Why we can (still) win the fight against climate change
Fifty years later, my mother remembers those dresses very well. The students' concerns that day were air and water pollution and overcrowding, but my mother was optimistic. "I assumed the Man would intervene at the appropriate time," she told me. And we have, to a certain extent: cars in the United States are 99% cleaner today than they were then, thanks to pollution laws.
I didn't inherit my mother's brown hair or her sewing skills. At forty-one, I still entrust my clothes to him to mend. On the other hand, I have inherited his optimism and at present new subjects deserve our commitment.
"I know sickness is inevitable with a couple of toddlers so let's talk about how to treat those nasty cold symptoms… https://t.co/nuN58WxTkx
— Genexa Fri Dec 01 19:00:21 +0000 2017
After fifteen years of reporting on the environment for science and mainstream magazines as well as a book on the future of conservation, I still find myself frequently overwhelmed by the number of problems we face. faced: climate change, declining plant and wild animal populations, widespread environmental injustice… all more difficult to solve than smog, the thick fog that covers cities. However, in the midst of this turbulent ocean of sadness, anxiety, anger and love for the strange beauty of life on Earth, I manage to hold on to an iron will so that I never, never abandon.
Where does this hope come from? We already have the knowledge and technology to feed more people, generate energy for all, initiate the reversal of climate change, and prevent most extinctions. Our streets are invaded by a people calling for action. Last September, six million people around the world declared a state of "climate strike." As in 1970, the air once again crackles with the spark of cultural change. I'm sure we'll build a great 2070.
