Physics not Politics
“The Laws Of Congress And The Laws Of Physics Have Grown Increasingly Divergent, And The Laws Of Physics Are Not Likely To Yield.”
— Bill McKibben —
My sleepy suburban town is currently embroiled in a deep divisive fight over developing our downtown. One group wants to create legislation that will give developers free reign to do whatever they can to ensure that their projects will be profitable. The other group doesn’t like the developer friendly legislation but is in favor of “smart development”. There’s been loads of name calling, gaslighting and even a letter to the editor signed by Thomas Biddle Jr., a person who does not exist (the local paper had to retract and apologize for the letter, but the damage was done).
It appears that none of our local electeds or candidates have read the 4th National Climate Assessment that clearly states that the northeast United States will be experiencing dramatic increases in rainfall along with a greater intensity of rainfall in a shorter amount of time. An inch or two in an hour’s time can fill up storm sewers really quickly, even new upgraded ones. Every road that leads to our downtown is a downhill ride, and it is right next to the Saw Mill River. Its a flood waiting to happen in the not too near future. This is where they want to build multistory “luxury” apartments to “revitalize” our downtown.
As my town continues to fight over this quagmire, I am just here to remind everyone that physics wins out at the end of the day. There is no debate as to whether we are in a climate emergency and we have less than a decade to dramatically cut our carbon emissions. Ripping down an existing structure and replacing it with “green construction” is a happy fairytale. The 2018 IPCC report called for “rapid, far- reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society”. Not one elected in my town has read or fully digested this report. I know this because if they did, they would not be sleeping at night and would not be advocating for “development” on any level.
The 2021 IPCC report was much more ominous. Our local electeds continue to look the other way when it comes to the big picture. Instead, they speak proudly about plastic bag ordinances and poorly crafted leaf blower laws.
My wish for this town is that someone in office is brave and bold enough to tell the truth about the predicament we are in. We have to stop pretending that our future will be anything like the past. We are in uncharted territory and its time to start acting that way. The climate crisis is only growing more intense with every hour as we continue to embrace business as usual.
Einstein said no problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it. We must think outside the box as we look to the future. It is one that will be filled with floods, food shortages and mass migrations. This is uncomfortable territory for many, and there are no easy solutions. Let’s get to work.
“Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced” -James Baldwin
