June 2023 was the hottest June on record. Each year continues to get hotter and hotter due to the climate crisis. Humankind has known that our rapid industrialization has altered the Earth’s atmosphere. In the long run, the Earth will survive, but humankind will be on the ropes. Again I quote the legendary comedian George Carlin. Who once stated, “The planet is fine. The people are fucked.”
In reality, we have not entirely fucked just yet. One hundred companies are responsible for 71% of global emissions. Developed nations have contributed far more to the climate crisis than developing nations. But those developing nations will bear the brunt of the climate crisis impacts. Developed nations won’t be let off the hook in the long run because Mother Nature doesn’t give a damn about national borders.
Speaking of national borders, war also significantly contributes to the climate crisis. The U.S. military only is one of the most significant carbon emitters of emissions on Earth. Unfortunately, reading about climate-related news, the focus is always on the individuals. Yup, you need to recycle more or eat far less meat. And don’t use plastic bags or drive a car. Yes, reducing your carbon footprint is an admirable thing to do. But putting solutions to climate change on the individual makes it seem like an insurmountable problem that is impossible for the average person with jobs, bills, family, and other commitments to overcome. Yet, if humanity can collectively come together to address the climate crisis, there are solutions. We won’t focus on the doom and gloom of climate change here. Let’s get into some realistic solutions.
The first big thing is waging peace and curtailing war. War destroys nations, communities, natural spaces, and the lives of countless humans and animals. Peace would benefit humanity and the planet. We need to give peace a chance. But as of now, the United States is set to spend a trillion dollars a year on defense. It’s up to the citizens of the U.S. to stop supporting war-mongering politicians on either side of the aisle. Big Green groups need to put their money where their mouth is and call out the Military Industrial Complex for the destructive force it truly is for all life on Earth. Diplomacy and peace talks should to demanded by the public to save lives, prevent needless death and destruction, and protect Earth for all living beings.
The militaries of all developed and developing nations are powered by fossil fuels. A Green New Military won’t upend the horrors and destructiveness of war, sorry Senator Elizabeth Warren. Fossil fuels are a parasitic industry to taxpayers around the globe. Our taxes go to subsidize the multi-billion dollar fossil fuel industry. We are funding our own demise. People across the globe should demand that we stop offering subsidies to those 100 companies contributing the most to the climate crisis. We should tax the hell out of them and force stronger regulations on those dirty fuel corporations. Too many liberals, Republicans, and libertarians think that taxation on major corporations is ‘tyranny and communism.’ But when this whole thing goes to shit, and all our major food crops fail, those corporate suck-ups will realize that you can’t eat money. Sorry, Elon Musk!
Renewable energy is another immediate solution to the climate crisis we can collectively get behind as people. I stated this before:
Public transportation is a straightforward solution that can be implemented nationwide and in other parts of the world. We can fund this thanks to those windfall taxes on those soulless fossil fuel companies. In the United States, liberal politicians and Green Groups have pushed pricey electric vehicles on the general public to reduce their carbon footprint. If you buy a Tesla from Elon Musk, you’ll save the rainforest. But EVs still draw power from fossil fuels like coal. High-speed rails are one solution that could curb traffic congestion and connect communities across state lines. It’s a job creator and allows people to work and live in different cities. It would be a boon to commerce. Plus, the U.S. already has the railway infrastructure to be revitalized. The United States built the first continental railway system. We can do it with a national high-speed rail system. If China can do it, then the U.S. can do it too.
The auto industry has lobbied local, state, and federal political leaders to maintain the status quo. It will be up to regular citizens to advocate and fight for access to public transportation for all, high-speed rails, and other climate solutions mentioned throughout this piece. It may sound cliche, but countless individuals are already taking collective action and organizing for a world beyond the status quo. It may seem impossible, but we are not trying to save the world. We are trying to save ourselves. Put in that perspective, isn’t humanity worth saving. It will be up to us to do that.
Intentional solidarity, organizing, and climate and general strikes must be part of our game plan for a better and greener future. One person can’t change everything, but by working with countless others, one person can achieve the impossible. Humanity’s most extraordinary power is our ability to collectively work towards a common goal. It’s how we went from hunter-gathers gazing at the stars at night, creating mythologies, to sending technology into space to study what made those same stars we once gazed at in wonder.
Evolving Folks Project 