Bread and CircusesI'm nearly 70 years old. Many of my followers here are seniors, like me, or are at least middle-aged. Most of us are angry and probably grief-stricken about what human industry is doing to the biosphere.
But what must it feel like to be a young person in your teens or your twenties and be looking toward a future of near-certain disaster, the collapse of society, destruction of everything you hold dear? I can't imagine the pain.
It would be understandable if they reacted by simply giving up. Or perhaps by lashing out in anger. But some of them, showing incredible courage and determination, have formed movements to change what they can and save at least a vestige of the civilization they are inheriting.
Sophia Kianni, Vanessa Nakate, and Greta Thunberg (@gretathunberg), three of these young climate activists, recently posted an opinion piece at Common Dreams. Let's hear what they have to say...
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President Joe Biden’s recent approval of the Willow Project in Alaska has alarmed many young people and once again made us question his seriousness about addressing the climate crisis before it is too late. As if that were not enough, the Biden administration is also auctioning off more than 73 million acres of waters in the Gulf of Mexico to offshore oil and gas drilling — double the size of the Willow Project if it goes ahead as planned. The President faced one of the greatest tests of his commitment to addressing climate change, and he failed.
Young people and members of marginalized communities are the ones who will bear the brunt of the consequences of the escalating climate emergency. The rubber-stamping of such projects sends a message not just to our generation but humanity as a whole: The future of our planet and the present well-being of frontline communities are being sacrificed for short-term economic gain and political expediency.
Scientists warn us that crossing the threshold of 1.5°C could trigger multiple climate tipping points, leading to irreversible and dangerous impacts with serious implications for humanity. The Willow Project, set to produce 600 million barrels of oil and generate roughly 278 million tons of carbon emissions, goes directly against the word of climate scientists.
As young people who will inherit a burning planet, we are gravely concerned about the long-term impact of the Willow Project and the precedent it sets for future decisions on climate and energy policy. We have said it before and we say it again: We need system change, not climate change. We need people in power who show real climate leadership, who will work with young people and stand by their promises.
That means stopping the Willow project and ensuring there can be no more of its kind. It is the only way to secure a livable planet for all. It is also a chance to listen to our generation and take the first important steps away from a broken political system where leaders care more about short-term political gain than our collective future.
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"We need system change, not climate change." YES! 💯
FULL ESSAY -- https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/joe-biden-willow-climate-test
#Environment #Climate #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #ClimateAction #ClimateEmergency #CO2 #Emissions #Biden
The Willow Project Was a Key Climate Test. And Joe Biden Failed It.
The rubber-stamping of such a project sends a message not just to our generation but humanity as a whole: The future of our planet and the present well-being of frontline communities are being sacrificed for short-term economic gain and political expediency.
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