My heart goes out to them but perhaps even more for our beautiful green and blue planet itself that we seem set on destroying.
It is no coincidence that this season of horror might be one last warning—perhaps in outrage of the United States of America pulling out of the Paris Agreement. We are witnessing the strongest message possible that our earth cannot take human abuse and apathy much longer.
We must accept the truths about climate change and our planet’s fast decline. Even then, there are many scientists who say it’s too late. Stephen Hawking, probably the smartest man on the planet, says human beings will have to inhabit other planets in another hundred years because our species will not be able to survive the conditions of this planet longer than that. After what we have done to it–and it is what we have done.
Do you care? Ah, why should you! You won’t be alive to see the destruction so what is it to you. Well, think about your kids, your grandkids, and their grandkids. Think about the people that earth entrusted us with her beauty. Is it really more important to cling to your big SUV, (even though you don’t need it for work or any legitimate need). If you do need one, then by all means, you should have one. But if you have a big high polluting car just because you want to be bigger than everyone else on the road, I’m sorry for your values.
I’m sorry, I’m mad as hell because we have known about this for decades and still have gone about our ways, unapologetic about apathy. Too many of our fellow Americans just shrug their shoulders, not even caring about the damage that we have done to this beautiful planet.
If anyone thinks the storms, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes and other disasters on the heels of the last one, are a force of nature alone, please become more knowledgeable. Yes, of course there have always been weather events. But look beyond that: those events have never come at the pace and the fury of what we are witnessing.
And let’s get brutally honest with ourselves, shall we? I grew up in Bozeman, Montana in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Sure, we had some ‘hot spells’ during the summer—perhaps in that deadly period of the last weeks of July and beginning of August—but they were nothing terrible. When visiting my mother in the middle of summer, the temperatures were so hot I could hardly believe it was the same town where I witnessed a blizzard on the July 4th celebration once. (This happened a few times). The state had always had an abundance of moisture but now it’s as dry as just sandpapered wood. So dry that a fire can spark up from a single spark from a lightning strike. It’s decimated my beautiful home state and has caused so much destruction of beauty. And Montana is not alone in this: many of the northwest states, from up and down the coast to the inner areas, the areas are all ripe for major fire destruction.
This is not a “weird year.” Make no mistake—this is our new reality. And think about each of our role in preserving this gorgeous jewel of a planet—so green and blue from the stars, as astronauts say as they themselves are in breathtaking awe. Really look at the beauty of nature when you take a walk. Notice the graceful bend of a shading tree, or the way the waves splash gently upon your toes. Admire each sunrise or sunset, and think about how selfish it would be for us to care nothing about how the future generations. For they may never awake to see the same beauty we so blindly take for granted.
Wake up. Reuse, Reduce, and Recycle as you would if your very life depended upon it. Because it does; maybe not your own but at least think of your grandchildren if nothing else.
There is no more time to wait. No other people who will magically take care of it. It’s up to us, so it’s time to buck up and take responsibility.
Peace,
Melinda