3 minutes of Climate Truth
Cassandra, was cursed to utter prophecies that are true but that no one believes. I thought of her tonight as once again, I spoke in front of the Westchester Board of Legislators during their 3 minute public comment period. My goal is to encourage them to get up to speed on climate chaos and biodiversity collapse. This week’s meeting would be including a hearing on a county wide polystyrene ban, so I led off with that and connected the dots. Here are my words from this week:
Tonight is the night that you will tackle the issue of polystyrene containers. Congratulations to the tireless activists who have worked on bringing this issue the attention it deserves.
Polystyrene is another product of the fossil fuel industry. It is toxic, chemicals leach from heated food and drink. Fun fact: I once gave our county executive George Latimer two re-useable insulated drink cups so that he could avoid polystyrene cups and set a positive example as he travels throughout the county having coffee with constituents.
Polystyrene does not breakdown, it lasts forever. And when we burn it in our incinerator in Peekskill it releases toxic chemicals and smoke that can damage the nervous system and lungs. Westchester’s air quality got another F rating from the American Lung Association this year.
Styrofoam is bad news.
I have more bad news for you, that makes styrofoam problem look like child’s play.
Its the IPCC report.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
Not the whole thing. Just read the summary for policy makers.
Because you are the policy makers!
We need you to be fully informed, I fear that you are not.
To quote my friend compost guru, Braeden Cohen, “Both the IPCC report and the UN report on biodiversity have made it very very clear that we have to make RAPID, RADICAL and transformative changes in every aspect of our lives to lessen the full impact of climate disruption.”
I’m not going to go all out Bill Nye style and light this globe on fire. But I do need every one of you to wake up and give this issue the attention it deserves.
No more business as usual.
Yesterday, it was 84 degrees up in the Arctic circle. Normal temps are in the low 50s this time of year.
Arctic ice is melting, creating positive feedback loops that will increase climate disruption. That ice will not be coming back.
As I speak there are out of control wild fires burning in Alberta, Canada. Again. Wildfires are another feedback loop that accelerates climate chaos.
Tonight, 50 million Americans are at risk of other severe weather, including fierce winds, large hail and flash flooding in the middle of the country” 2 million of those are facing severe tornadoes tonight.
This affects all of us.
The millions of acres I spoke of weeks ago that were underwater have yet to be planted with this year’s crops. What will we eat when the food system collapses?
Please
Take this seriously,
Read the IPCC report, read the UN report on biodiversity.
We’ve gotta do a heck of a lot more than banning styrofoam containers.
And we have to do it fast.
PS Here is Bill Nye, in case you missed it and aren’t paying attention:
