The arguments for or against the belief that climate risk is a real and tangible problem have come to the forefront as these natural treasures cease to exist. The fact that these debates have yielded little in the way of meaningful, cooperative solutions has contributed to our losing topography and reshaping our landscape, be it coastal or within interior sections of our respective countries. Greater threats to our food security, loss of clean drinking water, and arable land to plant food will only increase as this recent NY Times article reveals ahead of COP27 in Egypt. It doesn’t matter which side of the debate you fall on. Mother Nature doesn’t care and neither does our planet. This is not about political allegiances. It is about how we identify with our environment and how the loss of that identity is worse than any identity theft that is taking place in cyberspace. We can always freeze our account numbers and replace debit cards; we cannot easily replace the natural environs that shape our planet and more specifically, those parts of the world that tell us something about our humanity or create memories that remind us of what we hold to be valuable and non-negotiable.
Can we honestly look into the eyes of our children and grandchildren and expect that they will understand and acknowledge that we did all that we could to ensure a future worth living that will include experiences like ours? Already we see that millennials and Gen Z are fed up with how we conduct business and politics. And they are demanding more accountability as to how we are going to fix our sustainability issues. They have an absolute right and responsibility to ask these questions and we owe them transparent and honest answers.
The questions we need to ask ourselves should focus on what we want to leave behind as a legacy and a continuing storyline for future generations. Does our contentious “not in my backyard” behavior signal an Armageddon of man vs. nature? When the dinosaurs walked our planet, they most likely felt impervious to any natural or evolutionary forces that would destroy their habitat. We know how that ended for them. If we treasure and lean on memories and identify emotionally with places and experiences that are threatened by climate risk, then it is up to us to seize this opportunity to craft a commitment to ensure a future that will create similar memories and experiences for future generations. Failing to act collaboratively and attempt to reverse the damage is a crime against humanity.