(ThyBlackMan.com) It will come as no surprise that we are experiencing unprecedented climatic upheavals in America and across the globe.
This is no longer an issue that lurks in esoteric hypotheticals and game theory; it stands glaringly in the daylight of increasingly frequent disasters. In short, the evidence of climate change has been laid bare for all to see.
Wildfires devour forests with an insatiable fury. Hurricanes batter coastlines with increased intensity. Droughts drain the lifeblood of lands that were once lush.
These are not mere strokes of God’s wrath; they are amplified echoes of human indifference. Each disaster leaves a trail of devastation — homes razed, dreams dashed, and most importantly, lives lost. Rescue efforts consistently morph into recovery missions before our eyes. We then attempt to rebuild what was lost, but those are just “things.” Reconstituting life and relationships is a much more evasive task.
To make matters worse, amidst the swirling winds of chaos, a tempest of misinformation, disinformation, and inaction continues to rage. Whether due to greed or ignorance, there are still too many people who stubbornly refuse to acknowledge the reality of anthropogenic (i.e., human-caused) climate change.
Our saving grace ultimately might be the fact that the economic toll is staggering, climbing further into the billions with each passing event. Nations, including ours, plunge into financial despair as they shuffle funds from essential services to stitch and bandage the wounds of their battered landscapes.
Insurance, that safety net once deemed to be a prudent safeguard, now teeters on the brink of unaffordability as risk assessments skyrocket. We find that companies have actually stopped providing insurance in certain areas simply due to risk of loss. How much more money must be drained from our coffers into the abyss of climate catastrophe before investment in prevention is seen as vital to our existence?
The bottom line is that climate change has the ability to bankrupt America. It’s that simple.
Yet, beyond balance sheets and budget lines lies the immeasurable cost of human suffering. Families stripped of possessions, memories, and milestones; communities fractured, their cultural and social legacies submerged under debris.
Yet, as the waters rise, so too does the tide of denial. Skeptics and conspiracy theorists churn out disinformation, casting doubt on the decades of scientific consensus. Their voices, amplified by the echo chambers of the internet and political opportunism, weave a dangerous tapestry of complacency. How many more people must suffer as the cacophony of deceit drowns out the calls for action? How many more lives must be inscribed in the ledger of loss before truth regains its footing?
What will it take to effect lasting change? It will take voices — loud, united, and unyielding. It will bold, broad, and swift action. It will take courageous policy decisions. The tools are at our disposal; the knowledge is in our grasp. Renewable energy technologies beckon with the promise of a cleaner, sustainable future. Conservation and adaptive strategies lie ready to be implemented. Yet, the will to wield these tools with the urgency they demand seems to falter under the weight of political paralysis and economic expediency.
Leadership — political, community, and corporate — must awaken to the clarion call of responsibility. It is not merely about adapting to what the future holds, but about molding that future into a realm where dangerous denials become relics of a past that is no longer tolerated.
As citizens of this planet, our role is not passive. It is incumbent upon each of us to demand more from those who hold the reins of power, to educate ourselves and others about the truths of our environmental predicament, and to insist on accountability and action from all sectors of society.
So, what will it take? We need more than wondering when the next disaster will strike and how hard it will hit us. This problem requires a relentless pursuit of prevention, a dismantling of the engines of denial, and a steadfast commitment to forging a sustainable path forward.
As we stand at this crossroad, the choices that we make will ripple through future generations. Let us choose a course that speaks not just of survival, but of flourishing. We must find the resolve to not only face the coming storms, but to disrupt them before they form.
Let us decide that the time for asking “How many more?” is over, and the era of declaring “no more” has begun.
Written by Larry Smith
