Rising Tides and Orange Skies: Breaking Free from Climate Fatalism
Barry Wygel, Alliance for Clean Energy New York
As a millennial, I remember when the topic of climate change became talked about in the 90s and early 2000s. I remember when Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” was released. But still it seemed a distant threat. “We’ll deal with it when we need to,” I assumed. I have a specific memory as a teenager thinking about climate change and rationalizing to myself that if we started seeing the effects, the world would come together (a la the film Independence Day) and fix it once and for all: Ahh, the dangerous pleasure of being naïve.
So now here we are. Yes, the 100-year storms happen every five years, but that could be a fluke of the statistics. Yes, scientists put out reports documenting this was the hottest day/month/year on record, but I remember growing up watching the news, and we would often break temperature records, so this probably isn’t what we were warned about. For me, the orange skies of 2023 really hit home, to realize that we are now in the period we were warned about. In a way, it’s a shame it took until it personally impacted me to realize it, but there was no denying over those smokey days in June that something was horribly wrong. I am not an expert, but the preponderance of the evidence (the near-constant extreme weather, all 50 states under severe weather alerts, uncontrollable wildfires -- all within six months) shows us we need to do something.
Orange Skies Visible Above the NYC Skyline from 2023. EarthCam/New York Post
“‘As long as it doesn’t impact me, cost me anything, or cause me any inconvenience, then you can do whatever you want to fight climate change.’ Unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that. ”
Cue Bill Pullman to bring us together to fight as one. Enter the next generation: hopeful, optimistic, looking towards the future to be the changemakers. But now we hear the phrase “climate fatalism or climate despair” used, especially to describe the younger generation. It is the feeling that fighting climate change is hopeless because it's already too late. Wait a minute, how did we go from “this is a problem that’s coming” to “it’s too late, let’s give up” in the span of about a year?
This feeling is worse than the other extreme of climate denial, which thankfully is only a tiny if vocal, minority. Poll after poll in the U.S. shows people accept climate change and the real dangers we will experience. So, let’s fix it! Let’s reduce fossil fuel emissions, build renewables, switch to electric vehicles (EVs), etc. But then you hear, “Will this inconvenience me in any way?” Well, yes, maybe. You might have construction traffic from the building of a solar park, or you might have some headaches with charging your EV (although these are rapidly declining). Then you hear, “No thanks, I’m good.” Even among “climate supporters,” there is vast apathy or an unwillingness to change or adapt lives for long-term gain. The majority opinion seems to be, “As long as it doesn’t impact me, cost me anything, or cause me any inconvenience, then you can do whatever you want to fight climate change.” Unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that.
There is a majority of people out there who want to do the right thing, so speak up! Tell them they have your support when your local school district gets ready to move to electric buses. Remember, studies show that exposing school children to diesel fumes can lead to asthma, the number one cause of school absenteeism in the country. Boom. EV buses should be easy to support. When a renewable energy project gets proposed in your neighborhood, keep an eye on it. If they need a letter of support, write it. Let town officials and the state know that the vocal minority is only a minority.
Yes, if a renewable energy project gets proposed in your backyard, don’t be the problem. Yes, ask questions. Yes, raise concerns if you have them. Remember, these projects evolve over their planning period to be the best fit for the community. But do not buy into the misinformation that gets spread around these projects. They are needed. New York is not an insignificant place on the global stage. Changing our energy system will cost money, but it will be much less expensive than the billions it already costs to deal with climate catastrophes.
Thankfully, while I was still in the far-off phase of my understanding of climate change, there were people working behind the scenes to give us the tools to fight, laying the groundwork to reduce pollution and protect our planet. We don’t have to accept orange skies, we don’t have to accept constant floods and extreme weather swings. Is it an overnight fix? Nope. If we switch to 100 percent renewable energy tomorrow and gas cars are banned, is the problem fixed? Nope.
A Solar Farm Developed by EDF Renewables in Ontario, N.Y. EDF Photo
There are still parts of climate change that are far off, but they are coming. There are maps of Florida and California being underwater as the oceans rise. Those maps don’t show what it will be like 500 years from now. It’s more like 50-80 years. For us Millennials, that’s within our or our children’s lifetime.
The worst thing we can do is nothing, and that’s what climate fatalism makes possible. Yes, you might be inconvenienced. Yes, you might have to spend a few more dollars a month on electricity. Yes, you might have a solar panel as a neighbor instead of a cornfield or a new housing development, but come on, remember last June when we couldn’t go outside because it was dangerous to breathe the air? That wasn’t a freak accident, and it certainly could happen more frequently and be even more intense.
In one of the country's most progressive states, one that is dealing with extreme weather more frequently, it’s hard to believe that there is still widespread opposition to fighting climate change. To sum it up, it doesn’t seem like it should be this hard.
