If You’re Waiting for the Implementation of a World Climate Change Plan — Keep Waiting
Here we are again. Right back where we started from, waiting. Waiting is often a favorite way to deal with life. In this case, we’re STILL WAITING for someone to start taking the necessary steps to combat climate change.
Nowhere in the world is that happening. Not yet. Not to the extent that will make a difference.
I’m not minimizing the war in the Ukraine, but let’s face it, war is a major polluter and also demands a lot of attention. The world is currently completely distracted by this deadly turn of events. We’ll be forced to postpone the development of a world plan of action to deal with climate change.
So, we must wait — again.
I’ve been sitting in the waiting room of life, well, for all of my life. Everyone I know and love are sitting there, too. Waiting for universal health, waiting for legalization of drugs, waiting to upgrade our broken infrastructure, waiting to pay off my house, waiting to retire, waiting for the first female president, waiting to see action against climate change.
The only waiting that has finally come to an end are the things I fix for myself. I paid off my house almost 20 years ago. I retired at age fifty-four. Both took blood, sweat, and tears to achieve, but I managed to put and end to the wait.
The rest? Well, let’s just say that I’ve stopped waiting for the rest. Not because we’ve fixed anything. Nope! Certainly not because I don’t think it’s still important. My goodness, no. Climate change is ramping up more than ever and life as I once knew it has been altered dramatically. We’re in it for the long haul.
Climate change is here to stay.
I’ve finally accepted that. I’ve left the waiting room. Even if we activate a Class A climate change plan first thing tomorrow morning, damage has already been done. We’re told that there’s still time but that time is running out. We’re told that we can’t turn back the clock but maybe we can slow down the clock. Neither of these dire warnings seem to have any lasting impact.
Talk can be inspirational. Promises can offer a bit of hope. But without action neither one will protect us. We need a plan, and then we need to put it into action.
But that’s the problem. I can’t think of a plan that would actually work, that is, slow down climate change. Why? Well, no matter what plan we’d come up with, most people would find fault with it and rather quickly refuse to cooperate.
A massive fight would break out resulting in MORE waiting.
If you think wearing a mask to keep from infecting your family with COVID was a hard sell, just try telling people that they can’t fly to Florida any longer for a vacation. People would be ready to shoot an airline stewardess not just knock her teeth out.
A really good plan could, would, or should include some of the things on this list:
Lower consumerism
Produce fewer babies
Stop making so much trash
Recycle and reuse (for real)
Stop driving cars that pollute
Stop flying planes that pollute
Eat less meat
Stop drilling for oil
Stop using natural gas
You get my drift. That’s just a beginner’s list. Try convincing everyone to upgrade their home heating units, invest in installing solar panels, have fewer babies, or stop buying STUFF.
I mean let’s get real. We’ve been trying for a long time to recycle and reuse. How’s that working out? Are people following through? Not so much.
The problem is that humans are going to expect someone else to make the sacrifices. The rich will expect the rest of us to give up our little conveniences and pleasures. The middle class will become militant and resist. Other countries will be blamed for the world climate problem.
Another war might even break out. War is our go-to method for solving problems. War is a major polluter.
You see where I’m going with this?
And yet, so far, none of it matters. Because we haven’t even started to implement a plan that would slow down climate change.
We’re still pretending to recycle and reuse.
I’m not a Christian but the story of Noah and his ark is a pretty good analogy for the way humans tend to deal with looming problems. We resort to denial. Old Noah was laughed at a lot when he repeatedly warned the people about the impending flood. I suspect he had neighbors who listened without laughing, however, maybe even shook their heads in worry, but they never started building their own ark.
That’s how things tend to play out.
So, here I am, leaving the waiting room. I refuse to waste my time waiting for someone else to fix things. I’m trying to to do what little I can do to prepare for what’s to come. And, I’m not making it my mission to share my plans with anyone in particular.
I paid off my house and it looks like I’ll need to figure out how to survive in a world where climate change is here to stay.
So, I better get busy.
Teresa Roberts is a retired educator, author, world traveler, and professional myth buster. YOu can find her books on Amazon.
