Climate Anxiety is the name for the abject terror you feel when you think about about the deadline of 2040 the NYT set for the world.
Climate Anxiety is the name for the terror you feel when the top causes are all human related.
And Climate Anxiety is the name for the fear you have when you talk to everyone you know, people who believe in Climate Change, who say they think the biggest obstacle to change is other people.
Climate Anxiety is me walking down the street alone yelling “Fucking cunt,” when I think of the work ahead.
It’s me brainstorming any and every way I can think of and not having the outlet for any of them:
Increase the driving tax to include the amount needed to retrofit all cars with electric engines.
Increase taxes to heavily invest in government sponsored solar programs.
Create an international carbon free trading zone, where all carbon reduction measures and goods are tax free.
Ban all non-recyclable packaging in grocery stores. Include a packaging tax on all packaged goods.
Stop subsidizing gasoline.
Ban meat. Subsidize lab grown meat initiatives and meat substitute initiatives like those sponsored by David Change.
Increase the car tax to heavily invest in public transit in all major metro areas.
Start charging people more for garbage removal. Institute city-wide composting programs.
Tax all profits from non-carbon neutral companies and re-invest that money back into efforts to make that company carbon neutral.
Declare a state of emergency and have the army corps of engineers build solar & wind facilities until the entire country is powered by renewable energy sources.
Heavily increase taxes on extractive industries and any construction effort that does not contribute to carbon neutral facilities.
Increase cap and trade regulations
Create mandatory ad segments regarding global warming that must be showed alongside other ads
Heavily tax investments for companies that are not carbon neutral or low carbon emitting
Ban landscaping.
Charge more for water that is being used on gardens and plants (i.e. above a certain usage point, or when the faucet is left on at full blast for too long.)
Tax the ultra-wealthy to subsidize carbon reduction efforts instead of letting the burden fall on the comparatively poor class.
Blitz the media with stories about global warming.
Create a Green Corps where people can join to fight climate change just like they’d join the Army Corps or the Peace Corps.
Climate Anxiety is knowing that you’ve already met people who don’t believe in climate change, speaking to them, knowing their opinions, knowing their insecurities, and their refusal to budge on issues because they think that changing their mind makes them look stupid, and they’d rather be dead and wrong, than right and stupid.
Climate Anxiety is wondering if you’re going to have to shoot people to survive after 2040.
Climate Anxiety is wondering if there will even be a world worth living in after 2040.
Most articles on Climate Anxiety tell you to calm down and relax.
I heard two people talking about how the best time to invest in solar energy is in 10 years when the economy of scale has taken hold and the industry is booming.
We can’t wait.
We need a booming solar industry now.
We need the political and economic action to move it forward with great speed.
Climate Anxiety is real because Climate Change is real and it’s happening fast.
Climate Anxiety, if you’re lucky, is the kick in the ass you need to start organizing everyone else around you to move forward and make a difference.
We want to put these burdens on the captains of industry and politicians, but the reality is, you buy from these captains, and you vote for these politicians. You speak with their constituents. Every day, you can choose whether you really need that thing off of amazon, whether you need paper towels, or if you can just wash rags in the washing machine. You can vote for people who believe in climate change, and you can raise awareness. You can vocalize your needs and organize.
You can talk to everyone you meet about 2040.
I’ve watched great changes happen before in smaller arenas.
The first thing that happens is that no one believes a change will come.
They can’t conceptualize it. Then the group motivates itself to work consistently. Over time, change happens, and something wonderful is built. Sometimes this happens in a year, sometimes 5, sometimes 10. Then everyone reminisces over the time they started so small.
We have 12 years and a group of over 2 billion.
The real question is, what will we work for?
What change will we accept before time runs out?
Resources for action
Sign up for the last weekend. Phone bank in swing states. Phone bank in these states.
Any ideas, comments, or resources, post them here.
