Given the extreme heat we’ve endured, beach water that’s become as warm as a bathtub, smoke from massive wildfires, and a substantial increase in flash and hurricane flooding, hopefully those still dismissing global warming or calling it a hoax are few and far between. With climate change now beginning to bite into our lives, all are now able to see the earth’s response to the pollution we’ve poured into it and are without excuse. Just as CS Lewis explained how “God whispers to us in our pleasures, …but shouts in our pain”, hopefully we can now hear the earth screaming at us over the damage we’ve done, continue to do, and the need to change.
Before considering how to respond to global warming, perhaps it would be best to examine evidence of its scale, longevity and the implications of this problem. Since the industrial revolution began around 1850, global CO2 levels in the atmosphere have risen 40-50%. While that might not seem like a lot, given the enormity of the global atmosphere, that’s a very large change. According to NASA, the last nine years have also been the hottest on record since 1880. While temperatures across the US have soared, it’s also important to appreciate that these heat waves are associated with just a 2F global temperature rise. Image what it’s going to feel like when global temperatures rise by 3F over the next decade, and even more after that.
Beyond the oppressive heat we’ve experienced, it’s essential that we absorb the magnitude of the derivative consequences of all this heat. Ocean temperatures are rising, major hurricanes are becoming more likely, coral reefs are dying, glaciers are melting, sea levels are expected to rise up to 6 feet, and massive wildfires are growing more pervasive.
From a human standpoint, it’s imperative that we take to heart the fact that global warming is going to significantly expand the horrendous levels of malnutrition and starvation we’re currently seeing in far off countries. It’s also imperative to know that rising sea levels are going to drive the largest migration of peoples humanity has ever known. I most sincerely encourage those that are ProLife and anti-immigration to consider these evolving realities.
If you’re more inclined to view this issue from an economic perspective, or if you’re geographically insulated from most climate driven disasters, or if you simply don’t care much about what future generations will be going through, perhaps it’s worth noting that climate change is already driving up the cost of agricultural products, driving up the cost of insuring tens of millions of homes and businesses, and adding to inflationary pressures.
Given the trail of destruction global warming is causing it would be easy to throw our hands up and say “What can I do?” The fact of the matter is there’s a lot we can do. Given the ability the government has to address major crisis, the first and easiest thing we can do is refuse to support any political candidate who refuses to make combating global warming one of their top priorities.
Rather than backing into political corners on this issue, perhaps it would be worthwhile to recall how icon of the Republican Party, Teddy Roosevelt, in moving to protect hundreds of millions of acres of land through designations as national parks, forests and monuments said, “We have fallen heirs to the most glorious heritage a people ever received, and each one must do his part if we wish to show that the nation is worthy of its good fortune”. If Republican “leaders” today want to behave anything like those who laid the foundation of the Republican Party, we need them to find anew their conservative roots, turn away from their perceived short-term political interests, and turn toward protecting the environment and protecting the best interests of the people, today and for generations to come.
One example of how we could restrain carbon emissions and global warming is to reduce income taxes and increase fuel taxes by a roughly equal amount. Transitioning the basis of taxes away from income, something we should be incentifying, and toward fuel consumption, something harmful that we should create dis-incentives for, would leave most people with roughly the same total tax burden, while creating an incentive for reducing fuel consumption and carbon emissions. Slowly replacing some of our income taxes with higher fuel taxes would give people and businesses time to adapt. This is just one of many creative ways we could restrain global warming at little to no expense. All it takes is a little flexibility and willingness to adapt to change.
In addition to supporting candidates with the courage to lead us in protecting the environment, we can reduce the carbon footprint of our own households. We can consume less fuel by driving less aggressively or trading in our current vehicle for a more fuel efficient one. We can also do our best to consume less power and natural gas at home, by either installing a more fuel-efficient furnace or AC unit, or installing solar panels on our home. Fortunately, thousands of dollars in tax rebates are available for all of these investments.
While we can lament not having heeded decades of warning about global warming, it’s imperative that we appreciate that time is not on our side. For every bit of greenhouse gas we emit, the earth is responding with global warming reactions of its own. As we warm our planet, ice sheets recede and cloud cover thins, diminishing their reflective protection. As we warm our planet, the permafrost melts, releasing copious amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
If we fail to act to reduce global warming, rising sea levels alone will consume millions of coastal homes and require us to spend trillions to build protective sea walls around coastal cities.
Given the way climate change is not only growing, but accelerating, Winston Churchill’s 1941 characterization of America, “You can always count on America to do the right thing, after she’s tried everything else” bodes poorly with respect to our response to this problem. Our reluctance to go on a war footing against global warming now is only allowing it to intensify and grow more pervasive and entrenched. If we want to take the top off the climate crisis barreling towards us, our children and grandchildren, it’s imperative that we act with courage and all due haste.