avatarRay Katz

Summary

The article expresses deep frustration with global leaders' inaction on the climate crisis, despite decades of scientific warnings, and calls for immediate, bold action by the public.

Abstract

The author of the article conveys a sense of urgency and dismay over the continued failure of authorities to address the climate emergency effectively. Despite clear and persistent warnings from climate scientists about the need to reduce fossil fuel emissions, leaders have engaged in a series of ineffective conferences since 1992, producing little more than empty promises. The article highlights the irony and inappropriateness of an oil company CEO leading a climate conference and contrasts the irresponsibility of these leaders with the courageous actions of children and young activists who are demanding real change. The author suggests that it is time for the public to stop following these failed leaders and to take direct action, proposing a range of protest activities under the banner of "The Saners." These actions are designed to be accessible to people with varying levels of risk tolerance, from sending protest notes with tax payments to withholding taxes as a form of civil disobedience. The article calls on readers to join the movement, follow the author on Medium, visit WeAreSaners.org, and listen to the "5 Minutes to Save the Earth" podcast.

Opinions

  • The author believes there is a lack of responsible adults in positions of authority regarding the climate crisis.
  • Leaders are criticized for their casual and inadequate response to the climate emergency, exemplified by the ineffective U.N. conferences held since 1992.
  • The appointment of an oil company CEO to lead COP 28 is seen as a mockery of the global effort to combat climate change.
  • Children and young activists are recognized as more mature and responsible than the current leaders, bravely confronting the failure to preserve a habitable Earth.
  • The article suggests that leaders are either selfish, insane, or both, given their disregard for the climate crisis and the youth movement pleading for action.
  • There is a call to action for the public to stop following failed leaders and to engage in direct action through participation in "The Saners" movement.
  • The author proposes a "sliding scale" of protest actions, from mild to risky, to accommodate different levels of personal risk that individuals are willing to take.
  • The author emphasizes the need for enough people to disobey and disregard the failed authorities to effect change, rather than requiring everyone to participate.
  • The article encourages readers to become "Saners" by joining the movement and engaging with related media to stay informed and active in the fight against climate change.

Our Children Are Begging For Their Lives, While Authorities Make Excuses and Continue Cooking Their Planet

Photo by Laura Fuhrman on Unsplash

There clearly are no responsible adults in positions of authority and haven’t been for decades. Because for decades, climate scientists have been sounding the alarm that there is a climate crisis and it requires us to slash fossil fuel emissions to prevent climate collapse. And our leaders never do anything.

Apparently unfamiliar with the words “crisis” and “emergency” (not to mention the word “extinction”), leaders casually discussed the issue and snapped into action quickly. Well, not all that quickly. Four years after James Hansen’s historic warning before Congress and the world, a series of toothless and pathetic U.N. conferences were held starting in 1992. Some of them made excited announcements of targets, treaties and deadlines. Nothing came of them. They were, essentially press releases touting imaginary events.

The TWENTY EIGHTH failed conference will be concluding shortly.

I find it totally amazing that ANYONE is covering, paying attention to, and taking seriously this ongoing clown show. As if to ridicule the entire world, the CEO of a giant oil company was put in charge of COP 28.

It’s time for sane and caring people to stop listening and start speaking. As I noted, there’s seem to be very few responsible adults — other than scientists.

However, there are many mature and responsible children.

Begging For Their Lives

It should be embarrassing for the adult authorities to face the far more responsible and mature children who have the guts and fortitude to point out the obvious — that leaders everywhere are failing catastrophically to preserve a habitable Earth.

But the leaders have no shame. They live in bubbles of fantasy, where they are powerful and wise and the scientists and their warnings — not to mention the increasingly severe and frequent climate disasters — are irrelevant. Or maybe don’t exist.

But reality is a very stubborn thing. The consequences of continued and expanded fossil fuel use are here.

And the children begging for their lives, skipping school on Fridays — by the millions — to underline that it’s ridiculous to prepare for a future that doesn’t exist — well, the authorities don’t give a damn about them. That sounds harsh to say, but the leaders are either ruthlessly selfish or too insane to recognize reality. Neither assessment makes their judgement look good.

The Only Choice Is To Go Over the Heads of the Leaders

Without followers, there are no leaders. And while we know that not everyone will stop following the people who are cooking the planet, many — we hope BILLIONS — will do exactly that. And we don’t need everyone to change and save the world.

We know that the leaders will never come through. We’ve waited 35 years. We cannot wait longer. It would be insane to wait longer. We are just about out of time.

We don’t need everyone to disobey, to disregard, and to go over the heads of the failed authorities. We just need enough. You can help — either now or later.

Sooner is better, but to be an early adapter, you need to be special. You need to be someone who’s not in too dire a personal position to stick your neck out. You need to be someone who isn’t cowed by peer pressure or societal rules. You need to be someone who would have stood up to the British in India, or to segregationists in the American South. You need to be someone who cares enough to take some personal risk. Albeit not necessarily much personal risk.

The Saners, a group of newbie activists, will be taking actions on a “sliding scale” of risk. So, participants can take the safest version of an action, or the more daring and risky one.

For example, one possible action is “tax delay.” Under this action, taxpayers can do the mild and safe protest, or the gutsier and risky version.

  1. Mild and Safe. With your tax returns and payment, include a note saying that you are paying under protest — you’ve waited 35 years for the government to act on the climate emergency and slash fossil fuel use. You believe that the government should wait ONE DAY for its tax payments for EACH YEAR the people of the world have been waiting for the government to act responsibly. That said, the check is enclosed. Now DO YOUR JOBS.
  2. Gutsier and Risky. Activist encloses no check with the tax returns. Instead, a note is enclosed announcing that payment will come in 35 days — one day late for each year of delayed climate action by the government, a government which failed to heed the warnings of climate scientist James Hansen in 1988.

At the most basic level, Saners repeat the demands and key points of people who require that we listen to, and act on, the scientists’ warnings — quickly and completely.

Are you a Saner? Are you ready to become one?

Please follow me on Medium. See the website at WeAreSaners.org. You may want to join by signing up for the email list at WeAreSaners.org/join. Also, please check out the audio podcast 5 Minutes to Save the Earth.

We Are Saners
Climate Change
Climate Catastrophe
Activism
Children
Recommended from ReadMedium