Where is the anger about the climate crisis?
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I often wonder why we are not angrier about the climate crisis. Most of my friends are worried and sad. But where is the anger?
Suppose you go to the movies, and a man deliberately creates panic by shouting that the cinema is on fire; I am sure you want the authorities to prosecute him.
Now suppose you are in a cinema that is on fire, and a man deliberately creates confusion by shouting that there is no fire. Then, I guess you want him to be prosecuted as well.
Our planet, our only home, is now on fire. For decades, the CEOs of the fossil fuel industry were informed by their best scientists about the devastating impact that fossil fuels would have on the climate and thus on billions of people. And, like the man in the burning cinema you want to see in jail, they chose not to warn the people. Instead, they decided to do the opposite and create confusion. The fossil fuel industry then spent tens of millions of dollars on campaigns to convince us of the opposite; stay calm, there is no problem, and please keep buying our fossil fuels.
Why is this not the crime of the millennium?
Where is the anger?
Where is the anger about the politicians that didn't take their responsibility? Especially since many of them have vast financial ties to the fossil fuel industry.
Where is the anger at the media that has not been doing their job? For decades they claimed to be good journalists by giving 'both views of science' equal attention. But there was no significant disagreement in peer-reviewed scientific articles about the basics of climate science. Climate change is overwhelmingly caused by us, mainly by CO2, mainly by burning fossil fuels, and it will have devastating effects on the living conditions on earth.
Joining the protests
I'm not the type to join demonstrations; I don't like to be in large crowds of people. But in 2014, I took the train from New Haven to New York to join what was then the world's largest climate demonstration in history.
Since then, I have joined more demonstrations in New York and Stockholm, where I joined some of the regular protests of Greta Thunberg outside the Swedish parliament. Often there were just some 20 people; on other Fridays, there were thousands.
COP26
I see the demonstrations in Glasgow at COP26. When I type this, some 100,000 people ignore the rain and protest for climate action, following on the earlier this week's Fridays for Future demonstrations. I hope people will listen.
I would have joined, but since I am on the other side of the Atlantic, I decided not to fly to COP26 in Glasgow. It means one person less in the streets, and for me, it also means getting up at 4 am to speak online at COP26 events. But I share the protesters' frustration at real progress, the sadness of losing this beautiful planet while there are solutions, and I do feel anger and frustration; there are too many in a position to lead that lack the will to do so.
To my surprise, I found out that the number of people being angry about the climate crisis is much higher than I thought. But, of course, the people I meet are likely those who don't quickly get mad, so there should be no surprises there. Last year, the Yale Project on Climate Change research showed that 11.8 percent of the American population are very angry about climate change, and another 35 percent are moderately angry.
That indicates that about 95 million Americans are angry about climate change. But where are they? I would expect much more protest signs in the yards or perhaps a march on Washington; these years are the very last we have to save the planet from dangerous levels of warming. So, unfortunately, we no longer have the luxury of time. And why isn't there more media attention for the climate crisis during the weeks when there are no hurricanes or climate summits?
That was a long introduction to a video that I wanted to show where a nine-year-old girl spoke her mind when she joined a demonstration in Glasgow. It was all over social media this weekend. If you missed it, here she is:
What are your thoughts?
I will forget my climate grief and anger for a moment and go out for a walk in nature. I hope you will find time for that too.
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Notes:
https://huntercutting.medium.com/30-million-americans-are-very-angry-about-climate-change-8ce11551967a
photo: Photo by Tania Malréchauffé on Unsplash
I don't like big groups of people either so I'm unlikely to join any big protests. I love your cinema analogy. It is a crime!! And I think money is the reason it's not being prosecuted. This might be a simplistic view, but ... I don't think it's wrong. Love Holly. We need more people like her.
Seeing what's going on around the world, anger is starting to build up. I'm working on finding an outlet by joining one of the many initiatives.
I think there needs to be more anger and that anger needs to be put towards a push for change.
Very good piece perfectly capturing the anger & frustration felt by all who are attuned to this critical moment we’re experiencing. An exigent time in our history that determines the future of the planet. While those who see the urgency are filled with anger, others are blinded by greed, complacency or ignorance & sit idly by as time slips away.
Where is the anger is the supreme question of the day & the children have every right to demand answers.