Emergency? Really?
“We are in an emergency. California is on the brink of drought, prompting fears of a new wave of devastating megafires later this year. Rising temperatures could soon make the planet’s tropical regions unlivable for humans. Yet a Guardian investigation recently found that only a small number of major countries have been pumping rescue funds into a low-carbon future.”
The above quote is from “The Guardian” of 12 April 2021. It continues:
“Two years ago, the Guardian announced it was changing the language it uses to talk about the environment, eschewing terms like “climate change” for the more appropriately urgent “climate emergency”. Today, we are joined by others in the news industry, organizations that recognize that a global catastrophe is already here, and that without immediate action, it will get unimaginably worse.
These organizations are part of Covering Climate Now, an initiative founded in 2019 by Columbia Journalism Review and the Nation, with the Guardian as the lead partner, to address the urgent need for stronger climate coverage. More than 400 newsrooms from around the world – with a combined audience nearing 2 billion people – have joined Covering Climate Now”
On the same day the paper published the following, which just underscore the urgency:
“Endangered US rivers at grave risk from dams, mining and global heating. New report lays out dire situation facing the most imperiled rivers but environmental activists say situation is salvable”
(…which is another supporting fact to my What Environmental Crisis? post – file under Fresh Water)
“Airborne plastic pollution ‘spiralling around the globe’, study finds. Rising levels of microplastic pollution raise questions about the impact on human health, experts say”
(…file this under Air)
“Fukushima: Japan announces it will dump contaminated water into sea. Environmental groups and neighbours condemn plan to release more than 1m tonnes of contaminated water in two years’ time”
(…see my Nuclear Energy Story – the waste problem is not solved! Of course the ocean will hide it, like it does so many things – sigh)
For a slightly, only slightly, more lighthearted look at the whole issue look at “First Dog on the Moon”, an Australian cartoon (also published in The Guardian):
And then we have this tangentially related headline:
“US CEOs think Biden’s corporate tax rate hike will have negative impact – survey. President’s proposed hike would raise corporate tax rate from 21% to 28% to pay for his $2.3tn infrastructure plan”
Surprise, surprise; CEO’s think paying more tax is not a good idea.
Bottom line: Great move by the Guardian and all the other associated media organizations. My point re 1biosphere remains; These stories are not influencing enough of the people we need to reach – that silent majority who can move the political and social dynamics. That needs your help.