Earth Day 2020: The Doomsday Clock of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists warns us that humanity is 100 seconds from an apocalyptic midnight. Seconds! Not the clock’s 10 minutes shown on the eve of the first Earth Day 50 years ago.
Why? Because of COVID-19? No. Humanity will survive COVID-19. There is so much science still to be learned about this new virus, but science has known for more than 50 years that virus outbreaks are both the result and symptom of a more existentially threatening disease: human-caused climate change denialism.
If that disease is not mitigated, not contained, no cure is found, today’s horrific virus deaths will be minuscule in comparison. Mother Earth will survive us, but the question is, can we survive the rulership of denialism? We are urged to be diligent in disinfecting, but there are no executive-reality-show press briefings about being diligent in addressing the ultimate existential pandemic — climate change.
Indeed, diligence is quashed by presidential executive orders that repeal the laws, regulations and rules necessary to avoid a climate change apocalypse. There are no tweets that document the connections between the destruction of the natural world to virus pandemics. Our fears, our anxieties are supposed to be soothed by the expectation of a COVID-19 vaccine within 18 months, but scientists tell us humanity has only 18 months to take decisive steps to avert climate catastrophe.
The Denialist in Chief and his minions use innocuous sounding terms. They offer “regulation relief,” but in reality, they are escalating defilements to not only all of nature’s life-support systems — our air, water, land and wildlife — but to common decency and compassion for anything or anyone who doesn’t profit from the so-called rollback relief.
Rollbacks to what? Rivers on fire? Whole communities felled by cancer-causing toxic pollutants? Their bureaucratic language is purposefully deceptive and designed to suppress alarm. A few examples:”reform,” “correction,” “revision,” “streamlining,” “suspension,” “delayed,” “exemption,” “modernize.” This link reveals their true meanings. It is a chronicle of the worst of us. And a call to true corrective action: brookings.edu/interactives/tracking-deregulation-in-the-trump-era/.
The consequences of the application of these deceptive words should be daily headlines in every media outlet in the nation. That they aren’t should be as terrifying as the reports of new cases and virus-caused deaths. We are told we need to flatten the curve to stop the virus, but there never will be mention of the urgent need to flatten escalating atmospheric carbon numbers. The atmospheric carbon numbers progress in upward lines.
Instead of the protective laws of the last 50 years being enforced and strengthened, they have been or are in the process of being destroyed by the strangling grip of greed and corruption.
What can we do? Quite a lot. Be like John Lewis, who said: “Do not become bitter or hostile. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.”
And believe in, act on Robert Kennedy’s words: “Each of us can work to change a small portion of events. From numberless diverse acts of courage and belief human history is thus shaped. A strike against an injustice sends forth a tiny ripple of hope. And crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.” Be a ripple of hope.
Sally Rodgers is a longtime Santa Fean, organizer of the 1970 Earth Day, founder of Conversation Voters New Mexico and a Santa Fe Living Treasure.
