On Sept. 23, the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research issued a 2024 Planetary Health Check that said, “Six out of the nine Planetary Boundary processes have breached their PBs, meaning that the values of the corresponding control variables have exceeded their safe levels. This breach indicates significant environmental stress and the potential for irreversible changes.”
Among the planetary boundaries reported as having “exceeded their safe levels” were climate change, biosphere integrity, land system changes, freshwater changes, modification of biogeochemical flows (air and water pollution) and the introduction of new substances into the environment “without prior adequate testing.”
The previous day the United Nations General Assembly’s Pact for the Future acknowledged that, “Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time, with adverse impacts that are disproportionately felt by developing countries, especially those that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. We commit to accelerate meeting our obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement.”
We get these reports seasonally. The degradation is duly documented. Those in power pontificate about their commitment to clean up the planet. Then, the next report shows a further deterioration of Earth’s livability.
Corporations find it cheaper to buy pollution-protecting politicians than to clean up their acts.
But, amid the doomsday scenario (and it very well could be doomsday), we have proof that concerted action can have a positive result.
The Cuyahoga River no longer “goes smokin’ through our dreams.” Eagle eggs do not crack in the nest due to the deleterious effects of chemicals on the shells.
On a larger scale, selfish and self-absorbed homo sapiens reversed the scourge of acid rain, which was denuding forests and killing lakes throughout the world 40 years ago.
Summarizing the situation in 2019, Lesley Evans Ogden of the BBC, noted:
“At its worst, acid rain stripped forests bare in Europe, wiped lakes clear of life in parts of Canada and the US, and harmed human health and crops in China where the problem persists. Looking back today, there is little argument that the cause was sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides emitted by fossil fuel combustion by cars and industrial facilities like smelters and coal-burning utilities. When combined with water and oxygen in the atmosphere, these air pollutants chemically transform into sulfuric and nitric acid. Acidic droplets in clouds then fall as rain, snow or hail.”
Overwhelming evidence, apparent with the dying trees and invisible in clear, lifeless water led to stricter emission controls through revisions to the Clean Air Act. Lakes began reviving, forests rebounded.
We might think that every year hotter than the last, raging wildfires and an increased frequency of super storms would be evidence enough to convince people of the reality of global warming. But, good ol’ American greed denounces anything that might cost corporations money.
Environmental scientist David Schindler studied the acid rain story for much of his life. He told Ogden that he saw many similarities between acid rain deniers and those who oppose significant action to cool the planet:
“Seed enough doubt, and pay for enough political campaigns, and you can delay action. That sounds pretty crass but if you look closely, that’s how most environmental problems are addressed, and climate is no exception.”
And, anti-regulation Republicans would add fossil fuel fodder to the degradation of the environment. Proudly. Happily. With no regard of its impact on those living now and whoever might appear in the future – those downwind from their greed.
Heck Donald Trump has promised corporations unfettered pollution permits – if they’ll fork over some campaign cash.
All of us are upstream and downstream – upwind and downwind – of other people. Our actions impact others. Other people’s actions impact us. Mother Nature is an all inclusive, interconnected organism. We individual parts of this whole need to consider all other planetary travelers as we hurtle through space.
But, it takes the kind of commitment we saw that put an end to acid rain.
I was reminded of this recently when a CBS Morning Show poll limned out the concerns of various age groups with climate change, the unimpeachable fact of global warming. As might be expected, younger people, who have the better odds of being here 50 years from now, show a greater concern than older folks.
From a nearly 80% worry among the youngest voters surveyed, the level of concern fell about 10% per each of the four categories, coming to rest with only 49% of my Baby Boomers giving a hoot about the projected aridification of a baking world.
But, still, our group has heirs and other loved ones who will likely suffer from our neglect of the problem. I guess we weren’t called the Me Generation for nothing. “We got ours; too bad for the rest of you.”
(Gary Edmondson is chair of the Stephens County Democratic Party.)