Local environmentalists plug the urgency of climate change
Inspired by Swedish 16-year old Greta Thunberg, an international School Strike for Climate week was set for September 20–27. Youth especially were encouraged to walk out of schools and workplaces to protest the lack of action being taken to deal with climate change impacts.
Lauren Newman, sustainability coordinator at University of the South, initiated our local events. Representatives from TN Interfaith Power & Light, Cherokee Sierra, Citizens’ Climate Lobby, Chattanooga Climate, Climate Reality Project and others collaborated to plan local events in solidarity with nearly eight million others around the world.
We planned a rally at the week’s beginning plus a candlelit vigil at the end.
My assigned task was to send out notices to media folks. For radio contacts, I composed a short public service announcement containing an invitation to attend the Global Strike Candlelit Vigil on September 27 at 7:15 p.m. and bring a candle. Each station contacted was asked to please make the announcement throughout Friday, the 27th.
It’s pretty standard for non-profit organizations to send out such announcements. News journalists sometimes appear at the event or call for more information. Never have I gotten such a response as I did from one (not to be revealed) local radio person. The email said: “Have better things to do than waste our time promoting junk science.”
Wh-a-a-a-a-t? Junk science?
Tell that to the estimated 7.6 million people who demonstrated during the Global Action Strike around the world, plus the 195 countries that have set goals based on the Paris Climate Agreement. These countries have pledged to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions in order to keep the temperature from rising no more than 1.5 degrees Centigrade above pre-industrial levels.
Say it’s all junk science to the more than 6000 global scientists who delivered their peer-reviewed scientific research findings to the 450 lead authors and to the 800 contributing authors who have written reports for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
No, dear radio climate denier, human-caused climate change is neither a hoax nor a broad global conspiracy led by scientists out for money. It’s not a governmental plan to make money either. As they say, you can have your own opinion, but not your own facts.
Following Global Climate Strike week, the Appalachian Public Interest Environmental Law Conference was held at the UTK Law Center in Knoxville. Many environmental concerns connected to legal action pathways and procedures were addressed. There was information on the higher danger to women and young children from radiation, disposal of radioactive waste, the state of recycling, updates on the Freedom of Information Act and National Environmental Policy Act, a citizen action how-to for stormwater and water quality enforcement, TVA power issues, clean energy, plastic pollution, fracking, the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, landfill dumping protection and more.
Of course there was also a session about climate change solutions with our already- happening transition from fossil fuels and nuclear power to renewable energy. One path is through the Carbon Dividend Act being kicked around in Congress now. If all the kinks are worked out and the bill does pass, your household would receive a cash dividend each year. That money would come from fees placed on fossil fuel polluters. Fees would rise per metric ton each year as an incentive to discontinue fossil fuel emissions, thereby helping with climate disruption.
Speaking of climate disruption, October has arrived! It’s usually the month when I review why leaves fall off trees and how colorful autumn happens. However it looks like fall color is now in November because climate change with its warm weather and drought has dictated a later date and likely less color too.
Meanwhile, on October 10 at 6 p.m., those interested in climate change solutions will meet at Green|Spaces to consider ideas we can implement for our area to help ameliorate negative climate change impacts. We need actions urgently that benefit our children and even mean-spirited and ever more lonely climate deniers.
Sandra Kurtz is an environmental community activist, chair of the South Chickamauga Creek Greenway Alliance, and is presently working through the Urban Century Institute. You can visit her website to learn more at enviroedu.net