WE CAN CHANGE
What I love about this illustration—and this Op-Ed "How to Stop Freaking Out and Tackle Climate Change"—is that it acknowledges our feelings of despair, fear and powerlessness. It shows us how we can "save" ourselves from depression, helplessness and inaction. It illustrates how we can become a force for good, a force for the positive change we know is possible. We CAN help solve our planetary crises.
Do you often feel stressed, scared, anxious, overwhelmed, depressed by the many serious, life-threatening crises before us? I do. And I know I'm not alone. There are millions of us who are aware of the reality of our climate crisis, the destruction of our democracy, the constant erosion of planetary life-support systems, social inequality, our corrupt political system which continues to favor wealthy individuals and corporations at the expense of the common good and the planet.
We need to promote and encourage awareness in more and more folks. Although awareness can lead to depression. denial and despair, it can also lead to problem-solving, to taking action in our personal lives, and then joining together with others who are working for the common good.
The big takeaway from this Op-Ed for me is that we need to focus on demanding that the government enact enforceable policy that supports and furthers positive change, and as many have put it, "a politics of love." We individuals doing our recycling, switching our light bulbs and buying bamboo toothbrushes is important but isn't going to get the job done.
The time is now for us to BE the change we want to see in the world, DO the change, and DEMAND the change.
"How to Stop Freaking Out and Tackle Climate Change"
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