Ickler: What could be the miserable legacy of our time

[bronxiteforever]

Watertown Mass
By Glenn Ickler/Local Columnist and retired newspaper editor.
9/29/19 Posted at 4:19 AM

Time magazine devotes an entire issue to climate change, which should be required reading in the White House and the halls of Congress. There is no discernible public response to Time’s 112 pages of facts and forecasts from either of those venues. Of course we are aware that one major White House resident does not like to read and that the political party that controls the Senate does not believe in science.

The United Nations holds a Climate Action Summit in New York and the only participation by the United States comes from the Chief Tweeter, who makes a surprise visit and talks about the need for more religious freedom in the world. Delegates are not sure how this relates to rising sea waters potentially flooding Mar-a-Lago.

Michael Bloomberg, the former New York City mayor who is now a UN special envoy for climate, welcomes the Chief Tweeter to the summit and speaks to him directly by saying, “Hopefully our discussions here will be useful for you when you formulate climate policy.” This is followed by general laughter and applause from listeners who know that the Chief Tweeter’s climate policy is a joke.

...I won’t be around to see what life is like in 2050, but my grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be living as adults in whatever kind of world they are left with by my generation and my children’s generation. Is a choice between wretched and catastrophic really the best we can offer them? Given the present state of American politics, I’m afraid that could be the miserable legacy of our time.

https://watertown.wickedlocal.com/opinion/20190929/ickler-what-could-be-miserable-legacy-of-our-time

The last time there was this much carbon dioxide (CO2) in the Earth's atmosphere, modern humans didn't exist. Megatoothed sharks prowled the oceans, the world's seas were up to 100 feet higher than they are today, and the global average surface temperature was up to 11°F warmer than it is now.
https://www.climatecentral.org/news/the-last-time-co2-was-this-high-humans-didnt-exist-15938

[vlyons]

1. It's not that GOPers don't believe in climate change

although some of the evangelicals certainly think that god is in control and Jesus is coming any day now. But the ultra-rich oligarchs want to continue reaping oil profits. They think that if they have enough money that they can simply move to better locales and build homes that are more adaptable to a warming climate.

[bronxiteforever]

3. The GOP base does not believe in human caused

Climate change. It is a clear wedge issue because their base doesn’t believe in science.

I totally agree with you that the GOP oligarchs don’t care about it because they will be saved by their wealth and they are still making money.

[calimary]

2. K&R. And bookmarking.

[Nevermypresident]

4. K & R

[BlueWI]

5. Thanks for the post. I wasn't aware of the Time piece.

We have to succeed at action on the climate and impeachment fronts. A tall order that must be done.

[appalachiablue]

6. K/R Thanks for posting. More from the article:

> "The potential victims of the cataclysmic future are not old enough to oust those who want to continue collecting stock dividends, salary bonuses and/or political contributions from the polluters of the present. By the time the victims reach an age at which they can do more than conduct rallies, their world may be burning with environmental change."