Celebration, in the wake of climate change.. really ?
Today, the 4th of december 2019 marks the 70th birtday of the NATO. When it was first started to face the threat that was the soviet union. Since its birth it has grown from 12 countries, to 26 of which one is going absolutely rogue Turkey invaded Syria, and we are all aware of the problems with the current regime in said country.
Today, still the 4th of december 2019 there is also a climate top in madrid. So how can it be that the main leaders of the countries in the NATO decided to fly out to the United Kingdom…for a celebration of an arguably old, misguided institution.
Some would make the argument that we need to do away with it completely (Jeremy Corbyn in 2014 : https://youtu.be/O4zaNJnpLOQ).
And others would even quote Alexandre Dumas.(https://news.sky.com/video/all-for-one-one-for-all-for-nato-says-boris-johnson-11877707)
Others would argue that we need to keep it firmly in place against cyber warfare, and the rise of China. Others would (still) argue that there is no such thing as global warming, or that its not affected by humans. I’m not going to go into that, i don’t think it deserves or needs that attention. There is proof in incredible numbers, media, and research (Have a look on the nasa website : https://climate.nasa.gov/).
The climate is changing, the earth is warming. We have by now all seen the images, videos, heard david Attenborough (if you haven’t yet check out “our planet”).
So i ask again, the amazon burning, the oceans becoming a plastic wasteland, deforestation around the world, the ever-growing massive industrialisation of countries that choose to ignore everything in the face of profit. Our children will grow up, not being able to see coral reefs, certain fish and animals that we now have seen but will further decline until there is simply none left.
We have the choice right now, to change our own attitude and to steer clear from the inevitable destruction by our own hands. So ask yourself, why should we be ok with leaders clinging Champaign glasses in the UK despite a climate top in Madrid.
Some of the things you can do ;
- Be outraged.
- Talk about it to peers, friends and family.
- Set the example by using less energy.
- Optimise your diet.
- Avoid plastics whenever and wherever you can.
- Make informed decisions as a consumer.
- If you can, find some charities that actually do good with your support.
We know not everyone has the voice, money, or even time to make these great changes. So we have to keep talking about it, keep making people more aware of their environment. Help in any small way that you can, because you cant make other changes, you can only change yourself so thats where you start !
It isn’t all doom and gloom yet, if we act fast. If we all do our best and keep vocal about it we could still change the tide around. We are not separate from our environment, we are all intricately bound to it.
The famous quote goes
“If all the insects were to disappear from the Earth, within fifty years all life on Earth would end. If all human beings disappeared from the Earth, within fifty years all forms of life would flourish. — J. Salk. ”
Let’s not make this into a reality. Do whatever you can, however small it may seem to you.
