DON’T BE BEST. BE GRETA!

Let’s start with three simple and accurate assumptions:

1. Climate Change is an immediate existential threat to the well being of the planet and every living thing on it. 

2. The Trump administration has purposely rejected the science and embraced economy over environment.

3. The United States is refusing to take additional steps to fight Climate Change and has instead chosen to to promote the fossil fuel industry and make it easier for everyone to dirty up our water, air and earth.

That’s just the way it is right now. The Environmental Protection Agency is worse than dead. It’s undead. Lika a zombie, it seeks to destroy everything it once was. FUN FACT: Did you know that Andrew Wheeler is the head of the EPA because he formerly represented coal king Robert Murray and lobbied against the Obama administrations’ environmental regulations?

When the President of the United States can’t sit still for twenty minutes at the Climate Action Summit that is taking place at the United Nations this week, then we should expect our presence on the world stage to be drastically diminished and for the rest of the world to distance themselves from us. 

In short, we are being left behind. We are not making America great again. We are making America small and isolated.

We are at a point in history where billions are putting their faith in a sixteen year old Swedish girl to save the planet. Well, I have breaking news:

A sixteen-year old girl is not going to save your planet. You are not living in a comic book.

You want to save what is left of this dirty blue planet? Retweeting Greta Thunberg is not enough. Hating Trump for mocking her is not enough. 

Don’t defend Greta. Be her. 

Do something. 

Right now, the United States has chosen to accelerate Climate Change rather than lead the world in finding and implementing solutions. This makes ensuring your children’s survival much harder. Think of it as if the Justice League tried to defeat Steppenwolf without Superman. That would suck.

If you’re not a DC Comics fan, then think of it this way:

Is your baby’s asthma aggravated by the poor air quality? Sorry.

Can’t reach your local hospital because of flooding? Sorry.

Did your son and daughter die in a war ignited by lack of clean water? My condolences.

You get the point. Climate Change is manmade, it’s here, it’s killing us and our children, and we aren’t doing much about it.

So be Greta. Do something. Get your representatives to listen to you. Vote for people who know what they are doing and can work with our allies and our not-so-allies. Start to fix things by working to put people in your government who will, well, start to fix things.

“But what about China? Aren’t they worse,” you say?

“Yes, they are worse,” I admit. Which is why it is so important that we have people who can encourage and pressure the rest of the world, including China, into taking the necessary steps to keep us and our children alive. 

“Will there be corruption, deceit and illegal activity surrounding Climate Change initiatives,” you ask? 

“What a stupid question,” I say.” Of course there will be. You think that’s an excuse for anything?”

The first step to fighting climate change is finding people who are willing to fight it. 

In a normal world the United States would be leading this fight. We would be Superman. So, if you want to live in a normal world instead of this one, go out and make sure your voice is heard outside facebook, twitter and outside this blog.

Don’t be me.

Be Greta.