It’s clear: the time for climate action is NOW.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released their latest reviews and assessments this week, affirming what we already know: the climate crisis is here, it’s urgent, and we need a rapid, just transition away from fossil fuels to a world that prioritizes climate justice.
Thousands of expert scientists around the world affirmed that human-caused climate change has led to widespread climate destruction and loss of our nature and our people. The report is extremely clear that the world will surpass 1.5O Celsius of warming if we do not take drastic action. The result will be catastrophic, irrevocable changes to the Earth. Global health, food security, water supply, and nature are at stake – the very things we rely on to survive.
The report also raises the importance of climate justice. This report affirms that the people who have contributed the least to the climate crisis are the ones impacted the most. Addressing the climate crisis must have a focus on environmental justice that puts resources in the hands of people impacted by climate disasters the most.
Scientists are clear about the fact that the power is in our hands: how we govern, how we vote, and how we organize will be the difference between further climate destruction and community resilience.
We have the solutions to prevent further climate disaster but we must fight for the political will to do so. We need a rapid, just transition away from fossil fuels to ensure a livable future for us all. We need to emphasize equitable solutions that prioritize the communities impacted the most by climate destruction. That means more funding for recovery for the Global South, funding for poor coastal communities, and funding for communities living in proximity to polluting power plants.
In New Hampshire we must close the last coal fired power plant in our region, end proposals for new pipelines, and move quickly to transition to clean, renewable energy sources like wind and solar. We must help our farmers adapt to growing food in a changing climate, and relocate communities on the Seacoast experiencing damaging floods. We must address our water quality issues and make sure communities suffering as a result of decades of pollution are cleaned up and compensated.
While the warning bells have been going off for many years, this is not the time to give up. This is the time to get organized. We must prioritize climate justice and prevent politicians and the fossil fuel elite from sacrificing communities for their profits. We must fight to stop new fossil fuel projects, shut down polluters, push forward renewable energy projects in our backyards, and implement adaptation strategies. We cannot afford to let the fossil fuel industry do business as usual. It is time to shut them down and transform our communities into ones that center justice, love, and resilience.
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