Transition Town Greater Media declared a climate emergency on May 18, 2023. By doing so, we hoped to galvanize our community into taking immediate and effective action. When we work together, we can achieve great things. TTGM has already proved that in the last 14 years.
Wildfires, air quality alerts, severe weather events, tornadoes, hurricanes, heatwaves, drought, and flooding are becoming more intense. Weather events that were once rare occurrences are now increasingly common. We must not be tempted to view these extreme weather events as our new normal. The cost of damage to land, property, people, infrastructure and businesses from severe weather is already astronomical. What happens when we can no longer afford to repair the damage?
As I write this blog, I am receiving multiple severe thunderstorm warnings with wind gusts up to 60 mph, quarter sized hail, and possible damage to cars, homes, trees, and power lines. The sky is so dark I had to turn on the lights. Trees are swaying wildly in the wind and the sky is loaded with ominous-looking clouds. After six weeks of no rain, this is the third severe storm we’ve had in the last five days. Flood watches and warnings occur after nearly every rainstorm.
Wildfires are larger and burning longer. Even if wildfires are not occurring in our area, we are still affected by them. Remember the air quality alerts in our area caused by the Canadian wildfires a few weeks ago? Last month, as I was working in my garden, I experienced smoke from a brush fire that occurred close to my house.
It’s not just smoke from wildfires that affect our air quality. Frequent air quality alerts caused by pollution and ground level ozone have kept me in the house and away from my garden and hiking trails.
As global temperatures rise, heat waves are causing health risks and straining our energy systems. The Northeast will be one of the areas most affected by extreme heat in our country. Summers are already so hot and humid I can’t take care of a vegetable garden any more.
What can we do?
Many Americans are now feeling the urgency of climate crisis and are calling for action. We can implement the following immediate climate solutions to move towards a pollution-free, 100% clean energy future:
We can urge our federal government and state legislators to:
- Keep fossil fuels in the ground. Fossil fuels are contributing to climate disasters that will only get worse unless we take action.
- Remove barriers to clean energy and electrify our economy.
- Ensure environmental justice and expand access to clean energy in every community.
- Protect forests and plant trees
- Change from industrial farming to regenerative agriculture
- Stop the development of more oil and gas that will be used to make plastics, industrial chemicals, and pesticides
On a personal level, it is vitally important we make lifestyle changes to reduce our carbon footprint. It is also essential that we protect our ecosystems and biodiversity by planting natives and refusing to use pesticides.
The benefits of taking action
Acting to stop climate degradation has many benefits:
- A low carbon economy is good for everyone and good for our economy.
- Clean energy (solar, wind, geothermal) means new jobs, much less pollution, improved health, lower electric bills, and lower CO2 levels in our atmosphere.
- Electric cars are much less expensive to maintain and don’t pollute the environment.
- Reconnecting to Nature has many mental and physical health benefits.
- Connecting with our communities and working together brings us happiness.
- Preventing extreme weather reduces expensive rebuilding costs.
- Biodiversity and ecosystems will be protected and allowed to thrive.
I’m sure you’ve heard the expression, “There is no planet B.” That’s not just an expression—it happens to be true. And that’s why it is crucial we all work together to stop climate crisis in its tracks. Together, we can create transformative change to protect the earth and our future.
Are you with us? Contact us for ideas on how you can help or to join an existing initiative.
