Inversion of Destruction

Nov. 9 -

"World headed for irreversible climate change in five years, IEA warns"

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/nov/09/fossil-fuel-infrastructure-climate-change


Nov 20 -

"Rich nations 'give up' on new climate treaty until 2020"

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/nov/20/rich-nations-give-up-climate-treaty

News this month published by the Guardian tells us that we are within 5 years of being "locked in" to an irreversible trajectory toward 450ppm of CO2, by projected demand and pollution of existing power plants, and that our leaders have resigned themselves to inaction, bowing more to the difficulties of human relationships than the consequences of doing nothing.

This means any change that will happen needs to come from below - from choices individuals make in our habits and our purchases.  Time for us to grow up, our leaders are not going to legislate this for us.

The reason they will not, of course, is they fear the political backlash from their constituents if they were to try and enforce rationing, similar to the riots in England against austerity measures.  We have always had the power.

The question is, do we realize we are also the problem?  Each of us is to blame - not our leaders - for the path our Earth will take, because we in effect whine whenever our toys are threatened with being taken away.  Our leaders cannot win when it comes to climate change, because they have whining on the left about their not doing enough and whining on the right about quality of life being compromised.  Perhaps the problem is not with our leaders after all.  

There is hope in the "Occupy" movements in that it shows the people can have a voice, unite, get attention, possibly even effect change.  However, even this movement can be inhabited motivated ultimately by a whine.  Honest participants will be examining: am I here out of a sense of responsibility and a call to what is right - or am I whining because my life isn't what I want it to be?

The most important question any of should be asking is: How much do I care?  Am I committed to effecting something positive and lasting with my time here?  Or am I, like my leaders, content with finding excuses for giving up, and feeling justified with my whining.  Our answers may not make much difference on the outcome, in one regard.  But they can change the quality of what we are able to contribute along the way.