Things are quite grim on planet Earth—right now, not someday in the future. Climate change is worse than scientists predicted, and the effects are impossible to ignore.
Recently, I received a Substack newsletter from Bill McKibben that included some alarming information.
A new UN report concludes that the rapid melting of the world’s glaciers is jeopardizing food and water supplies for two billion people. According to research from the World Meteorological Organization, the largest three-year loss of glacier mass on record occurred in the past three years, with Norway, Sweden, Svalbard, and the tropical Andes among the hardest-hit areas.
Abou Amani, director of water sciences at UNESCO, warned that the loss of ice replaces a reflective surface with dark soil that absorbs heat. “Glaciers melting have an impact on the reflectivity of [solar] radiation and that will impact the whole climate system.”
New numbers from NASA show that sea levels are rising much faster, with 2024 setting global records, mostly because ocean water expands as it warms (thermal expansion). According to a NASA-led analysis, last year’s rate of rise was 0.23 inches (0.59 centimeters) per year, compared to the anticipated rate of 0.17 inches (0.43 centimeters) per year.
That's not the only troubling news. In her book, What If We Get It Right?: Visions of Climate Futures, author Ayana Elizabeth Johnson states, "Heat waves are more frequent and last longer. Hurricanes are getting stronger and wetter. Glaciers are melting faster than expected. The massive ocean currents that regulate our climate are slowing down, screwed up by excess heat and excess fresh water—water that was recently ice. Sea level is rising...displacing hundreds of millions of people. We have changed the pH of the entire ocean. It has absorbed so much carbon dioxide (CO2) that it’s getting more acidic... Plus, we hunt fish using sonar, helicopters, nets larger than football fields, and tons of fuel—most fish populations are overfished or fished to the max...Every year, an area the size of nearly 20 million football fields is deforested globally, hugely contributing to climate change and to our biodiversity crisis. We are in the process of driving one million species extinct. Simultaneously, we are on track to have more plastic in the ocean than fish."
This is no April Fool's Day joke. We're basically screwed, and we know it, but only a few are taking action. "In the U.S., despite 70% of Americans being concerned that climate change will harm plants, animals, and future generations, and 43% saying it has already affected them personally, a whopping 65% rarely or never talk about the topic with their friends and families. Furthermore, 11% of Americans are willing to become actively engaged but have not taken any actions."
Given all of this, I plan to start talking about it with you this month. On April 22, we celebrate Earth Day. But what if every day was Earth Day?
Today, I'll share some good news from What If We Get it Right? and some thoughts from another book I highly recommend, Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Stay tuned later in the month when I'll write about how diet and the industrial food system impact the planet. Since April is also Move More Month and Stress Awareness Month, I'll use a couple of this month's newsletters to share some tips for getting active and managing stress.
I'm writing about protecting our planet because I care, and we only have one Earth. While the climate crisis is depressing, it's essential to discuss it so we can take action to improve how we treat Mother Earth.
Part of the challenge, as Kimmerer points out in Braiding Sweetgrass, is "We continue to embrace economic systems that prescribe infinite growth on a finite planet, as if somehow the universe had repealed the laws of thermodynamics on our behalf. Perpetual growth is simply not compatible with natural law." Public companies are expected to generate profits for shareholders through year-over-year growth. This often overlooks the potential harm caused by resource extraction, increased sales, and the creation of more waste. We need to question whether infinite growth is worth the detrimental effects on people and the planet.
The indigenous worldview that Kimmerer shares with us is that the Earth exists not as private property but as a commons, to be tended with respect and reciprocity for the benefit of all. Kimmerer writes, "The gifts of the earth are to be shared, but gifts are not limitless. The generosity of the earth is not an invitation to take it all. Every bowl has a bottom. When it’s empty, it’s empty." We all share this planet. Those most negatively impacted by climate change are not the same individuals who are causing most of the damage. We can all improve our ability to recognize how our actions affect others.
Braiding Sweetgrass has recurring themes of gratitude and reciprocity. We must remember that "What happens to one happens to us all. We can starve together or feast together. All flourishing is mutual...we make a grave error if we try to separate individual well-being from the health of the whole." We tend to hold firm to the idea of independence and power in the U.S., but wouldn't it be better to live in a world where we have gratitude for the natural world, treat our planet as a member of our democracy, and celebrate interdependence? I would prefer a world where service is valued more than authority. If we treated all beings like family and took care of the Earth and each other, we could have an enormous impact.
Both books I mentioned convey hope. In What If We Get it Right?, Johnson interviews individuals working on projects aimed at healing the planet and fostering improvement. It is inspiring to know that many efforts are underway to enhance our systems. There is so much that can be accomplished if we learn from the natural world. In Time, Ciara Nugent points out one way people are turning to the wisdom of nature in growing crops, “Growing trees alongside crops is like installing an air conditioner and sprinkler system, or, in the words of one prominent farmer, ‘planting water.’ On a sunny day, a single tree can transpire hundreds of liters of water, representing a cooling power equivalent to running two or more domestic air conditioners.*
Johnson offers us hope and suggestions for how we can engage in solutions. She encourages us to "Keep showing up. Join something. Find your people. Bring your superpowers. Be a problem solver. Choose your battles. Nourish joy. Love nature. Be tenacious on behalf of life on Earth." We all possess unique skill sets that we can contribute. We can challenge the traditional methods and develop better alternatives that are less extractive and harmful or even mitigate some of the damage already caused.
Kimmerer uses the example of the Three Sisters (squash, beans, and corn, named so because this trio thrives when planted together) to illustrate what happens when we each leverage our strengths to collaborate together. "The most important thing each of us can know is our unique gift and how to use it in the world...in order for the whole to flourish, each of us has to be strong in who we are and carry our gifts with conviction, so they can be shared with others."
My goal in participating in the conversation about the climate crisis is to inspire action and remind myself that each one of us has an impact. We get to decide how to use our superpowers. Won't you join me in leaving our planet better off than we found it?
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