HOPE AND HEAT
The hottest summer ever recorded is happening in places all over the world. All of us are feeling the heat and yet politicians who seek power above all else are ignoring the deadly effects of climate change.
Many have lost hope that we can pull out of this downward spiral. Yet, as it is often said, "Hope is action." Here are a couple of quotes relevant to hope, heat and optimism, as well as my own thoughts about hope.
"What’s done is done. Immense damage has been perpetrated by many who still seek to wield power over our country. The danger they pose cascades like the danger they helped unleash. We bake in part because of their bad faith. But all of us bear some responsibility. Especially those who have lived the longest.
"Human activity helped cause the crisis. But human ingenuity can help fix it. If we don’t have some hope amidst the heat, much more will be lost." —Dan Rather
"When you do nothing you feel overwhelmed and powerless. But when you get involved you feel the sense of hope and accomplishment that comes from knowing you are working to make things better."
—Maya Angelou
Paul Hawken is the founder of Project Drawdown, which has dozens of solutions to drawdown our carbon emissions. He said, "When asked if I am pessimistic or optimistic about the future, my answer is always the same: If you look at the science about what is happening on earth and aren’t pessimistic, you don’t understand data. But if you meet the people who are working to restore this earth and the lives of the poor, and you aren’t optimistic, you haven’t got a pulse. What I see everywhere are ordinary people willing to confront despair, power, and incalculable odds in order to restore some semblance of grace, justice, and beauty to this world" ~ Paul Hawken
Peronsally, I am probably more pessimistic than optimistic, and perhaps less hopeful than not. BUT, it doesn't matter, because whether or not I have hope doesn't change that I will do everything I can to focus on this issue, make people aware of the crisis, and join with others who are dong the same.
How about you?
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